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One morning, about a week after Bingley’s engagement with Jane had been formed, as he and the females of the family were sitting together in the dining-room, their attention was suddenly drawn to the window, by the sound of a carriage; and they perceived a chaise and four driving up the lawn. It was too early in the morning for visitors, and besides, the equipage did not answer to that of any of their neighbours. The horses were post; and neither the carriage, nor the livery of the servant who preceded it, were familiar to them. As it was certain, however, that somebody was coming, Bingley instantly prevailed on Miss Bennet to avoid the confinement of such an intrusion, and walk away with him into the shrubbery. They both set off, and the conjectures of the remaining three continued, though with little satisfaction, till the door was thrown open and their visitor entered. It was Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
在宾格莱和吉英订婚一个星期后的一个早晨，他和这家的太太小姐们正在客厅里坐着，突然听到一阵马车声。大家走到窗前去看，只见一辆四马大车驶进了草坪。邻里人一般不会这么早来访，况且，看那辆车的配置也不像是这附近一带的马，是驿站上的马，马车和赶车人的号服他们也都不熟悉。不过，可以肯定的是，有人要来了，于是宾格莱即刻劝说班纳特小姐躲开这来人的侵扰，跟他到矮树林里。他们俩走了，留下这母女三个还在无端地猜测着。直到门被推开，客人进来，她们才发现是凯瑟琳·德·包尔夫人。
They were of course all intending to be surprised; but their astonishment was beyond their expectation; and on the part of Mrs. Bennet and Kitty, though she was perfectly unknown to them, even inferior to what Elizabeth felt.
母女三人当然会觉得奇怪，这完全出乎她们的意料。尽管班纳特太太和吉蒂根本不认识这位夫人，可她们甚至比伊丽莎白更觉得受到了宠幸。
She entered the room with an air more than usually ungracious, made no other reply to Elizabeth’s salutation than a slight inclination of the head, and sat down without saying a word. Elizabeth had mentioned her name to her mother on her ladyship’s entrance, though no request of introduction had been made.
凯瑟琳夫人旁若无人地走进屋子里，对伊丽莎白的行礼只是稍稍地倾了倾头，然后一声不吭地坐下了。凯瑟琳在这里也不愿行介绍之礼，不过，伊丽莎白还是在凯瑟琳夫人进来时，把她的名字告诉了母亲。
Mrs. Bennet, all amazement, though flattered by having a guest of such high importance, received her with the utmost politeness. After sitting for a moment in silence, she said very stiffly to Elizabeth,
班纳特太太虽然为这样一位地位显耀的客人登门造访而不胜荣幸，却也感到十分纳闷，她极其礼貌地接待人家。但凯瑟琳夫人却置若罔闻。坐了一会儿后，只是朝着伊丽莎白冷冷地说：
“I hope you are well, Miss Bennet. That lady, I suppose, is your mother.”
“你一切都好吧，班纳特小姐。我想那位太太就是你的母亲吧。”
Elizabeth replied very concisely that she was.
伊丽莎白简短地回答道：“是的。”
“And that I suppose is one of your sisters.”
“这一位我想是你的妹妹了。”
“Yes, madam,” said Mrs. Bennet, delighted to speak to Lady Catherine. “She is my youngest girl but one. My youngest of all is lately married, and my eldest is somewhere about the grounds, walking with a young man who, I believe, will soon become a part of the family.”
“是的，夫人。”班纳特太太说，她为能跟这样一位贵夫人搭话而颇感得意，“她是我的四女儿。我最小的姑娘丽迪雅最近已经出嫁了。我的大女儿正在什么地方和她的心上人散步呢，相信这个年轻人很快也会成为我们家的一员啦。”
“You have a very small park here,” returned Lady Catherine after a short silence.
“你家的园子可不大。”在片刻的沉默后凯瑟琳夫人说。
“It is nothing in comparison of Rosings, my lady, I dare say; but I assure you it is much larger than Sir William Lucas’s.”
“我敢说，若跟夫人罗新斯的花园比，它就什么也不是啦，可老实说，它比威廉·鲁卡斯爵士家的园子还大得多呢。”
“This must be a most inconvenient sitting room for the evening, in summer; the windows are full west.”
“这间屋子在夏天做起居室一定不合适。窗子都是朝西面开的。”
Mrs. Bennet assured her that they never sat there after dinner, and then added:
班纳特太太说他们吃过午饭以后从来也不在这里坐的，最后又补充说：
“May I take the liberty of asking your ladyship whether you left Mr. and Mrs. Collins well.”
“我可以冒昧地问夫人一句，你离开时科林斯夫妇好吗？”
“Yes, very well. I saw them the night before last.”
“是的，很好。我在前天晚上还见过他们。”
Elizabeth now expected that she would produce a letter for her from Charlotte, as it seemed the only probable motive for her calling. But no letter appeared, and she was completely puzzled.
伊丽莎白此刻想，凯瑟琳夫人接着就该从口袋里掏出一封卡洛蒂托她捎的信了，这似乎是她来造访的唯一可能的缘由。然而，却并不见夫人拿出信来，伊丽莎白完全弄不明白了。
Mrs. Bennet, with great civility, begged her ladyship to take some refreshment; but Lady Catherine very resolutely, and not very politely, declined eating anything; and then, rising up, said to Elizabeth,
班纳特太太极为客气地恳请这位尊贵的夫人用点儿点心，却被凯瑟琳夫人毫不客气地一口拒绝了。随后，她站了起来，对伊丽莎白说道：
“Miss Bennet, there seemed to be a prettyish kind of a little wilderness on one side of your lawn. I should be glad to take a turn in it, if you will favour me with your company.”
“班纳特小姐，在你家草地那边很有一些郊野的气息。如果你能陪陪我的话，我倒很乐意去看一看。”
“Go, my dear,” cried her mother, “and show her ladyship about the different walks. I think she will be pleased with the hermitage.”
“去吧，我亲爱的女儿，”她母亲大声说，“带夫人到各条小径上走一走。我想她会喜欢我们这里的幽静的。”
Elizabeth obeyed, and running into her own room for her parasol, attended her noble guest downstairs. As they passed through the hall, Lady Catherine opened the doors into the dining-parlour and drawing-room, and pronouncing them, after a short survey, to be decent looking rooms, walked on.
伊丽莎白听从了母亲的话，跑进自己房间里拿了一把阳伞，然后陪着这位贵客下了楼。两个人走过穿堂，凯瑟琳夫人边走边打开饭厅和客厅的门观看，称赞房间布置得好。
Her carriage remained at the door, and Elizabeth saw that her waiting-woman was in it. They proceeded in silence along the gravel walk that led to the copse; Elizabeth was determined to make no effort for conversation with a woman who was now more than usually insolent and disagreeable.
凯瑟琳夫人的马车还停在门口，伊丽莎白瞧见她的女儿还在车里。她们俩沿着鹅卵石铺道走向小树林，伊丽莎白决定不去劳神和这样的一个女人攀谈，因为她现在的态度比平时更加傲慢和无礼。
“How could I ever think her like her nephew?” said she, as she looked in her face.
“我以前怎么竟会认为她和她的姨侄有相似之处呢？”在望着凯瑟琳夫人的脸时，伊丽莎白暗自说。
As soon as they entered the copse, Lady Catherine began in the following manner:—
她们一走进小树林，凯瑟琳夫人便用下面的方式开始了她的谈话：
“You can be at no loss, Miss Bennet, to understand the reason of my journey hither. Your own heart, your own conscience, must tell you why I come.”
“班纳特小姐，你一定知道我来到这里的原因。你的良心都会告诉你，我为什么要来。”
Elizabeth looked with unaffected astonishment.
伊丽莎白并不想掩饰她所感到的惊奇。
“Indeed, you are mistaken, Madam. I have not been at all able to account for the honour of seeing you here.”
“不，你是弄错了，夫人。会在这里看到你的原因，我一点也解释不出。”
“Miss Bennet,” replied her ladyship, in an angry tone, “you ought to know, that I am not to be trifled with. But however insincere you may choose to be, you shall not find me so. My character has ever been celebrated for its sincerity and frankness, and in a cause of such moment as this, I shall certainly not depart from it. A report of a most alarming nature reached me two days ago. I was told that not only your sister was on the point of being most advantageously married, but that you, that Miss Elizabeth Bennet, would, in all likelihood, be soon afterwards united to my nephew, my own nephew, Mr. Darcy. Though I know it must be a scandalous falsehood, though I would not injure him so much as to suppose the truth of it possible, I instantly resolved on setting off for this place, that I might make my sentiments known to you.”
“班纳特小姐，”这位贵夫人生气地说，“你应该知道，我是不允许别人来捉弄我的。不管你想怎样狡辩，你将发现我是不会让你得逞的。我的性格一向是以真诚和率直著称的，在这样一件举足轻重的大事上，我当然更会恪守我的这一品性了。两天以前，我听到了一则惊世骇俗的新闻。说是不只你姐姐就要攀上一门富亲了，就是你，班纳特·伊丽莎白小姐，也会很快跟我的姨侄达西先生缔结姻缘了。尽管我知道这一定是狂妄的谣传，尽管我相信达西绝不可能这么做，我还是决定马上赶到这里，把我的想法告知于你。”
“If you believed it impossible to be true,” said Elizabeth, colouring with astonishment and disdain, “I wonder you took the trouble of coming so far. What could your ladyship propose by it?”
“如果你相信这条传闻不可能是真的，”伊丽莎白既惊讶又厌恶，脸不由得涨红了，“那么，我真不明白，你为何不辞辛劳地这么大老远跑来呢。请问夫人对此有何见教呢？”
“At once to insist upon having such a report universally contradicted.”
“我要求你立即向大家说明这都是谣传。”
“Your coming to Longbourn, to see me and my family,” said Elizabeth coolly, “will be rather a confirmation of it; if, indeed, such a report is in existence.”
“你来到浪博恩，来看我和我的家人，”伊丽莎白冷冷地说，“这本身便是对这条传闻的一种肯定，假如真有这么一条传闻存在的话。”
“If! Do you then pretend to be ignorant of it? Has it not been industriously circulated by yourselves? Do you not know that such a report is spread abroad?”
“‘假如’，那么你是在装作不知道有这么回事啦？这消息难道不是你自己拼力传布出去的吗？难道你不知道这条消息已经是弄得满城风雨了吗？”
“I never heard that it was.”
“我从不曾听说过。”
“And can you likewise declare, that there is no foundation for it?”
“你能不能起誓说，这消息也没有一点儿的依据呢？”
“I do not pretend to possess equal frankness with your ladyship. You may ask questions which I shall not choose to answer.”
“我并没有声称，我也具备夫人你那样的率直。你尽可以问，至于我是否愿意回答，那就在于我了。”“
“This is not to be borne. Miss Bennet, I insist on being satisfied. Has he, has my nephew, made you an offer of marriage?”
我不能容忍你这样的一种态度，班纳特小姐，我坚持要得到一个满意的回答。我的姨侄他到底向你求过婚没有。”
“Your ladyship has declared it to be impossible.”
“夫人，你已经说过这是根本不可能的了。”
“It ought to be so; it must be so, while he retains the use of his reason. But your arts and allurements may, in a moment of infatuation, have made him forget what he owes to himself and to all his family. You may have drawn him in.”
“照理说应该是这样。只要达西还没有失去理智，就一定不会这么做的。可是你的各种手腕和百般的引诱，也可能会使他一时痴迷，从而忘掉了他对自己和他的家人应负的责任。你或许已经把他给迷住了。”
“If I have, I shall be the last person to confess it.”
“如果真是这样，我也不会向你承认的。”
“Miss Bennet, do you know who I am? I have not been accustomed to such language as this. I am almost the nearest relation he has in the world, and am entitled to know all his dearest concerns.”
“班纳特小姐，你知道你是在和谁讲话吗？我可不习惯你这样的语气。我几乎是他在这个世界上最亲的亲人了，我有权利了解他的终身大事。”
“But you are not entitled to know mine; nor will such behaviour as this, ever induce me to be explicit.”
“可是你没有权利知道我的。而且你用这种蛮横的态度，更是休想叫我说出真情。”“
“Let me be rightly understood. This match, to which you have the presumption to aspire, can never take place. No, never. Mr. Darcy is engaged to my daughter. Now what have you to say?”
请你把我的话听明白。你妄想攀附的这门亲事，是绝对不可能成功的。不，绝对不会。达西先生已经与我的女儿订婚了。现在，你还有什么要说的吗？”
“Only this; that if he is so, you can have no reason to suppose he will make an offer to me.”
“只有这一点：如果他已经订婚，你就没有理由怀疑他会向我求婚了。”
Lady Catherine hesitated for a moment, and then replied:
凯瑟琳夫人犹豫了一下，然后回答说：
“The engagement between them is of a peculiar kind. From their infancy, they have been intended for each other. It was the favourite wish of his mother, as well as of hers. While in their cradles, we planned the union: and now, at the moment when the wishes of both sisters would be accomplished in their marriage, to be prevented by a young woman of inferior birth, of no importance in the world, and wholly unallied to the family! Do you pay no regard to the wishes of his friends? To his tacit engagement with Miss de Bourgh? Are you lost to every feeling of propriety and delicacy? Have you not heard me say that from his earliest hours he was destined for his cousin?”
“他们之间的订婚比较特别。从孩提时起，他们就相互倾心，这是他母亲的心愿，也是我的心愿。他们还睡在摇篮里的时候，我们便计划好了这门亲事。现在当这老姐妹两个的心愿即将因他们的完婚而实现的时候，竟然有一个出身低微、与达西家族毫无关系的丫头要来从中作梗了！难道你丝毫也不顾及他的亲友们的愿望？不顾及他跟德·包尔小姐默许的婚姻？难道你竟然毫无羞耻体面之心？难道你没有听我说过，达西很小就已经和他表妹的命运联系在一起了吗？”
