《傲慢与偏见》 第23章(4)

Mr. Collins returned most punctually on the Monday fortnight, but his reception at Longbourn was not quite so gracious as it had been on his first introduction. He was too happy, however, to need much attention; and luckily for the others, the business of love-making relieved them from a great deal of his company. The chief of every day was spent by him at Lucas Lodge¹, and he sometimes returned to Longbourn only in time to make an apology for his absence before the family went to bed.

柯林斯先生在两个礼拜以后的星期一准时到达，可是浪搏恩却不象他初来时那样热烈地欢迎他了。他实在高兴不过也用不着别人献殷勤。这真是主人家走运，多亏他恋爱成了功，这才使别人能够清闲下来，不必再去跟他周旋。他每天把大部分时间消磨在卢家庄，一直挨到卢府上快要睡觉的时候，才回到浪搏恩来，向大家道歉一声，请大家原谅他终日未归。

Mrs. Bennet was really in a most pitiable state. The very mention of any thing concerning the match threw her into an agony of ill humour, and wherever she went she was sure of hearing it talked of. The sight of Miss Lucas was odious² to her. As her successor in that house, she regarded her with jealous abhorrence³. Whenever Charlotte came to see them she concluded her to be anticipating the hour of possession; and whenever she spoke⁴ in a low voice to Mr. Collins, was convinced that they were talking of the Longbourn estate, and resolving to turn herself and her daughters out of the house as soon as Mr. Bennet were dead. She complained bitterly of all this to her husband.

班纳特太太着实可怜。只要一提到那门亲事，她就会不高兴，而且随便她走到那儿，她总会听到人们谈起这件事。她一看到卢卡斯小姐就觉得讨厌。一想到卢卡斯小姐将来有一天会接替她做这幢屋子里的主妇，她就益发嫉妒和厌恶。每逢夏绿蒂来看她们，她总以为人家是来考察情况，看看还要过多少时候就可以搬进来住；每逢夏绿蒂跟柯林斯先生低声说话的时候，她就以为他们是在谈论浪搏恩的家产，是在计议一俟班纳特先生去世以后，就要把她和她的几个女儿撵出去。她把这些伤心事都说给她丈夫听。

"Indeed, Mr. Bennet," said she, "it is very hard to think that Charlotte Lucas should ever be mistress of this house, that I should be forced to make way for her, and live to see her take my place in it!"

她说：“我的好老爷，夏绿蒂·卢卡斯迟早要做这屋子里的主妇，我却非得让她不可，眼睁睁看着她来接替我的位置，这可叫我受不了！”

"My dear, do not give way to such gloomy thoughts. Let us hope for better things. Let us flatter ourselves that I may be the survivor⁵."

“我的好太太，别去想这些伤心事吧。我们不妨从好的方面去想。说不定我比你的寿命还要长，我们姑且就这样来安慰自己吧。”

This was not very consoling to Mrs. Bennet, and, therefore, instead of making any answer, she went on as before,"I cannot bear to think that they should have all this estate, If it was not for the entail⁶ I should not mind it."

可是这些话安慰不了班纳特太太，因此她非但没有回答，反而象刚才一样地诉苦下去。可是这些话安慰不了班纳特太太，因此她非但没有回答，反而象刚才一样地诉苦下去。

"What should not you mind?"

“你不在乎什么？”

"I should not mind any thing at all."

“什么我都不在乎。”

"Let us be thankful that you are preserved from a state of such insensibility."

“让我们谢天谢地，你头脑还没有不清楚到这种地步。”

"I never can be thankful, Mr. Bennet, for any thing about the entail. How any one could have the conscience to entail away an estate from one's own daughters I cannot understand; and all for the sake of Mr. Collins too! -- Why should he have it more than anybody else?"

“我的好老爷，凡是有关继承权的事，我决不会谢天谢地的。随便哪个人，怎么肯昧着良心，不把财产遗传给自己的女儿们？我真弄不懂，何况一切都是为了柯林斯先生的缘故！为什么偏偏要他享有这份遗产？”

"I leave it to yourself to determine," said Mr. Bennet.

“我让你自己去想吧。”班纳特先生说。

1 lodge   

v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆

参考例句：

• Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗？
• I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。

2 odious   

adj.可憎的，讨厌的

参考例句：

• The judge described the crime as odious.法官称这一罪行令人发指。
• His character could best be described as odious.他的人格用可憎来形容最贴切。

3 abhorrence   

n.憎恶；可憎恶的事

参考例句：

• This nation has an abhorrence of terrrorism.这个民族憎恶恐怖主义。
• It is an abhorrence to his feeling.这是他深恶痛绝的事。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

6 entail   

vt.使承担，使成为必要，需要

参考例句：

• Such a decision would entail a huge political risk.这样的决定势必带来巨大的政治风险。
• This job would entail your learning how to use a computer.这工作将需要你学会怎样用计算机。