评论
打印
“About a month,” said Elizabeth; and then, unwilling to let the subject drop, added, “He is a man of very large property in Derbyshire, I understand.”
“大概有一个月了吧，”伊丽莎白说，她很想再继续这个话题，因而补充道，“我听说，他是德比郡的一个富豪。”
“Yes,” replied Mr. Wickham; “his estate there is a noble one. A clear ten thousand per annum. You could not have met with a person more capable of giving you certain information on that head than myself, for I have been connected with his family in a particular manner from my infancy.”
“是的，”威科汉姆说，“他在那儿的财产很可观。每年有一万英镑的收入。要说他的情况，你再也不会碰到一个比我更了解他的人了，因为从孩提时代起我就和他们家的人有着一种特殊的关系了。”
Elizabeth could not but look surprised.
伊丽莎白不禁露出惊讶的表情。
“You may well be surprised, Miss Bennet, at such an assertion, after seeing, as you probably might, the very cold manner of our meeting yesterday. Are you much acquainted with Mr. Darcy?”
“你一定对我的话深感吃惊，班纳特小姐，因为你可能已经看到，在昨天我们俩相遇时彼此那种冷淡的态度。你跟达西先生很熟吗？”
“As much as I ever wish to be,” cried Elizabeth very warmly. “I have spent four days in the same house with him, and I think him very disagreeable.”
“比我所希望的还要熟，”伊丽莎白热烈地大声说，“我和他在同一幢房子里一块儿待了四天，我觉得他这个人很讨厌。”
“I have no right to give my opinion,” said Wickham, “as to his being agreeable or otherwise. I am not qualified to form one. I have known him too long and too well to be a fair judge. It is impossible for me to be impartial. But I believe your opinion of him would in general astonish--and perhaps you would not express it quite so strongly anywhere else. Here you are in your own family.”
“谈到他是不是叫人讨厌，”威科汉姆说，“我可就没有发表意见的权利了。我无法形成一种正确的见解。我认识他时间太长，相处也太熟了，已难以做一个公正的评断人。要我做到没有偏颇是不可能的。不过，我相信你对他的看法肯定会令人们惊讶的----你要是在别的什么地方，或许就不会说得这么硬气了。这里不一样，你是在你自己家里。”
“Upon my word, I say no more here than I might say in any house in the neighbourhood, except Netherfield. He is not at all liked in Hertfordshire. Everybody is disgusted with his pride. You will not find him more favourably spoken of by anyone.”
“我在任何一个邻居的家里都敢这么说，除了在尼日斐花园。他在我们哈福德郡一点也不受欢迎。每个人都讨厌他的骄傲。你在我们这里找不到一个说他好话的人。”
“I cannot pretend to be sorry,” said Wickham, after a short interruption, “that he or that any man should not be estimated beyond their deserts; but with him I believe it does not often happen. The world is blinded by his fortune and consequence, or frightened by his high and imposing manners, and sees him only as he chooses to be seen.”
“我是这样认为的，”威科汉姆在稍事停顿以后说，“无论是达西先生还是任何一个别的什么人，都不应该得到超出他们实际情况的评价。但是对于他来说，我以为情形就往往不是这样了。世人们不是被他的财富和地位蒙蔽了眼睛，就是被他那盛气凌人的举止吓住了，大家对他的看法都是投其所好罢了。”
“I should take him, even on my slight acquaintance, to be an ill-tempered man.” Wickham only shook his head.
“尽管我和他相识很浅，我还是认为他是一个脾气很坏的人。”听到伊丽莎白说这话，威科汉姆只是摇头。
“I wonder,” said he, at the next opportunity of speaking,“whether he is likely to be in this country much longer.”
“我不知道，”在停了一会儿以后他又问，“达西在乡下会住很久吗？”
“I do not at all know; but I heard nothing of his going away when I was at Netherfield. I hope your plans in favour of the--shire will not be affected by his being in the neighbourhood.”
“我也一点儿不清楚。不过，我在尼日斐花园时，可没听说过他要走。我希望，你因喜欢这个郡而为自己制订的计划，将不会因为他也在这里而受到影响。”
“Oh! no--it is not for me to be driven away by Mr. Darcy. If he wishes to avoid seeing me, he must go. We are not on friendly terms, and it always gives me pain to meet him, but I have no reason for avoiding him but what I might proclaim before all the world, a sense of very great ill-usage, and most painful regrets at his being what he is.
“噢！不会的----达西先生怎么能把我给吓跑了呢？如果他不想看到我，那他走好啦。我们俩的关系弄僵了，一遇到他总使我感到痛苦，但我可没有什么见不得人的理由要躲开他，我的苦衷是可以昭告世人的，我心中充满的是一种受到极不公正对待的愤懑，和对他现在这个人所感到的万分遗憾。
His father, Miss Bennet, the late Mr. Darcy, was one of the best men that ever breathed, and the truest friend I ever had; and I can never be in company with this Mr. Darcy without being grieved to the soul by a thousand tender recollections.
他的父亲，已故的达西先生，是一个天下最好的人，也是我最真诚的朋友。每当我同现在的这位达西先生在一起时，总会勾起我无数温馨的怀念，使我从心底里感到痛苦。
His behaviour to myself has been scandalous; but I verily believe I could forgive him anything and everything, rather than his disappointing the hopes and disgracing the memory of his father.”
达西对待我的行为是令人发指的。不过，我真诚地相信我能够在任何一件事情上原谅他，只要他不辜负他父亲的期望，不辱没他父亲的名声。”
Elizabeth found the interest of the subject increase, and listened with all her heart; but the delicacy of it prevented further enquiry.
伊丽莎白对这一题目的兴趣明显增加，她悉心地倾听着。只是因其有微妙处，才没有进一步追问。
Mr. Wickham began to speak on more general topics, Meryton, the neighbourhood, the society, appearing highly pleased with all that he had yet seen, and speaking of the latter with gentle but very intelligible gallantry.
威科汉姆先生开始谈起更为一般性的话题，如麦里屯啦，这儿的邻居们啦，社交活动啦，他好像对他迄今来到这里所见到的一切都感兴趣，尤其是在谈到后者的时候，他更是表现出温柔和殷勤。
“It was the prospect of constant society, and good society,” he added, “which was my chief inducement to enter the --shire. I knew it to be a most respectable, agreeable corps, and my friend Denny tempted me further by his account of their present quarters, and the very great attentions and excellent acquaintances Meryton had procured them. Society, I own, is necessary to me.
“正是这儿社交圈里的友好和淳朴风气，”威科汉姆补充道，“吸引我来到了该郡。我知道这支部队名声不错，与当地人的关系也很好，我的朋友登尼又说到了他们目前营地的情况和麦里屯真诚好客的朋友，更是打动了我的心。我承认，社交活动对我来说是必需的。
I have been a disappointed man, and my spirits will not bear solitude. I must have employment and society. A military life is not what I was intended for, but circumstances have now made it eligible.
我是个失意潦倒的人，精神上忍受不了孤寂。我必须有事可做和有社交活动才行。当兵并不是我一向的夙愿，只是因为环境使然。
The church ought to have been my profession--I was brought up for the church, and I should at this time have been in possession of a most valuable living, had it pleased the gentleman we were speaking of just now.”
牧师才应该是我的职业----我从小到大都是受的这种熏陶，若是我们刚才所说的那个人高兴这么做的话，我现在早就有一份收入可观的牧师工作啦。”
