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"Has she been presented? I do not remember her name among the ladies at court."
“她觐见过国王吗？我不记得在进过宫的女人们中间有她的名字了。”
Her indifferent state of health unhappily prevents her being in town; and by that means, as I told Lady Catherine myself one day, has deprived the British court of its brightest ornament.
她的不尽如人意的健康状况妨碍了她住进城里。正是这个原因，就像我有一次曾跟凯瑟琳夫人讲过的那样，使英国宫廷里失去了一颗最璀璨的明珠。
Her ladyship seemed pleased with the idea, and you may imagine that I am happy on every occasion to offer those little delicate compliments which are always acceptable to ladies.
老夫人听了这话似乎很高兴，你可以想见，我是很乐意一有机会，就献上一些女人们都爱听的恭维话的。
I have more than once observed to Lady Catherine that her charming daughter seemed born to be a duchess, and that the most elevated rank, instead of giving her consequence, would be adorned by her. -- These are the kind of little things which please her ladyship, and it is a sort of attention which I conceive myself peculiarly bound to pay."
我不止一次地向凯瑟琳夫人说过，她的女儿是一个天生的公爵夫人，甚至最高的地位也不能再增添她的光彩，而只能因为她增加它的显耀。——这些中听的赞美话儿叫老夫人听了美滋滋的，何况这种殷勤也是我觉得自己理应献上的。”
"You judge very properly," said Mr. Bennet, "and it is happy for you that you possess the talent of flattering with delicacy. May I ask whether these pleasing attentions proceed from the impulse of the moment, or are the result of previous study?"
“你的评断很恰当，”班纳特先生说，“有这种会说奉承话的世故和才能，你真是有福了。我可以问一下，你的这些奉迎是出于一时的兴致，还是由于你一直留心注意的结果呢？”
"They arise chiefly from what is passing at the time, and though I sometimes amuse myself with suggesting and arranging such little elegant compliments as may be adapted to ordinary occasions, I always wish to give them as unstudied an air as possible."
“它们多半是因当时的场合而引发的。我有时虽然也蛮有兴致地私下操练一些小小的赞美词，以备在实际的场合中使用，不过，我总是希望尽可能地赋予它们一种自然的品质。”
Mr. Bennet's expectations were fully answered. His cousin was as absurd as he had hoped, and he listened to him with the keenest enjoyment, maintaining at the same time the most resolute composure of countenance, and, except in an occasional glance at Elizabeth, requiring no partner in his pleasure.
班纳特先生预先想到的都被充分地证实了。他的这个表侄子正像他所想象的那么荒唐，他饶有兴味地听着侄儿的讲述，同时脸上却也保持着一种超然的神态，除了偶尔向伊丽莎白投去一个会意的眼神，他只是独自默默地享受着这份愉悦。
By tea-time, however, the dose had been enough, and Mr. Bennet was glad to take his guest into the drawing-room again, and when tea was over, glad to invite him to read aloud to the ladies. Mr. Collins readily assented, and a book was produced; but on beholding it (for every thing announced it to be from a circulating library), he started back, and begging pardon, protested that he never read novels.
到了喝茶的时间，这幕戏已经演得差不多了，班纳特先生高高兴兴地将客人带到了客厅，等喝完了茶，又高兴地请他给女士们读点儿什么。科林斯先生立刻就答应了，书马上就被取来了。可是当他把书拿在手里的时候（一眼便可以看出，这本书是从流通图书馆里借来的），却不由得吓了一跳，连忙请求原谅，说他从来也没有读过小说之类的东西。
-- Kitty stared at him, and Lydia exclaimed. -- Other books were produced, and after some deliberation he chose Fordyce's Sermons. Lydia gaped as he opened the volume, and before he had, with very monotonous solemnity, read three pages, she interrupted him with, "Do you know, mama, that my uncle Philips talks of turning away Richard, and if he does, Colonel Forster will hire him. My aunt told me so herself on Saturday. I shall walk to Meryton tomorrow to hear more about it, and to ask when Mr. Denny comes back from town."
吉蒂惊异地瞪着他，丽迪雅不由得喊出了声。——其他的书又被拿来了，经过一番挑选，他拿起一本弗迪斯的《讲道集》[插图]。丽迪雅见他打开这本书，不禁目瞪口呆，还没等到他用他那单调刻板的声音读完第三页，便打断他说：“你知道吗？妈妈，菲利普姨夫说是要辞退理查德先生，要真是这样的话，弗斯特上校就会雇用他了。这是姨妈星期六告诉我的。我明天走到麦里屯去，再把这件事打探一下，顺便问问登尼先生多会儿从城里回来。”
Lydia was bid by her two eldest sisters to hold her tongue; but Mr. Collins, much offended, laid aside his book, and said,
两个姐姐嘱咐丽迪雅不要说话，可是科林斯先生已经生气了，撂下了他手里的书说：
"I have often observed how little young ladies are interested by books of a serious stamp, though written solely for their benefit. It amazes me, I confess; -- for certainly, there can be nothing so advantageous to them as instruction. But I will no longer importune my young cousin."
“我经常说，年轻姑娘们对那些内容严肃的书总是很少有兴趣的，尽管这些书完全是为她们的利益写的。坦白地说，这叫我很吃惊，因为毫无疑问再没有什么比教诲更对她们有益啦。不过，我可不愿意再拿这些东西来勉强我最年轻的表妹了。”
Then turning to Mr. Bennet, he offered himself as his antagonist at backgammon. Mr. Bennet accepted the challenge, observing that he acted very wisely in leaving the girls to their own trifling amusements.
末了，他转向班纳特先生，说他愿意陪他玩十五子游戏。班纳特先生接受了他的提议，一面说他让姑娘们自己去消遣娱乐，不失为明智之举。
Mrs. Bennet and her daughters apologised most civilly for Lydia's interruption, and promised that it should not occur again, if he would resume his book; but Mr. Collins, after assuring them that he bore his young cousin no ill will, and should never resent her behaviour as any affront, seated himself at another table with Mr. Bennet, and prepared for backgammon.
班纳特太太和她的女儿们都为丽迪雅的无礼向科林斯先生极有礼貌地道歉，并保证说如果他愿意继续读的话，这样的事情一定不会再发生了；而科林斯先生却一再申说他一点儿也不怪罪小表妹，也没有把她的行为看作一种冒犯，说完后便坐到了班纳特先生的对面，准备玩十五子了。
