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Mr. Bennet made no answer, and each of them, deep in thought, continued silent till they reached the house. Their father then went on to the library to write, and the girls walked into the breakfast-room.
班纳特先生没有吭声，三个人就这样心事重重，默不作声地走了回来。父亲随后到书房去写信了，女儿们走进了早餐厅。
“And they are really to be married!” cried Elizabeth, as soon as they were by themselves. “How strange this is! And for this we are to be thankful. That they should marry, small as is their chance of happiness, and wretched as is his character, we are forced to rejoice. Oh, Lydia!”
“他们真的要结婚了！”待只剩下她们两个人的时候，伊丽莎白大声地说，“太不可思议了！而且，为此我们还得打心眼里感激。尽管他们的婚姻不会有什么幸福可言，尽管威科汉姆的人品卑劣，可我们还得强装高兴！啊，丽迪雅！”
“I comfort myself with thinking,” replied Jane, “that he certainly would not marry Lydia if he had not a real regard for her. Though our kind uncle has done something towards clearing him, I cannot believe that ten thousand pounds, or anything like it, has been advanced. He has children of his own, and may have more. How could he spare half ten thousand pounds?”
“我这样想就会感到安慰了，”吉英说，“威科汉姆如果不爱丽迪雅，就肯定不会娶她。我们好心的舅舅帮助威科汉姆还债一定做了不少，可我不信会有一万英镑已经垫付了。舅舅自己有好几个孩子，也许还会再生出几个来。就是只要五千英镑，他又如何能拿得出？”“如果我们知道威科汉姆到底欠了多少债，”伊丽莎白说，
“If he were ever able to learn what Wickham’s debts have been,” said Elizabeth, “and how much is settled on his side on our sister, we shall exactly know what Mr. Gardiner has done for them, because Wickham has not sixpence of his own. The kindness of my uncle and aunt can never be requited. Their taking her home, and affording her their personal protection and countenance, is such a sacrifice to her advantage as years of gratitude cannot enough acknowledge. By this time she is actually with them! If such goodness does not make her miserable now, she will never deserve to be happy! What a meeting for her, when she first sees my aunt!”
“靠我们的小妹又还了多少，我们就能确切地算出，舅舅为他们两个垫进去多少钱了，因为威科汉姆自己是身无分文的。舅舅和舅妈的恩情我们这辈子也报答不了。他们把丽迪雅接到自己家里，给了她保护和体面，为了她的利益做出了这么大的牺牲，这样的情意我们几时才能还上。到现在，丽迪雅已经和舅父母在一起了，如果对她这般慈爱，也不能使她觉得内疚和感动，她就永远都不配得到幸福！在她第一眼看到舅妈的时候，她会如何做想呢？！”
“We must endeavour to forget all that has passed on either side,” said Jane: “I hope and trust they will yet be happy. His consenting to marry her is a proof, I will believe, that he is come to a right way of thinking. Their mutual affection will steady them; and I flatter myself they will settle so quietly, and live in so rational a manner, as may in time make their past imprudence forgotten.”
“我们应该尽力忘掉他们两个人以前的过失，”吉英说，“我衷心希望并确信他们仍会幸福的。我相信，威科汉姆既然同意娶丽迪雅，就证明他已经在改过，他们相互的感情会使他们变得成熟起来。我愿乐观地设想，他们以后将会好生安定，规规矩矩地过日子，他们从前的放荡行为也会很快被人们忘记啦。”
“Their conduct has been such,” replied Elizabeth, “as neither you, nor I, nor anybody can ever forget. It is useless to talk of it.”
伊丽莎白说：“他俩的行为是这样地令人发指，无论是你我，还是其他人都永远不会忘记的。我们不必再说了。”
It now occurred to the girls that their mother was in all likelihood perfectly ignorant of what had happened. They went to the library, therefore, and asked their father whether he would not wish them to make it known to her. He was writing and, without raising his head, coolly replied:
姐妹俩这时蓦然想到，她们的母亲很可能还完全不知道这消息呢。于是她们来到书房，向父亲请示这件事是不是可以告诉母亲。他正在写信，连头也没抬，只冷冷地说了句：
“Just as you please.”
“随你们的便好了。”
“May we take my uncle’s letter to read to her?”
“我们可以拿走舅舅的信念给母亲听吗？”
“Take whatever you like, and get away.”
“尽管拿走你们想要的东西，只是赶快离开这里。”
Elizabeth took the letter from his writing-table, and they went up stairs together. Mary and Kitty were both with Mrs. Bennet: one communication would, therefore, do for all. After a slight preparation for good news, the letter was read aloud. Mrs. Bennet could hardly contain herself. As soon as Jane had read Mr. Gardiner’s hope of Lydia’s being soon married, her joy burst forth, and every following sentence added to its exuberance. She was now in an irritation as violent from delight, as she had ever been fidgety from alarm and vexation. To know that her daughter would be married was enough. She was disturbed by no fear for her felicity, nor humbled by any remembrance of her misconduct.
伊丽莎白从书桌上拿起信，随即姐妹俩一块儿到了楼上。玛丽和吉蒂正跟班纳特太太在一起，因此一次传达便全家知晓了。在先稍稍将好消息透露了一些后，吉英读起了信。班纳特太太听得喜不自禁。在吉英念到丽迪雅不久就可能结婚的字句时，她喜上眉梢，以后的每句话更是令她喜出望外。由于欣喜，她的情绪变得激动起来，正如她前些时候由于惊吓和苦恼而变得烦躁不安一样。知道她的女儿就要成亲，这在她来说已经足够了。至于女儿是否能幸福，她并未去多想，女儿行为的失检和丢人，她也很快便忘在脑后了。
“My dear, dear Lydia!” she cried. “This is delightful indeed! She will be married! I shall see her again! She will be married at sixteen! My good, kind brother! I knew how it would be. I knew he would manage everything! How I long to see her! and to see dear Wickham too! But the clothes, the wedding clothes! I will write to my sister Gardiner about them directly. Lizzy, my dear, run down to your father, and ask him how much he will give her. Stay, stay, I will go myself. Ring the bell, Kitty, for Hill. I will put on my things in a moment. My dear, dear Lydia! How merry we shall be together when we meet!”
“我的心爱的丽迪雅！”班纳特太太大声喊着，“这太让人高兴啦！她就要结婚啦！我又能见到她啦！十六岁就能嫁人！我善良的好心肠的弟弟！我早就知道事情会是这样。我知道我那兄弟会把一切都办妥当的。我希望马上见到丽迪雅，见到威科汉姆！可是衣服呢？结婚的衣服呢？我要立刻写信跟弟妹谈这件事。丽萃，我的女儿，快下楼找你父亲，问他将给她多少陪嫁。哦，不用啦，不用啦，还是我亲自去吧。吉蒂，按下门铃，叫希尔来。我这就穿衣服。我的宝贝女儿丽迪雅！我们见面后，该有多么快乐啊！”
Her eldest daughter endeavoured to give some relief to the violence of these transports, by leading her thoughts to the obligations which Mr. Gardiner’s behaviour laid them all under.
吉英见她欣喜成这个样子，便想把话引到如何感激嘉丁纳先生为她们全家所做的这件事情上，好让母亲能冷静下来。
“For we must attribute this happy conclusion,” she added, “in a great measure to his kindness. We are persuaded that he has pledged himself to assist Mr. Wickham with money.”
“我们必须把这圆满的结局，”她说，“在很大程度上都归功于舅舅的竭诚帮助。我们都认为是他答应拿出钱来替威科汉姆还上债务的。”
“Well,” cried her mother, “it is all very right; who should do it but her own uncle? If he had not had a family of his own, I and my children must have had all his money, you know; and it is the first time we have ever had anything from him, except a few presents. Well! I am so happy! In a short time I shall have a daughter married. Mrs. Wickham! How well it sounds! And she was only sixteen last June. My dear Jane, I am in such a flutter, that I am sure I can’t write; so I will dictate, and you write for me. We will settle with your father about the money afterwards; but the things should be ordered immediately.”
“哦，这就对啦，”她的母亲大声说，“除了自己的舅舅谁还会这么做呢？若是你舅舅没有成家，他挣的钱不就是给我和我的女儿们花的吗？除了他以前送的几件礼物外，这还是我们第一次从他那儿得到好处呢。啊！我真是太幸福啦！马上就有一个女儿要出嫁啦。威科汉姆太太！这叫起来多好听。她六月份刚满了十六岁。吉英呀，妈妈太激动了，一定写不出信来，所以我口述，你帮妈妈写吧。关于钱的事，以后再跟你父亲商量。可是所需的嫁妆马上就该置办了。”
She was then proceeding to all the particulars of calico, muslin, and cambric, and would shortly have dictated some very plentiful orders, had not Jane, though with some difficulty, persuaded her to wait till her father was at leisure to be consulted. One day’s delay, she observed, would be of small importance; and her mother was too happy to be quite so obstinate as usual. Other schemes, too, came into her head.
班纳特太太接着便数落出一大堆的名目，什么细洋纱啦，印花布啦，本来还会说出一大套的订单来的，要不是吉英好不容易地劝住了她，要她等到父亲有空的时候商量了再说。吉英劝她说，迟上一两天什么也不会耽误的，好在母亲由于高兴也不像平时那么执拗了。随即其他的念头又涌进她的脑子里。
“I will go to Meryton,” said she, “as soon as I am dressed, and tell the good, good news to my sister Philips. And as I come back, I can call on Lady Lucas and Mrs. Long. Kitty, run down and order the carriage. An airing would do me a great deal of good, I am sure. Girls, can I do anything for you in Meryton? Oh! Here comes Hill! My dear Hill, have you heard the good news? Miss Lydia is going to be married; and you shall all have a bowl of punch to make merry at her wedding.”
“我这就穿好衣服，到麦里屯走一趟，”她说，“把这好消息告诉我的妹妹菲利普太太。等我从那儿回来，我将去拜访鲁卡斯太太和郎格太太。吉蒂，快下楼去，吩咐他们给我套好马车。我敢说户外的空气一定对我大有好处。姑娘们，你们在麦里屯有什么要买的吗？噢！希尔来了。亲爱的希尔，你听说这好消息了吗？丽迪雅小姐就要结婚了，给她举办婚礼那天，你们大家都可以喝到一碗混合调制的甜饮料，一起庆贺一番。”
Mrs. Hill began instantly to express her joy. Elizabeth received her congratulations amongst the rest, and then, sick of this folly, took refuge in her own room, that she might think with freedom.
希尔太太即刻表达了她的喜悦之情。伊丽莎白也像别人一样接受了她的祝贺，但后来，她实在忍受不了这荒唐的一幕，便躲回到自己的房里，独自沉思默想去了。
Poor Lydia’s situation must, at best, be bad enough; but that it was no worse, she had need to be thankful. She felt it so; and though, in looking forward, neither rational happiness nor worldly prosperity could be justly expected for her sister, in looking back to what they had feared, only two hours ago, she felt all the advantages of what they had gained.
即便可怜的丽迪雅的事情能够解决，也实在是够糟糕了。不过，因为还不是太糟，伊丽莎白还得感谢上苍。她也确实感到些许的庆幸，尽管瞻望将来，她觉得妹妹既不能够得到精神上的幸福，也不可能享受世俗的荣华；她又回想起仅仅两个小时前她们的那份担心，便不由得觉得，能有这样一个结局也实在是不幸中的万幸了。
