“I hope, my dear,” said Mr. Bennet to his wife, as they were at breakfast the next morning, “that you have ordered a good dinner to-day, because I have reason to expect an addition to our family party.”
“我希望，亲爱的，” 班纳特先生在第二天早晨他们吃早餐时对妻子说，” 你今天订了一顿丰盛的晚餐，因为我有理由期待我们的家庭聚会会有新成员加入。”

“Who do you mean, my dear? I know of nobody that is coming, I am sure, unless Charlotte Lucas should happen to call in — and I hope my dinners are good enough for her. —-
“你说的是谁，亲爱的？我确定没有人会来，除非夏洛特·卢卡斯碰巧来访——我希望我的晚餐对她来说够好。 —-

I do not believe she often sees such at home.”
我不认为她在家经常能吃到这样的饭菜。”

“The person of whom I speak is a gentleman, and a stranger.”
“我说的这个人是一位先生，也是一位陌生人。”

Mrs. Bennet’s eyes sparkled. “A gentleman and a stranger! It is Mr. Bingley, I am sure. —-
班纳特太太的眼睛闪闪发亮。“一位先生和一个陌生人！肯定是彬格莱先生。 —-

Why, Jane — you never dropt a word of this; you sly thing! —-
哎呀，简——你一句话都没有提过； —-

Well, I am sure I shall be extremely glad to see Mr. Bingley. — But — good lord! how unlucky! —-
你这狡猾的小东西！嗯，我确实很高兴见到彬格莱先生。——但是——天哪！多倒霉啊！ —-

there is not a bit of fish to be got to-day. —-
今天一点鱼都买不到。 —-

Lydia, my love, ring the bell. I must speak to Hill this moment.”
丽迪雅，亲爱的，去按一下门铃。我必须马上和希尔说话。”

“It is not Mr. Bingley,” said her husband; —-
“不是彬格莱先生，”她丈夫说；” —-

“it is a person whom I never saw in the whole course of my life.”
这是一个我这辈子从未见过的人。”

This roused a general astonishment; and he had the pleasure of being eagerly questioned by his wife and five daughters at once. —-
这引起了一片惊奇；他很享受自己被妻子和五个女儿同时急切询问的乐趣。 —-

— After amusing himself some time with their curiosity, he thus explained —
——玩弄他们的好奇心一阵子之后，他这样解释——

“About a month ago I received this letter; —-
“大约一个月前，我收到了这封信； —-

and about a fortnight ago I answered it, for I thought it a case of some delicacy, and requiring early attention. —-
大约两个星期前，我回复了，因为我认为这是一个需要谨慎对待并且急需关注的问题。 —-

It is from my cousin, Mr. Collins, who, when I am dead, may turn you all out of this house as soon as he pleases.”
这是我表弟，柯林斯先生的信，等我死后，他可能会随时请你们所有人离开这所房子。”

“Oh! my dear,” cried his wife, “I cannot bear to hear that mentioned. —-
“哦！亲爱的，”他的妻子大声说，” 我不能忍受听到那个被提起。 —-

Pray do not talk of that odious man. I do think it is the hardest thing in the world, that your estate should be entailed away from your own children; —-
请不要谈论那个可恶的人。我认为这个世界上最难的事情，就是你的产业要从你自己的孩子那里转移出去； —-

and I am sure, if I had been you, I should have tried long ago to do something or other about it.”
给了一个根本没人在乎的人；而且我确信，如果我是你，我早就应该尝试着做点什么。”

Jane and Elizabeth attempted to explain to her the nature of an entail. —-
简和伊丽莎白试图向她解释限定继承财产的性质。 —-

They had often attempted it before, but it was a subject on which Mrs. Bennet was beyond the reach of reason, and she continued to rail bitterly against the cruelty of settling an estate away from a family of five daughters, in favour of a man whom nobody cared anything about.
他们以前试图解释过多次，但这是一个班纳特太太无法理解的话题，她继续激烈地抨击这种残忍的行为——这种行为将一项产业从一个有五个女儿的家庭中夺走，而是转移给了一个没人关心的人。

“It certainly is a most iniquitous affair,” said Mr. Bennet, “and nothing can clear Mr. Collins from the guilt of inheriting Longbourn. —-
“这确实是一件极不公正的事情，” 班纳特先生说，” 没有什么能洗清柯林斯先生继承浪搏恩的罪行。 —-

But if you will listen to his letter, you may perhaps be a little softened by his manner of expressing himself.”
但如果你愿意听他的来信，你或许可以被他表达方式的温和态度而感到柔和些。”

“No, that I am sure I shall not; and I think it was very impertinent of him to write to you at all, and very hypocritical. —-
“不，我确信我不会；我认为他这样写信给你是非常冒失的，而且非常虚伪。 —-

I hate such false friends. Why could not he keep on quarrelling with you, as his father did before him?”
我讨厌这种假朋友。他为什么不能继续和你争吵，像他父亲以前那样做呢？”

“Why, indeed; he does seem to have had some filial scruples on that head, as you will hear.”
“确实，他似乎对这一点确实有些孝顺的顾虑，正如你将会听到的。”

“Hunsford, near Westerham, Kent, 15th October.
“亨斯福德, 近威斯特汉姆,肯特, 十月十五日。 “DEAR SIR, — The disagreement subsisting between yourself and my late honoured father always gave me much uneasiness, and since I have had the misfortune to lose him, I have frequently wished to heal the breach; —-
“亲爱的先生，——你和我故去的尊敬的父亲之间的分歧总是令我感到很不安，自从我不幸失去了他，我经常希望能够弥合这一裂痕； —- but for some time I was kept back by my own doubts, fearing lest it might seem disrespectful to his memory for me to be on good terms with any one, with whom it had always pleased him to be at variance. —-
但有一段时间我因为自己的疑虑而被阻止，担心这可能会对他的记忆不敬，如果我和任何一个和他一直有矛盾的人搞好关系。 —- — “There, Mrs. Bennet.” — My mind, however is now made up on the subject, for having received ordination at Easter, I have been so fortunate as to be distinguished by the patronage of the Right Honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh, widow of Sir Lewis de Bourgh, whose bounty and beneficence has preferred me to the valuable rectory of this parish, where it shall be my earnest endeavour to demean myself with grateful respect towards her Ladyship, and be ever ready to perform those rites and ceremonies which are instituted by the Church of England. —-
——“班纳特太太。” ——然而，现在我已经下定决心，因为在复活节我接受了神职，并且很幸运地得到了尊敬的凯瑟琳·德·包尔夫人（已故刘易斯·德·包尔爵士的遗孀）的资助，由于她的慷慨和恩惠，我被提升为这个教区的可贵的教区牧师，我将在这里孜孜不倦地尊重她的夫人，时刻准备执行那些由英格兰教会制定的礼仪和仪式。 —- As a clergyman, moreover, I feel it my duty to promote and establish the blessing of peace in all families within the reach of my influence; —-
作为一名牧师，此外，我觉得我有责任在我影响范围内的所有家庭中推广和建立和平的福祉； —- and on these grounds I flatter myself that my present overtures of goodwill are highly commendable, and that the circumstance of my being next in the entail of Longbourn estate will be kindly overlooked on your side, and not lead you to reject the offered olive-branch. —-
基于这些理由，我自信我目前提出的善意之举是非常值得称赞的，而且我即将成为浪搏恩产业的继承人这一情况会得到你方的理解，并不会因此拒绝我伸出的橄榄枝。 —- I cannot be otherwise than concerned at being the means of injuring your amiable daughters, and beg leave to apologise for it, as well as to assure you of my readiness to make them every possible amends — but of this hereafter. —-
我不得不对对你那可爱女儿们造成的伤害表示关切，并为此道歉，同时保证尽我所能给予她们所有可能的补偿——这个话题我们以后再谈。 —- If you should have no objection to receive me into your house, I propose myself the satisfaction of waiting on you and your family, Monday, November 18th, by four o’clock, and shall probably trespass on your hospitality till the Saturday se’nnight following, which I can do without any inconvenience, as Lady Catherine is far from objecting to my occasional absence on a Sunday, provided that some other clergyman is engaged to do the duty of the day. —-
如果你不反对接待我进入你的家庭，我计划满怀喜悦地拜访你和你的家人，在11月18日（星期一）下午四点并可能会滥用你的好客直到下周六（se’nnight：古语seven nights，a week）。 这对我来说没有任何不便，凯瑟琳女士也绝不会反对，因为即使星期天偶尔缺席，只要另一位牧师可以代为做当天的工作。 —- — I remain, dear sir, with respectful compliments to your lady and daughters, your well-wisher and friend, William Collins.”
我仍然是，亲爱的先生，带着对您夫人和女儿们的尊敬问候，您的祝福者和朋友，威廉 柯林斯”。

“At four o’clock, therefore, we may expect this peace-making gentleman,” said Mr. Bennet, as he folded up the letter. —-
“所以，我们可期待这位和平使者在四点钟到达，” 班纳特先生说，当他把信折好。 —-

“He seems to be a most conscientious and polite young man, upon my word, and I doubt not will prove a valuable acquaintance, especially if Lady Catherine should be so indulgent as to let him come to us again.”
“他看起来是个非常有责任感和礼貌的年轻人，我敢说，他会是个宝贵的熟人，特别是如果凯瑟琳夫人愿意再让他来我们这儿的话。”

“There is some sense in what he says about the girls, however, and if he is disposed to make them any amends, I shall not be the person to discourage him.”
“他对女孩们说的也有些道理，如果他愿意给她们赔偿，我不会是那个阻止他的人。”

“Though it is difficult,” said Jane, “to guess in what way he can mean to make us the atonement he thinks our due, the wish is certainly to his credit.”
“尽管很难猜测他打算如何赔偿我们他认为我们应得的，但这个愿望无疑是值得赞扬的，” 简说。

Elizabeth was chiefly struck with his extraordinary deference for Lady Catherine, and his kind intention of christening, marrying, and burying his parishioners whenever it were required.
伊丽莎白最主要是对他对凯瑟琳夫人的非凡尊重，以及他有意为其教区的居民提供洗礼、婚礼和葬礼（必要时）的意向印象深刻。

“He must be an oddity, I think,” said she, “I cannot make him out. —-
“我觉得他肯定是个古怪的人，”她说，” 我弄不明白他。 —-

There is something very pompous in his style. —-
他的风格里有一些非常浮夸的东西。 —-

— And what can he mean by apologizing for being next in the entail? —-
——他向我们道歉因为是产业继承人这件事是什么意思？ —-

— We cannot suppose he would help it if he could. —-
——我们不能假设他能够帮忙的话他会不帮忙。 —-

— Can he be a sensible man, sir?”
——他是个明智的人吗，爸爸？”

“No, my dear; I think not. I have great hopes of finding him quite the reverse. —-
“不，亲爱的，我不这么认为。我非常希望发现他恰恰相反。 —-

There is a mixture of servility and self-importance in his letter, which promises well. —-
他的信中有一种奴性和自负的混合，这非常有希望。 —-

I am impatient to see him.”
我迫不及待想见他。”

“In point of composition,” said Mary, “his letter does not seem defective. —-
“就写作而言，”玛丽说，” 他的信似乎没有瑕疵。 —-

The idea of the olive branch perhaps is not wholly new, yet I think it is well expressed.”
也许橄榄枝的想法并不全新，不过我认为表达得很好。”

To Catherine and Lydia, neither the letter nor its writer were in any degree interesting. —-
对凯瑟琳和丽迪雅来说，这封信和作者都没有什么吸引力。 —-

It was next to impossible that their cousin should come in a scarlet coat, and it was now some weeks since they had received pleasure from the society of a man in any other colour. —-
他们的表亲不可能穿着红外套来，而自从几周前之后，他们再也没有从穿任何其他颜色衣服的男人那里得到乐趣。 —-

As for their mother, Mr. Collins’s letter had done away much of her ill-will, and she was preparing to see him with a degree of composure which astonished her husband and daughters.
至于他们的母亲，柯林斯先生的信消除了她大部分的恶感，她正在准备以一种让她的丈夫和女儿们都感到惊讶的平静心态去见他。

Mr. Collins was punctual to his time, and was received with great politeness by the whole family. —-
柯林斯先生准时到达，全家人都非常礼貌地接待了他。 —-

Mr. Bennet indeed said little; but the ladies were ready enough to talk, and Mr. Collins seemed neither in need of encouragement, nor inclined to be silent himself. —-
班纳特先生确实说得不多；但女士们都很愿意谈话，而柯林斯先生似乎既不需要鼓励也不愿意保持沉默。 —-

He was a tall, heavy-looking young man of five-and-twenty. —-
他是一个高大、体型沉重的25岁青年。 —-

His air was grave and stately, and his manners were very formal. —-
他的举止庄严肃穆，态度非常正式。 —-

He had not been long seated before he complimented Mrs. Bennet on having so fine a family of daughters; —-
他刚坐下不久便恭维班纳特太太有这么一群美丽的女儿； —-

said he had heard much of their beauty, but that in this instance fame had fallen short of the truth; —-
他说他已经听说过她们的美貌，但事实上名声都赶不上她们的真实美丽； —-

and added, that he did not doubt her seeing them all in due time well disposed of in marriage. —-
并补充说，他相信她不久一定会看到她们都在婚姻中得到妥善安排。 —-

This gallantry was not much to the taste of some of his hearers; —-
他的这份殷勤并不是所有听众的心意； —-

but Mrs. Bennet, who quarrelled with no compliments, answered most readily —
但班纳特太太从不与恭维为敌，便立刻答道——

“You are very kind, sir, I am sure; and I wish with all my heart it may prove so, for else they will be destitute enough. —-
“您实在是太好了，先生，我确信您是出自好意；我也全心全意希望这会成真，否则我那可怜的女儿们就真的一无所有了。 —-

Things are settled so oddly.”
事情变得如此奇怪真是难以置信。”

“You allude, perhaps, to the entail of this estate.”
“您或许是在提及这个房产的限定继承权吧。”

“Ah! sir, I do indeed. It is a grievous affair to my poor girls, you must confess. —-
“啊! 先生，正是这么回事。这对我那些无辜的女儿们来说确实是一个沉重的打击，您必须承认。 —-

Not that I mean to find fault with you, for such things I know are all chance in this world. —-
当然，我并不是要责怪您，因为我知道这世上的事情都是难以预料的。 —-

There is no knowing how estates will go when once they come to be entailed.”
房产一旦陷入限定继承，就无法知晓它将去向何方。”

“I am very sensible, madam, of the hardship to my fair cousins, and could say much on the subject, but that I am cautious of appearing forward and precipitate. —-
“我非常理解，夫人，我对我那些漂亮的堂妹们所遭受的困难深感同情，本可以就此事多言几句，但因为担心显得太过冒进和鲁莽。 —-

But I can assure the young ladies that I come prepared to admire them. —-
不过我能向这些年轻的小姐们保证，我来是带着赞赏之意的。 —-

At present I will not say more, but perhaps when we are better acquainted — — “
目前我不会多说什么，但也许当我们更加了解彼此之后——“

He was interrupted by a summons to dinner; and the girls smiled on each other. —-
他的话被召去吃晚餐打断了；女孩们彼此对视微笑。 —-

They were not the only objects of Mr. Collins’s admiration. —-
她们并不是柯林斯先生仰慕的唯一对象。 —-

The hall, the dining-room, and all its furniture were examined and praised; —-
走廊、饭厅以及所有家具都被他一一查看并赞不绝口； —-

and his commendation of everything would have touched Mrs. Bennet’s heart, but for the mortifying supposition of his viewing it all as his own future property. —-
如果不是因为他以为这将是他未来的财产，那么他所有的赞美都将触动班纳特太太的心。 —-

The dinner too in its turn was highly admired; —-
连晚餐也依次得到了高度赞赏； —-

and he begged to know to which of his fair cousins the excellence of its cookery was owing. —-
他请求知道是哪位美丽的堂妹赋予了晚餐如此美味的烹饪手艺。 —-

But here he was set right by Mrs. Bennet, who assured him with some asperity that they were very well able to keep a good cook, and that her daughters had nothing to do in the kitchen. —-
但在这点上班纳特太太纠正了他，她带着几分尖刻保证他们雇得起一个好厨师，她的女儿们不用下厨房。 —-

He begged pardon for having displeased her. —-
他为触怒了她而道歉。 —-

In a softened tone she declared herself not at all offended; —-
班纳特太太声音柔和地宣称她一点也不生气； —-

but he continued to apologise for about a quarter of an hour.
但他仍旧不停地道歉了大约一刻钟。