《傲慢與偏見》第二章：母女們喜出望外．．．

Chapter 2

Mr. Bennet was among the earliest of those who waited on Mr. Bingley. He had always intended to visit him, though to the last always assuring his wife that he should not go; and till the evening after the visit was paid, she had no knowledge of it. It was then disclosed in the following manner. Observing his second daughter employed in trimming a hat, he suddenly addressed her with,

其實，賓奈特先生是最早去造訪彬禮先生的人之一。他本來就就打算著要去看他，可是直到最後一刻還是跟妻子說絕對不去。甚至到了去過之後當天晚間，賓奈特太太依然毫不知情。然後消息才以下面這個方式透露出來：

看著二女兒在修飾一頂帽子，賓奈特先生忽然對她說：

"I hope Mr. Bingley will like it, Lizzy."
"We are not in a way to know what Mr. Bingley likes," said her mother resentfully, "since we are not to visit."
"But you forget, mama," said Elizabeth, "that we shall meet him at the assemblies, and that Mrs. Long has promised to introduce him."

「我希望彬禮先生會欣賞這帽子，莉莎。」
「我們那能知道彬禮欣賞什麼啊，」她母親憤憤地說：「反正我們又不會去看他。」
「可是妳忘了，媽媽，」伊莉莎白說：「我們會在晚會上見到他呀，而且郎太太答應了，要介紹他給我們呢。」

"I do not believe Mrs. Long will do any such thing. She has two nieces of her own. She is a selfish, hypocritical woman, and I have no opinion of her."
"No more have I," said Mr. Bennet; "and I am glad to find that you do not depend on her serving you."

「我才不信郎太太會這麼做呢。她自家就有兩姪女。 這女人又自私又虛偽，我對她，可沒什麼好感。」
「我也是呢，」賓奈特先生說：「而且我真欣慰，原來你並不靠她出力。」

Mrs. Bennet deigned not to make any reply; but unable to contain herself, began scolding one of her daughters. "Don't keep coughing so, Kitty, for heaven's sake! Have a little compassion on my nerves. You tear them to pieces."

賓奈特太太懶得答腔，可又按捺不住，於是開始嘀咕她另一個女兒：「別老是這樣咳，凱蒂，幫幫忙！可憐可憐我的神經吧，都被妳給撕裂了。」

"Kitty has no discretion in her coughs," said her father; "she times them ill."
"I do not cough for my own amusement," replied Kitty fretfully.
"When is your next ball to be, Lizzy?"
"To-morrow fortnight."

「凱蒂這咳嗽，真是不識大體，」她父親說：「時辰選得太差。」
「我又不是為了自己好玩在咳，」凱蒂委屈地說。
「妳下次舞會是什麼時候，莉莎？」
「下下禮拜的明天。」

"Aye, so it is," cried her mother, "and Mrs. Long does not come back till the day before; so it will be impossible for her to introduce him, for she will not know him herself."
"Then, my dear, you may have the advantage of your friend, and introduce Mr. Bingley to her."
"Impossible, Mr. Bennet, impossible, when I am not acquainted with him myself; how can you be so teazing?"

「啊，下下禮拜啊，」她母親叫了起來：「郎太太卻要到前一天才會回來；所以她根本不可能出面介紹了，她自己都還來不及認識他呢。」
「這麼說，我親愛的，那妳可比妳朋友占優勢了，可以反過來把彬禮先生介紹給她呢。」
「怎麼可能，賓大老爺，不可能，我自己都還不認識他； 你怎麼可以這樣取笑人？」

"I honour your circumspection. A fortnight's acquaintance is certainly very little. One cannot know what a man really is by the end of a fortnight. But if we do not venture, somebody else will; and after all, Mrs. Long and her nieces must stand their chance; and therefore, as she will think it an act of kindness, if you decline the office, I will take it on myself."

「我真敬佩妳行事這麼審慎。才認識兩個禮拜，當然是非常不夠。區區兩禮拜，那能讓人真正知道一個人呢。可是就算我們不肯冒這種風險，別人卻可能肯呢；而且說起來，總得讓郎太太和她姪女試試運氣吧；所以她一定會覺得妳是好意──要是妳不肯效勞，我就自告奮勇吧。」

The girls stared at their father. Mrs. Bennet said only, "Nonsense, nonsense!"
"What can be the meaning of that emphatic exclamation?" cried he. "Do you consider the forms of introduction, and the stress that is laid on them, as nonsense? I cannot quite agree with you there. What say you, Mary? for you are a young lady of deep reflection I know, and read great books, and make extracts."

女孩子睜大眼瞪看她們父親。賓奈特太太只說：「無聊！荒唐！」
「這麼用力強調，請問是何用意？」 他拉高聲調：「難道妳認為介紹這種形式，而且如此鄭重其事地介紹，都只是荒唐無聊？這我可不大苟同。妳怎麼說，瑪麗？我知道妳可是位見解深刻的年輕女士；而且還飽讀詩書，又能引經據典。」

Mary wished to say something very sensible, but knew not how.
"While Mary is adjusting her ideas," he continued, "let us return to Mr. Bingley."
"I am sick of Mr. Bingley," cried his wife.

瑪麗很想開口說兩句有學問的話，卻說不出來。
「趁瑪麗還在整理她的思緒，」他繼續表示：「讓我們再回到彬禮先生。」
「我再聽什麼彬禮先生就犯噁心，」他妻子叫了起來。

"I am sorry to hear that; but why did not you tell me so before? If I had known as much this morning, I certainly would not have called on him. It is very unlucky; but as I have actually paid the visit, we cannot escape the acquaintance now."

「聽妳這麼說，我還真遺憾；可妳早先怎麼不告訴我？要是我今早就知道，哪還會去拜訪他呢。真是太糟糕了，可既然見也見了，大家就相識了，現在是躲不掉了。」

The astonishment of the ladies was just what he wished; that of Mrs. Bennet perhaps surpassing the rest; though when the first tumult of joy was over, she began to declare that it was what she had expected all the while.

太太小姐們的驚愕，正是他所希望的反應；賓奈特太太的反應恐怕尤在眾人之上，雖然一開始的欣喜騷動過去之後，她卻又開口聲明其實自己原先就一直這樣預期。

"How good it was in you, my dear Mr. Bennet! But I knew I should persuade you at last. I was sure you loved our girls too well to neglect such an acquaintance. Well, how pleased I am! and it is such a good joke, too, that you should have gone this morning, and never said a word about it till now."

「你心地真好，我親愛的老爺啊！可是我早就曉得一定可以說得動你。我就知道，你這麼疼我們的女兒，怎麼可能放這樣一個人不去認識。啊，我實在太高興了！這玩笑太妙了，你竟然今天早上都已經去過，卻一直到現在都沒透露半個字。」

"Now, Kitty, you may cough as much as you chuse," said Mr. Bennet; and, as he spoke, he left the room, fatigued with the raptures of his wife.

「好了，凱蒂，妳現在可以儘情咳了，」賓奈特先生邊說，邊走出房間，被他妻子那份欣喜若狂的德性弄得精疲力竭。

"What an excellent father you have, girls," said she, when the door was shut. "I do not know how you will ever make him amends for his kindness; or me either, for that matter. At our time of life, it is not so pleasant I can tell you, to be making new acquaintance every day; but for your sakes, we would do any thing. Lydia, my love, though you are the youngest, I dare say Mr. Bingley will dance with you at the next ball."

「妳們有個多棒的爹啊，女兒啊，」門一關上，她便說：「我真不知道妳們該怎樣報答他才好；說起來，也怎麼報答我呢。我可以告訴妳們，到我們這個年紀，每天還去新結識什麼人可不是什麼有意思的事；但是為了妳們，我們什麼都肯。莉狄亞我的寶貝，雖然妳年紀最小，我敢說，下次舞會上彬禮先生一定會邀妳的舞呢。」

"Oh!" said Lydia stoutly, "I am not afraid; for though I am the youngest, I'm the tallest."
The rest of the evening was spent in conjecturing how soon he would return Mr. Bennet's visit, and determining when they should ask him to dinner.

「哦！」莉狄亞非常肯定地答道：「我才不怕；雖然我最小，可個子最高呢。」
於是餘下的整個晚上，便用在揣測彬禮先生多快會來回拜，並商定何時可以邀他前來晚餐了。

文化小補帖
修飾帽子： 當時仕女時尚講究戴帽，帽上堆飾花鳥蟲魚，每季有每季的流行，有錢人家年年買新帽，不特別有錢的有時就只能自己重新修飾過季舊帽。賓家屬中等之家，稍有資產，也如當時一般鄉紳之家用得起幫手，但畢竟女兒眾多，不是那麼寬裕，伊莉莎白修飾帽子一節便暗示此中背景。身份、階級、財富的差異，正是本書情節發展與人物心態的關鍵因素。賓母的愛財、彬禮姐妹的勢利、伊莉莎白的偏見、達西的傲慢，俱都由此中而來。