名著精讀《傲慢與偏見》第七章 第5節

"This was a lucky idea of mine, indeed!" said Mrs. Bennet, more than once, as if the credit of making it rain were all her own. Till the next morning, however, she was not aware of all the felicity of her contrivance. Breakfast was scarcely over when a servant from Netherfield brought the following note for Elizabeth:

班納特太太一遍又一遍地說：“真虧我想出了這個好辦法！”好象天下雨老師她一手造成的。不過，她的神機妙算究竟造成了多大幸福，她一直到第二天早上才知道。早飯還沒吃完，尼日斐花園就打發了人送來一封信給伊麗莎白：

"My dearest Lizzy,

I FIND myself very unwell this morning, which, I suppose, is to be imputed to my getting wet through yesterday. My kind friends will not hear of my returning home till I am better. They insist also on my seeing Mr. Jones -- therefore do not be alarmed if you should hear of his having been to me -- and excepting a sore throat and head-ache, there is not much the matter with me.

Yours, &c."

我親愛的麗萃，──今晨我覺得很不舒服，我想這可能是昨天淋了雨的緣故。承蒙這兒好朋友們的關切，要我等到身體舒適一些纔回家來。朋友們再三要請釧斯醫生來替我看病，因此，要是你們他上我這兒來過，可別驚訝。我只不過有點兒喉嚨痛和頭痛，並沒有什麼大不了的毛病。───姐字。

"Well, my dear," said Mr. Bennet, when Elizabeth had read the note aloud, "if your daughter should have a dangerous fit of illness, if she should die, it would be a comfort to know that it was all in pursuit of Mr. Bingley, and under your orders."

伊麗莎白讀信的時候，班納特先生對他太太說：“唔，好太太，要是你的女兒得了重病──萬一她一病不起──倒也值得安慰呀，因爲她是奉了你命令去追求彬格萊先生的。”

"Oh! I am not at all afraid of her dying. People do not die of little trifling colds. She will be taken good care of. As long is she stays there, it is all very well. I would go and see her, if I could have the carriage."

“噢！她難道這麼一下子就會送命！哪有小傷風就會送命的道理。人家自會把她等候得好好的。只要她待在那兒，包管無事。倘使有車子的話，我也想去看看她。”

Elizabeth, feeling really anxious, was determined to go to her, though the carriage was not to be had; and as she was no horse-woman, walking was her only alternative. She declared her resolution.

真正着急的倒是伊麗莎白，她纔不管有車無車，決定非去一趟不可。她既然不會騎馬，唯一的辦法便只有步行。她把自己的打算說了出來。

"How can you be so silly," cried her mother, "as to think of such a thing, in all this dirt! You will not be fit to be seen when you get there."

她媽媽叫道：“你怎麼這樣蠢！路上這麼泥濘，虧你想得出來！等你走到那兒，你那副樣子怎麼見人。”

"I shall be very fit to see Jane -- which is all I want."

“我只要見到吉英就成。”

"Is this a hint to me, Lizzy," said her father, "to send for the horses?"

“麗萃，”她的父親說，“你的意思是叫我替你弄幾匹馬來駕馬車嗎？”

"No, indeed. I do not wish to avoid the walk. The distance is nothing, when one has a motive; only three miles. I shall be back by dinner."

“當然不是這個意思。我不怕步行，只要存心去，這點兒路算得上什麼。纔不過三英里路。我可以趕回來吃晚飯。”

"I admire the activity of your benevolence," observed Mary, "but every impulse of feeling should be guided by reason; and, in my opinion, exertion should always be in proportion to what is required."

這時曼麗說道：“你完全是出於一片手足之情，我很佩服，可是你千萬不能感情用事，你得有理智一點，而且我覺得盡力也不要盡得過分。“

"We will go as far as Meryton with you," said Catherine and Lydia. -- Elizabeth accepted their company, and the three young ladies set off together.

珈苔琳和麗迪雅同聲說道：“我們陪你到麥裏屯。”伊麗莎表示贊成，於是三位年輕的小姐就一塊兒出發了。

rivance n. 發明, 發明的才能, 想出的辦法

I have an ingenious contrivance to get her to sign the document without reading it.
我有一條不經她過目就簽署文件的妙計。

te [im'pju:t] vt. 歸罪, 使負責, 嫁禍

I impute his failure to laziness.
我把他的失敗歸咎於他的懶惰。

volence n. 善意, 慈悲, 善行

He is a man with benevolence.
他是一個有善心的人。

tion n. 努力, 發揮, 運用

He failed to lift the rock in spite of all his exertions.
他雖竭盡全力, 但仍然未能將那石頭搬起來。

1.I FIND myself very unwell this morning, which, I suppose, is to be imputed to my getting wet through yesterday.

【難句解析】be imputed to意思是“把...歸咎於...”;which指代I FIND myself very unwell this morning；

【句子翻譯】今晨我覺得很不舒服，我想這可能是昨天淋了雨的緣故。

distance is nothing, when one has a motive;

【難句解析】這裏的when相當於if;

【句子翻譯】只要存心去，這點兒路算得上什麼。