《傲慢与偏见》第1-2章 2012年 公选：《英语名篇赏析：小说与散文》
2011-03-30 21:32阅读：
《英语名篇赏析：小说与散文》课程材料
《傲慢与偏见》Chapter 1
IT is a truth universally
acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune
must be in want of a wife. 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.
'My dear Mr.
Bennet,' said his lady to him one day, 'have you heard that
Netherfield Park is let at last?'
Mr. Bennet
replied that he had not.
'But it is,'
returned she; 'for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me
all about it.'
Mr. Bennet made
no answer.
'Do not you want
to know who has taken it?' cried his wife impatiently.
'You want to
tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.'
This was
invitation enough.
'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.'
'What is his
name?'
'Bingley.'
'Is he married
or single?'
'Oh! single, my
dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five
thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!'
'How so? how can
it affect them?'
'My dear Mr.
Bennet,' replied his wife, 'how can you be so tiresome! You must
know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.'
'Is that his
design in settling here?'
'Design!
nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he may
fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as
soon as he comes.'
'I see no
occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them
by themselves, which perhaps will be still better; for, as you are
as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of
the party.'
'My dear, you
flatter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not
pretend to be any thing extraordinary now. When a woman has five
grown up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own
beauty.'
'In such cases,
a woman has not often much beauty to think of.'
'But, my dear,
you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the
neighbourhood.'
'It is more than
I engage for, I assure you.'
'But consider
your daughters. Only think what an establishment it would be for
one of them. Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined to go,
merely on that account, for in general, you know they visit no new
comers. Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for us to
visit him, if you do not.'
'You are
over-scrupulous, surely. I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very glad
to see you; and I will send a few lines by you to assure him of my
hearty consent to his marrying which ever he chuses of the girls;
though I must throw in a good word for my little
Lizzy.'
'I desire you
will do no such thing. Lizzy is not a bit better than the others;
and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane, nor half so good
humoured as Lydia. But you are always giving her the
preference.'
'They have none
of them much to recommend them,' replied he; 'they are all silly
and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of
quickness than her sisters.'
'Mr. Bennet, how
can you abuse your own children in such way? You take delight in
vexing me. You have no compassion on my poor nerves.'
'You mistake me,
my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old
friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these
twenty years at least.'
'Ah! you do not
know what I suffer.'
'But I hope you
will get over it, and live to see many young men of four thousand a
year come into the neighbourhood.'
'It will be no
use to us if twenty such should come, since you will not visit
them.'
'Depend upon it,
my dear, that when there are twenty I will visit them
all.'
Mr. Bennet was
so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and
caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years had been
insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Her mind
was less difficult to develope. She was a woman of mean
understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she
was discontented, she fancied herself nervous. The business of her
life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and
news.
《傲慢与偏见》Chapter2
MR. Bennet was among the
earliest of those who waited on Mr. Bingley. He had always intended
to visit him, though to the last always assuring his wife that he
should not go; and till the evening after the visit was paid, she
had no knowledge of it. It was then disclosed in the following
manner. Observing his second daughter employed in trimming a hat,
he suddenly addressed her with, 'I hope Mr. Bingley will like it,
Lizzy.'
'We are not in a
way to know what Mr. Bingley likes,' said her mother resentfully,
'since we are not to visit.'
'But you forget,
mama,' said Elizabeth, 'that we shall meet him at the assemblies,
and that Mrs. Long has promised to introduce him.'
'I do not
believe Mrs. Long will do any such thing. She has two nieces of her
own. She is a selfish, hypocritical woman, and I have no opinion of
her.'
'No more have
I,' said Mr. Bennet; 'and I am glad to find that you do not depend
on her serving you.'
Mrs. Bennet
deigned not to make any reply; but unable to contain herself, began
scolding one of her daughters.
'Don't keep
coughing so, Kitty, for heaven's sake! Have a little compassion on
my nerves. You tear them to pieces.'
'Kitty has no
discretion in her coughs,' said her father; 'she times them
ill.'
'I do not cough
for my own amusement,' replied Kitty fretfully.
'When is your
next ball to be, Lizzy?'
'To-morrow
fortnight.'
'Aye, so it is,'
cried her mother, 'and Mrs. Long does not come back till the day
before; so it will be impossible for her to introduce him, for she
will not know him herself.'
'Then, my dear,
you may have the advantage of your friend, and introduce Mr.
Bingley to her.'
'Impossible, Mr.
Bennet, impossible, when I am not acquainted with him myself; how
can you be so teazing?'
'I honour your
circumspection. A fortnight's acquaintance is certainly very
little. One cannot know what a man really is by the end of a
fortnight. But if we do not venture, somebody else will; and after
all, Mrs. Long and her nieces must stand their chance; and
therefore, as she will think it an act of kindness, if you decline
the office, I will take it on myself.'
The girls stared
at their father. Mrs. Bennet said only, 'Nonsense,
nonsense!'
'What can be the
meaning of that emphatic exclamation?' cried he. 'Do you consider
the forms of introduction, and the stress that is laid on them, as
nonsense? I cannot quite agree with you there. What say you, Mary?
for you are a young lady of deep reflection I know, and read great
books, and make extracts.'
Mary wished to
say something very sensible, but knew not how.
'While Mary is
adjusting her ideas,' he continued, 'let us return to Mr.
Bingley.'
'I am sick of
Mr. Bingley,' cried his wife.
'I am sorry to
hear that; but why did not you tell me so before? If I had known as
much this morning, I certainly would not have called on him. It is
very unlucky; but as I have actually paid the visit, we cannot
escape the acquaintance now.'
The astonishment
of the ladies was just what he wished; that of Mrs. Bennet perhaps
surpassing the rest; though when the first tumult of joy was over,
she began to declare that it was what she had expected all the
while.
'How good it was
in you, my dear Mr. Bennet! But I knew I should persuade you at
last. I was sure you loved our girls too well to neglect such an
acquaintance. Well, how pleased I am! and it is such a good joke,
too, that you should have gone this morning, and never said a word
about it till now.'
'Now, Kitty, you
may cough as much as you chuse,' said Mr. Bennet; and, as he spoke,
he left the room, fatigued with the raptures of his
wife.
'What an
excellent father you have, girls,' said she, when the door was
shut. 'I do not know how you will ever make him amends for his
kindness; or me either, for that matter. At our time of life, it is
not so pleasant I can tell you, to be making new acquaintance every
day; but for your sakes, we would do any thing. Lydia, my love,
though you are the youngest, I dare say Mr. Bingley will dance with
you at the next ball.'
'Oh!' said Lydia
stoutly, 'I am not afraid; for though I am the youngest, I'm the
tallest.'
The rest of the
evening was spent in conjecturing how soon he would return Mr.
Bennet's visit, and determining when they should ask him to
dinner.
