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The Bennets were engaged to dine with the Lucases and again during the chief of the day was Miss Lucas so kind as to listen to Mr. Collins.
班纳特一家应邀去卢卡斯家吃饭，在人家府上待着的这一天里，又是卢卡斯小姐那么好心地在听科林斯先生的夸夸其谈。
Elizabeth took an opportunity of thanking her. “It keeps him in good humour,” said she, “and I am more obliged to you than I can express.”
伊丽莎白找机会向卢卡斯小姐表示感谢。“科林斯跟你说说话情绪好多啦，”伊丽莎白说，“我真不知道怎样来表达对你的感激。”
Charlotte assured her friend of her satisfaction in being useful, and that it amply repaid her for the little sacrifice of her time.
夏洛特回答说，能觉得自己对朋友有用，她就很满足了，这远远地补偿了她为此消磨掉的那点儿时间。
This was very amiable, but Charlotte’s kindness extended farther than Elizabeth had any conception of; its object was nothing else than to secure her from any return of Mr. Collins’s addresses, by engaging them towards herself.
这话说得够甜蜜够情意的了。只是夏洛特这番好心的用意，伊丽莎白是怎么也不会想到的。夏洛特这么做，是要伊丽莎白避开科林斯先生再次向她求婚的可能，而让她自己成为他求婚的对象。
Such was Miss Lucas’s scheme; and appearances were so favourable, that when they parted at night, she would have felt almost secure of success if he had not been to leave Hertfordshire so very soon.
这就是卢卡斯小姐的计划。一切看来都进行得很顺利，在他们晚上告别时，卢卡斯小姐觉得她几乎就要成功了，如若科林斯不是这么快就会离开哈福德郡的话。
But here she did injustice to the fire and independence of his character, for it led him to escape out of Longbourn House the next morning with admirable slyness, and hasten to Lucas Lodge to throw himself at her feet.
但是，在这里她是低估了科林斯性格中炽烈火热和独断专行的一面了，因为第二天早晨他便很巧妙地从浪博恩家溜了出来，急匆匆地跑到卢卡斯府上，拜在了夏洛特的脚下。
He was anxious to avoid the notice of his cousins, from a conviction that if they saw him depart, they could not fail to conjecture his design, and he was not willing to have the attempt known till its success might be known likewise; for though feeling almost secure, and with reason, for Charlotte had been tolerably encouraging, he was comparatively diffident since the adventure of Wednesday.
科林斯极力避开表妹们的注意，怕她们看见了猜出他的意图，在他还没有成功的把握之前，他不想声张出去。尽管科林斯觉得有成功的希望，卢卡斯小姐对他也不是没有情意，可是自从星期三的那场冒险之后，他的勇气和信心还是减了不少。
His reception, however, was of the most flattering kind.
不过，科林斯这一次倒是受到了最殷勤的接待。
Miss Lucas perceived him from an upper window as he walked towards the house, and instantly set out to meet him accidentally in the lane.
卢卡斯小姐从楼上窗户里看见他朝这边走来，便马上跑了出去，碰巧是在一条小巷里和他迎了面。
But little had she dared to hope that so much love and eloquence awaited her there.
她怎么也没有想到，在这条小巷里，有那么多的情话和爱意在等待着她。
In as short a time as Mr. Collins’s long speeches would allow, everything was settled between them to the satisfaction of both; and as they entered the house he earnestly entreated her to name the day that was to make him the happiest of men; and though such a solicitation must be waived for the present, the lady felt no inclination to trifle with his happiness.
在科林斯这番滔滔的话儿倾泻完后，他俩之间的事便很快地定了下来。当两个人走进她家时，科林斯已在非常恳切地敦请她选定婚娶的日子，好让他成为世界上最幸福的人。尽管这份请求眼下还必须搁置在一边，卢卡斯小姐却丝毫不愿扫了他快乐的兴致。
The stupidity with which he was favoured by nature must guard his courtship from any charm that could make a woman wish for its continuance; and Miss Lucas, who accepted him solely from the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment, cared not how soon that establishment were gained.
科林斯天生的那副蠢相，使他的求爱变得枯燥无味，让哪一个女人也不愿跟他深谈下去。卢卡斯小姐接受了他，完全是出于一种不动感情的、想有一个像样的家的愿望，至于这样的一个家多么快就能拥有，她倒没有太在乎。
Sir William and Lady Lucas were speedily applied to for their consent; and it was bestowed with a most joyful alacrity.
他们俩随即便去征求威廉爵士和卢卡斯太太的同意。卢卡斯夫妇马上就高兴地答应了这门亲事。
Mr. Collins’s present circumstances made it a most eligible match for their daughter, to whom they could give little fortune; and his prospects of future wealth were exceedingly fair.
科林斯先生现在的经济状况，使他成为他们女儿的一位最合适的人选。而且他将来会得到的财产更是可观。
Lady Lucas began directly to calculate, with more interest than the matter had ever excited before, how many years longer Mr. Bennet was likely to live; and Sir William gave it as his decided opinion, that whenever Mr. Collins should be in possession of the Longbourn estate, it would be highly expedient that both he and his wife should make their appearance at St. James’s.
卢卡斯太太马上用从来也没有过的浓厚兴趣，盘算起班纳特先生还可能再活多少个年头。威廉爵士肯定地说，只要科林斯先生占有浪博恩的财产后，他和他的妻子要得到国王的召见便指日可待了。
The whole family, in short, were properly overjoyed on the occasion.
简言之，卢卡斯一家为这件事都喜上眉梢了。
The younger girls formed hopes of coming out a year or two sooner than they might otherwise have done; and the boys were relieved from their apprehension of Charlotte’s dying an old maid.
几位小女儿们已开始有了她们能早一两年被嫁出去的希望，男孩们也不再为姐姐会在家里做老处女担心了。
Charlotte herself was tolerably composed.
夏洛特自己倒是显得十分镇静。
She had gained her point, and had time to consider of it.
她已经达到了目的，她现在有时间来对这件事考虑上一番了。
Her reflections were in general satisfactory.
她对她的思考大体上是满意的。
Mr. Collins, to be sure, was neither sensible nor agreeable; his society was irksome, and his attachment to her must be imaginary.
科林斯先生当然是既不聪明又不讨人喜欢。他的社交圈令人乏味，他对她的感情也一定是他自己想象出来的。
But still he would be her husband.
但尽管如此，她还是要选他做丈夫。
Without thinking highly either of men or matrimony, marriage had always been her object; it was the only provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative from want.
她把男人的品行或是婚姻的美满都没有看得过分认真，结婚才是她唯一的目的；对于一个家资微薄受过良好教育的年轻女子来说，结婚是她们唯一体面的归宿，不管婚姻能不能给她们带来幸福，她们至少是衣食无忧了。
This preservative she had now obtained; and at the age of twenty-seven, without having ever been handsome, she felt all the good luck of it.
夏洛特现在就找到了这样的一个归宿。作为一个二十七岁的老姑娘，又没有出众的姿色，她对自己的命运已经很满意了。
The least agreeable circumstance in the business was the surprise it must occasion to Elizabeth Bennet, whose friendship she valued beyond that of any other person.
在这件事情上，最叫她感到难堪的，是伊丽莎白将会为此事感到的惊讶，而她把与后者的友谊却是看得比和其他任何人的友谊都要珍贵的。
Elizabeth would wonder, and probably would blame her; and though her resolution was not to be shaken, her feelings must be hurt by such a disapprobation.
伊丽莎白会惊异不止，说不定会指责她，虽然她的决心不会动摇，她的感情却会因这样的责备而受到触动。
She resolved to give her the information herself, and therefore charged Mr. Collins, when he returned to Longbourn to dinner, to drop no hint of what had passed before any of the family.
她决定亲自去告诉伊丽莎白这件事，于是在科林斯先生要回浪博恩吃饭的时候，夏洛特嘱咐他一定不要把他们俩的事情透露出去。
A promise of secrecy was of course very dutifully given, but it could not be kept without difficulty; for the curiosity excited by his long absence burst forth in such very direct questions on his return as required some ingenuity to evade, and he was at the same time exercising great self-denial, for he was longing to publish his prosperous love.
保密的承诺当然是很顺从地做出了，不过执行起来却不是没有困难；科林斯一回到家，他这么长时间不在而引起的表妹们的好奇心，顿时都变作了问题劈头盖脸地向他袭来，没有一点儿技巧，是很难不露馅的，与此同时，他又得极力控制住自己的情感，因为他巴不得把他成功的爱情快快地公布于众。
