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Elizabeth was sitting with her mother and sisters, reflecting on what she had heard, and doubting whether she was authorised to mention it, when Sir William Lucas himself appeared, sent by his daughter, to announce her engagement to the family.
伊丽莎白跟她母亲和姐妹们坐着，思考着她刚才听到的这件事，拿不定主意是否应该告诉她们，正在这时威廉·卢卡斯爵士自己走进来了，他是受他大女儿之托，前来将她订婚的事告诉班纳特家的。
With many compliments to them, and much self-gratulation on the prospect of a connection between the houses, he unfolded the matter--to an audience not merely wondering, but incredulous; for Mrs. Bennet, with more perseverance than politeness, protested he must be entirely mistaken; and Lydia, always unguarded and often uncivil, boisterously exclaimed:
他少不了对班纳特家的一番恭维和对自家的连连庆贺，因为他们两家就要喜结良缘了，对他的侃侃道来--大家听得不只是惊奇不已，更是难以置信；班纳特太太一再不客气地说，他一定是弄错了，一向任性和少教养的丽迪雅更是大声地嚷嚷起来：
“Good Lord! Sir William, how can you tell such a story? Do not you know that Mr. Collins wants to marry Lizzy?”
“天哪！威廉爵士，你怎么会讲出这样的话来呢？难道你不知道科林斯先生想要娶的是丽萃吗？”
Nothing less than the complaisance of a courtier could have borne without anger such treatment; but Sir William’s good breeding carried him through it all; and though he begged leave to be positive as to the truth of his information, he listened to all their impertinence with the most forbearing courtesy.
只有善于讨好奉迎的宫廷大臣才能心平气和地忍受这种对待，当然，威廉爵士良好的教养也帮了他的忙。尽管他恳请她们相信这消息的权威性和真实性，却还是极有礼貌和耐心地听着她们不逊的言辞。
Elizabeth, feeling it incumbent on her to relieve him from so unpleasant a situation, now put herself forward to confirm his account, by mentioning her prior knowledge of it from Charlotte herself; and endeavoured to put a stop to the exclamations of her mother and sisters by the earnestness of her congratulations to Sir William, in which she was readily joined by Jane, and by making a variety of remarks on the happiness that might be expected from the match, the excellent character of Mr. Collins, and the convenient distance of Hunsford from London.
伊丽莎白觉得有责任让威廉爵士摆脱这种尴尬的处境，于是走上前来，把先前从夏洛特那里听到的消息说了一遍，以证明威廉爵士说的都是实情。她用热情真诚的祝贺竭力平息她母亲和几个妹妹的大惊小怪，吉英也旋即参加了进来，一起数说着这门亲事可能带来的种种幸福，科林斯先生的优秀品格以及哈德福郡和伦敦之间的方便往来，等等。
Mrs. Bennet was in fact too much overpowered to say a great deal while Sir William remained; but no sooner had he left them than her feelings found a rapid vent.
当威廉爵士在座时，班纳特太太还实在不敢太过分，不敢说出太不敬的话来。可待他一出家门，她的满腹牢骚就尽情发泄出来了。
In the first place, she persisted in disbelieving the whole of the matter; secondly, she was very sure that Mr. Collins had been taken in; thirdly, she trusted that they would never be happy together; and fourthly, that the match might be broken off.
其一，她还是固执地不相信真有此事；其二，她断定科林斯先生是受了蒙骗；其三，她坚信他们俩在一起绝不会幸福；其四，这桩婚事多半会泡汤。
Two inferences, however, were plainly deduced from the whole: one, that Elizabeth was the real cause of the mischief; and the other that she herself had been barbarously misused by them all; and on these two points she principally dwelt during the rest of the day.
不过，从整个事件中她又显而易见地得出两个推论：首先，伊丽莎白是这一恶作剧的真正源头；其次，她自己受到了全家人最不公正的对待。在这一天所剩下的时间里，她一直就这两条喋喋不休。
Nothing could console and nothing could appease her.
无论什么也不能使她得到安慰，不能平息了她的怒气。
Nor did that day wear out her resentment.
整整一天也未能发完她的牢骚。
A week elapsed before she could see Elizabeth without scolding her, a month passed away before she could speak to Sir William or Lady Lucas without being rude, and many months were gone before she could at all forgive their daughter.
一个星期过去了，一见到伊丽莎白她还是没好气地责骂；一个月过去了，她跟卢卡斯夫妇说话还是粗声粗气，直到好几个月以后，她才原谅了卢卡斯家的大女儿。
Mr. Bennet’s emotions were much more tranquil on the occasion, and such as he did experience he pronounced to be of a most agreeable sort; for it gratified him, he said, to discover that Charlotte Lucas, whom he had been used to think tolerably sensible, was as foolish as his wife, and more foolish than his daughter!
班纳特先生的情绪在这件事上要平和得多，他声称，最近他经历的事情是非常令人赏心悦目的那一种。他说，发现他从前认为还算得上聪明的夏洛特·卢卡斯竟像他的妻子一样愚蠢，比他的女儿就更蠢啦，这真叫他得意！
Jane confessed herself a little surprised at the match; but she said less of her astonishment than of her earnest desire for their happiness; nor could Elizabeth persuade her to consider it as improbable.
吉英也承认她为这门亲事感到有些吃惊。不过，她倒并未多提她的惊讶之情，而是衷心祝愿他们两人幸福。伊丽莎白向她说明，他们两个人之间不可能有幸福，可这话劝说不了吉英。
Kitty and Lydia were far from envying Miss Lucas, for Mr. Collins was only a clergyman; and it affected them in no other way than as a piece of news to spread at Meryton.
吉蒂和丽迪雅一点儿也不嫉妒卢卡斯小姐，因为科林斯先生只不过是个牧师而已。要说这件事也影响到她们，那也只是被她们当作一条新闻在麦里屯传布罢了。
Lady Lucas could not be insensible of triumph on being able to retort on Mrs. Bennet the comfort of having a daughter well married; and she called at Longbourn rather oftener than usual to say how happy she was, though Mrs. Bennet’s sour looks and ill-natured remarks might have been enough to drive happiness away.
卢卡斯太太既然有一个女儿缔结了美满姻缘，她当然不可能意识不到，现在她可以对班纳特太太进行报复了；她到浪博恩拜访得更勤了，说她是如何如何高兴，尽管班纳特太太那满脸不悦之情和满口挖苦之辞，足以把卢卡斯太太那股高兴劲儿扫得一干二净。
Between Elizabeth and Charlotte there was a restraint which kept them mutually silent on the subject; and Elizabeth felt persuaded that no real confidence could ever subsist between them again.
在伊丽莎白和夏洛特之间，现在有了一层隔阂，使她们两个人对这件事都相互保持着缄默。伊丽莎白清楚，在她俩之间再也不可能有那种无话不谈的真正友情了。
Her disappointment in Charlotte made her turn with fonder regard to her sister, of whose rectitude and delicacy she was sure her opinion could never be shaken, and for whose happiness she grew daily more anxious, as Bingley had now been gone a week and nothing more was heard of his return.
她对夏洛特的失望，使她以更深切的柔情去关心她的姐姐，对姐姐为人正直和淑好端庄的品性她是永远不会怀疑的，她一天比一天更为姐姐的幸福担心，因为宾格莱已经走了一个礼拜了，一点儿也听不到他要返回的消息。
