Chapter One
第壹章
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.
凡是有錢的單身漢，總想娶位太太，這已經成了壹條舉世公認的真理。這樣的單身漢，每逢新搬到壹個地方，四鄰八舍雖然完全不了解他的性情如何，見解如何，可是，既然這樣的壹條真理早已在人們心目中根深蒂固，因此人們總是把他看作自己某壹個女兒理所應得的壹筆財產。
"My dear Mr. Bennet," said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?"
有壹天班納特太太對她的丈夫說：“我的好老爺，尼日斐花園終於租出去了，妳聽說過沒有？”
Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.
班納特先生回答道，他沒有聽說過。
"But it is," returned she; "for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it."
“的確租出去了，”她說，“朗格太太剛剛上這兒來過，她把這件事的底細，壹五壹十地告訴了我。”
Mr. Bennet made no answer.
班納特先生沒有理睬她。
"Do not you want to know who has taken it?" cried his wife impatiently.
“妳難道不想知道是誰租去的嗎？”太太不耐煩地嚷起來了。
"You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it."
“既是妳要說給我聽，我聽聽也無妨。”
This was invitation enough.
這句話足夠鼓勵她講下去了。
"Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with it that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week."
“哦！親愛的，妳得知道，郎格太太說，租尼日斐花園的是個闊少爺，他是英格蘭北部的人；聽說他星期壹那天，乘著壹輛駟馬大轎車來看房子，看得非常中意，當場就和莫理斯先生談妥了；他要在‘米迦勒節’以前搬進來，打算下個周未先叫幾個傭人來住。”
"What is his name?"
“這個人叫什麽名字？”
"Bingley."
“彬格萊。”
"Is he married or single?"
“有太太的呢，還是單身漢？”
"Oh! single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!"
“噢！是個單身漢，親愛的，確確實實是個單身漢！壹個有錢的單身漢；每年有四五千磅的收入。真是女兒們的福氣！”
"How so? how can it affect them?"
“這怎麽說？關女兒女兒們什麽事？”
"My dear Mr. Bennet," replied his wife, "how can you be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them."
“我的好老爺，”太太回答道，“妳怎麽這樣叫人討厭！告訴妳吧，我正在盤算，他要是挑中我們壹個女兒做老婆，可多好！”
"Is that his design in settling here?"
“他住到這兒來，就是為了這個打算嗎？”
"Design! nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes."
“打算！胡扯，這是哪兒的話！不過，他倒作興看中我們的某壹個女兒呢。他壹搬來，妳就得去拜訪拜訪他。”
"I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better; for, as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party."
“我不用去。妳帶著女兒們去就得啦，要不妳幹脆打發她們自己去，那或許倒更好些，因為妳跟女兒們比起來，她們哪壹個都不能勝過妳的美貌,妳去了，彬格萊先生倒可能挑中妳呢？”
"My dear, you flatter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be any thing extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty."
“我的好老爺，妳太捧我啦。從前也的確有人贊賞過我的美貌，現在我可有敢說有什麽出眾的地方了。壹個女人家有了五個成年的女兒，就不該對自己的美貌再轉什麽念頭。”
"In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of."
“這樣看來，壹個女人家對自己的美貌也轉不了多少念頭嘍。”
"But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the neighbourhood."
“不過，我的好老爺，彬格萊壹搬到我們的鄰近來，妳的確應該去看看他。”
"It is more than I engage for, I assure you."
“老實跟妳說吧，這不是我份內的事。”
"But consider your daughters. Only think what an establishment it would be for one of them. Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined to go, merely on that account, for in general, you know they visit no new comers. Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for us to visit him, if you do not."
“看女兒的份上吧。只請妳想壹想，她們不論哪壹個，要是攀上了這樣壹個人家，夠多麽好。威廉爵士夫婦已經決定去拜望他，他們也無非是這個用意。妳知道，他們通常是不會拜望新搬來的鄰居的。妳的確應該去壹次，要是妳不去，叫我們怎麽去。”
"You are overscrupulous, surely. I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you; and I will send a few lines by you to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying which ever he chuses of the girls; though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy."
“妳實在過分心思啦。彬格萊先生壹定高興看到妳的；我可以寫封信給妳帶去，就說隨便他挑中我哪壹個女兒，我都心甘情願地答應他把她娶過去；不過，我在信上得特別替小麗萃吹噓幾句。”
"I desire you will do no such thing. Lizzy is not a bit better than the others; and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane, nor half so good humoured as Lydia. But you are always giving her the preference."
“我希望妳別這麽做。麗萃沒有壹點兒地方勝過別的幾個女兒；我敢說，論漂亮，她抵不上吉英壹半；論性子，好抵不上麗迪雅壹半。妳可老是偏愛她。”
"They have none of them much to recommend them," replied he; "they are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters."
“她們沒有哪壹個值得誇獎的，”他回答道；“他們跟人家的姑娘壹樣，又傻，又無知；倒是麗萃要比她的幾個姐妹伶俐些。”
"Mr. Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such way? You take delight in妳vexing me. You have no compassion on my poor nerves."
“我的好老爺，妳怎麽舍得這樣糟蹋自己的新生親生女兒？妳是在故意叫我氣惱，好讓妳自己得意吧。妳半點兒也不體諒我的神經衰弱。”
"You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least."
“妳真錯怪了我，我的好太太。我非常尊重妳的神經。它們是我的老朋友。至少在最近二十年以來，我壹直聽道妳慎重其事地提到它們。”
"Ah! you do not know what I suffer."
“啊！妳不知道我怎樣受苦呢！”
"But I hope you will get over it, and live to see many young men of four thousand a year come into the neighbourhood."
“不過我希望妳這毛病會好起來，那麽，象這種每年有四千鎊收入的闊少爺，妳就可以眼看著他們壹個個搬來做妳的鄰居了。”
"It will be no use to us if twenty such should come, since you will not visit them."
“妳既然不願意去拜訪他們，即使有二十個搬了來，對我們又有什麽好處！”
"Depend upon it, my dear, that when there are twenty I will visit them all."
“放心吧，我的好太太，等到有了二十個，我壹定去壹個個拜望到。”
Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Her mind was less difficult to develope. She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented, she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.
班納特先生真是個古怪人，他壹方面喜歡插科打渾，愛挖苦人，同時又不拘言笑，變幻莫測，真使他那位太太積二十三年之經驗，還摸不透他的性格。太太的腦子是很容易加以分析的。她是個智力貧乏、不學無術、喜怒無常的女人，只要碰到不稱心的事，她就以為神經衰弱。她生平的大事就是嫁女兒；她生平的安慰就是訪友拜客和打聽新聞。