《傲慢与偏见》 第15章(1)

MR. COLLINS was not a sensible man, and the deficiency of nature had been but little assisted by education or society; the greatest part of his life having been spent under the guidance of an illiterate¹ and miserly father; and though he belonged to one of the universities, he had merely kept the necessary terms, without forming at it any useful acquaintance. The subjection in which his father had brought him up had given him originally great humility² of manner, but it was now a good deal counteracted³ by the self-conceit of a weak head, living in retirement⁴, and the consequential⁵ feelings of early and unexpected prosperity. A fortunate chance had recommended him to Lady Catherine de Bourgh when the living of Hunsford was vacant; and the respect which he felt for her high rank and his veneration⁶ for her as his patroness, mingling⁷ with a very good opinion of himself, of his authority as a clergyman, and his rights as a rector, made him altogether a mixture of pride and obsequiousness⁸, self-importance and humility.

柯林斯先生并不是个通情达理的人，他虽然也受过教育，也踏进了社会，但是先天的缺陷却简直没有得到什么弥补。他大部分日子是在他那守财奴的文盲父亲的教导下度过的。他也算进过大学，实际上不过照例住了几个学期，并没有结交一个有用的朋友。他的父亲管束得他十分严厉，因此他的为人本来很是谦卑，不过他本是个蠢材，现在生活又过得很优闲，当然不免自高自大，何况年纪轻轻就发了意外之财，更其自视甚高，哪里还谈得上谦卑。当时汉斯福教区有个牧师空缺，他鸿运享通，得到了咖苔琳·德·包尔夫人的提拔。他看到他的女施主地位颇高，便悉心崇拜，备加尊敬；另方面又自命不凡，自以为当上了教士，该有怎样怎样的权利，于是他一身兼有了骄傲自大和谦卑顺从的两重性格。

Having now a good house and very sufficient income, he intended to marry; and in seeking a reconciliation⁹ with the Longbourn family he had a wife in view, as he meant to chuse one of the daughters, if he found them as handsome and amiable¹⁰ as they were represented by common report. This was his plan of amends¹¹ -- of atonement -- for inheriting their father's estate; and he thought it an excellent one, full of eligibility¹² and suitableness, and excessively generous and disinterested¹³ on his own part.

他现在已经有了一幢好房子，一笔可观的收入，想要结婚了。他所以要和浪博恩这家人家讲和修好，原是想要在他们府上找个太太。要是这家人家的几位小姐果真象大家所传闻的那么美丽可爱，他一定要挑选一个。这就是他所谓补偿的计划，赎罪的计划，为的是将来继承她们父亲的遗产时可以问心无愧。他认为这真是个独出心裁的办法，既极其妥善得体，又来得慷慨豪爽。

1 illiterate   

adj.文盲的；无知的；n.文盲

参考例句：

• There are still many illiterate people in our country.在我国还有许多文盲。
• I was an illiterate in the old society,but now I can read.我这个旧社会的文盲，今天也认字了。

2 humility   

n.谦逊，谦恭

参考例句：

• Humility often gains more than pride.谦逊往往比骄傲收益更多。
• His voice was still soft and filled with specious humility.他的声音还是那么温和，甚至有点谦卑。

3 counteracted   

对抗，抵消( counteract的过去式 )

参考例句：

• This can be counteracted only by very effective insulation. 这只能用非常有效的绝缘来防止。
• The effect of his preaching was counteracted by the looseness of his behavior. 他讲道的效果被他放荡的生活所抵消了。

4 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

5 consequential   

adj.作为结果的，间接的；重要的

参考例句：

• She was injured and suffered a consequential loss of earnings.她受了伤因而收入受损。
• This new transformation is at least as consequential as that one was.这一新的转变至少和那次一样重要。

6 veneration   

n.尊敬，崇拜

参考例句：

• I acquired lasting respect for tradition and veneration for the past.我开始对传统和历史产生了持久的敬慕。
• My father venerated General Eisenhower.我父亲十分敬仰艾森豪威尔将军。

7 mingling   

adj.混合的

参考例句：

• There was a spring of bitterness mingling with that fountain of sweets. 在这个甜蜜的源泉中间，已经掺和进苦涩的山水了。
• The mingling of inconsequence belongs to us all. 这场矛盾混和物是我们大家所共有的。

8 obsequiousness   

媚骨

参考例句：

• He became rebarbative and prickly and spiteful; I find his obsequiousness repellent. 他变得令人讨厌、易发怒，怀有恶意；我发现他的奉承令人厌恶。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was free from all sycophancy or obsequiousness in the face of the reactionary ruling class. 他在反动统治阶级面前没有丝毫的奴颜与媚骨。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

10 amiable   

adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的

参考例句：

• She was a very kind and amiable old woman.她是个善良和气的老太太。
• We have a very amiable companionship.我们之间存在一种友好的关系。

11 amends   

n. 赔偿

参考例句：

• He made amends for his rudeness by giving her some flowers. 他送给她一些花，为他自己的鲁莽赔罪。
• This country refuses stubbornly to make amends for its past war crimes. 该国顽固地拒绝为其过去的战争罪行赔罪。

12 eligibility   

n.合格，资格

参考例句：

• What are the eligibility requirements? 病人被选参加试验的要求是什么？ 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望
• Eligibility for HINARI access is based on gross national income (GNI). 进入HINARI获取计划是依据国民总收入来评定的。

13 disinterested   

adj.不关心的，不感兴趣的

参考例句：

• He is impartial and disinterested.他公正无私。
• He's always on the make,I have never known him do a disinterested action.他这个人一贯都是唯利是图，我从来不知道他有什么无私的行动。