《傲慢與偏見》第一章

奧斯汀膾炙人口的名作《傲慢與偏見》，中譯不知凡幾，卻始終漏略刪減，未見全譯。丁丁也來嘗試一下，務求得窺中英對照全貌，次方及於辭順文美。

Chapter 1

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.

有件事實，舉世皆知：單身漢而多金，必定缺個老婆。

初來乍到，儘管他本人的態度、想法，大家都所知有限，這項事實在四鄰人家心裡卻已如此根深蒂固，不免便把他視為自家某個女兒的當然資產。

"My dear Mr. Bennet," said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?"
Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.
"But it is," returned she; "for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it."
Mr. Bennet made no answer.
"Do not you want to know who has taken it?" cried his wife impatiently.
"You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it."
This was invitation enough.

「我親愛的賓老爺，」有一天他家太座對他說：「你可聽說低地園終於租出去了嗎？」
賓奈特先生應道他沒聽說。
「確是租出去了，」她回道：「郎太太才來過，她都告訴我了。」
賓奈特先生沒接腔。
「你不想知道誰租去了嗎？」他妻子不耐地拉高嗓門。
「妳想告訴我，我也不介意聽。」
這請說的意味就很充分了。

"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."

「嗐真是的，我親愛的，你非聽聽這個不可。郎太太說，低地園是給位年輕人租去了，非常富有，英格蘭北邊來的；又說他這禮拜一才下來看過，坐著輛四馬二輪車，看了非常中意，馬上就和莫瑞斯先生談妥了。郎太太還說他米迦勒節前就要住進去，他家一些夥計下禮拜底前就會先進來了。」

"What is his name?"
"Bingley."
"Is he married or single?"
"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!"
"How so? how can it affect them?"
"My dear Mr. Bennet," replied his wife, "how can you be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them."
"Is that his design in settling here?"
"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."
"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."

「他叫什麼名字？」
「彬禮。」
「已婚還是單身？」
「噢！單身，我親愛的，可不是嗎！單身漢，又富有，一年四五千鎊。多好的事啊，對我們女兒來說！」
「怎麼呢？這干她們什麼事？」
「我親愛的賓老爺，」他妻子答道：「你怎能這麼不通氣！你一定知道，我是在想著他娶她們當中哪一個啊。」
「他搬到這兒住下，就是為這打算？」
「打算！胡說，你怎能這樣說話！不過很可能，他也許會愛上她們哪一個啊，所以他一到，你得立刻去拜訪他不可。」
「我看沒這必要罷。妳和女兒可以去，或者，妳不如就讓她們自己去，說不定還更好些，因為，妳長得這麼俊，不輸她們任可一個，說不定這當中，彬禮先生還會最喜歡妳呢。」

"My dear, you flatter 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."
"In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of."
"But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the neighbourhood."
"It is more than I engage for, I assure you."
"But consider your daughters. Only think what an establishment it would be for one of them. Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined to go, merely on that account, for in general, you know they visit no new comers. Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for us to visit him, if you do not."

「我親愛的，你可真讓我開心。我當然也有過我那份美，但現在就不必再自以為還有什麼了不得了。一個女人有五個女兒都長大了，不能再把心思放在自家的美貌上頭。」
「這種情況下，通常那女人也沒啥美貌可去想了。」
「可是我親愛的，一等他搬進我們這區，你一定得去拜望彬禮先生。」
「這實在超出我能效勞的呢，真的。」
「可是替你女兒著想一下。只要想想，她們當中一個會何等風光啊。路卡斯爵士爺夫婦都打定主意要去了，不就是只為這個嗎，你也知道他們通常都不去拜望新鄰居的。你非去不可，你要不去，我們根本沒法子去看他。」

"You are over-scrupulous, surely. I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you; and I will send a few lines by you to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying which ever he chuses of the girls; though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy."
"I desire you will do no such thing. Lizzy is not a bit better than the others; and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane, nor half so good humoured as Lydia. But you are always giving her the preference."
"They have none of them much to recommend them," replied he; "they are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters."
"Mr. Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such way? You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion on my poor nerves."
"You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least."

「妳太過於拘禮了，真的。我敢說彬禮先生會很高興見妳；我還會請妳帶兩句話給他，叫他放心，我很樂意讓他娶我女兒，看上哪一個都成。雖然我得替我的小莉莎多美言兩句。」
「我拜託你千萬別做這種事。莉莎又不比其他幾個好上半點。我敢說，論模樣沒有珍一半俊，論脾氣也不及莉狄亞一半好。可你總偏她。」
「她們那幾個，實在沒什麼可誇的，」他回道：「全是些沒見識的蠢丫頭，就跟其他女孩兒一樣；可是莉莎卻比她姊姊妹妹都敏慧些。」
「賓大老爺，你怎麼能這樣糟蹋自己的孩子？你就喜歡惹我難受。一點兒也不同情我可憐的神經。」
「妳可誤會我了，我親愛的。我對妳的神經擁有高度敬意。它們是我老朋友了。我都是帶著關心體諒來聽妳提起貴神經，至少有這廿年了。」

"Ah! you do not know what I suffer."
"But I hope you will get over it, and live to see many young men of four thousand a year come into the neighbourhood."
"It will be no use to us if twenty such should come, since you will not visit them."
"Depend upon it, my dear, that when there are twenty I will visit them all."

「嗐！你根本不知道我的苦。」
「可是我希望妳能苦盡甘來，活著見到許多一年四千鎊的年輕人住到我們這兒來。」
「就算有廿個這樣的人來，對我們也沒有用，反正你又不去看他們。」
「一等有廿個這樣的來，我親愛的，我會上門去把他們全部看遍。」

Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Her mind was less difficult to develop. She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented, she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.

賓奈特先生的性子就是這樣古怪的組合：機敏、辛辣、含蓄、多變，相處了廿三個年頭，還是不足以令其妻看透他的性情。她的心智可沒這麼難揣模。這女人心眼淺，見識窄，情緒又不穩定。一有什麼不痛快，就幻想自己神經衰弱。她的人生大事，就是把女兒都嫁出去；她的人生慰藉，就是走訪四鄰，打探消息。

文化小補帖

為什麼 Sir William and Lady Lucas 要譯成路卡斯爵士爺夫婦？

這位爵爺全名是 William Lucas，威廉其名，路卡斯其姓。英國爵位系統，貴族品秩分 duke、marquis、earl、viscount、baron（公侯伯子男），此五級均尊稱「Lord」。至於低階榮銜 Baronet、Knight（從男爵或准男爵，爵士），專以封賜有貢獻或有成就的平民，只屬本人終身銜，不世襲，非屬正式貴族（Peer）之列，如名演員史恩康納萊，推理女王克莉絲蒂即是，則敬呼「Sir」（男）、「Dame」（女）。所以這位路卡斯爵爺是個「非貴族」的小爵士，地位比一般仕紳鄉紳又高一些。稱呼有爵有銜者，爵銜或榮銜後接其名，所以是 Sir William，其妻則稱 Lady，後接夫姓，所以是 Lady Lucas。

誰是賓奈特小姐？

一般人家女兒稱謂，未嫁之長以姓，如賓家長女珍為賓奈特小姐，老二老三以後各以其名稱之，如伊莉莎白小姐（莉莎為其暱稱）、莉狄亞小姐。珍出嫁後，成為某太太某夫人，就輪到次長之未嫁女接收賓奈特小姐之銜了。