It was the second week in May, in which the three young ladies set out together from Gracechurch Street for the town of — — , in Hertfordshire; —-
5月的第二个礼拜，三位年轻的小姐从格雷斯彻奇街出发，前往位于赫特福德郡的—小镇； —-

and, as they drew near the appointed inn where Mr. Bennet’s carriage was to meet them, they quickly perceived, in token of the coachman’s punctuality, both Kitty and Lydia looking out of a dining-room upstairs. —-
当她们临近约定好的旅店，将在那里会见班纳特先生的马车时，她们很快便认出了吉蒂和丽迪雅的踪迹，她们从楼上的餐厅向外张望。 —-

These two girls had been above an hour in the place, happily employed in visiting an opposite milliner, watching the sentinel on guard, and dressing a salad and cucumber.
这两个女孩在那里已经高兴地逛了一个多小时，她们参观对面的帽饰店，观看哨兵站岗，还安排了沙拉和黄瓜。

After welcoming their sisters, they triumphantly displayed a table set out with such cold meat as an inn larder usually affords, exclaiming, “Is not this nice? —-
她们迎接了姐妹们后，得意地展示了一桌摆满了旅店冷藏室通常提供的冷肉，兴奋地说道：“这多好啊？ —-

is not this an agreeable surprise?”
这难道不是个惊喜？”

“And we mean to treat you all,” added Lydia; —-
“我们打算款待你们所有人，”丽迪雅补充说； —-

“but you must lend us the money, for we have just spent ours at the shop out there.” —-
“但你们必须借钱给我们，因为我们刚把钱都花在外面的商店里了。” —-

Then, shewing her purchases — “Look here, I have bought this bonnet. —-
接着，展示着她的购物成果——“看这里，我买了这顶帽子。 —-

I do not think it is very pretty; but I thought I might as well buy it as not. —-
我觉得它不是很漂亮；但我想买总比不买强。 —-

I shall pull it to pieces as soon as I get home, and see if I can make it up any better.”
我一回到家就要把它拆了，看看能不能重新做得更好一些。”

And when her sisters abused it as ugly, she added, with perfect unconcern, “Oh! —-
当她的姐妹们批评这顶帽子丑陋时，她毫不在意地说道，“哦！ —-

but there were two or three much uglier in the shop; —-
但是商店里还有两三顶更丑的； —-

and when I have bought some prettier-coloured satin to trim it with fresh, I think it will be very tolerable. —-
等我买了一些颜色更漂亮的缎子重新装饰一下，我觉得它还会相当不错。 —-

Besides, it will not much signify what one wears this summer, after the — — shire have left Meryton, and they are going in a fortnight.”
另外，这个夏天穿什么都无所谓了，—郡的人不久就会离开梅里屯，他们两周后就走。”

“Are they indeed!” cried Elizabeth, with the greatest satisfaction.
“真的吗！” 伊丽莎白兴奋地叫道。

“They are going to be encamped near Brighton; —-
“他们要在布莱顿附近扎营； —-

and I do so want papa to take us all there for the summer! —-
我好希望爸爸能带我们全家去那里过暑假！ —-

It would be such a delicious scheme, and I dare say would hardly cost anything at all. —-
那真是个太美妙的计划了，而且我敢说几乎不会花什么钱。 —-

Mamma would like to go too of all things! —-
妈妈也特别想去！ —-

Only think what a miserable summer else we shall have!”
只想想，要不这个夏天我们该多么糟糕啊！”

“Yes,” thought Elizabeth, “that would be a delightful scheme indeed, and completely do for us at once. —-
“是的，”伊丽莎白想，” 那的确是个让人愉快的计划，一举就能彻底搞定我们。 —-

Good Heaven! Brighton, and a whole campful of soldiers, to us, who have been overset already by one poor regiment of militia, and the monthly balls of Meryton.”
天哪！布莱顿，整整一个营的士兵对我们来说，我们已经被一个可怜的民兵团和梅里屯的月度舞会搞翻了。”

“Now I have got some news for you,” said Lydia, as they sat down at table. “What do you think? —-
“我有个消息要告诉你们，”丽迪雅说，当她们坐下来吃饭时。”你们猜怎么着？ —-

It is excellent news — capital news — and about a certain person that we all like.”
这可是个大好消息——顶级的好消息——关于我们大家都喜欢的某个人。”

Jane and Elizabeth looked at each other, and the waiter was told that he need not stay. —-
简和伊丽莎白相视一笑，而且向服务员示意他可以走了。 —-

Lydia laughed, and said — “Ay, that is just like your formality and discretion. —-
丽迪雅笑着说——“啊，这正是你们的正式和谨慎。 —-

You thought the waiter must not hear, as if he cared! —-
你们认为服务员不该听见，好像他在乎似的！ —-

I dare say he often hears worse things said than I am going to say. But he is an ugly fellow! —-
我敢说他经常听见比我要说的还要糟糕的话。但他长得真是难看！我很高兴他走了。 —-

I am glad he is gone. I never saw such a long chin in my life. Well, but now for my news; —-
我一辈子都没见过这么长的下巴。好吧，但现在来听我的消息吧； —-

it is about dear Wickham; too good for the waiter, is not it? —-
它关于亲爱的威克姆；对服务员来说太好了，不是吗？ —-

There is no danger of Wickham’s marrying Mary King. There’s for you! —-
威克姆和玛丽·金结婚的风险没有了。给你们！ —-

She is gone down to her uncle at Liverpool: —-
她已经到利物浦去见她的叔叔了： —-

gone to stay. Wickham is safe.”
去待着了。威克姆是安全的。”

“And Mary King is safe!” added Elizabeth; “safe from a connexion imprudent as to fortune.”
“而玛丽·金也安全了！”伊丽莎白补充道；” 安全地避免了一个不顾财富的不明智的联系。”

“She is a great fool for going away, if she liked him.”
“如果她喜欢他，她搬走真是个大傻瓜。”

“But I hope there is no strong attachment on either side,” said Jane.
“但我希望双方都没有太强烈的感情，”简说。

“I am sure there is not on his. I will answer for it, he never cared three straws about her — who could about such a nasty little freckled thing?”
“我确定他没有。我可以担保，他从来没有真正关心过她——谁会在乎那样一个讨厌的、满脸雀斑的小东西呢？”

Elizabeth was shocked to think that, however incapable of such coarseness of expression herself, the coarseness of the sentiment was little other than her own breast had formerly harboured and fancied liberal!
伊丽莎白惊讶地想，尽管她自己绝不会用这样粗鄙的表达方式，但这种粗鄙的情感却几乎和她自己心中曾经怀有并以为是开放的无异！

As soon as all had ate, and the elder ones paid, the carriage was ordered; —-
当所有人都吃完，年长的几位付了账后，马车被叫了过来； —-

and after some contrivance, the whole party, with all their boxes, workbags, and parcels, and the unwelcome addition of Kitty’s and Lydia’s purchases, were seated in it.
经过些许安排，全部人、他们所有的箱子、工作袋和包裹，还有不受欢迎的吉蒂和丽迪雅的购物品，都被安置在马车里。

“How nicely we are crammed in!” cried Lydia. “I am glad I bought my bonnet, if it is only for the fun of having another bandbox! —-
“我们挤在这里多舒服啊！” 丽迪雅高兴地叫道。” 我真高兴我买了那顶帽子，哪怕它只是增添了一个帽盒的乐趣！ —-

Well, now let us be quite comfortable and snug, and talk and laugh all the way home. —-
好了，现在让我们舒舒服服、暖暖和和地坐着，一路上谈天说笑。 —-

And in the first place, let us hear what has happened to you all, since you went away. —-
首先，让我们听听你们离开后都发生了些什么。 —-

Have you seen any pleasant men? Have you had any flirting? —-
你们见到了哪些好男人？ —-

I was in great hopes that one of you would have got a husband before you came back. —-
你们调情了吗？我真希望你们中有人在回来前能找到丈夫。 —-

Jane will be quite an old maid soon, I declare. She is almost three-and-twenty! —-
简快要变成老姑娘了，我敢说。她都快二十三岁了！ —-

Lord, how ashamed I should be of not being married before three-and-twenty! —-
天哪，如果二十三岁前还没结婚，我会多么羞愧！ —-

My aunt Philips wants you so to get husbands, you can’t think. —-
我姨妈菲利普斯非常希望你们找到丈夫，你简直想象不到。 —-

She says Lizzy had better have taken Mr. Collins; —-
她说丽兹本应该接受了柯林斯先生； —-

but I do not think there would have been any fun in it. Lord! —-
但是我认为那样就不好玩了。 —-

how I should like to be married before any of you! —-
天哪！我多么希望在你们所有人之前结婚！ —-

and then I would chaperon you about to all the balls. Dear me! —-
然后我可以带你们去所有的舞会。 —-

we had such a good piece of fun the other day at Colonel Forster’s. —-
天哪！前几天在福斯特上校家，我们玩得多开心。 —-

Kitty and me were to spend the day there, and Mrs. Forster promised to have a little dance in the evening (by the bye, Mrs. Forster and me are such friends!); —-
吉蒂和我那天要在那儿呆一天，福斯特太太承诺晚上会有个小舞会（顺便说一句，福斯特太太和我是那么好的朋友！）； —-

and so she asked the two Harringtons to come, but Harriet was ill, and so Pen was forced to come by herself; —-
所以她邀请了两个哈灵顿一起来，但哈丽特病了，所以Pen不得不单独来； —-

and then, what do you think we did? We dressed up Chamberlayne in woman’s clothes on purpose to pass for a lady — only think what fun! —-
接着，你猜我们干了什么？我们故意把钱伯兰打扮成女士——想想看多好玩！ —-

Not a soul knew of it, but Colonel and Mrs. Forster, and Kitty and me, except my aunt, for we were forced to borrow one of her gowns; —-
除了福斯特上校和太太、吉蒂和我，没人知道，甚至我们不得不借用我姨妈的一件连衣裙； —-

and you cannot imagine how well he looked! —-
你无法想象他看起来多好！ —-

When Denny, and Wickham, and Pratt, and two or three more of the men came in, they did not know him in the least. —-
当丹尼、威克姆、Pratt和其他两三个男人进来时，他们一点也没有认出他来。 —-

Lord! how I laughed! and so did Mrs. Forster. I thought I should have died. —-
天哪，我笑死了！福斯特太太也是。我以为我要笑死了。 —-

And that made the men suspect something, and then they soon found out what was the matter.”
而那让男士们怀疑了点什么，然后他们很快就发现了怎么回事。”

With such kind of histories of their parties and good jokes, did Lydia, assisted by Kitty’s hints and additions, endeavour to amuse her companions all the way to Longbourn. —-
多亏了丽迪雅那轻松愉快的派对和笑话，以及吉蒂的提示和增补，他们一路上试图让同伴都感到娱乐。 —-

Elizabeth listened as little as she could, but there was no escaping the frequent mention of Wickham’s name.
伊丽莎白尽可能少听，但威克姆的名字经常被提及，她不得不听。

Their reception at home was most kind. Mrs. Bennet rejoiced to see Jane in undiminished beauty; —-
她们回到家里受到了极其亲切的接待。班纳特太太非常高兴看到简依然风姿绰约； —-

and more than once during dinner did Mr. Bennet say voluntarily to Elizabeth —
在晚餐期间，班纳特先生不止一次自发地对伊丽莎白说—

“I am glad you are come back, Lizzy.”
“丽兹，我很高兴你回来了。”

Their party in the dining-room was large, for almost all the Lucases came to meet Maria and hear the news: —-
餐厅里的聚会非常盛大，几乎所有的卢卡斯家族都来见玛丽亚并听听最新消息： —-

and various were the subjects which occupied them: —-
话题纷杂。 —-

Lady Lucas was enquiring of Maria, across the table, after the welfare and poultry of her eldest daughter; —-
卢卡斯夫人正跨过桌子询问玛丽亚和她家长女的福祉与家禽； —-

Mrs. Bennet was doubly engaged, on one hand collecting an account of the present fashions from Jane, who sat some way below her, and, on the other, retailing them all to the younger Miss Lucases; —-
班纳特太太则忙得不可开交，一边从坐得比较远的简那里搜集最新时尚流行，一边将所有这些潮流讲给卢卡斯家的年轻小姐听； —-

and Lydia, in a voice rather louder than any other person’s, was enumerating the various pleasures of the morning to anybody who would hear her.
丽迪雅的声音比其他任何人的都大，她正在向任何愿意听她的人讲述一上午的种种乐趣。

“Oh! Mary,” said she, “I wish you had gone with us, for we had such fun! —-
“哦！玛丽，”她说，”我真希望你和我们一起去，因为我们玩得太开心了！ —-

As we went along, Kitty and me drew up all the blinds, and pretended there was nobody in the coach; —-
我们一路上拉起了所有的窗帘，假装车里没有人； —-

and I should have gone so all the way, if Kitty had not been sick; —-
如果吉蒂没有生病的话，我真的愿意那样一直走。 —-

and when we got to the George, I do think we behaved very handsomely, for we treated the other three with the nicest cold luncheon in the world, and if you would have gone we would have treated you too. —-
到了乔治酒店，我认为我们表现得很慷慨，因为我们请其他三个人吃了世界上最好吃的冷午餐，如果你去了的话，我们也会请你。 —-

And then, when we came away, it was such fun! I thought we never should have got into the coach. —-
然后，当我们离开时，真的很有趣！我觉得我们永远也上不了马车了。 —-

I was ready to die of laughter. And then we were so merry all the way home! —-
我快笑死了。然后我们一路回家都非常开心！ —-

we talked and laughed so loud, that anybody might have heard us ten miles off!”
我们谈话和大笑，以至于十英里外的人都可能听见我们！”

To this Mary very gravely replied, “Far be it from me, my dear sister, to depreciate such pleasures. They would doubtless be congenial with the generality of female minds. —-
对此，玛丽非常严肃地回答说：“亲爱的妹妹，远非我要贬低这些乐趣。这些乐趣无疑与大多数女性的心性相吻合。 —-

But I confess they would have no charms for me — I should infinitely prefer a book.”
但我承认，对我来说，它们并没有吸引力——我更愿意读一本书。”

But of this answer Lydia heard not a word. —-
但是丽迪雅根本没听玛丽说的话。 —-

She seldom listened to anybody for more than half a minute, and never attended to Mary at all.
她很少专心听任何人说超过半分钟的话，对玛丽的话更是从不理会。

In the afternoon Lydia was urgent with the rest of the girls to walk to Meryton, and see how everybody went on; —-
到了下午，丽迪雅急切地要其他姐妹们一同去梅里屯看看那儿的情况如何； —-

but Elizabeth steadily opposed the scheme. —-
但伊丽莎白坚决反对这个计划。 —-

It should not be said that the Miss Bennets could not be at home half a day before they were in pursuit of the officers. —-
她不想让人说班纳特小姐们家里呆不了半天就要追随军官们。 —-

There was another reason, too, for her opposition. —-
她的反对还有另一个原因。 —-

She dreaded seeing Wickham again, and was resolved to avoid it as long as possible. —-
是她害怕再次遇见威克姆，决心尽可能避开他。 —-

The comfort to her, of the regiment’s approaching removal was indeed beyond expression. —-
军队即将调离带给她的安慰，实在是无法形容的。 —-

In a fortnight they were to go — and once gone, she hoped there could be nothing more to plague her on his account.
两周后他们就将离开——一旦他们走了，她希望再也不会因为他的事情感到烦恼。

She had not been many hours at home before she found that the Brighton scheme, of which Lydia had given them a hint at the inn, was under frequent discussion between her parents. —-
伊丽莎白回到家没几个小时就发现，丽迪雅在旅店里暗示过的布莱顿计划，经常在她父母之间讨论。 —-

Elizabeth saw directly that her father had not the smallest intention of yielding; —-
伊丽莎白直接看出她父亲根本就没有一丝让步的意图； —-

but his answers were at the same time so vague and equivocal, that her mother, though often disheartened, had never yet despaired of succeeding at last.
但他的回答同时又是如此含糊和模棱两可，以至于她母亲虽然经常感到气馁，却从未真正绝望过最终能成功。