名著精讀《傲慢與偏見》第三章 第2節

An invitation to dinner was soon afterwards dispatched; and already had Mrs. Bennet planned the courses that were to do credit to her housekeeping, when an answer arrived which deferred it all. Mr. Bingley was obliged to be in town the following day, and consequently unable to accept the honour of their invitation, &c. Mrs. Bennet was quite disconcerted. She could not imagine what business he could have in town so soon after his arrival in Hertfordshire; and she began to fear that he might be always flying about from one place to another, and never settled at Netherfield as he ought to be. Lady Lucas quieted her fears a little by starting the idea of his being gone to London only to get a large party for the ball; and a report soon followed that Mr. Bingley was to bring twelve ladies and seven gentlemen with him to the assembly.

班府上不久就發請貼請他吃飯；班納特太太已經計劃了好幾道菜，每道菜都足以增加她的體面，說明她是個會當家的賢主婦，可是事不湊巧，彬格萊先生第二天非進城不可，他們這一番盛意叫他無法領情，因此回信給他們，說是要遲一遲再說。班納特太太大爲不安。她想，此人剛來到哈福德郡，怎麼就要進城有事，於是她開始擔心思了；照理他應該在尼日斐花園安安定定住下來，看現在的情形，莫不是他經常都得這樣東漂西泊，行蹤不定？虧得盧卡斯太太對她說，可能他是到倫敦去邀請那一大羣客人來參加舞會，這才使她稍許減除了一些顧慮。

The girls grieved over such a large number of ladies; but were comforted the day before the ball by hearing that, instead of twelve, he had brought only six with him from London, his five sisters and a cousin. And when the party entered the assembly room, it consisted of only five altogether; Mr. Bingley, his two sisters, the husband of the oldest, and another young man.

外面馬上就紛紛傳說彬格萊先生並沒有帶來十二個女賓，僅僅只帶來六個，其中五個是他自己的姐妹，一個是表姐妹，這個消息才使小姐們放了心。後來等到這羣貴客走進舞場的時候，卻一共只有五個人－－彬格萊先生，他的兩個姐妹，姐夫，還有另外一個青年。

Mr. Bingley was good looking and gentlemanlike; he had a pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners. His brother-in-law, Mr. Hurst, merely looked the gentleman; but his friend Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien; and the report which was in general circulation within five minutes after his entrance, of his having ten thousand a year.

彬格萊先生儀表堂堂，大有紳士風度，而且和顏悅色，沒有拘泥做作的氣習。他的姐妹也都是些優美的女性，態度落落大方。他的姐夫赫斯脫只不過像個普通紳士，不大引人注目，但是他的朋友達西卻立刻引起全場的注意，因爲他身材魁偉，眉清目秀，舉止高貴，於是他進場不到五分鐘，大家都紛紛傳說他每年有一萬磅的收入。

The gentlemen pronounced him to be a fine figure of a man, the ladies declared he was much handsomer than Mr. Bingley, and he was looked at with great admiration for about half the evening, till his manners gave a disgust which turned the tide of his popularity; for he was discovered to be proud, to be above his company, and above being pleased; and not all his large estate in Derbyshire could then save him from having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared with his friend.

男賓們都稱讚他的一表人才，女賓們都說他比彬格萊先生漂亮得多。人們差不多有半個晚上都帶着愛慕的目光看着他。最後人們才發現他爲人驕傲，看不起人，巴結不上他，因此對他起了厭惡的感覺，他那衆望所歸的極盛一時的場面才黯然失色。他既然擺起那麼一副討人嫌惹人厭的面貌，那麼，不管他在德比郡有多大的財產，也挽救不了他，況且和他的朋友比起來，他更沒有什麼大不了。

atch vt. 派遣; 迅速解決

A messenger was dispatched to take the news to the soldiers at the front.
一名通訊員被派去給前線士兵送消息。

r vt. 延期, 緩召, 把...委託給他人 vi. 耽擱, 延誤, 遵從

I shall defer replying till I hear from home.
我將等接到家信以後再給你答覆。

oncerted adj. 不安的, 驚慌的

He is disconcerted to find the other guest formally dress.
他看到其他客人都穿得正正經經的, 覺得很尷尬。

tenance n. 面容, 面部表情, 支持

His countenance fell.
他愁眉不展。

fected adj. 不矯揉造作的, 自然的, 不裝飾的

The man looks natural and unaffected.
此人神情瀟灑。

[mi:n] n. 風采, 態度

The young girl in the picture has a thoughtful and solemn mien.
畫中的年輕女孩帶着一副沉思而又嚴肅的神態。

ust n. 厭惡, 嫌惡 v. 令人厭惡

She turned away in disgust.
她厭惡地轉過臉去。

invitation to dinner was soon afterwards dispatched; and already had Mrs. Bennet planned the courses that were to do credit to her housekeeping, when an answer arrived which deferred it all.

【難句解析】do credit to的意思是“爲...帶來光榮，提高...的身價”；when指代的時間與planned一致；

【句子翻譯】班府上不久就發請貼請他吃飯；班納特太太已經計劃了好幾道菜，每道菜都足以增加她的體面，說明她是個會當家的賢主婦，這時對方回信說要遲一遲。

2. Lady Lucas quieted her fears a little by starting the idea of his being gone to London only to get a large party for the ball;

【難句解析】這句話相當於Lady Lucas quieted her fears a little by saying that his...

【句子翻譯】虧得盧卡斯太太對她說，可能他是到倫敦去邀請那一大羣客人來參加舞會，這才使她稍許減除了一些顧慮。

he was discovered to be proud, to be above his company, and above being pleased; and not all his large estate in Derbyshire could then save him from having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared with his friend.

【難句解析】above one's company 意思是“看不起人、不合羣”；above being pleased意思是“不屑於被巴結”；save one from...挽救某人於...境地；

【句子翻譯】因爲人們發現他爲人驕傲，看不起人，巴結不上他，因此對他起了厭惡的感覺，他那衆望所歸的極盛一時的場面才黯然失色。他既然擺起那麼一副討人嫌惹人厭的面貌，那麼，不管他在德比郡有多大的財產，也挽救不了他，況且和他的朋友比起來，他更沒有什麼大不了。