Pride and Prejudicee

Jane Austenn

《傲慢與偏见》（Pride and Prejudice）是英国女小说家简·奥斯汀的长篇小说。

小说描写了乡绅班纳特五个待字闺中的千金的生活，主角是二女儿伊丽莎白。她在一次舞会上认识了一位年轻的绅士达西，但是耳闻他为人傲慢，就一直对他心生排斥。经历了一番周折，伊丽莎白终于消除了对达西的偏见，达西也不再傲慢，有情人终成眷属。

这部作品以日常生活为素材，一反当时社会上流行的感伤小说矫揉造作的写作手法，生动地反映了18世纪末到19世纪初处于保守和闭塞状态下的英国乡镇生活和人情世态。它多次被改编成电影和电视剧。

本文节选自《傲慢与偏见》第六十章。

INSTEAD of receiving any such letter of excuse from his friend，as Elizabeth half expected Mr. Bingley to do，he was able to bring Darcy with him to Longbourn before many days had passed after Lady Catherine’s visit. The gentlemen arrived early；and，before Mrs. Bennet had time to tell him of their havingseenhisaunt，ofwhichherdaughtersat in momentary dread，Bingley，who wanted to be alone with Jane，proposed their all walking out. It was agreed to. Mrs. Bennet was not in the habit of walking；Mary could never spare time；but the remaining five set off together. Bingley and Jane，however，soonallowedtheothersto outstrip them. They lagged behind，while Elizabeth，Kitty，and Darcy were to entertain each other. Very little was said by either；Kitty was too much afraid of him to talk；Elizabeth was secretly forming a desperate resolution；and perhaps he might be doing the same.

They walked towards the Lucases，because Kitty wished to call upon Maria；and as Elizabeth saw no occasion for making it a general concern，when Kitty left them she went boldly on with himalone.Nowwasthemomentforherresolutiontobeexecuted，and，while her courage was high，she immediately said，

“Mr. Darcy，I am a very selfish creature；and，for the sake of giving relief to my own feelings，care not how much I may be wounding your’s. I can no longer help thanking you for your unexampled kindness to my poor sister. Ever since I have known it，I have been most anxious to acknowledge to you how gratefully I feel it. Were it known to the rest of my family，I should not have merely my own gratitude to express.”

“I am sorry，exceedingly sorry，”replied Darcy，in a tone of surprise and emotion，“that you have ever been informed of what may，in a mistaken light，have given you uneasiness. I did not think Mrs. Gardiner was so little to be trusted.”

“You must not blame my aunt. Lydia’s thoughtlessness first betrayed to me that you had been concerned in the matter；and，of course，I could not rest till I knew the particulars. Let me thank you again and again，in the name of all my family，for that generous compassion which induced you to take so much trouble，and bear so many mortifications，for the sake of discovering them.”

“If you will thank me，”he replied，“let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on，I shall not attempt to deny. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them，I believe I thought only of you.”

Elizabeth was too much embarrassed to say a word. After a shortpause，her companion added，“Youaretoo generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April，tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged，but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever.”

Elizabeth，feeling all the more than common awkwardness and anxiety of his situation，now forced herself to speak；and immediately，though not very fluently，gave him to understand that her sentiments had undergone so material a change，since the period to which he alluded，as to make her receive with gratitude and pleasure his present assurances. The happiness which this reply produced，was such as he had probably never felt before；and he expressed himself on the occasion as sensibly and as warmly as a man violently in love can be supposed to do. Had Elizabeth been able to encounter his eye，she might have seen how well the expression of heartfelt delight，diffused over his face，became him；but，though she could not look，she could listen，and he told her of feelings，which，in proving of what importance she was to him，made his affection every moment more valuable.

They walked on，without knowing in what direction. There was too much to be thought，and felt，and said，for attention to any other objects. She soon learnt that they were indebted for their present good understanding to the efforts of his aunt，who did call on him in her return through London，and there relate her journey to Longbourn，its motive，and the substance of her conversation with Elizabeth；dwelling emphatically on every expression of the latter which，in her ladyship’s apprehension，peculiarly denoted her perverseness and assurance；in the belief that such a relation must assist her endeavours to obtain that promise from her nephew which she had refused to give. But，unluckily for her ladyship，its effect had been exactly contrariwise.

“It taught me to hope，”said he，“as I had scarcely ever allowed myself to hope before. I knew enough of your disposition to be certain that，had you been absolutely，irrevocably decided against me，you would have acknowledged it to Lady Catherine，frankly and openly.”

Elizabeth coloured and laughed as she replied，“Yes，you know enough of my frankness to believe me capable of that. After abusing you so abominably to your face，I could have no scruple in abusing you to all your relations.”

“What did you say of me，that I did not deserve？For，though your accusations were ill- founded，formed on mistaken premises，my behaviour to you at the time had merited the severest reproof. It was unpardonable. I cannot think of it without abhorrence.”

“We will not quarrel for the greater share of blame annexed to that evening，”said Elizabeth.“The conduct of neither，if strictly examined，will be irreproachable；but since then，we have both，I hope，improved in civility.”

“I cannot be so easily reconciled to myself. The recollection of what I then said，of my conduct，my manners，my expressions during the whole of it，is now，and has been many months，inexpressibly painful to me. Your reproof，so well applied，I shall never forget：”had you behaved in a more gentleman-like manner.“Those were your words. You know not，you can scarcely conceive，how they have tortured me；though it was some time，I confess，before I was reasonable enough to allow their justice.”

“I was certainly very far from expecting them to make so strong an impression. I had not the smallest idea of their being ever felt in such a way.”

“I can easily believe it. You thought me then devoid of every proper feeling，I am sure you did. The turn of your countenance I shall never forget，as you said that I could not have addressed you in any possible way that would induce you to accept me.”

“Oh！do not repeat what I then said. These recollections will not do at all. I assure you that I have long been most heartily ashamed of it.”

彬格萊先生非但没有如伊丽莎白所料，接到他朋友不能履约的道歉信，而且在咖苔琳夫人来过以后没有几天，就带着达西一同来到浪搏恩。两位贵客来得很早。吉英坐在那儿时时刻刻担心，唯恐母亲把达西的姨母来访的消息当面告诉达西，好在班纳特太太还没有来得及说这件事，彬格莱就提议出去散步，因为他想和吉英单独呆在一块儿。大家都同意。班纳特太太没有散步的习惯，曼丽又从来不肯浪费时间，于是一同出去的只有五个人。彬格莱和吉英马上就让别人走在前头，自己在后边走，让伊丽莎白、吉蒂和达西三个人去互相应酬。三个人都不大说话：吉蒂很怕达西，因此不敢说话；伊丽莎白正在暗地里下最大的决心；达西或许也是一样。

他们向卢卡斯家里走去，因为吉蒂想要去看看玛丽亚；伊丽莎白觉得用不着大家都去，于是等吉蒂离开了他们以后，她就大着胆子跟他继续往前走。现在是她拿出决心来的时候了；她便立刻鼓起勇气跟他说；

“达西先生，我是个自私自利的人，我只想叫自己心里痛快，也不管是否会伤害你的情感。你对我那位可怜的妹妹情义太重，我再也不能不感激你了。我自从知道了这件事情以后，一心就想对你表达谢意；要是我家里人全都知道了，那么就不止我一个要感激你了。”

“我很抱歉，我真抱歉，”达西先生又是惊奇又是激动。“这件事要是以错误的眼光去看，也许会使你觉得不好受，想不到竟会让你知道。我没有料到嘉丁纳太太这样不可靠。”

“你不应该怪我舅母。只因为丽迪雅自己不留神，先露出了口风，我才知道你牵涉在这件事情里面；那么我不打听个清楚明白，当然不肯罢休。让我代表我全家人谢谢你，多谢你本着一片同情心，不怕麻烦，受尽委屈，去找他们。”

达西说：“如果你当真要谢我，你只用表明你自己的谢意。不用否认，我之所以做得那么起劲，除了别的原因以外，也是为了想要使你高兴。你家里人不用感谢我。我虽然尊敬他们，可是当时我心里只想到你一个人。”

伊丽莎白窘得一句话也说不出来。过了片刻工夫，只听得她的朋友又说：“你是个爽快人，决不会开我的玩笑。请你老实告诉我，你的心意是否还是和四月里一样。我的心愿和情感依然如旧，只要你说一句话，我便再也不提起这桩事。”

伊丽莎白听他这样表明心迹，越发为他感到不安和焦急，便不得不开口说话。她立刻吞吞吐吐地告诉他说，自从他刚刚提起的那个时期到现在，她的心意已经起了很大的变化，现在她愿意以愉快和感激的心情来接受他这一番盛情美意。这个回答简直使他感到从来没有过的快乐，他正像一个狂热的人一样，立刻抓住这个机会，无比热烈地向她倾诉衷肠。要是伊丽莎白能够抬起头来看看他那双眼睛，她就可以看出，他那满脸喜气洋洋的神气，使他变得多么漂亮；她虽然不敢看他的脸色，却敢听他的声音；只听得他把千丝万缕的感情都告诉了她，说她在他心目中是多么重要，使她越听越觉得他情感的宝贵。

他们只顾往前走，连方向也不辨别一下。他们有多少心事要想，多少情感要去体会，多少话要谈。实在无心去注意别的事情，她马上就认识到，这次双方之所以会取得这样的谅解，还得归功于他姨母的一番努力，原来他姨母回去的时候，路过伦敦果真去找过他一次，把她自己到浪搏恩来的经过、动机，以及和伊丽莎白谈话的内容，都一一告诉了他，特别把伊丽莎白的一言一语说得十分详细，凡是她老人家认为嚣张乖怪、厚颜无耻的地方，都着重地说了又说，认为这样一来，纵使伊丽莎白不肯答应取消这门亲事，她姨侄一定会亲口承诺。不过，也是老夫人该倒霉，效果恰恰相反。

他说：“以前我几乎不敢奢望，这一次倒觉得事情有了希望。我完全了解你的脾气，我想，假若你当真恨我入骨，再也没有挽回的余地，那你一定会在咖苔琳夫人面前照直说出来。”

伊丽莎白涨红了脸，一面笑，一面说：“这话不假，你知道我为人直爽，因此才相信我会做到那种地步。我既然能够当着你自己的面，深恶痛绝地骂你，自然也会在你任何亲戚面前骂你。”

“你骂我的话，哪一句不是活该？虽然你的指责都没有根据，都是听到人家以讹传讹，可是我那次对你的态度，实在应该受到最严厉的责备。那是不可原谅的。我想起这件事来，就免不了痛恨自己。”

伊丽莎白说：“那天下午的事，究竟应该谁多负责任，我们也用不着争论了，严格说来，双方的态度都不好，不过从那次以后，我觉得我们双方都比较有礼貌些了。”

“我心里实在过意不去。几个月以来，一想起我当时说的那些话，表现出的那种行为，那种态度，那种表情，我就觉得说不出的难过。你骂我的话，确实骂得好，叫我一辈子也忘不了。你说：‘假如你表现得有礼貌一些就好了。’你不知道你这句话使我多的痛苦，你简直无从想象；不过，说老实话，我也还是过了好久才明白过来，承认你那句话骂得对。”

“我万万想不到那句话对你有那样大的影响。我完全没有料到那句话竟会叫你难受。”

“你这话我倒很容易相信。你当时认为我没有一丝一毫真正的感情，我相信你当时一定是那样的想法。我永远也忘不了，当时你竟翻了脸，你说，不管我怎样向你求婚，都不能打动你的心，叫你答应我。”

“哎哟，我那些话你也不必再提，提起来未免不像话。告诉你，我自己也早已为那件事觉得难为情了。”