《傲慢与偏见》第 5 期

The girls stared at their father. Mrs. Bennet said only, “Nonsense, nonsense!”

姑娘们盯着她们的父亲。班纳特太太只说了一句：“胡说，胡说！”

“What can be the meaning of that emphatic exclamation?” cried he. “Do you consider the forms of introduction, and the stress that is laid on them, as nonsense? I cannot quite agree with you _there_. What say you, Mary? For you are a young lady of deep reflection, I know, and read great books, and make extracts.”

“这意味深长的感叹究竟是什么意思？”他叫道，“你认为介绍的礼节，以及人们对这些礼节所赋予的重视，都是胡说吗？在这件事上，我可不能完全同意你的看法。玛丽，你说呢？因为我知道，你是一位深思熟虑的年轻小姐，爱读大部头的书，还喜欢摘抄。”

Mary wished to say something very sensible, but knew not how.

玛丽本想说些非常有见地的话，却不知道该怎么说。

“While Mary is adjusting her ideas,” he continued, “let us return to Mr. Bingley.”

“趁玛丽还在整理她的想法，”他继续说道，“让我们回到宾利先生的话题上来。”

“I am sick of Mr. Bingley,” cried his wife.

“我已经听腻了宾利先生，”他的妻子叫道。

“I am sorry to hear _that_; but why did you not tell me so before? If I had known as much this morning, I certainly would not have called on him. It is very unlucky; but as I have actually paid the visit, we cannot escape the acquaintance now.”

“听到你这么说，我很遗憾；可你为什么不早点告诉我呢？如果我今天早上就知道你有这种想法，我当然不会去拜访他。真是太不巧了；不过既然我已经确实登门拜访过，我们现在也无法躲开这门交情了。”

The astonishment of the ladies was just what he wished--that of Mrs. Bennet perhaps surpassing the rest; though when the first tumult of joy was over, she began to declare that it was what she had expected all the while.

女士们的惊讶正是他所希望看到的——其中班纳特太太的惊讶也许超过了其他人；不过，第一阵狂喜过去以后，她便开始声称，这一切其实一直都在她的预料之中。

“How good it was in you, my dear Mr. Bennet! But I knew I should persuade you at last. I was sure you loved your girls too well to neglect such an acquaintance. Well, how pleased I am! And it is such a good joke, too, that you should have gone this morning, and never said a word about it till now.”

“亲爱的班纳特先生，你真是太好了！不过我早就知道，最终一定能说服你。我确信，你太爱你的女儿们了，绝不会放过这样一门交情。哎呀，我真是太高兴了！而且这也真是个绝妙的笑话：你今天早上去了，却直到现在才一个字都没提。”

“Now, Kitty, you may cough as much as you choose,” said Mr. Bennet; and, as he spoke, he left the room, fatigued with the raptures of his wife.

“好了，吉蒂，你现在想咳多久都可以了，”班纳特先生说道；说完，他便离开了房间，因为妻子的狂喜令他感到疲惫不堪。

“What an excellent father you have, girls,” said she, when the door was shut. “I do not know how you will ever make him amends for his kindness; or me either, for that matter. At our time of life, it is not so pleasant, I can tell you, to be making new acquaintances every day; but for your sakes we would do anything. Lydia, my love, though you _are_ the youngest, I dare say Mr. Bingley will dance with you at the next ball.”

“姑娘们，你们的父亲真是个多么出色的人啊，”门关上后，她说道，“我真不知道你们将来要怎样报答他的好意；当然，也包括报答我的好意。到了我们这个年纪，我可以告诉你们，天天结交新朋友并不是什么令人愉快的事；不过为了你们，我们什么都愿意做。莉迪亚，亲爱的，虽然你是最小的一个，我敢说，下一场舞会宾利先生一定会和你跳舞。”