《傲慢与偏见》 第10章(3)

I dare say you believed it; but I am by no means convinced that you would be gone with such celerity. Your conduct would be quite as dependant¹ on chance as that of any man I know; and if, as you were mounting your horse, a friend were to say, Bingley, you had better stay till next week, you would probably do it, you would probably not go and, at another word, might stay a month.

“也许你真的相信你自己的话；可是我怎么也不相信你做事情会那么当机立断。我知道你也跟一般人一样，都是见机行事。譬如你正跨上马要走了，忽然有朋友跟你说：‘彬格莱，你最好还是待到下个星期再走吧。’那你可能就会听他的话，可能就不走了，要是他再跟你说句什么的，你也许就会再待上一个月。”

You have only proved by this, cried Elizabeth, that Mr. Bingley did not do justice to his own disposition². You have shewn him off now much more than he did himself.

伊丽莎白叫道：“你这一番话只不过说明了彬格莱先生并没有任着他自己的性子说做就做。你这样一说，比他自己说更来得光彩啦。”

I am exceedingly gratified, said Bingley, by your converting what my friend says into a compliment on the sweetness of my temper. But I am afraid you are giving it a turn which that gentleman did by no means intend; for he would certainly think the better of me, if under such a circumstance I were to give a flat denial, and ride off as fast as I could.

彬格莱说：“我真太高兴了，我的朋友所说的话，经你这么一圆转，反面变成恭维我的话了。不过，我只怕你这种圆转并不投合那位先生的本意，因为：我如果真遇到这种事，我会爽爽快快地谢绝那位朋友，骑上马就走，那他一定更看得起我。”

Would Mr. Darcy then consider the rashness of your original intention as atoned³ for by your obstinacy⁴ in adhering to it?

“那么，难道达西先生认为，不管你本来的打算是多么轻率卤莽，只要你一打定主意就坚持到底，也就情有可原了吗？”

Upon my word I cannot exactly explain the matter; Darcy must speak for himself.

“老实说，我也解释不清楚；那得由达西自己来说明。”

You expect me to account for opinions which you chuse to call mine, but which I have never acknowledged. Allowing the case, however, to stand according to your representation, you must remember, Miss Bennet, that the friend who is supposed to desire his return to the house, and the delay of his plan, has merely desired it, asked it without offering one argument in favour of its propriety⁵.

“你想要把这些意见说成我的意见，我可从来没承认过。不过，班纳特小姐，即使把你所说的这种种情形假定为真有其事，你可别忘了这一点：那个朋友固然叫他回到屋子里去叫他不要那么说做就做，可是那也不过是那位朋友有那么一种希望，对他提出那么一个要求，可并没有坚持要他非那样做不可。”

To yield readily easily to the persuasion⁶ of a friend is no merit with you.

“说到随随便便地轻易听从一个朋友的劝告，在你身上可还找不出这个优点。”

To yield without conviction is no compliment to the understanding of either.

“如果不问是非，随随便便就听从，恐怕对于两个人全不能算是一种恭维吧。”

You appear to me, Mr. Darcy, to allow nothing for the influence of friendship and affection. A regard for the requester would often make one readily yield to a request without waiting for arguments to reason one into it. I am not particularly speaking of such a case as you have supposed about Mr. Bingley. We may as well wait, perhaps, till the circumstance occurs, before we discuss the discretion⁷ of his behaviour thereupon. But in general and ordinary cases between friend and friend, where one of them is desired by the other to change a resolution of no very great moment, should you think ill of that person for complying with the desire, without waiting to be argued into it?

“达西先生，我觉得你未免否定了友谊和感情对于一个人的影响。要知道，一个人如果尊重别人提出的要求，通常都是用不着说服就会心甘情愿地听从的。我并不是因为你说到彬格莱先生而就借题发挥。也许我们可以等到真有这种事情发生的时候，再来讨论他处理得是不适当。不过一般说来，朋友与朋友相处，遇到一件无关紧要的事情的时候，一个已经打定主意，另一个要他改变一下主意，如果被要求的人不等到到对方加以说服，就听众了对方的意见，你能说他有什么不是吗？”

Will it not be advisable, before we proceed on this subject, to arrange with rather more precision the degree of importance which is to appertain to this request, as well as the degree of intimacy⁸ subsisting⁹ between the parties?

“我们且慢讨论这个问题，不妨先仔仔细细研究一下，那个朋友提出的要求究竟重要到什么程度，他们两个人的交情又深到什么程度，这样好不好？”

By all means, cried Bingley; Let us hear all the particulars, not forgetting their comparative height and size; for that will have more weight in the argument, Miss Bennet, than you may be aware of. I assure you that if Darcy were not such a great tall fellow, in comparison with myself, I should not pay him half so much deference¹⁰. I declare I do not know a more aweful object than Darcy, on particular occasions, and in particular places; at his own house especially, and of a Sunday evening when he has nothing to do.

彬格莱大声说道：“好极了，请你仔仔细细讲吧，连到他们的身材的高矮和大小也别忘了讲，因为，班纳特小姐，你一定想象不到讨论起问题来的时候这一点是多么重要。老实对你说，要是达西先生不比我高那么多，大那么多，你才休想叫我那么尊敬他。在某些时候，某些场合，达西是个再讨厌不过的家伙──特别是礼拜天晚上在他家里，当他没有事情做的时候。”

1 dependant   

n.依靠的，依赖的，依赖他人生活者

参考例句：

• The dependent dependant cannot live independently.依靠别人的被赡养者不能独立生活。
• The fact that the woman is still regarded as the man's dependant.再加上女人仍被看作是男人的附属品这一事实。

2 disposition   

n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署

参考例句：

• He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
• He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。

3 atoned   

v.补偿，赎（罪）( atone的过去式和过去分词 )；补偿，弥补，赎回

参考例句：

• He atoned for his sin with life. 他以生命赎罪。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• She had atoned for everything by the sacrifice she had made of her life. 她用牺牲生命来抵偿了一切。 来自辞典例句

4 obstinacy   

n.顽固；（病痛等）难治

参考例句：

• It is a very accountable obstinacy.这是一种完全可以理解的固执态度。
• Cindy's anger usually made him stand firm to the point of obstinacy.辛迪一发怒，常常使他坚持自见，并达到执拗的地步。

5 propriety   

n.正当行为；正当；适当

参考例句：

• We hesitated at the propriety of the method.我们对这种办法是否适用拿不定主意。
• The sensitive matter was handled with great propriety.这件机密的事处理得极为适当。

6 persuasion   

n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派

参考例句：

• He decided to leave only after much persuasion.经过多方劝说，他才决定离开。
• After a lot of persuasion,she agreed to go.经过多次劝说后，她同意去了。

7 discretion   

n.谨慎；随意处理

参考例句：

• You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
• Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。

8 intimacy   

n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行

参考例句：

• His claims to an intimacy with the President are somewhat exaggerated.他声称自己与总统关系密切，这有点言过其实。
• I wish there were a rule book for intimacy.我希望能有个关于亲密的规则。

9 subsisting   

v.（靠很少的钱或食物）维持生活，生存下去( subsist的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human subsisting. 衪是完全的神又是完全的人，且有理性的灵魂和人类血肉之躯。 来自互联网
• The benevolence subsisting in her character draws her friends closer to her. 存在于她性格中的仁慈吸引她的朋友们接近她。 来自互联网

10 deference   

n.尊重，顺从；敬意

参考例句：

• Do you treat your parents and teachers with deference?你对父母师长尊敬吗？
• The major defect of their work was deference to authority.他们的主要缺陷是趋从权威。