At five o’clock the two ladies retired to dress, and at half past six Elizabeth was summoned to dinner. To the civil enquiries which then poured in, and amongst which she had the pleasure of distinguishing the much superior solicitude of Mr. Bingley’s, she could not make a very favourable answer. Jane was by no means better. The sisters, on hearing this, repeated three or four times how much they were grieved, how shocking it was to have a bad cold, and how excessively they disliked being ill themselves; and then thought no more of the matter: and their indifference towards Jane when not immediately before them, restored Elizabeth to the enjoyment of all her original dislike.
Their brother, indeed, was the only one of the party whom she could regard with any complacency. His anxiety for Jane was evident, and his attentions to herself most pleasing, and they prevented her feeling herself so much an intruder as she believed she was considered by the others. She had very little notice from any but him. Miss Bingley was engrossed by Mr. Darcy, her sister scarcely less so; and as for Mr. Hurst, by whom Elizabeth sat, he was an indolent man, who lived only to eat, drink, and play at cards, who when he found her prefer a plain dish to a ragout, had nothing to say to her.
When dinner was over, she returned directly to Jane, and Miss Bingley began abusing her as soon as she was out of the room. Her manners were pronounced to be very bad indeed, a mixture of pride and impertinence; she had no conversation, no style, no taste, no beauty. Mrs. Hurst thought the same, and added,
"She has nothing, in short, to recommend her, but being an excellent walker. I shall never forget her appearance this morning. She really looked almost wild."
"She did indeed, Louisa. I could hardly keep my countenance. Very nonsensical to come at all! Why must she be scampering about the country, because her sister had a cold? Her hair so untidy, so blowsy!"
"Yes, and her petticoat; I hope you saw her petticoat, six inches deep in mud, I am absolutely certain; and the gown which had been let down to hide it, not doing its office."
"Your picture may be very exact, Louisa," said Bingley; "but this was all lost upon me. I thought Miss Elizabeth Bennet looked remarkably well, when she came into the room this morning. Her dirty petticoat quite escaped my notice."
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8
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“你一定看到的,达西先生,”彬格莱小姐说,“我想,你总不愿意看到你自己的姐妹弄成那副狼狈样子吧。”
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8
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" You observed it, Mr. Darcy, I am sure," said Miss Bingley; "and I am inclined to think that you would not wish to see your sister make such an exhibition."
"To walk three miles, or four miles, or five miles, or whatever it is, above her ancles in dirt, and alone, quite alone! what could she mean by it? It seems to me to shew an abominable sort of conceited independence, a most country town indifference to decorum."
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11
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彬格莱先生说:“那正说明了她的手足情深,真是好极了。”
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11
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"It shews an affection for her sister that is very pleasing," said Bingley.
"I have an excessive regard for Jane Bennet, she is really a very sweet girl, and I wish with all my heart she were well settled. But with such a father and mother, and such low connections, I am afraid there is no chance of it."
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15
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“我不是听你说过,她有个姨爹在麦里屯当律师吗?”
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15
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"I think I have heard you say, that their uncle is an attorney in Meryton."
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16
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“是呀;她们还有个舅舅住在齐普赛附近。”
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16
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"Yes; and they have another, who lives somewhere near Cheapside."
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17
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“那真妙极了,”她的妹妹补充了一句,于是姐妹俩都纵情大笑。
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17
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"That is capital," added her sister, and they both laughed heartily.
To this speech Bingley made no answer; but his sisters gave it their hearty assent, and indulged their mirth for some time at the expense of their dear friend’s vulgar relations.
With a renewal of tenderness, however, they repaired to her room on leaving the dining-parlour, and sat with her till summoned to coffee. She was still very poorly, and Elizabeth would not quit her at all, till late in the evening, when she had the comfort of seeing her asleep, and when it appeared to her rather right than pleasant that she should go down stairs herself. On entering the drawing-room she found the whole party at loo, and was immediately invited to join them; but suspecting them to be playing high she declined it, and making her sister the excuse, said she would amuse herself for the short time she could stay below with a book. Mr. Hurst looked at her with astonishment.
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22
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“你宁可看书,不要玩牌吗?”他说。“这真是少有。”
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22
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"Do you prefer reading to cards?" said he; "that is rather singular."
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23
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彬格莱小姐说:“伊丽莎·班纳特小姐瞧不起玩牌,她是个了不起的读书人,对别的事都不感到乐趣。”
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23
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"Miss Eliza Bennet," said Miss Bingley, "despises cards. She is a great reader and has no pleasure in anything else."
Elizabeth thanked him from her heart, and then walked towards a table where a few books were lying. He immediately offered to fetch her others; all that his library afforded.
"And I wish my collection were larger for your benefit and my own credit; but I am an idle fellow, and though I have not many, I have more than I ever look into."
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28
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伊丽莎白跟他说,房间里那几本书尽够她看了。
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28
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Elizabeth assured him that she could suit herself perfectly with those in the room.
"I am astonished," said Miss Bingley, "that my father should have left so small a collection of books.—What a delightful library you have at Pemberley, Mr. Darcy!"
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30
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达西说:“那有什么稀奇。那是好几代的成绩啊。”
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30
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"It ought to be good," he replied, "it has been the work of many generations."
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31
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“你自己又添置了不少书,只看见你老是在买书。”
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31
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"And then you have added so much to it yourself, you are always buying books."
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32
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“我有现在这样的日子过,自然不好意思疏忽家里的藏书室。“
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32
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"I cannot comprehend the neglect of a family library in such days as these."
"Neglect! I am sure you neglect nothing that can add to the beauties of that noble place. Charles, when you build your house, I wish it may be half as delightful as Pemberley."
"But I would really advise you to make your purchase in that neighbourhood, and take Pemberley for a kind of model. There is not a finer county in England than Derbyshire."
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36
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“我非常高兴那么办。我真想干脆就把彭伯里买下来,只要达西肯卖。”
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36
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"With all my heart; I will buy Pemberley itself if Darcy will sell it."
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37
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“我是在谈谈可能办到的事情,查尔斯。”
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37
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"I am talking of possibilities, Charles."
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38
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“珈罗琳,我敢说,买下彭伯里比仿照彭伯里的式样造房子,可能性更大些。”
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38
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"Upon my word, Caroline, I should think it more possible to get Pemberley by purchase than by imitation."
Elizabeth was so much caught by what passed, as to leave her very little attention for her book; and soon laying it wholly aside, she drew near the card-table, and stationed herself between Mr. Bingley and his eldest sister, to observe the game.
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40
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这时彬格莱小姐又问达西:“从春天到现在,达西长高了很多吧?她将来会长到我这么高吧?”
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40
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"Is Miss Darcy much grown since the spring?" said Miss Bingley; "will she be as tall as I am?"
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41
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“我想会吧。她现在大概有伊丽莎白·班纳特小姐那么高了,恐怕还要高一点。”
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41
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"I think she will. She is now about Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s height, or rather taller."
"How I long to see her again! I never met with anybody who delighted me so much. Such a countenance, such manners! and so extremely accomplished for her age! Her performance on the piano-forte is exquisite."
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43
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彬格莱先生说:“这真叫我惊奇,年轻的姑娘们怎么一个个都有那么大的能耐,把自己锻炼的多才多艺。”
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43
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"It is amazing to me," said Bingley, "how young ladies can have patience to be so very accomplished, as they all are."
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44
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“一个个年轻的姑娘们都是多才多艺!亲受的查尔斯,你这话是什么意思呀?”
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44
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"All young ladies accomplished! My dear Charles, what do you mean?"
"Yes, all of them, I think. They all paint tables, cover skreens and net purses. I scarcely know any one who cannot do all this, and I am sure I never heard a young lady spoken of for the first time, without being informed that she was very accomplished."
"Your list of the common extent of accomplishments," said Darcy, "has too much truth. The word is applied to many a woman who deserves it no otherwise than by netting a purse, or covering a skreen. But I am very far from agreeing with you in your estimation of ladies in general. I cannot boast of knowing more than half a dozen, in the whole range of my acquaintance, that are really accomplished."
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47
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“我也的确不敢说大话,”彬格莱小姐说。
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47
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"Nor I, I am sure," said Miss Bingley.
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48
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伊丽莎白说:“那么,在你的想象中,一个多才多艺的妇女应该包括很多条件啦。”
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"Then," observed Elizabeth, "you must comprehend a great deal in your idea of an accomplished woman."
"Oh! certainly," cried his faithful assistant, "no one can be really esteemed accomplished, who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with. A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half deserved."
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51
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达西接着说:“她除了具备这些条件以外,还应该多读书,长见识,有点真才实学。”
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51
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"All this she must possess," added Darcy, "and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading."
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52
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“怪不得你只认识六个才女啦。我现在简直疑心你连一个也不认识呢。”
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52
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"I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women. I rather wonder now at your knowing any ."
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53
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“你怎么对你们女人这般苛求,竟以为她们不可能具备这些条件?”
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53
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"Are you so severe upon your own sex, as to doubt the possibility of all this?"
Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley both cried out against the injustice of her implied doubt, and were both protesting that they knew many women who answered this description, when Mr. Hurst called them to order, with bitter complaints of their inattention to what was going forward. As all conversation was thereby at an end, Elizabeth soon afterwards left the room.
"Eliza Bennet," said Miss Bingley, when the door was closed on her, "is one of those young ladies who seek to recommend themselves to the other sex, by undervaluing their own; and with many men, I dare say, it succeeds. But, in my opinion, it is a paltry device, a very mean art."
"Undoubtedly," replied Darcy, to whom this remark was chiefly addressed, "there is meanness in all the arts which ladies sometimes condescend to employ for captivation. Whatever bears affinity to cunning is despicable."
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58
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彬格莱小姐不太满意他这个回答,因此也就没有再谈下去。
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58
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Miss Bingley was not so entirely satisfied with this reply as to continue the subject.
Elizabeth joined them again only to say that her sister was worse, and that she could not leave her. Bingley urged Mr. Jones’s being sent for immediately; while his sisters, convinced that no country advice could be of any service, recommended an express to town for one of the most eminent physicians. This, she would not hear of; but she was not so unwilling to comply with their brother’s proposal; and it was settled that Mr. Jones should be sent for early in the morning, if Miss Bennet were not decidedly better. Bingley was quite uncomfortable; his sisters declared that they were miserable. They solaced their wretchedness, however, by duets after supper, while he could find no better relief to his feelings than by giving his housekeeper directions that every possible attention might be paid to the sick lady and her sister.