When the ladies returned to the drawing room, there was little to be done but to hear Lady Catherine talk, which she did without any intermission till coffee came in, delivering her opinion on every subject in so decisive a manner as proved that she was not used to have her judgment controverted. She enquired into Charlotte's domestic concerns familiarly and minutely, and gave her a great deal of advice as to the management of them all; told her how every thing ought to be regulated in so small a family as her's, and instructed her as to the care of her cows and her poultry. Elizabeth found that nothing was beneath this great lady's attention, which could furnish her with an occasion of dictating to others. In the intervals of her discourse with Mrs. Collins, she addressed a variety of questions to Maria and Elizabeth, but especially to the latter, of whose connections she knew the least, and who, she observed to Mrs. Collins, was a very genteel, pretty kind of girl. She asked her at different times, how many sisters she had, whether they were older or younger than herself, whether any of them were likely to be married, whether they were handsome, where they had been educated, what carriage her father kept, and what had been her mother's maiden name? -- Elizabeth felt all the impertinence of her questions, but answered them very composedly. -- Lady Catherine then observed,
女客們回到會客室以后，只是聽咖苔琳夫人談話。夫人滔滔不絕地一直談到咖啡端上來為止，隨便談到哪一樁事，她總是那么斬釘截鐵、不許別人反對的樣子。她毫不客氣地仔細問著夏綠蒂的家常，又給她提供了一大堆關(guān)于料理家務(wù)的意見。她告訴夏綠蒂說，象她這樣的一個小家庭，一切事情都應(yīng)該精密安排，又指教她如何照料母牛和家禽。伊麗莎白發(fā)覺這位貴婦人只要有機會支配別人，隨便怎么小的事情也決不肯輕易放過。夫人同柯林斯太太談話的時候，也間或向瑪麗亞和伊麗莎白問幾句話，特別向伊麗莎白問得多。她不大清楚伊麗莎白和她們是什么關(guān)系，不過她對柯林斯太太說，她是個很斯文、很標致的姑娘。她好幾次問伊麗莎白有幾個姐妹，她們比她大還是比她小，她們中間有沒有哪一個已經(jīng)結(jié)婚，她們長得好看不好看，在哪里讀書，她們的父親有什么樣的馬車，她母親的娘家姓什么。伊麗莎白覺得她這些話問得唐突，不過還是心平氣和地回答了她。于是咖苔琳夫人說：

"Your father's estate is entailed on Mr. Collins, I think. For your sake," turning to Charlotte, "I am glad of it; but otherwise I see no occasion for entailing estates from the female line. -- It was not thought necessary in Sir Lewis de Bourgh's family. -- Do you play and sing, Miss Bennet?"
“你父親的財產(chǎn)得由柯林斯先生繼承吧，我想？”──說到這里，她又掉過頭來對夏綠蒂說：“為你著想，我倒覺得高興；否則我實在看不出有什么理由不讓自己的女兒們來繼承財產(chǎn)，卻要給別人。劉威斯·德·包爾家里就覺得沒有這樣做的必要。──你會彈琴唱歌嗎，班納特小姐？”

"A little."
“略知一二。”

"Oh! then -- some time or other we shall be happy to hear you. Our instrument is a capital one, probably superior to -- You shall try it some day. -- Do your sisters play and sing?"
“噢，幾時我們倒想要聽一聽。我們的琴非常好，說不定比──你哪一天來試一試看吧。你的姐妹們會彈琴唱歌嗎？”

"One of them does."
“有一個會?！?/div>

"Why did not you all learn? -- You ought all to have learned. The Miss Webbs all play, and their father has not so good an income as your's. -- Do you draw?"
“為什么不大家都學(xué)呢？你們應(yīng)該個個都學(xué)。魏伯家的小姐們就個個都會，她們父親的收入還比不上你們父親呢。你們會畫嗎？”

"No, not at all."
“不，一點兒不會?！?/div>

"What, none of you?"
“怎么說，一個也不會嗎？”

"Not one."
“沒有一個會?！?/div>

"That is very strange. But I suppose you had no opportunity. Your mother should have taken you to town every spring for the benefit of masters."
“這倒很稀奇。我猜想你們是沒有機會學(xué)吧。你們的母親應(yīng)該每年春天帶你們上城里來投投名師才對?！?/div>

"My mother would have had no objection, but my father hates London."
“我媽是不會反對的，可是我父親厭惡倫敦。”

"Has your governess left you?"
“你們的女家庭教師走了嗎？”

"We never had any governess."
“我們從來就沒有請過女家庭教師?！?/div>

"No governess! How was that possible? Five daughters brought up at home without a governess! -- I never heard of such a thing. Your mother must have been quite a slave to your education."
“沒有女家庭教師！那怎么行？家里教養(yǎng)著五個姑娘，卻不請個女家庭教師！我從來沒聽到過這樣的事！你媽簡直是做奴隸似的教育你們啦?！?/div>

Elizabeth could hardly help smiling, as she assured her that had not been the case.
伊麗莎白禁不住笑起來了，一面告訴她說，事實并不是那樣。

"Then, who taught you? who attended to you? Without a governess you must have been neglected."
“那么誰教導(dǎo)你們呢？誰服待你們呢？沒有一個女家庭老師，你們不就是沒人照管了嗎？”

"Compared with some families, I believe we were; but such of us as wished to learn, never wanted the means. We were always encouraged to read, and had all the masters that were necessary. Those who chose to be idle, certainly might."
“同別的一些人家比較起來，我們家里待我們算是比較懈??；可是姐妹們中間，凡是好學(xué)的，決不會沒有辦法。家里經(jīng)常鼓勵我們好好讀書，必要的教師我們都有。誰要是存心偷懶，當然也可以?！?/div>

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