Chapter I.

第一章

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

一条举世公认的真理是：凡是有钱的单身汉，总想娶位太太。

However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.

尽管这样一个男人初来乍到时，他的情感和想法可能鲜为人知，但这条真理在周围的家庭中却根深蒂固，以至于他被认为是他们某个或某些女儿理所当然的财产。

“My dear Mr. Bennet,” said his lady to him one day, “have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?”

“我亲爱的班纳特先生，”他的太太有一天对他说，“你听说尼德菲尔德庄园终于出租了吗？”

Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.

班纳特先生回答说他没有听说。

“But it is,” returned she; “for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it.”

“但是确实出租了，”她回答道，“因为朗太太刚刚来过，她把一切都告诉我了。”

Mr. Bennet made no answer.

班纳特先生没有回答。

“Do not you want to know who has taken it?” cried his wife, impatiently.

“你难道不想知道是谁租了它吗？”他的妻子不耐烦地喊道。

“You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.”

“你想告诉我，而我并不反对听你说。”

This was invitation enough.

这已经足够作为邀请了。

“Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with it that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.”

“哎呀，亲爱的，你必须知道，朗太太说尼德菲尔德庄园被一位来自英格兰北部、拥有巨额财富的年轻绅士租下了；他星期一下午乘坐四轮马车来看房子，非常喜欢，所以立刻就和莫里斯先生达成了协议；他将在米迦勒节之前入住，他的一些仆人将在下周末之前到房子里。”

“What is his name?”

“他叫什么名字？”

“Bingley.”

“宾利。”

“Is he married or single?”

“他结婚了吗？还是单身？”

“Oh! Single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!”

“哦！当然是单身，亲爱的！一个拥有巨额财富的单身汉；年收入四五千镑。这对我们的女儿们来说真是太好了！”

“How so? How can it affect them?”

“怎么会呢？这怎么会影响到她们？”

“My dear Mr. Bennet,” replied his wife, “how can you be so tiresome? You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.”

“我亲爱的班纳特先生，”他的妻子回答道，“你怎么能这么烦人？你必须知道我正在考虑让他娶我们女儿中的一个。”

“Is that his design in settling here?”

“这是他定居在此的意图吗？”

“Design? Nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes.”

“意图？胡说八道，你怎么能这么说！但是他很可能爱上她们中的一个，因此你必须在他来之后尽快拜访他。”

“I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better; for as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party.”

“我看不出有这个必要。你和女儿们可以去，或者你可以让她们自己去，这也许会更好；因为你和她们一样漂亮，宾利先生也许会最喜欢你。”

“My dear, you flatter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown-up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty.”

“亲爱的，你过奖了。我当然也曾有过我的美丽，但我现在并不认为自己有什么特别之处。当一个女人有五个长大成人的女儿时，她就应该停止考虑自己的美貌了。”

“In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of.”

“在这种情况下，女人通常没有什么美貌可供思考。”

“But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the neighbourhood.”

“但是，亲爱的，当宾利先生来到附近时，你一定要去拜访他。”

“It is more than I engage for, I assure you.”

“我向你保证，我可不敢保证这一点。”

“But consider your daughters. Only think what an establishment it would be for one of them. Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined to go, merely on that account; for in general, you know, they visit no new comers. Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for us to visit him, if you do not.”

“但是想想你的女儿们。想想这对她们中的一个来说会是多么好的归宿。威廉爵士和卢卡斯夫人仅仅因为这个原因就决定去拜访；因为一般来说，你知道，他们是不拜访新来者的。你确实必须去，因为如果你不去，我们就不可能去拜访他。”

“You are over scrupulous, surely. I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you; and I will send a few lines by you to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying whichever he chooses of the girls—though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy.”

“你肯定是过于谨慎了。我敢说宾利先生会很高兴见到你；我会托你带几句话给他，向他保证我衷心同意他娶我们女儿中的任何一个——尽管我必须为我的小莉齐说几句好话。”

“I desire you will do no such thing. Lizzy is not a bit better than the others; and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane, nor half so good-humoured as Lydia. But you are always giving her the preference.”

“我希望你不要那样做。莉齐一点也不比其他人好；而且我确信她没有简漂亮，也没有莉迪亚那么脾气好。但是你总是偏爱她。”

“They have none of them much to recommend them,” replied he; “they are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters.”

“她们都没有什么值得称道的，”他回答道，“她们都像其他女孩一样愚蠢无知；但是莉齐比她的姐妹们更聪明一些。”

“Mr. Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such a way? You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion on my poor nerves.”

“班纳特先生，你怎么能这样辱骂自己的孩子？你以惹我生气为乐。你一点也不体谅我可怜的神经。”

“You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least.”

“你误会我了，亲爱的。我对你的神经非常尊重。它们是我的老朋友了。至少这二十年来，我一直听到你关心地提起它们。”

“Ah, you do not know what I suffer.”

“唉，你不知道我受了多少苦。”

“But I hope you will get over it, and live to see many young men of four thousand a year come into the neighbourhood.”

“但我希望你能克服它，并能活到看到许多年收入四千镑的年轻绅士来到附近。”

“It will be no use to us, if twenty such should come, since you will not visit them.”

“即使有二十个这样的人来，对我们也没有用，因为你不会去拜访他们。”

“Depend upon it, my dear, that when there are twenty, I will visit them all.”

“相信我，亲爱的，当有二十个的时候，我会把他们都拜访一遍。”

Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three-and-twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character.

班纳特先生是一个如此奇特的混合体，他既机智敏捷，又带有讽刺幽默，同时又内向寡言，反复无常，以至于他太太二十三年的经验尚不足以理解他的性格。

Her mind was less difficult to develop.

她的心思则容易理解得多。

She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper.

她是一个理解力低下、见识浅薄、脾气不定的女人。

When she was discontented, she fancied herself nervous.

当她不高兴时，她就觉得自己神经紧张。

The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.

她一生的事业就是把女儿们嫁出去；她的慰藉就是拜访和打听消息。