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Their visitors were not to remain above ten days with them. Mr. Wickham had received his commission before he left London, and he was to join his regiment at the end of a fortnight.
这对新婚夫妇在家里只能待十天。威科汉姆在离开伦敦时便接受了委任，必须在两个星期内赶到团部报到。
No one but Mrs. Bennet regretted that their stay would be so short; and she made the most of the time by visiting about with her daughter, and having very frequent parties at home. These parties were acceptable to all; to avoid a family circle was even more desirable to such as did think, than such as did not.
只有班纳特太太为他们不能多住些日子感到遗憾；她充分利用这段时间，带着她的小女儿走亲访友，在家里频频宴请宾客。这种宴会倒是人人欢迎。没有心思的人愿意出来凑凑热闹，有心思的人更愿意出来解解闷。
Wickham’s affection for Lydia was just what Elizabeth had expected to find it; not equal to Lydia’s for him. She had scarcely needed her present observation to be satisfied, from the reason of things, that their elopement had been brought on by the strength of her love, rather than by his; and she would have wondered why, without violently caring for her, he chose to elope with her at all, had she not felt certain that his flight was rendered necessary by distress of circumstances; and if that were the case, he was not the young man to resist an opportunity of having a companion.
威科汉姆对丽迪雅的感情，正如伊丽莎白事先所料到的那样，比不上丽迪雅对威科汉姆的。从事理上推断，他们的私奔多是出自丽迪雅而不是威科汉姆，这一点对伊丽莎白来说是显而易见的。要不是伊丽莎白断定威科汉姆逃走是为债务所逼，她还真不明白对丽迪雅并不十分钟情的威科汉姆怎么会与她一块儿私奔了。如果是出于情势所逼，他当然不会反对在逃跑中有个伴相随了。
Lydia was exceedingly fond of him. He was her dear Wickham on every occasion; no one was to be put in competition with him. He did every thing best in the world; and she was sure he would kill more birds on the first of September, than any body else in the country.
丽迪雅对威科汉姆是百般的喜爱。他多会儿也是她的亲爱的威科汉姆，谁也不能和他相媲美。他干每一件事情都干得最好。她相信到了九月一日那一天，他射到的鸟一定会超过全英国的任何一个男人。
One morning, soon after their arrival, as she was sitting with her two elder sisters, she said to Elizabeth:
在他们刚回来不久的一个早晨，当她与两个姐姐一起坐着时，丽迪雅跟伊丽莎白说：
“Lizzy, I never gave you an account of my wedding, I believe. You were not by, when I told mamma and the others all about it. Are not you curious to hear how it was managed?”
“丽萃，我想我还没跟你讲过我婚礼的场面呢。我告诉妈妈和其他人的时候，你不在场。你想听听这件喜事是怎么举办的吗？”
“No really,” replied Elizabeth; “I think there cannot be too little said on the subject.”
“真的不想听，”伊丽莎白说，“我以为这件事越少提越好。”
“La! You are so strange! But I must tell you how it went off. We were married, you know, at St. Clement’s, because Wickham’s lodgings were in that parish. And it was settled that we should all be there by eleven o’clock. My uncle and aunt and I were to go together; and the others were to meet us at the church. Well, Monday morning came, and I was in such a fuss! I was so afraid, you know, that something would happen to put it off, and then I should have gone quite distracted. And there was my aunt, all the time I was dressing, preaching and talking away just as if she was reading a sermon. However, I did not hear above one word in ten, for I was thinking, you may suppose, of my dear Wickham. I longed to know whether he would be married in his blue coat.”
“啊！你这个人太奇怪了！不过，我还是得从头到尾地告诉你。你知道，我们是在圣克利门特教堂行的结婚典礼，威科汉姆的住所属于那一教区。说好我们所有人在十一点以前到达那里。舅舅舅妈和我一块儿去。其他人将在教堂那儿等候。哦，到了星期一早晨，我突然变得慌乱起来！我担心会发生什么意外的事，把婚期推后，那我该有多沮丧啊！在我梳妆打扮的时候，舅母像是布道似的，不住地唠叨着。她说的话我几乎一句也没听进去，你可以想见，因为我心里正想着我的心上人威科汉姆。我渴望知道他是不是穿上了那件漂亮的蓝色外衣。
“Well, and so we breakfasted at ten as usual; I thought it would never be over; for, by the bye, you are to understand, that my uncle and aunt were horrid unpleasant all the time I was with them. If you’ll believe me, I did not once put my foot out of doors, though I was there a fortnight. Not one party, or scheme, or anything. To be sure London was rather thin, but, however, the Little Theatre was open. Well, and so just as the carriage came to the door, my uncle was called away upon business to that horrid man Mr. Stone. And then, you know, when once they get together, there is no end of it. Well, I was so frightened I did not know what to do, for my uncle was to give me away; and if we were beyond the hour, we could not be married all day. But, luckily, he came back again in ten minutes’ time, and then we all set out. However, I recollected afterwards that if he had been prevented going, the wedding need not be put off, for Mr. Darcy might have done as well.”
“唔，那一天我们照常是在十点钟吃早饭。我当时觉得这顿早饭怕是永远也吃不完了。你们应该知道，舅父母在我和他们待着的这些天里，对我看管得很严。我在那儿住了两个星期，没走出过家门一步。没有参加过一个晚会，没有过一点消遣。老实说，伦敦虽然并不太热闹，可是那个雷特剧院还是在演出的。哦，话说回来，当接我们去教堂的车子到了门口时，舅舅被唤去和那个叫斯登先生的讨厌家伙谈事。你知道，只要两个人凑在一块儿，总是有没完没了的话。唉，我当时真是吓得六神无主了，因为我觉得舅舅就要弃我而不顾了。如果我们耽误了时间，那一天就不可能结婚了。万幸的是，舅舅在十分钟以后回来啦，随后我们就马上出发了。不过，我后来记起，就是舅舅来不了，婚礼也不必延期，因为达西先生照样可以主持。”
“Mr. Darcy!” repeated Elizabeth, in utter amazement.
“达西先生！”伊丽莎白非常惊讶地重复道。
“Oh, yes!—he was to come there with Wickham, you know. But gracious me! I quite forgot! I ought not to have said a word about it. I promised them so faithfully! What will Wickham say? It was to be such a secret!”
“噢，是的！他将和威科汉姆一块儿去教堂。可是，天呀！我竟然忘记了！这话我是一点也不应该透露的。我曾那么诚恳地向他们保证过！威科汉姆会怎么说我呢？这本是一个应该严格保守的秘密！”
“If it was to be secret,” said Jane, “say not another word on the subject. You may depend upon my seeking no further.”
“既然是秘密，”吉英说，“就别再提一个字啦。你可以相信我绝不会再追问。”
“Oh! certainly,” said Elizabeth, though burning with curiosity; “we will ask you no questions.”
“哦，这是当然啦！”伊丽莎白尽管想问个清楚，嘴上也只能这么说了，“我们不会再向你问任何问题的。”
“Thank you,” said Lydia, “for if you did, I should certainly tell you all, and then Wickham would be angry.”
“那真得谢谢你们，”丽迪雅说，“你们要是问我，我一定会把一切都告诉你们的，到那时，威科汉姆就该生气了。”
On such encouragement to ask, Elizabeth was forced to put it out of her power, by running away.
伊丽莎白经不住这怂恿她问下去的诱惑，便跑开了，好让自己无从问起。
But to live in ignorance on such a point was impossible; or at least it was impossible not to try for information. Mr. Darcy had been at her sister’s wedding. It was exactly a scene, and exactly among people, where he had apparently least to do, and least temptation to go. Conjectures as to the meaning of it, rapid and wild, hurried into her brain; but she was satisfied with none. Those that best pleased her, as placing his conduct in the noblest light, seemed most improbable. She could not bear such suspense; and hastily seizing a sheet of paper, wrote a short letter to her aunt, to request an explanation of what Lydia had dropt, if it were compatible with the secrecy which had been intended.
然而，在这样一件事情上让自己蒙在鼓里，简直是不可能的，或者说至少不去试着探听清楚是不可能的。达西先生竟然参加了她妹妹的婚礼。他竟然去到了他显然是最不愿意接近、对他最少吸引力的人们中间，这可真是一件奇怪的事。与此相关的种种猜测急速纷乱地涌入她的脑中，可没有一个能使她满意的。那些把达西先生往好处想往崇高想也是最能合她心意的想法，都觉得不太可能。她受不住这无端揣测的煎熬，匆匆地拿过一张纸，给舅妈写了一封短笺，请求她把丽迪雅说漏了嘴的事情解释一下，如果这并不有悖于守密原则的话。
“You may readily comprehend,” she added, “what my curiosity must be to know how a person unconnected with any of us, and (comparatively speaking) a stranger to our family, should have been amongst you at such a time. Pray write instantly, and let me understand it—unless it is, for very cogent reasons, to remain in the secrecy which Lydia seems to think necessary; and then I must endeavour to be satisfied with ignorance.”
“你很容易理解我现在的心情，”伊丽莎白接着写道，“一个与我们家的任何人都不相关，一个（比较而言）我们家的陌路人，竟然在这样的一种时刻加入进了你们中间，这怎能让我不感到好奇呢。请即刻回信，告诉我真情——倘若此事并不像丽迪雅所认为的那样，非要保守秘密的话。如果非要保密不可，那我也只好蒙在鼓里了。”
“Not that I shall, though,” she added to herself, as she finished the letter; “and my dear aunt, if you do not tell me in an honourable manner, I shall certainly be reduced to tricks and stratagems to find it out.”
“当然我是不会罢手的，”她把信写完了的时候自言自语道，“我亲爱的舅妈，如果你不光明正大地告诉我，我不得已肯定会不择手段地去探听清楚的。”
Jane’s delicate sense of honour would not allow her to speak to Elizabeth privately of what Lydia had let fall; Elizabeth was glad of it;—till it appeared whether her inquiries would receive any satisfaction, she had rather be without a confidante.
吉英的自尊和正义感，使她不可能在私下里跟伊丽莎白再谈起丽迪雅说漏了嘴的这件事，伊丽莎白倒也高兴这样。在她的询问没有得到满意的答复之前，她宁愿一个人等待而不找知己倾诉。
