《傲慢与偏见》 第9章(5)

"I have been used to consider poetry as the food of love," said Darcy.

“我却一贯认为，诗是爱情的食粮，”达西说。

Of a fine, stout¹, healthy love it may. Every thing nourishes what is strong already. But if it be only a slight, thin sort of inclination², I am convinced that one good sonnet³ will starve it entirely⁴ away.

“那必须是一种优美、坚贞、健康的爱情才行。本身健强了，吃什么东西都可以获得滋补。要是只不过有一点儿蛛丝马迹，那么我相信，一首十四行诗准会把它断送掉。”

Darcy only smiled, and the general pause which ensued made Elizabeth tremble lest her mother should be exposing herself again. She longed to speak, but could think of nothing to say; and after a short silence Mrs. Bennet began repeating her thanks to Mr. Bingley for his kindness to Jane with an apology for troubling him also with Lizzy. Mr. Bingley was unaffectedly civil in his answer, and forced his younger sister to be civil also, and say what the occasion required. She performed her part, indeed, without much graciousness, but Mrs. Bennet was satisfied, and soon afterwards ordered her carriage. Upon this signal, the youngest of her daughters put herself forward. The two girls had been whispering to each other during the whole visit, and the result of it was, that the youngest should tax Mr. Bingley with having promised on his first coming into the country to give a ball at Netherfield.

达西只笑了一下，接着大伙儿都沉默了一阵子，这时候伊丽莎白很是着急，怕她母亲又要出丑。她想说点儿什么，可是又想不出什么可说的。沉默了一下以后，班纳特太太又重新向彬格莱先生道谢，说是多亏他对吉英照顾周到，同时又向他道歉说，丽萃也来打扰了他。彬格莱先生回答得极其恳切而有礼貌，弄得他的妹妹也不得不讲礼貌，说了些很得体的话。她说话的态度并不十分自然，可是班纳特太太已经够满意的了。一会儿工夫，班纳特太太就叫预备马车。这个号令一发，她那位顶小的女儿立刻走上前来。原来自从她们母女来到此地，两个女儿就一直在交头接耳地商量，最后说定了由顶小的女儿来要求彬格莱先生兑现他刚以乡下时的诺言，在尼日斐花园开一次跳舞会。

Lydia was a stout, well-grown girl of fifteen, with a fine complexion⁵ and good-humoured countenance⁶; a favourite with her mother, whose affection had brought her into public at an early age. She had high animal spirits, and a sort of natural self-consequence, which the attentions of the officers, to whom her uncle's good dinners and her own easy manners recommended her, had increased into assurance. She was very equal, therefore, to address Mr. Bingley on the subject of the ball, and abruptly⁷ reminded him of his promise; adding, that it would be the most shameful⁸ thing in the world if he did not keep it. His answer to this sudden attack was delightful⁹ to their mother's ear.

丽迪雅是个胖胖的、发育得很好的姑娘，今年才十五岁，细皮白肉，笑颜常开，她是母亲的掌上明珠，由于娇纵过度，她很小就进入了社交界。她生性好动，天生有些不知分寸，加上她的姨爹一次次以美酒嘉肴宴请那些军官们，军官们又见她颇有几分浪荡的风情，便对她发生了相当好感，于是她更加肆无忌惮了。所以她就有资格向彬格莱先生提出开舞会的事，而且冒冒失失地提醒他先前的诺言，而且还说，要是他不实践诺言，那就是天下最丢人的事。彬格莱先生对她这一番突如其来的挑衅回答得叫她母亲很是高兴。

I am perfectly¹⁰ ready, I assure you, to keep my engagement, and when your sister is recovered, you shall if you please, name the very day of the ball. But you would not wish to be dancing while she is ill.

“我可以向你保证，我非常愿意实践我的诺言；只要等你姐姐复了元，由你随便订个日期就行。你总不愿意在姐姐生病的时候跳舞吧？！”

Lydia declared herself satisfied. Oh! yes -- it would be much better to wait till Jane was well, and by that time most likely Captain Carter would be at Meryton again. And when you have given your ball, she added, I shall insist on their giving one also. I shall tell Colonel Forster it will be quite a shame if he does not.

丽迪雅表示满意。“你这话说得不错。等到吉英复元以后再跳，那真好极了，而且到那时候，卡特尔上尉也许又可能回到麦里屯来。等你开过舞会以后，我一定非要他们也开一次不可。我一定会跟弗斯脱上校说，要是他不开，可真丢人哪。”

Mrs. Bennet and her daughters then departed, and Elizabeth returned instantly to Jane, leaving her own and her relations' behaviour to the remarks of the two ladies and Mr. Darcy; the latter of whom, however, could not be prevailed on to join in their censure¹¹ of her, in spite of all Miss Bingley's witticisms¹² on fine eyes.

于是班纳特太太带着她的两个女儿走了。伊丽莎白立刻回到吉英身边去，也不去管彬格莱府上的两位小姐怎样在背后议论她跟她家里人有失体统。不过，尽管彬格莱小姐怎么样说俏皮话，怎么样拿她的“美丽的眼睛”开玩笑，达西却始终不肯受她们的怂恿，夹在她们一起来编派她的不是。

1 stout   

adj.强壮的，粗大的，结实的，勇猛的，矮胖的

参考例句：

• He cut a stout stick to help him walk.他砍了一根结实的枝条用来拄着走路。
• The stout old man waddled across the road.那肥胖的老人一跩一跩地穿过马路。

2 inclination   

n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好

参考例句：

• She greeted us with a slight inclination of the head.她微微点头向我们致意。
• I did not feel the slightest inclination to hurry.我没有丝毫着急的意思。

3 sonnet   

n.十四行诗

参考例句：

• The composer set a sonnet to music.作曲家为一首十四行诗谱了曲。
• He wrote a sonnet to his beloved.他写了一首十四行诗，献给他心爱的人。

4 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

5 complexion   

n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格

参考例句：

• Red does not suit with her complexion.红色与她的肤色不协调。
• Her resignation puts a different complexion on things.她一辞职局面就全变了。

6 countenance   

n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同

参考例句：

• At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
• I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

7 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

8 shameful   

adj.可耻的，不道德的

参考例句：

• It is very shameful of him to show off.他向人炫耀自己，真不害臊。
• We must expose this shameful activity to the newspapers.我们一定要向报社揭露这一无耻行径。

9 delightful   

adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的

参考例句：

• We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
• Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

10 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

11 censure   

v./n.责备；非难；责难

参考例句：

• You must not censure him until you know the whole story.在弄清全部事实真相前不要谴责他。
• His dishonest behaviour came under severe censure.他的不诚实行为受到了严厉指责。

12 witticisms   

n.妙语，俏皮话( witticism的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We do appreciate our own witticisms. 我们非常欣赏自己的小聪明。 来自辞典例句
• The interpreter at this dinner even managed to translate jokes and witticisms without losing the point. 这次宴会的翻译甚至能设法把笑话和俏皮话不失其妙意地翻译出来。 来自辞典例句