名著精讀《傲慢與偏見》第一章 第1節

本書被列爲經久不衰的世界十大小說名著之一，作者的創作風格歷經兩百年，至今仍影響着世界文壇上的一些作家。小說以愛情糾葛爲主線，描寫了富有喜劇色彩的四起姻緣，文筆辛辣而滑稽，發人深省。此版譯文忠實、準確、流暢，別具特色。

Chapter 1 第一章

IT is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

凡是有錢的單身漢，總想娶位太太，這已經成了一條舉世公認的真理。

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.

這樣的單身漢，每逢新搬到一個地方，四鄰八舍雖然完全不瞭解他的性情如何，見解如何，可是，既然這樣的一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一個女兒理所應得的一筆財產。

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

有一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，你聽說過沒有？”

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，一五一十地告訴了我。”

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.

“你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."

“既是你要說給我聽，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，你得知道，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；聽說他星期一那天，乘着一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?"

“這個人叫什麼名字？”

"Bingley."

“彬格萊。”

註釋:

Chaise:一種輕便馬車。上層階級人士多乘此類馬車。

Michaelmas:米迦勒節，九月二十九日。英國四結賬日之一，僱傭人、履行租約多在此日。