Though now the middle of December, there had yet been no weather to prevent the young ladies from tolerably regular exercise; —
尽管现在已经是十二月中旬，但天气仍未妨碍年轻女士们进行相当规律的锻炼； —

and on the morrow, Emma had a charitable visit to pay to a poor sick family, who lived a little way out of Highbury.
而第二天，爱玛要去探望一个住在海伯里郊外的贫困病家。

Their road to this detached cottage was down Vicarage Lane, a lane leading at right angles from the broad, though irregular, main street of the place; —
他们到这座独立小屋的路途沿着牧师巷，这条巷子是从这个地方宽阔但不规则的主要街道上直角延伸出去的； —

and, as may be inferred, containing the blessed abode of Mr. Elton. A few inferior dwellings were first to be passed, and then, about a quarter of a mile down the lane rose the Vicarage, an old and not very good house, almost as close to the road as it could be. —
可以推断，这里就是艾尔顿先生的祝福住所。首先要经过一些较次的住宅，然后在巷子往下走约四分之一英里处就是那座牧师宅邸，一个古老而不太好的房子，几乎就在路边。 —

It had no advantage of situation; but had been very much smartened up by the present proprietor; —
它并没有什么得天独厚的位置；但现任业主精心装饰了它； —

and, such as it was, there could be no possibility of the two friends passing it without a slackened pace and observing eyes. —
而且，无论形式如何，两位朋友都不可能毫不放慢脚步和目不转睛地路过它。 —

• Emma’s remark was -
  爱玛说：
  

`There it is. There go you and your riddle-book one of these days.’ - Harriet’s was -
‘那就是它。总有一天你拿着谜语书去那里。’哈丽特说：

`Oh, what a sweet house! - How very beautiful! —
‘哦，多么可爱的房子！多么漂亮啊！ —

• There are the yellow curtains that Miss Nash admires so much.’
  ‘那里有纳什小姐那么喜欢的黄色窗帘。’
  

I do not often walk this way now,' said Emma, as they proceeded,but then there will be an inducement, and I shall gradually get intimately acquainted with all the hedges, gates, pools and pollards of this part of Highbury.’
‘我现在并不经常沿着这条路走，’他们继续前行时爱玛说，

Harriet, she found, had never in her life been within side the Vicarage, and her curiosity to see it was so extreme, that, considering exteriors and probabilities, Emma could only class it, as a proof of love, with Mr. Elton’s seeing ready wit in her.
‘但现在会有诱因了，我会逐渐熟悉海伯里这一带的所有丛篱、大门、水潭和乔木’。

I wish we could contrive it,' said she;but I cannot think of any tolerable pretence for going in; —
她发现哈丽特从未进过牧师宅邸的内部，她的好奇心极度，以至于，在外表和可能性方面，爱玛只能将其归类为一种爱的证明，和艾尔顿先生在她身上看到的机智相类似。 —

• no servant that I want to inquire about of his housekeeper - no message from my father.’
  ‘我希望我们能想出一个借口，’她说；‘但我想不出任何可以去那儿的容忍的借口；
  

She pondered, but could think of nothing. —
‘没有什么仆人我需要向他的管家打听的—也没有我父亲的消息。’她思索着，但想不到任何借口。 —

After a mutual silence of some minutes, Harriet thus began again -
在一段相互沉默的几分钟后，哈丽特重新开始说话 -

I do so wonder, Miss Woodhouse, that you should not be married, or going to be married! --- <span><tang1>伍德豪斯小姐，我很好奇您为什么还没有结婚，或者准备结婚！ —

so charming as you are!’ -
您这么迷人！’ -

Emma laughed, and replied,
艾玛笑着回答，

My being charming, Harriet, is not quite enough to induce me to marry; --- <span><tang1>哈丽特，我的迷人并不足以让我结婚； —

I must find other people charming - one other person at least. —
我必须觉得其他人也迷人 - 至少还有一个人。 —

And I am not only, not going to be married, at present, but have very little intention of ever marrying at all.’
我不仅目前并不准备结婚，而且实际上并没有什么结婚的打算。’

Ah! - so you say; but I cannot believe it.' <span><tang1>啊！- 你这么说；但我不相信。’

I must see somebody very superior to any one I have seen yet, to be tempted; --- <span><tang1>我必须看到比我见过的任何人都要优秀得多才会受到诱惑； —

Mr. Elton, you know, (recollecting herself,) is out of the question: —
埃尔顿先生，你知道的，(她回忆起来,) 是不可能的： —

and I do not wish to see any such person. I would rather not be tempted. —
而且我也不希望见到这样的人。我宁愿不受诱惑。 —

I cannot really change for the better. If I were to marry, I must expect to repent it.’
我真的改不了，如果我结婚了，我必须准备后悔。’

Dear me! - it is so odd to hear a woman talk so!' - <span><tang1>天啊！- 听到一个女人说这样的话真是太奇怪了！’ -

I have none of the usual inducements of women to marry. --- <span><tang1>我没有女人通常结婚的诱因。 —

Were I to fall in love, indeed, it would be a different thing! but I never have been in love; —
如果我真的爱上了，那就是另一回事了！但我从来没爱过； —

it is not my way, or my nature; and I do not think I ever shall. —
这不是我的方式，也不是我的本性; 我不认为我会改变这样的情况。 —

And, without love, I am sure I should be a fool to change such a situation as mine. —
没有爱，我肯定会是个愚蠢的人，去改变我目前的处境。 —

Fortune I do not want; employment I do not want; consequence I do not want: —
我不想要财富; 我不想要工作; 我也不想要地位: —

I believe few married women are half as much mistress of their husband’s house as I am of Hartfield; and never, never could I expect to be so truly beloved and important; —
我相信很少有已婚妇女能像我一样掌控哈特菲尔德的家; 我永远也不会期望被如此真心爱着和重要; —

so always first and always right in any man’s eyes as I am in my father’s.’
总是第一位，总是正确的，在任何男人眼中，我都像在我父亲眼里一样。

But then, to be an old maid at last, like Miss Bates!' <span><tang1>但是，最后变成老处女，像贝茨小姐那样!’

That is as formidable an image as you could present, Harriet; --- <span><tang1>这是一个多么可怕的形象，哈丽特; —

and if I thought I should ever be like Miss Bates! —
如果我认为我会变成像贝茨小姐那样! —

so silly - so satisfied - so smiling - so prosing - so undistinguishing and unfastidious - and so apt to tell every thing relative to every body about me, I would marry to-morrow. —
如此愚蠢 - 如此满足 - 如此微笑 - 如此唠叨 - 如此不明智和不讲究 - 如此爱唠叨和倾向于把关于我周围每个人的每件事告诉出来，那我明天就会结婚。 —

But between us, I am convinced there never can be any likeness, except in being unmarried.’
但我确信我们之间绝不可能有任何相似之处，除了都是未婚的这一点。

But still, you will be an old maid! and that's so dreadful!' <span><tang1>但是，你最终会成为一个老处女! 那太可怕了!’

Never mind, Harriet, I shall not be a poor old maid; --- <span><tang1>不要紧，哈丽特，我不会成为一个可怜的老处女; —

and it is poverty only which makes celibacy contemptible to a generous public! —
而且，贫穷才使独身鄙视于慷慨的公众! —

A single woman, with a very narrow income, must be a ridiculous, disagreeable old maid! —
一个收入非常微薄的单身女人，必定是一个荒谬的、讨厌的老处女! —

the proper sport of boys and girls, but a single woman, of good fortune, is always respectable, and may be as sensible and pleasant as any body else. —
对男孩和女孩来说是适当的玩物，但一个有好运气的单身女人总是值得尊敬的，也可以像任何其他人一样明智和愉快。 —

And the distinction is not quite so much against the candour and common sense of the world as appears at first; —
而这种区别与世界的坦率和常识并不像一开始看起来那样明显； —

for a very narrow income has a tendency to contract the mind, and sour the temper. —
因为收入很少往往会束缚心智，酸化脾气。 —

Those who can barely live, and who live perforce in a very small, and generally very inferior, society, may well be illiberal and cross. —
那些勉强维持生计，并且常常生活在一个很小、一般很低劣的社会中的人，很可能会成为心胸狭隘、脾气暴躁的人。 —

This does not apply, however, to Miss Bates; she is only too good natured and too silly to suit me; —
然而，这并不适用于贝茨小姐；她太心地善良，太愚蠢，不符合我的口味； —

but, in general, she is very much to the taste of every body, though single and though poor. —
但是，一般来说，她很受到大家的喜爱，尽管她是单身并且贫困。 —

Poverty certainly has not contracted her mind: —
贫穷确实没有使她的心胸狭窄； —

I really believe, if she had only a shilling in the world, she would be very likely to give away sixpence of it; —
我真的相信，如果她世上只有一先令，她很可能会舍得捐出六便士； —

and nobody is afraid of her: that is a great charm.’
而且没有人害怕她；这是一个很大的魅力。

`Dear me! but what shall you do? how shall you employ yourself when you grow old?’
“天啊！但你将要怎么办呢？年老后你将如何安排自己？”

`If I know myself, Harriet, mine is an active, busy mind, with a great many independent resources; —
“如果我了解自己的话，哈里埃特，我的思维是活跃的，充满很多独立资源； —

and I do not perceive why I should be more in want of employment at forty or fifty than one-and-twenty. —
我并不认为在四十或五十岁时，我会比二十一岁时更需要工作。 —

Woman’s usual occupations of hand and mind will be as open to me then as they are now; —
妇女通常的手和脑的职业在那时对我来说像现在一样是开放的； —

or with no important variation. If I draw less, I shall read more; —
或没有重要的变化。如果我画得少了，我会读得更多； —

if I give up music, I shall take to carpet-work. —
如果我放弃音乐，我会从事地毯工作。 —

And as for objects of interest, objects for the affections, which is in truth the great point of inferiority, the want of which is really the great evil to be avoided in not marrying, I shall be very well off, with all the children of a sister I love so much, to care about. —
至于吸引兴趣的对象，吸引感情的对象，这实际上是低下地位的主要短板，真正需要避免的大弊病就是因为没有结婚而缺少这一点，我会很好，因为有我如此喜爱的姐姐的孩子们。”. —

There will be enough of them, in all probability, to supply every sort of sensation that declining life can need. —
很可能会有足够的人来满足老年生活所需的各种感觉。 —

There will be enough for every hope and every fear; —
每一个希望和恐惧都会有足够的事物； —

and though my attachment to none can equal that of a parent, it suits my ideas of comfort better than what is warmer and blinder. —
尽管我对他们中的任何一个的依恋都无法与父母相比，但我更喜欢这种比更热烈、更盲目的亲密感。 —

My nephews and nieces! - I shall often have a niece with me.’
我的侄子和侄女们！- 我经常会有一个侄女在我身边。

Do you know Miss Bates's niece? That is, I know you must have seen her a hundred times - but are you acquainted?' <span><tang1>你认识贝茨小姐的侄女吗？也就是说，我知道你一定见过她很多次 - 但你认识她吗？’

Oh! yes; we are always forced to be acquainted whenever she comes to Highbury. --- <span><tang1>噢！是的；每当她来海伯里，我们都被迫认识彼此。 —

By the bye, that is almost enough to put one out of conceit with a niece. Heaven forbid! —
顺便说一句，这几乎足以让人对侄女失去兴趣。愿天佑！ —

at least, that I should ever bore people half so much about all the Knightleys together, as she does about Jane Fairfax. —
至少，我希望我永远不要用骚扰别人来形容像她一样像杰恩·费尔法克斯那样的人。 —

One is sick of the very name of Jane Fairfax. Every letter from her is read forty times over; —
已经厌烦了简·费尔法克斯这个名字。她的每一封信都被反复阅读四十次； —

her compliments to all friends go round and round again; —
她对所有朋友的问候又一个接一个地传开； —

and if she does but send her aunt the pattern of a stomacher, or knit a pair of garters for her grandmother, one hears of nothing else for a month. —
如果她只是给她阿姨寄一副胸衣的图样，或者给她祖母织一双袜子，一个月内别的都听不到了。 —

I wish Jane Fairfax very well; but she tires me to death.’
我很希望简·费尔法克斯一切顺利；但她把我累死了。

They were now approaching the cottage, and all idle topics were superseded. —
他们现在正走近小屋，所有的闲聊话题都不再重要。 —

Emma was very compassionate; and the distresses of the poor were as sure of relief from her personal attention and kindness, her counsel and her patience, as from her purse. —
爱玛非常有同情心；穷人的困难可以得到她亲自关心和善良、她的忠告和她的耐心，以及她的钱包，同样能获得救济。 —

She understood their ways, could allow for their ignorance and their temptations, had no romantic expectations of extraordinary virtue from those for whom education had done so little; —
她了解他们的方式，可以理解他们的无知和引诱，对那些受教育甚少的人并没有对他们期望的超凡品德； —

entered into their troubles with ready sympathy, and always gave her assistance with as much intelligence as good-will. —
她总是怀着热情的同情心走进别人的困境，并总是用自己的才智和善意给予帮助。 —

In the present instance, it was sickness and poverty together which she came to visit; —
在这种情况下，她来探望的是疾病和贫困的双重困难； —

and after remaining there as long as she could give comfort or advice, she quitted the cottage with such an impression of the scene as made her say to Harriet, as they walked away,
在那里停留尽可能长的时间给予安慰或建议之后，她与哈里埃特一起离开了小屋，心中留下一种深刻的感受，使她对哈里埃特说道，

`These are the sights, Harriet, to do one good. How trifling they make every thing else appear! —
“这些景象真能让人心生慈悲。它们使一切其他事情显得微不足道！ —

• I feel now as if I could think of nothing but these poor creatures all the rest of the day; —
  - 我现在觉得自己好像整天只能想着这些可怜的人； —
  

and yet, who can say how soon it may all vanish from my mind?’
但是，谁能说这种印象会多快地从我的脑海中消失呢？”

Very true,' said Harriet.Poor creatures! one can think of nothing else.’
“太对了。” 哈里埃特说道， “可怜的人！人们只会想着他们。”

`And really, I do not think the impression will soon be over,’ said Emma, as she crossed the low hedge, and tottering footstep which ended the narrow, slippery path through the cottage garden, and brought them into the lane again. —
“而且，我觉得这种印象不会很快消失，” 穿过低矮的栅栏，踉踉跄跄地穿过小屋花园中狭窄而滑溜的小路，把她们带回到小巷。 —

`I do not think it will,’ stopping to look once more at all the outward wretchedness of the place, and recall the still greater within.
“我是不觉得会的，” 停下脚步再次看着这个地方外表的悲惨，想起里面更大的苦难。

`Oh! dear, no,’ said her companion.
“哦，亲爱的，不会的。” 她的同伴说。

They walked on. The lane made a slight bend; —
他们继续走着。小巷有一个轻微的拐弯； —

and when that bend was passed, Mr. Elton was immediately in sight; —
当拐过那个弯的时候，埃尔顿先生就立刻出现了； —

and so near as to give Emma time only to say farther,
以至于艾玛只来得及对哈里埃特说道，

`Ah! Harriet, here comes a very sudden trial of our stability in good thoughts. —
“啊！哈里埃特，我们的善念可要来个突如其来的考验了。 —

Well, (smiling,) I hope it may be allowed that if compassion has produced exertion and relief to the sufferers, it has done all that is truly important. —
好吧，（微笑着），我希望人们会认为，如果同情心带来了努力和帮助受苦人的结果，那就已经做到了真正重要的事情。” —

If we feel for the wretched, enough to do all we can for them, the rest is empty sympathy, only distressing to ourselves.’
如果我们对可怜人感到同情，足以尽其所能帮助他们，那么其余的只是空洞的同情，只会让我们自己感到痛苦。

Harriet could just answer, `Oh! dear, yes,’ before the gentleman joined them. —
Harriet只能回答：“噢！亲爱的，是的”，这时那位绅士加入了他们。 —

The wants and sufferings of the poor family, however, were the first subject on meeting. —
但讨论在见面时第一个讨论的是贫困家庭的需求和苦难。 —

He had been going to call on them. His visit he would now defer; —
他原本打算去拜访他们。现在他会推迟他的访问； —

but they had a very interesting parley about what could be done and should be done. —
但他们就能做些什么以及应该做些什么进行了一场非常有趣的讨论。 —

Mr. Elton then turned back to accompany them.
然后埃尔顿先生回头跟着他们。

`To fall in with each other on such an errand as this,’ thought Emma; —
“在这样一个慈善活动中相遇，”艾玛心想； —

`to meet in a charitable scheme; this will bring a great increase of love on each side. —
“在一个慈善计划中见面；这将增加彼此之间的爱。 —

I should not wonder if it were to bring on the declaration. —
我不会奇怪如果这会引发表白。 —

It must, if I were not here. I wish I were anywhere else.’
如果我不在这里的话。我真希望我能在任何其他地方。”

Anxious to separate herself from them as far as she could, she soon afterwards took possession of a narrow footpath, a little raised on one side of the lane, leaving them together in the main road. —
渴望尽量把自己与他们分开，她不久之后立即占据了一条狭窄的小径，这条小径在车道一侧略微高起，留下他们在大路上一起。 —

But she had not been there two minutes when she found that Harriet’s habits of dependence and imitation were bringing her up too, and that, in short, they would both be soon after her. —
但她没有在那里待两分钟，就发现Harriet的依赖和模仿习惯也在使她走近，换句话说，他们很快就会追上她。 —

This would not do; she immediately stopped, under pretence of having some alteration to make in the lacing of her half-boot, and stooping down in complete occupation of the footpath, begged them to have the goodness to walk on, and she would follow in half a minute. —
这样做行不通；她立即停下脚步，借口要调整一下半靴的系带，弯下腰完全在小径上忙碌，请求他们好心继续走，她一会儿就会跟上。 —

They did as they were desired; and by the time she judged it reasonable to have done with her boot, she had the comfort of farther delay in her power, being overtaken by a child from the cottage, setting out, according to orders, with her pitcher, to fetch broth from Hartfield. —
他们如同所要求的那样；当她认为应该完成搭扣时，她又有了更多的延迟的舒适感，一个小女孩从小屋走过来，按照命令提着水罐去哈特菲尔德取汤。 —

To walk by the side of this child, and talk to and question her, was the most natural thing in the world, or would have been the most natural, had she been acting just then without design; —
与这个小孩并肩走着，并与她交谈和询问，是再自然不过的事情，如果那时她没有特意设计的话； —

and by this means the others were still able to keep ahead, without any obligation of waiting for her. —
通过这种方式，其他人仍然能够保持领先，没有必须等待她的义务。 —

She gained on them, however, involuntarily: the child’s pace was quick, and theirs rather slow; —
然而，她不知不觉地赶上了他们：孩子的步伐很快，他们的步伐相对较慢； —

and she was the more concerned at it, from their being evidently in a conversation which interested them. —
她更担心的是他们显然在进行一场让他们感兴趣的对话。 —

Mr. Elton was speaking with animation, Harriet listening with a very pleased attention; —
埃尔顿先生兴致勃勃地说着，哈里特则专心聆听着； —

and Emma, having sent the child on, was beginning to think how she might draw back a little more, when they both looked around, and she was obliged to join them.
艾玛让孩子走开后，正想着怎样可以稍微退后一些，但他们俩同时转过头来，她只好加入他们。

Mr. Elton was still talking, still engaged in some interesting detail; —
埃尔顿先生仍在讲着，仍在讲述一些有趣的细节； —

and Emma experienced some disappointment when she found that he was only giving his fair companion an account of the yesterday’s party at his friend Cole’s, and that she was come in herself for the Stilton cheese, the north Wiltshire, the butter, the cellery, the beet-root, and all the dessert.
艾玛有点失望，当她发现他只是在向他的美女伴侣讲述昨天在他朋友科尔家的聚会，而她本人是为了斯蒂尔顿奶酪、北威尔特郡奶酪、黄油、芹菜、甜菜和所有的甜点而来的。

`This would soon have led to something better, of course,’ was her consoling reflection; —
“当然，这很快就会引发更好的事情，”她安慰自己地想到； —

`any thing interests between those who love; —
“任何事情都会引起相爱的人之间的兴趣； —

and any thing will serve as introduction to what is near the heart. —
任何事情都会成为通往内心的开端。 —

If I could but have kept longer away!’
要是我能再多待一会儿就好了！”

They now walked on together quietly, till within view of the vicarage pales, when a sudden resolution, of at least getting Harriet into the house, made her again find something very much amiss about her boot, and fall behind to arrange it once more. —
他们静静地一起走着，直到眼前出现了牧师住宅的围墙，这时她突然下定决心，至少要把哈丽特带进屋子里，于是又发现了自己鞋子上的问题，重新落在后头整理。 —

She then broke the lace off short, and dexterously throwing it into a ditch, was presently obliged to entreat them to stop, and acknowledged her inability to put herself to rights so as to be able to walk home in tolerable comfort.
她随后将鞋带剪掉，灵巧地扔进沟里，马上就不得不请求他们停下来，承认自己无法使自己整理得足以走回家让自己感到舒服。