THE next day opened a new scene at Longbourn. Mr. Collins made his declaration in form. Having resolved to do it without loss of time, as his leave of absence extended only to the following Saturday, and having no feelings of diffidence to make it distressing to himself even at the moment, he set about it in a very orderly manner, with all the observances which he supposed a regular part of the business. On finding Mrs. Bennet, Elizabeth, and one of the younger girls together soon after breakfast, he addressed the mother in these words,

"May I hope, Madam, for your interest with your fair daughter Elizabeth, when I solicit for the honour of a private audience with her in the course of this morning?"

第二天，浪博恩發(fā)生了一件新的事情。柯林斯先生正式提出求婚了。他的假期到下星期六就要滿期，于是決定不再耽擱時(shí)間，況且當(dāng)時(shí)他絲毫也不覺(jué)得有什么不好意思，便有條不紊地著手進(jìn)行起來(lái)，凡是他認(rèn)為必不可少的正常步驟，他都照辦了。剛一吃過(guò)早飯，看到班納特太太、伊麗莎白和一個(gè)小妹妹在一起，他便對(duì)那位做母親的這樣說(shuō)：

“太太今天早上我想要請(qǐng)令嬡伊麗莎白賞光，跟我作一次私人談話，你贊成嗎？”

"Oh dear! -- Yes -- certainly. -- I am sure Lizzy will be very happy -- I am sure she can have no objection. -- Come, Kitty, I want you up stairs." And gathering her work together, she was hastening away, when Elizabeth called out,

"Dear Ma'am, do not go. -- I beg you will not go. -- Mr. Collins must excuse me. -- He can have nothing to say to me that any body need not hear. I am going away myself."

"No, no, nonsense, Lizzy. -- I desire you will stay where you are." -- And upon Elizabeth's seeming really, with vexed and embarrassed looks, about to escape, she added, "Lizzy, I insist upon your staying and hearing Mr. Collins."

“噢，好極了，當(dāng)然可以。我相信麗萃也很樂(lè)意的，我相信她還會(huì)反對(duì)。──來(lái)，吉蒂，跟我上樓去。”她把針線收拾了一下，便匆匆忙忙走開(kāi)了，這時(shí)伊麗莎白叫起來(lái)了：

“親愛(ài)的媽?zhuān)瑒e走。我求求你別走。柯林斯先生一定會(huì)原諒我。他要跟我說(shuō)和話，別人都可以聽(tīng)的。我也要走了。”

“不，不；你別胡扯，麗萃。我要你待在這兒不動(dòng)。”只見(jiàn)伊麗莎白又惱又窘，好象真要逃走的樣子，于是她又說(shuō)道：“我非要你待在這兒聽(tīng)柯林斯先生說(shuō)話不可。”

Elizabeth would not oppose such an injunction -- and a moment's consideration making her also sensible that it would be wisest to get it over as soon and as quietly as possible, she sat down again, and tried to conceal by incessant employment the feelings which were divided between distress and diversion. Mrs. Bennet and Kitty walked off, and as soon as they were gone Mr. Collins began.

"Believe me, my dear Miss Elizabeth, that your modesty, so far from doing you any disservice, rather adds to your other perfections. You would have been less amiable in my eyes had there not been this little unwillingness; but allow me to assure you that I have your respected mother's permission for this address. You can hardly doubt the purport of my discourse, however your natural delicacy may lead you to dissemble; my attentions have been too marked to be mistaken. Almost as soon as I entered the house I singled you out as the companion of my future life. But before I am run away with by my feelings on this subject, perhaps it will be advisable for me to state my reasons for marrying -- and moreover for coming into Hertfordshire with the design of selecting a wife, as I certainly did."

伊麗莎白不便違抗母命。她考慮了一會(huì)兒，覺(jué)得能夠趕快悄悄地把事情解決了也好，于是她重新坐了下來(lái)，時(shí)時(shí)刻刻當(dāng)心著，不讓啼笑皆非的心情流露出來(lái)。班納特太太和吉蒂走開(kāi)了，她們一走，柯林斯先生便開(kāi)口說(shuō)話：

“說(shuō)真的，伊麗莎白小姐，你害羞怕臊，非但對(duì)你沒(méi)有絲毫損害，而且更增加了你的天生麗質(zhì)。要是你不這樣稍許推委一下，我反而不會(huì)覺(jué)得你這么可愛(ài)了。可是請(qǐng)你允許我告訴你一聲，我這次跟你求婚，是獲得了令堂大人的允許的。盡管你天性羞怯，假癡假呆，可是我對(duì)你的百般殷勤，已經(jīng)表現(xiàn)得非常明顯，你一定會(huì)明白我說(shuō)話的用意。我差不多一進(jìn)這屋子，就挑中你做我的終身伴侶。不過(guò)關(guān)于這個(gè)問(wèn)題，也許最好趁我現(xiàn)在還控制得住我自己感情的時(shí)候，先談?wù)勎乙Y(jié)婚的理由，更要談一談我來(lái)到哈福德郡擇偶的打算，因?yàn)槲业拇_是存著那種打算的。”

The idea of Mr. Collins, with all his solemn composure, being run away with by his feelings, made Elizabeth so near laughing that she could not use the short pause he allowed in any attempt to stop him farther, and he continued:

"My reasons for marrying are, first, that I think it a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the example of matrimony in his parish. Secondly, that I am convinced it will add very greatly to my happiness; and thirdly -- which perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier, that it is the particular advice and recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honour of calling patroness. Twice has she condescended to give me her opinion (unasked too!) on this subject; and it was but the very Saturday night before I left Hunsford -- between our pools at quadrille, while Mrs. Jenkinson was arranging Miss de Bourgh's foot-stool, that she said, "Mr. Collins, you must marry. A clergyman like you must marry. -- Chuse properly, chuse a gentlewoman for my sake; and for your own, let her be an active, useful sort of person, not brought up high, but able to make a small income go a good way. This is my advice. Find such a woman as soon as you can, bring her to Hunsford, and I will visit her." Allow me, by the way, to observe, my fair cousin, that I do not reckon the notice and kindness of Lady Catherine de Bourgh as among the least of the advantages in my power to offer. You will find her manners beyond any thing I can describe; and your wit and vivacity I think must be acceptable to her, especially when tempered with the silence and respect which her rank will inevitably excite. Thus much for my general intention in favour of matrimony; it remains to be told why my views were directed to Longbourn instead of my own neighbourhood, where I assure you there are many amiable young women. But the fact is, that being, as I am, to inherit this estate after the death of your honoured father (who, however, may live many years longer), I could not satisfy myself without resolving to chuse a wife from among his daughters, that the loss to them might be as little as possible, when the melancholy event takes place -- which, however, as I have already said, may not be for several years. This has been my motive, my fair cousin, and I flatter myself it will not sink me in your esteem. And now nothing remains for me but to assure you in the most animated language of the violence of my affection. To fortune I am perfectly indifferent, and shall make no demand of that nature on your father, since I am well aware that it could not be complied with; and that one thousand pounds in the 4 per cents, which will not be yours till after your mother's decease, is all that you may ever be entitled to. On that head, therefore, I shall be uniformly silent; and you may assure yourself that no ungenerous reproach shall ever pass my lips when we are married."

想到柯林斯這么一本正經(jīng)的樣子，居然會(huì)控制不住他自己的感情，伊麗莎白不禁覺(jué)得非常好笑，因此他雖然說(shuō)話停了片刻，她可沒(méi)有來(lái)得及阻止他往下說(shuō)：

“我所以要結(jié)婚，有這樣幾點(diǎn)理由：第一，我認(rèn)為凡是象我這樣生活寬裕的牧師，理當(dāng)給全教區(qū)樹(shù)立一個(gè)婚姻的好榜樣；其次，我深信結(jié)婚會(huì)大大地促進(jìn)我的幸福；第三（這一點(diǎn)或許我應(yīng)該早提出來(lái)），我三生有幸，能夠等候上這樣高貴的一個(gè)女施主，她特別勸告我結(jié)婚，特別贊成我結(jié)婚。蒙她兩次替我在這件事情上提出了意見(jiàn)（而且并不是我請(qǐng)教她的！)，就在我離開(kāi)漢斯福的前一個(gè)星期六晚上，我們正在玩牌，姜金生太太正在為德·包爾小姐安放腳蹬，夫人對(duì)我說(shuō)：‘柯林斯先生，你必須結(jié)婚。象你這樣的一個(gè)牧師，必須結(jié)婚。好好兒去挑選吧，挑選一個(gè)好人家的女兒，為了我，也為了你自己;人要長(zhǎng)得活潑，要能做事，不求出身高貴，但要會(huì)算計(jì)，把一筆小小的收入安排得妥妥貼貼。這就是我的意見(jiàn)。趕快找個(gè)這樣的女人來(lái)吧，把她帶到漢斯福來(lái)，我自會(huì)照料她的。’好表妹，讓我說(shuō)給你聽(tīng)吧，咖苔琳·德·包爾夫人對(duì)我的體貼照顧，也可以算是我一個(gè)優(yōu)越的條件。她的為人我真無(wú)法形容，你有一天會(huì)看到的。我想，你這樣的聰明活潑一定會(huì)叫她喜歡，只要你在她那樣身份高貴的人面前顯得穩(wěn)重端莊些，她就會(huì)特別喜歡你。大體上我要結(jié)婚就是為的這些打算；現(xiàn)在還得說(shuō)一說(shuō)，我們自己村里多的是年輕可愛(ài)的姑娘，我為什么看中了浪博恩，而沒(méi)有看中我自己村莊的呢？事情是這樣的：往后令尊過(guò)世（但愿他長(zhǎng)命百歲），得由我繼承財(cái)產(chǎn)，因此我打算娶他的個(gè)女兒作家室，使得將來(lái)這件不愉快的事發(fā)生的時(shí)候，你們的損失可以盡量輕一些，否則我實(shí)在過(guò)意不去。當(dāng)然，正如我剛才說(shuō)過(guò)的，這事情也許要在多少年以后才會(huì)發(fā)生。我的動(dòng)機(jī)就是這樣，好表妹，恕我不揣冒昧地說(shuō)一句，你不至于因此就看不起我吧。現(xiàn)在我的話已經(jīng)說(shuō)完，除非是再用最激動(dòng)的語(yǔ)言把我最熱烈的感情向你傾訴。說(shuō)到妝奩財(cái)產(chǎn)，我完全無(wú)所謂，我決不會(huì)在這方面向你父親提出什么要求，我非常了解，他的能力也辦不到，你名下應(yīng)得的財(cái)產(chǎn)，一共不過(guò)是一筆年息四厘的一千鎊存款，還得等你媽死后才歸你所得。因此關(guān)于那個(gè)問(wèn)題，我也一聲不響，而且請(qǐng)你放心，我們結(jié)婚以后，我決不會(huì)說(shuō)一句小氣話。”

It was absolutely necessary to interrupt him now.

"You are too hasty, Sir," she cried. "You forget that I have made no answer. Let me do it without farther loss of time. Accept my thanks for the compliment you are paying me, I am very sensible of the honour of your proposals, but it is impossible for me to do otherwise than decline them."

"I am not now to learn," replied Mr. Collins, with a formal wave of the hand, "that it is usual with young ladies to reject the addresses of the man whom they secretly mean to accept, when he first applies for their favour; and that sometimes the refusal is repeated a second or even a third time. I am therefore by no means discouraged by what you have just said, and shall hope to lead you to the altar ere long."

現(xiàn)在可非打斷他的話不可了。

“你太心急了吧，先生，”她叫了起來(lái)。“你忘了我根本沒(méi)有回答你呢。別再浪費(fèi)時(shí)間，就讓我來(lái)回答你吧。謝謝你的夸獎(jiǎng)。你的求婚使我感到榮幸，可惜我除了謝絕之外，別無(wú)辦法。”

柯林斯先生鄭重其事地?fù)]手回答道：“年輕的姑娘們遇到人家第一次未婚，即使心里愿意答應(yīng)，口頭上總是拒絕;有時(shí)候甚至?xí)芙^兩次三次。這樣看來(lái)，你剛才所說(shuō)的話決不會(huì)叫我灰心，我希望不久就能領(lǐng)你到神壇跟前去呢。”

"Upon my word, Sir," cried Elizabeth, "your hope is rather an extraordinary one after my declaration. I do assure you that I am not one of those young ladies (if such young ladies there are) who are so daring as to risk their happiness on the chance of being asked a second time. I am perfectly serious in my refusal. -- You could not make me happy, and I am convinced that I am the last woman in the world who would make you so, -- Nay, were your friend Lady Catherine to know me, I am persuaded she would find me in every respect ill qualified for the situation."

"Were it certain that Lady Catherine would think so," said Mr. Collins very gravely -- "but I cannot imagine that her ladyship would at all disapprove of you. And you may be certain that when I have the honour of seeing her again I shall speak in the highest terms of your modesty, economy, and other amiable qualifications."

"Indeed, Mr. Collins, all praise of me will be unnecessary. You must give me leave to judge for myself, and pay me the compliment of believing what I say. I wish you very happy and very rich, and by refusing your hand, do all in my power to prevent your being otherwise. In making me the offer, you must have satisfied the delicacy of your feelings with regard to my family, and may take possession of Longbourn estate whenever it falls, without any self-reproach. This matter may be considered, therefore, as finally settled." And rising as she thus spoke, she would have quitted the room, had not Mr. Collins thus addressed her,

伊麗莎白嚷道：“不瞞你說(shuō)，先生，我既然話已經(jīng)說(shuō)出了口，你還要存著指望，那真太奇怪了。老實(shí)跟你說(shuō)，如果世上真有那么膽大的年輕小姐，拿自己的幸福去冒險(xiǎn)，讓人家提出第二次請(qǐng)求，那我也不是這種人。我的謝絕完全是嚴(yán)肅的。你不能使我幸福，而且我，相信我也絕對(duì)不能使你幸福。唔，要是你的朋友咖苔琳夫人認(rèn)識(shí)我的話，我相信她一定會(huì)發(fā)覺(jué)，我無(wú)論在哪一方面，都不配做你的太太。”

柯林斯先生嚴(yán)肅地說(shuō)：“就算咖苔琳夫人會(huì)有這樣的想法，我想她老人家也決不會(huì)不贊成你。請(qǐng)你放心，我下次有幸見(jiàn)到她的時(shí)候，一定要在她面前把你的淑靜、節(jié)儉、以及其他種種可愛(ài)的優(yōu)點(diǎn)，大大夸獎(jiǎng)一番。”

“說(shuō)實(shí)話，柯林斯先生，任你怎么夸獎(jiǎng)我，都是浪費(fèi)唇舌。這自己的事自己會(huì)有主張，只要你相信我所說(shuō)的話，就是賞我的臉了。我祝你幸福豪富。我所以放縱你的求婚，也就是為了免得你發(fā)生什么意外。而你呢，既然向我提出了求婚，那么，你對(duì)于我家里的事情，也就不必感到有什么不好意思了，將來(lái)浪博恩莊園一旦輪到你做評(píng)價(jià)，你就可以取之無(wú)愧了。這件事就這樣一言為定吧。”她一面說(shuō)，一面站起身來(lái)，要不是柯林斯先生向她說(shuō)出下面的話，她早就走出屋子了。

"When I do myself the honour of speaking to you next on this subject I shall hope to receive a more favourable answer than you have now given me; though I am far from accusing you of cruelty at present, because I know it to be the established custom of your sex to reject a man on the first application, and perhaps you have even now said as much to encourage my suit as would be consistent with the true delicacy of the female character."

"Really, Mr. Collins," cried Elizabeth with some warmth, "you puzzle me exceedingly. If what I have hitherto said can appear to you in the form of encouragement, I know not how to express my refusal in such a way as may convince you of its being one."

"You must give me leave to flatter myself, my dear cousin, that your refusal of my addresses is merely words of course. My reasons for believing it are briefly these: -- It does not appear to me that my hand is unworthy your acceptance, or that the establishment I can offer would be any other than highly desirable. My situation in life, my connections with the family of De Bourgh, and my relationship to your own, are circumstances highly in its favor; and you should take it into farther consideration that in spite of your manifold attractions, it is by no means certain that another offer of marriage may ever be made you. Your portion is unhappily so small that it will in all likelihood undo the effects of your loveliness and amiable qualifications. As I must therefore conclude that you are not serious in your rejection of me, I shall chuse to attribute it to your wish of increasing my love by suspense, according to the usual practice of elegant females."

“要是下趟我有幸再跟你談到這個(gè)問(wèn)題，我希望你能夠給我一個(gè)比這次滿意點(diǎn)的回答。我不怪你這次冷酷無(wú)情，因?yàn)槲抑溃銈児媚飩儗?duì)于男人第一次的求婚，照例總是拒絕，也許你剛剛聽(tīng)說(shuō)的一番話，正符合女人家微妙的性格，反而足以鼓勵(lì)我繼續(xù)追求下去。”

伊麗莎白一聽(tīng)此話，不免有些氣惱，便大聲叫道：“柯林斯先生，你真弄得我太莫名其妙了。我的話已經(jīng)說(shuō)到這個(gè)地步，要是你還覺(jué)得這是鼓勵(lì)你的話，那我可不知道該怎么樣放縱你，才能使你死心塌地。”

“親愛(ài)的表妹，請(qǐng)?jiān)试S我說(shuō)句自不量力的話：我相信你拒絕我的求婚，不過(guò)是照例說(shuō)說(shuō)罷了。我所以會(huì)這樣想，簡(jiǎn)單說(shuō)來(lái)，有這樣幾點(diǎn)理由：我覺(jué)得我向你求婚，并不見(jiàn)得就不值得你接受，我的家產(chǎn)你決不會(huì)不放在眼里。我的社會(huì)地位，我同德·包爾府上的關(guān)系，以及跟你府上的親戚關(guān)系，都是我非常優(yōu)越的條件。我得提請(qǐng)你考慮一下：盡管你有許多吸引人的地方，不幸你的財(cái)產(chǎn)太少，這就把你的可愛(ài)、把你許多優(yōu)美的條件都抵消了，不會(huì)有另外一個(gè)人再向你求婚了，因此我就不得不認(rèn)為：你這一次并不是一本正經(jīng)地拒絕我，而是彷效一般高貴的女性的通例，欲擒故縱，想要更加博得我的喜愛(ài)。”

"I do assure you, Sir, that I have no pretension whatever to that kind of elegance which consists in tormenting a respectable man. I would rather be paid the compliment of being believed sincere. I thank you again and again for the honour you have done me in your proposals, but to accept them is absolutely impossible. My feelings in every respect forbid it. Can I speak plainer? Do not consider me now as an elegant female intending to plague you, but as a rational creature speaking the truth from her heart."

"You are uniformly charming!" cried he, with an air of awkward gallantry; "and I am persuaded that when sanctioned by the express authority of both your excellent parents, my proposals will not fail of being acceptable."

To such perseverance in wilful self-deception, Elizabeth would make no reply, and immediately and in silence withdrew; determined, that if he persisted in considering her repeated refusals as flattering encouragement, to apply to her father, whose negative might be uttered in such a manner as must be decisive, and whose behaviour at least could not be mistaken for the affectation and coquetry of an elegant female.

“先生，我向你保證，這決沒(méi)有冒充風(fēng)雅，故意作弄一位有面子的紳士。但愿你相信我說(shuō)的是真話，我就很有面子了，承蒙不棄，向我求婚，我真是感激不盡，但要我接受，是絕對(duì)不可能的。我感情上怎么也辦不到。難道我說(shuō)得不夠明白嗎?請(qǐng)你別把我當(dāng)作一個(gè)故意作弄你的高貴女子，而要把我看作一個(gè)說(shuō)真心話的平凡人。”

他大為狼狽，又不得不裝出滿臉的殷勤神氣叫道：“你始終都那么可愛(ài)!我相信只要令尊令堂作主應(yīng)承了我，你就決不會(huì)拒絕。”

他再三要存心自欺欺人，伊麗莎白可懶得再去理他，馬上不聲不響地走開(kāi)了。她打定了主意：倘若他一定要把她幾次三番的拒絕看作是有意討他的好，有意鼓勵(lì)他，那么她就只得去求助于她父親，叫他斬釘截鐵地回絕他。柯林斯總不見(jiàn)得再把她父親的拒絕，看作一個(gè)高貴女性的裝腔作勢(shì)和賣(mài)弄風(fēng)情了吧。

來(lái)源：愛(ài)詞霸

編輯：杜娟