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As no objection was made to the young people’s engagement with their aunt, and all Mr. Collins’s scruples of leaving Mr. and Mrs. Bennet for a single evening during his visit were most steadily resisted, the coach conveyed him and his five cousins at a suitable hour to Meryton; and the girls had the pleasure of hearing, as they entered the drawing-room, that Mr. Wickham had accepted their uncle’s invitation, and was then in the house.
由于姑娘们与姨妈的约会没有遭到反对，而科林斯先生对只留下老两口在家里会感到孤寂的担心，在班纳特夫妇看也纯属多虑，马车便载着科林斯和他的五个表妹准时到达了麦里屯。一走进客厅，听说威科汉姆接受邀请已经先到了，姑娘们甭提有多高兴啦。
When this information was given, and they had all taken their seats, Mr. Collins was at leisure to look around him and admire, and he was so much struck with the size and furniture of the apartment, that he declared he might almost have supposed himself in the small summer breakfast parlour at Rosings; a comparison that did not at first convey much gratification;
得知这个消息后，大家各自都落了坐，科林斯先生开始四下悠闲地打量着并发出赞叹，屋子的宽敞和家具的精美让他十分惊羡。他声称自己好像是在罗新斯的那间消夏的小饭厅里了。这个比喻起初并没有受到主人家的注意。
but when Mrs. Phillips understood from him what Rosings was, and who was its proprietor--when she had listened to the description of only one of Lady Catherine’s drawing-rooms, and found that the chimney-piece alone had cost eight hundred pounds, she felt all the force of the compliment, and would hardly have resented a comparison with the housekeeper’s room.
直到菲利普太太从科林斯那儿了解到罗新斯是一个怎样的宅邸，谁又是它的主人，又听他说起凯瑟琳夫人会客间里的一个壁炉架就值八百英镑时，她才觉出了这句夸赞之辞的分量，现在就是把它比作人家那里的女管家的房间，菲利普太太也不会有怨言了。
In describing to her all the grandeur of Lady Catherine and her mansion, with occasional digressions in praise of his own humble abode, and the improvements it was receiving, he was happily employed until the gentlemen joined them;
科林斯津津有味地向菲利普太太描绘凯瑟琳夫人的光彩照人和其府邸的富丽堂皇，还不时地插进一些对他自己那一小小住宅的夸赞及其正在进行的改进、装修等，在那些男客们进来之前，他就这样愉快地打发着时光。
and he found in Mrs. Phillips a very attentive listener, whose opinion of his consequence increased with what she heard, and who was resolving to retail it all among her neighbours as soon as she could.
他发现菲利普太太听得很专心，而且越是听越是觉得他了不得，越是想立即把这些话拿到左邻右舍中间去传扬一番。
To the girls, who could not listen to their cousin, and who had nothing to do but to wish for an instrument, and examine their own indifferent imitations of china on the mantelpiece, the interval of waiting appeared very long.
姑娘们听不进去表哥讲的这一套，只是指望着有什么乐器弹一弹，或是将壁炉架上的那些瓷器临摹一番，这段等待的时间可真够漫长。
It was over at last, however. The gentlemen did approach, and when Mr. Wickham walked into the room, Elizabeth felt that she had neither been seeing him before, nor thinking of him since, with the smallest degree of unreasonable admiration.
不过，总算结束了，男人们进来了。在威科汉姆走进屋子里来的那一瞬间，伊丽莎白觉得她心中无端地涌出一股爱慕之情，这种情感无论是以前见到他，还是以后再见他时都再也没有过。
The officers of the --shire were in general a very creditable, gentlemanlike set, and the best of them were of the present party;
某郡的军官们都是一批名声不错、颇具绅士风度的年轻人，其中最优秀的今天都到场了。
but Mr. Wickham was as far beyond them all in person, countenance, air, and walk, as they were superior to the broad-faced, stuffy uncle Phillips, breathing port wine, who followed them into the room.
但是威克汉姆先生在人品、相貌、风度、举止步态等方面又远远地超过了他们，正像他们与跟在他们后面进来的大脸、宽身、满口喷着葡萄酒味儿的菲利普姨夫相比，远在其上一样。
Mr. Wickham was the happy man towards whom almost every female eye was turned, and Elizabeth was the happy woman by whom he finally seated himself;
威科汉姆是这间屋子里最幸福的男人，几乎所有的姑娘们都在朝他看，伊丽莎白是最幸福的女人，威科汉姆最终在她身边坐下了。
and the agreeable manner in which he immediately fell into conversation, though it was only on its being a wet night, made her feel that the commonest, dullest, most threadbare topic might be rendered interesting by the skill of the speaker.
他很快就和她攀谈起来，尽管谈的只是一些今晚天气很潮和雨季就要来临的话儿，可是他的随和亲切的态度让伊丽莎白觉得，即便是最平凡最乏味的老套话题从他的嘴里说出来，也能变得有趣。
With such rivals for the notice of the fair as Mr. Wickham and the officers, Mr. Collins seemed to sink into insignificance; to the young ladies he certainly was nothing;
有像威科汉姆先生和这样的一些军官们作为对手，科林斯先生在漂亮姑娘们的眼里便逐渐变得无足轻重，甚至是毫无意义了。
but he had still at intervals a kind listener in Mrs. Phillips, and was by her watchfulness, most abundantly supplied with coffee and muffin. When the card-tables were placed, he had the opportunity of obliging her in turn, by sitting down to whist.
但他仍不时地有菲利普太太作为他的一名好心的听众，也多亏她的照料，总是有丰盛的咖啡和松饼给他端上来。在牌桌摆好以后，科林斯先生有了回报她的机会，随她坐下来一起玩惠斯特（类似桥牌的一种牌系）。
“I know little of the game at present,” said he, “but I shall be glad to improve myself, for in my situation in life--” Mrs. Phillips was very glad for his compliance, but could not wait for his reason.
“眼下我对这种玩法还了解甚少，”科林斯先生说，“不过我很乐意在这方面提高一下，因为我所处的地位----”菲利普太太很感谢他的赏光。可是却等不及他申述他的理由。
Mr. Wickham did not play at whist, and with ready delight was he received at the other table between Elizabeth and Lydia. At first there seemed danger of Lydia’s engrossing him entirely, for she was a most determined talker;
威科汉姆没有玩惠斯特，他到了另一张桌子旁边，在那儿他受到了伊丽莎白和丽迪雅的欢迎。起初丽迪雅看上去似乎要把他的注意力完全吸引过去了，因为她可是个十分健谈的姑娘。
but being likewise extremely fond of lottery tickets, she soon grew too much interested in the game, too eager in making bets and exclaiming after prizes to have attention for anyone in particular.
不过，她对摸奖也非常喜欢，不久便完全沉浸在了其中，她一股劲儿地下注，中奖后又兴高采烈地叫嚷，再也分不出心来去对哪一个人好了。
Allowing for the common demands of the game, Mr. Wickham was therefore at leisure to talk to Elizabeth, and she was very willing to hear him, though what she chiefly wished to hear she could not hope to be told--the history of his acquaintance with Mr. Darcy.
这种游戏要玩的人很多，所以威科汉姆先生能有闲跟伊丽莎白说话，她也很乐意听他聊天，尽管她最希望听到的是那件她不好启齿问的事情，即他与达西先生相识的经过。
She dared not even mention that gentleman. Her curiosity, however, was unexpectedly relieved. Mr. Wickham began the subject himself.
她甚至都不好意思提到达西的名字。谁知她的好奇心却出乎意料地得到了满足。威科汉姆先生自己主动谈起了这个话题。
He enquired how far Netherfield was from Meryton; and, after receiving her answer, asked in a hesitating manner how long Mr. Darcy had been staying there.
他先是问尼日斐花园离麦里屯有多远，在得到她的回答后，踌躇了一会儿，便问起达西先生在那里待了有多长时间了。
