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06-03-傲慢与偏见 [28]

By Root 4650 0
相似。我们都不合群,不愿讲话,除非能语惊四座。”
  “我敢肯定你不是那样的人,”他回答道。“我说不上自己是或者不是。你显然认为我是那样的人。”
  她一言不发。
  “你们姊妹几个经常去麦里屯吗?”他继续问道。
  “经常去,”她回答说,心里憋不住,又补充说,“你上周在那儿见到我们时,我们刚被介绍给别人。”
  这句话立刻产生了效果。达西的脸上重新蒙上了一层阴冷的表情。停了片刻,他面露难色地说:“韦翰先生十分随和,结交朋友自然容易。至于能不能和朋友长久相处,那就很难说了。”
  “他真不走运,竟然失去了您的友谊,”伊丽莎白刻薄地说,“而且失去友谊的方式使他终生受罪。”达西没有回答,仅剩一点儿时间了,又谈了几句话,舞会就结束了。
  伊丽莎白走过去找到了简,兴高采烈地听她描述自己对彬格莱的感情,以及她如何坚信彬格莱对她也一往情深。但伊丽莎白似乎觉得,假如当初她们全家已达成一致,认为在舞会上出洋相越多越好的话,那么,他们这次表演是再成功不过的了,只有简是个例外。首先是柯林斯先生坚持要把自己介绍给达西先生,即他尊敬的保护人的外甥。而得到的反应却十分冷淡。接着是吃晚饭时班纳特太太禁不住大声地同卢卡斯夫人谈论她很有希望将简嫁给彬格莱。伊丽莎白意识到彬格莱姐妹和达西先生能听到这些话时,羞得两颊通红。最后是需要演奏音乐时,玛丽·班纳特走过去,充满自信地坐到钢琴前,演唱并弹奏了几首歌曲,都很糟糕。
  晚上剩下的时间没给伊丽莎白带来多少乐趣。她甚至不能脱身去和熟人说话,因为柯林斯先生似乎下定了决心整个晚上都傍在她身边形影不离。幸运的是,她的好友夏洛特·卢卡斯偶尔让她松了口气,十分和善地听听柯林斯先生的某些长篇大论。伊丽莎白至少不用和达西先生说话了。他经常站在她附近,形单影只,但又不凑近了说话。
  晚会结束时,伊丽莎白明显地感觉到,虽然她全家在舞会上玩得都很高兴,但彬格莱姐妹希望他们这批客人赶快离开。然而,柯林斯先生还兴致勃勃地称赞彬格莱全家的盛情款待,班纳特太太又邀请彬格莱全家尽早到浪搏恩去。她感到十分满意,确信三四个月以后,简就可以和彬格莱成婚了。她也肯定伊丽莎白将会嫁给柯林斯先生。对伊丽莎白这位她最不待见的女儿来说,这样的结合已经够可以的了,但是根本比不上简和彬格莱的婚姻来劲。


■ 5 Mr Collins proposes twice
  At Longbourn the next day,soon after breakfast,Mr Collins asked Mrs Bennet for permission to speak pri- vately to Elizabeth Mrs Bennet was delighted,and hurried the other girls out of the room,so that Elizabeth and Mr Collins were left alone together.Elizabeth did not want to stay,and got up to leave,but after a moment's thought,sat down again quietly,determined to listen and reply politely.
  ‘My dear Miss Elizabeth,said Mr Collins seriously,‘this little unwillingness to hear me,this modesty of yours,can only add to your other charms.You can hardly doubt the purpose of my speech.Almost as soon as I entered the house,I chose you as the companion of my future life.But before I am carried away by my feelings,I think I should state my reasons for marrying.
  Elizabeth was trying so hard not to laugh at the idea of Mr Collins being carried away by his feelings that she was unable to reply.
  ‘First,’he continued,‘it is right for a priest to marry,as an example to other people Secondly,I'm sure marriage will add greatly to my happiness,and thirdly,which perhaps I should have mentioned earlier,my generous patron has
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