Pride and Prejudice

 (An Excerpt from Chapter One)

Jane Austin

 

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 neighborhood, 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.

“My dear Mr. Bennet,” said his lady to him one day, “have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?”

Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.

“But it is,” returned she; “for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it.”

Mr. Bennet made no answer.

“Do not you want to know who has taken it?” cried his wife impatiently.

“You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.”

This was invitation enough.

“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.”

“What is his name?”

“Bingley.”

“Is he married or single?”

“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!”

“How so? How can it affect them?”

“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.”

“Is that his design in settling here?”

“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.”

“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.”

 

 

译文一：王科一译《傲慢与偏见》，上海译文出版社1980年6月出版

 

《傲慢与偏见》

简·奥斯丁

 

凡是有钱的单身汉，总想娶位太太，这已经成了一条举世公认的真理。

这样的单身汉，每逢新搬到一个地方，四邻八舍虽然完全不了解他的性情如何，见解如何，可是，既然这样的一条真理早已在人们心目中根深蒂固，因此人们总是把他看作自己某一个女儿理所应得的一笔财产。

有一天，班纳特太太对她的丈夫说：“我的好老爷，尼日斐花园终于租出去了，你听说过没有？”

班纳特先生回答道，他没有听说过。

“的确租出去了，”她说，“郎格太太刚刚上这儿来过，她把这件事的底细，一五一十地都告诉了我。”

班纳特先生没有理睬她。

“你难道不想知道是谁租去的吗？”太太不耐烦地嚷起来了。

“既是你要说给我听，我听了也无妨。”

这句话足够鼓励她讲下去了。

“哦，亲爱的，你得知道，朗格太太说，租尼日斐花园的是个阔少爷，他是英格兰北部的人；听说他星期一那天，乘着一辆驷马大轿车来看房子，看得非常中意，当场就和莫理斯先生谈妥了；他要在‘米迦勒节’以前搬进来，打算下个周末先叫几个佣人来住。”

“这人叫什么名字？”

“彬格莱。”

“有太太的呢，还是个单身汉？”

“噢！是个单身汉，亲爱的，确确实实是个单身汉！一个有钱的单身汉；每年有四五千镑的收入。真是女儿们的福气！”

“这怎么说？关女儿们什么事？”

“我的好老爷，”太太回答道，“你怎么这么叫人讨厌！告诉你吧，我正在盘算，他要是挑中我们的一个女儿做老婆，可多好！”

“他住到这儿来，就是为了这个打算吗？”

“打算！胡扯，这是那儿的话！不过，他倒作兴看中我们的某一个女儿呢。他一搬来，你就得去拜访拜访他。”

“我不用去。你带着女儿们去就得啦，要不你干脆打发她们自已去，那或许倒更好些，因为你跟女儿们比起来，她们哪能一个都不能胜过你的美貌，你去了，彬格莱先生倒可能挑中你呢。”

                                      

 

译文二：孙致礼译《傲慢与偏见》，译林出版社1990年7月出版

 

《傲慢与偏见》

简·奥斯丁

 

有钱的单身汉总要娶位太太，这是一条举世公认的真理。

这条真理还真够深入人心的，每逢这样的单身汉新搬到一个地方，四邻八舍的人家尽管对他的性情见识一无所知，却把他视为自己某一个女儿的合法财产。

“亲爱的贝内特先生，”一天，贝内特太太对丈夫说道，“你有没有听说内瑟菲尔德庄园终于租出去了？”

贝内特先生回答道，没有听说。

“的确租出去了，”太太说道。“朗太太刚刚来过，她把这事一五一十地全告诉我了。”

贝内特先生没有答话。

“难道你不想知道是谁租去的吗？”太太不耐烦地嚷道。

“既然你想告诉我，我听听也无妨。”

这句话足以逗引太太讲下去了。

“哦，亲爱的，你应该知道，朗太太说，内瑟菲尔德让英格兰北部的一个阔少爷租去了；他星期一那天乘坐一辆驷马马车来看房子，看得非常中意，当下就和莫里斯先生讲妥了；他打算赶在米迦勒节以前搬进新居，下周末以前打发几个佣人先住进来。”

“他姓什么？”

“宾利。”

“成亲了还是单身？”

“哦！单身，亲爱的，千真万确！一个有钱的单身汉，每年有四五千镑的收入。真是女儿们的好福气！”

“这是怎么说？跟女儿们有什么关系？”

“亲爱的贝内特先生，”太太答道，“你怎么这么令人讨厌！告诉你吧，我正在思谋他娶她们中的一个做太太呢。”

“他搬到这里就是为了这个打算？”

“打算！胡扯，你怎么能这么说话！他兴许会看中她们中的哪一个，因此，他一来你就得拜访他。”

“我看没有那个必要。你带着女儿们去就行啦，要不你索性打发她们自己去，这样或许更好些，因为你的姿色并不亚于她们中的任何一个，你一去，宾利先生倒作兴看中你呢。”