《傲慢与偏见》 第21章(2)（在线收听）

Soon after their return, a letter was delivered to Miss Bennet; it came from Netherfield, and was opened immediately. The envelope contained a sheet of elegant, little, hotpressed paper, well covered with a lady's fair, flowing hand; and Elizabeth saw her sister's countenance change as she read it, and saw her dwelling intently on some particular passages. Jane recollected herself soon, and putting the letter away, tried to join with her usual cheerfulness in the general conversation; but Elizabeth felt an anxiety on the subject which drew off her attention even from Wickham; and no sooner had he and his companion taken leave, than a glance from Jane invited her to follow her up stairs. When they had gained their own room, Jane taking out the letter, said, This is from Caroline Bingley; what it contains, has surprised me a good deal. The whole party have left Netherfield by this time, and are on their way to town; and without any intention of coming back again. You shall hear what she says.

她们刚回到家里，班纳特小姐就接到一封从尼日斐花园寄来的信。信立刻拆开了，里面装着一张小巧、精致、熨烫得很平滑的信笺，字迹是出自一位小姐的娟秀流利的手笔。伊丽莎白看到姐姐读信时变了脸色，又看到她全神贯注在某几段上面。顷该之间，吉英又镇静了下来，把信放在一旁，象平常一样，高高兴兴地跟大家一起聊天；可是伊丽莎白仍然为这件事焦急，因此对韦翰也分心了。韦翰和他的同伴一走，吉英便对她做了个眼色，叫她跟上楼去。一到了她们自己房里，吉英就拿出信来，说道：“这是另罗琳·彬格莱写来的，信上的话真叫我大吃一惊。她们一家人现在已经离开尼日斐花园上城里去了，再也不打算回来了。你看看她怎么说的吧。”

She then read the first sentence aloud, which comprised the information of their having just resolved to follow their brother to town directly, and of their meaning to dine that day in Grosvenor street, where Mr. Hurst had a house. The next was in these words. I do not pretend to regret any thing I shall leave in Hertfordshire, except your society, my dearest friend; but we will hope at some future period, to enjoy many returns of the delightful intercourse we have known, and in the mean while may lessen the pain of separation by a very frequent and most unreserved correspondence. I depend on you for that. To these high flown expressions, Elizabeth listened with all the insensibility of distrust; and though the suddenness of their removal surprised her, she saw nothing in it really to lament; it was not to be supposed that their absence from Netherfield would prevent Mr. Bingley's being there; and as to the loss of their society, she was persuaded that Jane must soon cease to regard it, in the enjoyment of his.

于是她先把第一句念出来，那句话是说，她们已经决定，立刻追随她们的弟兄上城里去，而且要在当天赶到格鲁斯汶纳街吃饭，原来赫斯脱先生就住在那条街上。接下去是这样写的：──“亲爱的朋友，离开哈福德郡，除了你的友谊以外，我真是一无留恋，不过，我希望将来有一天，还是可以象过去那样愉快地来往，并希望目前能经常通信，无话不谈，以抒离悃。临笔不胜企盼。”伊丽莎白对这些浮话奢词，亦只是姑妄听之；虽说她们这一次突然的迁走叫她感到惊奇，可是她并不觉得真有什么可以惋惜的地方。她们离开了尼日斐花园，未必彬格莱先生便不会再在那儿住下去；至于说到跟她们没有了来往，她相信吉英只要跟彬格莱先生时常见面，也就无所谓了。