《傲慢与偏见》 第7章(3)

Can I have the carriage? said Jane.

“我可以乘着车子去吗？”吉英问。

No, my dear, you had better go on horseback, because it seems likely to rain; and then you must stay all night.

“不行，亲爱的，你最好骑着马去。天好象要下雨的样子，下了雨你就可以在那儿过夜。”

That would be a good scheme, said Elizabeth, if you were sure that they would not offer to send her home.

“这倒是个好办法，”伊丽莎白说。“只要你拿得准他们不会送她回来。”

Oh! but the gentlemen will have Mr. Bingley's chaise to go to Meryton; and the Hursts have no horses to theirs.

“噢，彬格莱先生的马车要送他的朋友到麦里屯去，赫斯脱夫妇又是有车无马。”

I had much rather go in the coach.

“我倒还是愿意乘着马车去。”

But, my dear, your father cannot spare the horses, I am sure. They are wanted in the farm, Mr. Bennet, are not they?

“可是，乖孩子，我包管你爸爸匀不出拖车子的马来。──农庄上正要马用，我的好老爷，是不是？”

They are wanted in the farm much oftener than I can get them.

“农庄上常常要马用，可惜到我手里的时候并不多。”

But if you have got them today, said Elizabeth, my mother's purpose will be answered.

伊丽莎白说：“可是，如果今天到得你的手里，就如了妈妈的愿了。”

She did at last extort¹ from her father an acknowledgment that the horses were engaged. Jane was therefore obliged to go on horseback, and her mother attended her to the door with many cheerful prognostics of a bad day. Her hopes were answered; Jane had not been gone long before it rained hard. Her sisters were uneasy for her, but her mother was delighted. The rain continued the whole evening without intermission; Jane certainly could not come back.

她终于逼得父亲不得不承认──那儿匹拉车子的马已经有了别的用处。于是吉英只得骑着另外一匹马去，母亲送她到门口，高高兴兴地说了许多预祝天气会变坏的话。她果真如愿了；吉英走了不久，就下起大雨来。妹妹们都替她担忧，只有她老人家反而高兴。大雨整个黄昏没有停住。吉英当然无法回来了。

This was a lucky idea of mine, indeed! said Mrs. Bennet, more than once, as if the credit of making it rain were all her own. Till the next morning, however, she was not aware of all the felicity of her contrivance. Breakfast was scarcely over when a servant from Netherfield brought the following note for Elizabeth:

班纳特太太一遍又一遍地说：“真亏我想出了这个好办法！”好象天下雨老师她一手造成的。不过，她的神机妙算究竟造成了多大幸福，她一直到第二天早上才知道。早饭还没吃完，尼日斐花园就打发了人送来一封信给伊丽莎白：

My dearest Lizzy, I FIND myself very unwell this morning, which, I suppose, is to be imputed² to my getting wet through yesterday. My kind friends will not hear of my returning home till I am better. They insist also on my seeing Mr. Jones -- therefore do not be alarmed if you should hear of his having been to me -- and excepting a sore throat and head-ache, there is not much the matter with me. Yours, &c.

我亲爱的丽萃，──今晨我觉得很不舒服，我想这可能是昨天淋了雨的缘故。承蒙这儿好朋友们的关切，要我等到身体舒适一些才回家来。朋友们再三要请钏斯医生来替我看病，因此，要是你们他上我这儿来过，可别惊讶。我只不过有点儿喉咙痛和头痛，并没有什么大不了的毛病。───姐字。

Well, my dear, said Mr. Bennet, when Elizabeth had read the note aloud, if your daughter should have a dangerous fit of illness, if she should die, it would be a comfort to know that it was all in pursuit of Mr. Bingley, and under your orders.

伊丽莎白读信的时候，班纳特先生对他太太说：“唔，好太太，要是你的女儿得了重病──万一她一病不起──倒也值得安慰呀，因为她是奉了你命令去追求彬格莱先生的。”

Oh! I am not at all afraid of her dying. People do not die of little trifling³ colds. She will be taken good care of. As long is she stays there, it is all very well. I would go and see her, if I could have the carriage.

“噢！她难道这么一下子就会送命！哪有小伤风就会送命的道理。人家自会把她等候得好好的。只要她待在那儿，包管无事。倘使有车子的话，我也想去看看她。”

Elizabeth, feeling really anxious, was determined⁴ to go to her, though the carriage was not to be had; and as she was no horse-woman, walking was her only alternative. She declared her resolution.

真正着急的倒是伊丽莎白，她才不管有车无车，决定非去一趟不可。她既然不会骑马，唯一的办法便只有步行。她把自己的打算说了出来。

How can you be so silly, cried her mother, as to think of such a thing, in all this dirt! You will not be fit to be seen when you get there.

她妈妈叫道：“你怎么这样蠢！路上这么泥泞，亏你想得出来！等你走到那儿，你那副样子怎么见人。”

I shall be very fit to see Jane -- which is all I want.

“我只要见到吉英就成。”

Is this a hint to me, Lizzy, said her father, to send for the horses?

“丽萃，”她的父亲说，“你的意思是叫我替你弄几匹马来驾马车吗？”

No, indeed. I do not wish to avoid the walk. The distance is nothing, when one has a motive⁵; only three miles. I shall be back by dinner.

“当然不是这个意思。我不怕步行，只要存心去，这点儿路算得上什么。才不过三英里路。我可以赶回来吃晚饭。”

1 extort   

v.勒索，敲诈，强要

参考例句：

• The blackmailer tried to extort a large sum of money from him.勒索者企图向他勒索一大笔钱。
• They absolutely must not harm the people or extort money from them.严格禁止坑害勒索群众。

2 imputed   

v.把（错误等）归咎于( impute的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They imputed the accident to the driver's carelessness. 他们把这次车祸归咎于司机的疏忽。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He imputed the failure of his marriage to his wife's shortcomings. 他把婚姻的失败归咎于妻子的缺点。 来自辞典例句

3 trifling   

adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的

参考例句：

• They quarreled over a trifling matter.他们为这种微不足道的事情争吵。
• So far Europe has no doubt, gained a real conveniency,though surely a very trifling one.直到现在为止,欧洲无疑地已经获得了实在的便利，不过那确是一种微不足道的便利。

4 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

5 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。