《傲慢与偏见》 第1章(1)

Chapter 1

第一章

IT is a truth universally acknowledged¹, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

凡是有钱的单身汉，总想娶位太太，这已经成了一条举世公认的真理。

However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed² in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.

这样的单身汉，每逢新搬到一个地方，四邻八舍虽然完全不了解他的性情如何，见解如何，可是，既然这样的一条真理早已在人们心目中根深蒂固，因此人们总是把他看作自己某一个女儿理所应得的一笔财产。

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

有一天班纳特太太对她的丈夫说：“我的好老爷，尼日斐花园终于租出去了，你听说过没有？”

Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.

班纳特先生回答道，他没有听说过。

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

“的确租出去了，”她说，“朗格太太刚刚上这儿来过，她把这件事的底细，一五一十地告诉了我。”

Mr. Bennet made no answer.

班纳特先生没有理睬她。

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

“你难道不想知道是谁租去的吗？”太太不耐烦地嚷起来了。

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

“既是你要说给我听，我听听也无妨。”

This was invitation enough.

这句话足够鼓励她讲下去了。

"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."

“哦！亲爱的，你得知道，郎格太太说，租尼日斐花园的是个阔少爷，他是英格兰北部的人；听说他星期一那天，乘着一辆驷马大轿车来看房子，看得非常中意，当场就和莫理斯先生谈妥了；他要在‘米迦勒节'以前搬进来，打算下个周未先叫几个佣人来住。”

"What is his name?"

“这个人叫什么名字？”

"Bingley."

“彬格莱。”

"Is he married or single?"

“有太太的呢，还是单身汉？”

"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!"

“噢！是个单身汉，亲爱的，确确实实是个单身汉！一个有钱的单身汉；每年有四五千磅的收入。真是女儿们的福气！”

"How so? how can it affect them?"

“这怎么说？关女儿女儿们什么事？”

"My dear Mr. Bennet," replied his wife, "how can you be so tiresome³! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them."

“我的好老爷，”太太回答道，“你怎么这样叫人讨厌！告诉你吧，我正在盘算，他要是挑中我们一个女儿做老婆，可多好！”

"Is that his design in settling here?"

“他住到这儿来，就是为了这个打算吗？”

"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."

“打算！胡扯，这是哪儿的话！不过，他倒作兴看中我们的某一个女儿呢。他一搬来，你就得去拜访拜访他。”

"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."

“我不用去。你带着女儿们去就得啦，要不你干脆打发她们自己去，那或许倒更好些，因为你跟女儿们比起来，她们哪一个都不能胜过你的美貌,你去了，彬格莱先生倒可能挑中你呢？”

"My dear, you flatter⁴ me. I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be any thing extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty."

“我的好老爷，你太捧我啦。从前也的确有人赞赏过我的美貌，现在我可有敢说有什么出众的地方了。一个女人家有了五个成年的女儿，就不该对自己的美貌再转什么念头。”

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

“这样看来，一个女人家对自己的美貌也转不了多少念头喽。”“不过，我的好老爷，彬格莱一搬到我们的邻近来，你的确应该去看看他。”

1 acknowledged   

adj.公认的v.承认( acknowledge的过去式和过去分词 )；鸣谢；对…打招呼；告知已收到

参考例句：

• He acknowledged publicly that he might have made a mistake. 他当众承认自己可能犯了个错误。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The police acknowledged that three police vehicles were damaged. 警方承认有三辆警车被毁。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

3 tiresome   

adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的

参考例句：

• His doubts and hesitations were tiresome.他的疑惑和犹豫令人厌烦。
• He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors.他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜，令人生厌。

4 flatter   

v.向...谄媚，奉承，使高兴，使感到荣幸

参考例句：

• We flatter ourselves that we provide the best service in town.我们相信我们提供的服务在本市最好。
• It turns my stomach to hear him flatter.听到他拍马屁，我实在感到讨厌。