【經(jīng)典名著閱讀】《傲慢與偏見》第二十九章
作者:Jane Austen
2011-06-12 10:00
From the entrance hall, of which Mr. Collins pointed out, with a rapturous air, the fine proportion and finished ornaments, they followed the servants through an ante-chamber, to the room where Lady Catherine, her daughter, and Mrs. Jenkinson were sitting. -- Her ladyship, with great condescension, arose to receive them; and as Mrs. Collins had settled it with her husband that the office of introduction should be her's, it was performed in a proper manner, without any of those apologies and thanks which he would have thought necessary.
進(jìn)了穿堂,柯林斯先生就帶著一副喜極欲狂的神氣,指出這屋子的堂皇富麗,然后由傭人們帶著客人走過前廳,來到咖苔琳夫人母女和姜金生太太的起坐間。夫人極其謙和地站起身來迎接他們。根據(jù)柯林斯太太事先跟她丈夫商量好的辦法,當(dāng)場由太太出面替賓主介紹,因此介紹得很得體,凡是柯林斯先生認(rèn)為必不可少的那些道歉和感激的話,都一概免了。
In spite of having been at St. James's, Sir William was so completely awed by the grandeur surrounding him, that he had but just courage enough to make a very low bow, and take his seat without saying a word; and his daughter, frightened almost out of her senses, sat on the edge of her chair, not knowing which way to look. Elizabeth found herself quite equal to the scene, and could observe the three ladies before her composedly. -- Lady Catherine was a tall, large woman, with strongly-marked features, which might once have been handsome. Her air was not conciliating, nor was her manner of receiving them such as to make her visitors forget their inferior rank. She was not rendered formidable by silence; but whatever she said was spoken in so authoritative a tone as marked her self-importance, and brought Mr. Wickham immediately to Elizabeth's mind; and from the observation of the day altogether, she believed Lady Catherine to be exactly what he had represented.
威廉爵士雖說當(dāng)年也曾進(jìn)宮覲見過皇上,可是看到四周圍這般的富貴氣派,也不禁完全給嚇住了,只得彎腰一躬,一聲不響,坐了下來;再說他的女兒,簡直嚇得喪魂失魄一般,兀自坐在椅子邊上,眼睛也不知道往哪里看才好。伊麗莎白倒是完全安然自若,而且從容不迫地細(xì)細(xì)瞧著那三位女主人??α辗蛉耸俏桓叽蟮膵D人,五官清楚,也許年輕時很好看。她的樣子并不十分客氣,接待賓客的態(tài)度也不能使賓客忘卻自己身份的低微。她嚇人的地方倒不是默不作聲,而是她出言吐語時聲調(diào)總是那么高高在上,自命不凡,這叫伊麗莎白立刻想起了韋翰先生的話。經(jīng)過這一整天的察言觀色之后,她覺得咖苔琳夫人的為人,果然和韋翰所形容的完全一樣。
When, after examining the mother, in whose countenance and deportment she soon found some resemblance of Mr. Darcy, she turned her eyes on the daughter, she could almost have joined in Maria's astonishment at her being so thin, and so small. There was neither in figure nor face any likeness between the ladies. Miss De Bourgh was pale and sickly; her features, though not plain, were insignificant; and she spoke very little, except in a low voice to Mrs. Jenkinson, in whose appearance there was nothing remarkable, and who was entirely engaged in listening to what she said, and placing a screen in the proper direction before her eyes.
她仔細(xì)打量了她一眼,立刻就發(fā)覺她的容貌有些象達(dá)西先生,然后她就把目光轉(zhuǎn)到她的女兒身上,見她女兒長得那么單薄,那么瘦小,這使她幾乎和瑪麗亞一樣感到驚奇。母女二人無論體態(tài)面貌,都沒有相似之處。德·包爾小姐臉色蒼白、滿面病容,五官雖然長得不算難看,可是并不起眼;她不大說話,除非是低聲跟姜金生太太嘀咕幾句。姜金生太太的相貌沒有一點(diǎn)特出的地方,她只是全神貫注地聽著小姐說話,并且擋在她面前,不讓人家把她看得太清楚。
After sitting a few minutes, they were all sent to one of the windows to admire the view, Mr. Collins attending them to point out its beauties, and Lady Catherine kindly informing them that it was much better worth looking at in the summer.
坐了幾分鐘以后,客人們都被打發(fā)到窗口去欣賞外面的風(fēng)景。柯林斯先生陪著他們,一處處指給他們看,咖苔琳夫人和善地告訴他們說,到了夏天還要好看。
The dinner was exceedingly handsome, and there were all the servants, and all the articles of plate which Mr. Collins had promised; and, as he had likewise foretold, he took his seat at the bottom of the table, by her ladyship's desire, and looked as if he felt that life could furnish nothing greater. -- He carved, and ate, and praised with delighted alacrity; and every dish was commended, first by him, and then by Sir William, who was now enough recovered to echo whatever his son in law said, in a manner which Elizabeth wondered Lady Catherine could bear. But Lady Catherine seemed gratified by their excessive admiration, and gave most gracious smiles, especially when any dish on the table proved a novelty to them. The party did not supply much conversation. Elizabeth was ready to speak whenever there was an opening, but she was seated between Charlotte and Miss De Bourgh -- the former of whom was engaged in listening to Lady Catherine, and the latter said not a word to her all dinner time. Mrs. Jenkinson was chiefly employed in watching how little Miss De Bourgh ate, pressing her to try some other dish, and fearing she were indisposed. Maria thought speaking out of the question, and the gentlemen did nothing but eat and admire.
酒席果然特別體面,待候的仆從以及盛酒菜的器皿,也跟柯林斯先生所形容過的一模一樣,而且正如他事先所料到的那樣,夫人果然吩咐他坐在末席,看他那副神氣,好象人生沒有比這更得意的事了。他邊切邊吃,又興致淋漓地贊不絕口;每一道菜都由他先來夸獎,然后由威廉爵士加以吹噓,原來威廉爵士現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)完全消除了驚恐,可以做他女婿的應(yīng)聲蟲了。伊麗莎白看到那種樣子,不禁擔(dān)心咖苔琳夫人怎么受得了??墒强α辗蛉藢@些過分的贊揚(yáng)好象倒非常滿意,總是顯露出仁慈的微笑,尤其是端上一道客人們沒見過的菜到桌上來的時候,她便格外得意。賓主們都沒有什么可談的,伊麗莎白卻只要別人開個頭,總還有話可說,可惜她坐的地方不對頭,一邊是夏綠蒂,她正在用心聽咖苔琳夫人談話;另一邊是德·包爾小姐,整個吃飯時間不跟她說一句話。姜金生太太主要在注意德·包爾小姐,她看到小姐東西吃得太少,便逼著她吃了這樣再吃那樣,又怕她不受用。瑪麗亞根本不想講話,男客們只顧一邊吃一邊贊美。