《傲慢与偏见》中E与D的精彩对话之三 求婚(1)

标签:
求婚英文达西杂谈 |
Elizabeth was surprised,
but said not a word. After a silence of several minutes, he came
towards her in an agitated manner, and thus
began,
伊丽莎白感到惊讶,不过一句话也没说。这样沉默了几分钟,达西带着激动的神情走到她的跟前,这样开始说话了:
"In vain have I struggled.
It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow
me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."
“我竭力挣扎,但无济于事。这样下去是不行的。我的感情压制不住了。你一定得让我告诉你,我是多么热诚地仰慕你,爱着你。”
Elizabeth's astonishment
was beyond expression. She stared, coloured, doubted, and was
silent. This he considered sufficient encouragement, and the avowal
of all that he felt and had long felt for her immediately followed.
He spoke well, but there were feelings besides those of the heart
to be detailed, and he was not more eloquent on the subject of
tenderness than of pride. His sense of her inferiority -- of its
being a degradation -- of the family obstacles which judgment had
always opposed to inclination, were dwelt on with a warmth which
seemed due to the consequence he was wounding, but was very
unlikely to recommend his suit.
伊丽莎白惊讶得无法用言语形容。她两眼发愣,两颊泛红,满脸疑惑,一声不吭。他认为这是对他的充分鼓励,于是立即倾吐他对她的爱慕之情,而且别表白对她心仪已久。他讲得娓娓动听,不过除了坦陈心曲之外,还详细表明其他种种感情。他倾诉对她的柔情蜜意,同样也滔滔不绝地吐露自己的傲慢心情,谈得毫不逊色。他觉得她门第低微——他是降格以求——而家庭方面的障碍,又使得理智与情感发生冲突;他说得热情激动,好像是他自贬身价之故,不过这却不大可能对他求婚有利。
He spoke of
apprehension and anxiety, but his countenance expressed real
security. Such a circumstance could only exasperate farther, and
when he ceased, the colour rose into her cheeks, and she
said,
他虽说到惶恐和忧虑,但是他脸上流露出来的却是万无一失的神气。这种情况只能把人更加激怒,因此等他一停下来,她立刻双颊绯红,说道:
"In such cases as this, it
is, I believe, the established mode to express a sense of
obligation for the sentiments avowed, however unequally they may be
returned. It is natural that obligation should be felt, and if I
could feel gratitude, I would now thank you. But I cannot --
I have never desired your good opinion, and you have certainly
bestowed it most unwillingly. I am sorry to have occasioned pain to
any one. It has been most unconsciously done, however, and I hope
will be of short duration. The feelings which, you tell me, have
long prevented the acknowledgment of your regard, can have little
difficulty in overcoming it after this
explanation."
“在这种情况下,我相信,按照这种事的常规,既然一方表白了自己的深情厚谊,另一方总要表示感激之情,不管这种回报是否旗鼓相当。心生感激之情这是很自然的;如果我真能心生感激,我就现在就会向你道谢的。但是,我不能这样做——我从来没有期望得到你的美意,而且你刚才表达这番意思,也完全不是心甘情愿的。我给谁造成了痛苦,我都感到抱歉。然而,这完全是无意造成的,我希望这种痛苦很快就会过去。你给我说了,其他方面的种种看法,曾经长期阻碍你承认你的深情,现在,经过了这番解释,就不会再有什么困难来克服你这种深情了吧。”
Mr. Darcy, who was leaning
against the mantle-piece with his eyes fixed on her face, seemed to
catch her words with no less resentment than surprise. His
complexion became pale with anger, and the disturbance of his mind
was visible in every feature. He was struggling for the appearance
of composure, and would not open his lips, till he believed himself
to have attained it. The pause was to Elizabeth's feelings
dreadful. At length, in a voice of forced calmness, he
said,
达西先生这时正依着壁炉架,两眼盯在她的脸上,听了她讲的这番话,看来他的愤恨不亚于惊讶。他气的脸色发白,五官处处都显出心烦意乱的样子。他竭力装作镇定自若,不等到自己相信已经做到这点,他是不会开口的。这种沉默无言使伊丽莎白感到极其害怕。最后,他用一种强作镇定的口气说:
"And this is all the reply
which I am to have the honour of expecting! I might, perhaps, wish
to be informed why, with so little endeavour at civility, I
am thus rejected. But it is of small
importance."
“难道这就是我荣幸期待的答复吗!也许我可以有望得到指教:为什么毫不顾忌礼节就对我予以拒绝?不过这并不十分重要。”
"I might as well enquire,"
replied she, "why, with so evident a design of offending and
insulting me, you chose to tell me that you liked me against your
will, against your reason, and even against your character? Was not
this some excuse for incivility, if I was uncivil? But I
have other provocations. You know I have. Had not my own feelings
decided against you, had they been indifferent, or had they even
been favourable, do you think that any consideration would tempt me
to accept the man, who has been the means of ruining, perhaps for
ever, the happiness of a most beloved
sister?"
“我也要请问一下,”她回答说,“为什么你要这样明显的故意触犯我,侮辱我,还要告诉我,你喜欢我就是违背你的意志,违背你的理智,甚至还违背你的性格呢?即使我刚才真是无礼,难道这不是我无礼的某种起因吗?不过还有别的事情也让我恼怒。这也是你知道的。就算我对你没有反感——就算我自己毫不在乎,或者甚至就算我对你有好感,难道你认为会有什么能诱使我接受这样一个人吗?他曾经毁掉了,也许还是永远毁掉了我敬爱的姐姐的幸福!”