201706015-chapter 11-《pride and prejudice 傲慢与偏见》精读
Chapter 11
Mrs. Bennet’s brother and sister-in-law, the Gardiners, came as usual to spend Christmas at Longbourn.
Mrs. Bennet had a lot to complain of to her sister: two of her girls had **been upon the point of **marriage, and but nothing came of it.
- '' 「be upon the point of…」正在……的时候
- '' 「nothing comes of it」nothing results from it，没有任何结果
“I do not blame Jane,” she continued, “for Jane would have got Mr. Bingley if she could.But Lizzy! Oh, sister! It is very hard to think that she_ might have been_ Mr. Collins’s wife by this time,_** had it not been **_for her own foolishness.He made her an offer in this very room, and she refused him. And so Lady Lucas will have a daughter married before I have,and Longbourn will no longer be ours after Mr. Bennet’s death.”
- '' 「very」，正是，恰好的（强调作用）
- 【 had it not been】是省略if的条件句，还原后为if it had not been…
When alone with Elizabeth afterward, Mrs. Gardiner spoke more on the subject.“Bingley would have been a good husband for Jane,” she said. “I am sorry it did not work out. But these things happen so often!
A young man so easily falls in love with a pretty girl for a few weeks, and when accident separates them, so easily forgets her.”
“But we do not suffer by accident,” said Elizabeth.
“It does not often happen that the interference (干涉) of friends will persuade a wealthy young man to think no more of a girl whom he was passionately in love with only a few days before.”
“But how passionate (热烈的) was Mr. Bingley’s love?”
“I never saw such a promising one: he was wholly fascinated (着迷) by her.At his own ball he offended two or three young ladies by not asking them to dance, and I spoke to him twice myself without receiving an answer.
Is not this kind of general rudeness to everyone the most reliable sign of love?”
“Of a certain kind of love, at least. I am sorry for Jane because, with her character, she may not get over it immediately.
But do you think she would go back with us? A change of scene and a little relief from home may be as useful as anything.”
Elizabeth was exceedingly (非常) pleased with this idea, and felt sure that her sister would agree.“I hope,” added Mrs. Gardiner, “that she will not expect to see this young man in London.
We live in a very different part of town, and do not go out much.”“And Mr. Darcy would never allow Bingley to call on Jane in such a part of London!
Mr. Darcy may perhaps have heard of your neighborhood,but ::if he were to actually visit it, he would have to bathe for a month before he felt himself clean again.::And Mr. Bingley never goes out without him.”
Mr. Collins returned to the area soon after, but spent his stay with the Lucases. The day of his marriage was now soon approaching.
Thursday was to be the wedding day, and on Wednesday Miss Lucas paid a visit to say her goodbyes.
When Charlotte rose to leave, Elizabeth walked with her out of the room. As they went downstairs together, Charlotte said:
“I will rely on hearing from you very often, Eliza.”
“You certainly shall.”
“And I have another favor to ask you. Will you come and see me?”
“We shall meet often, I hope, when you come to visit.”
“I do not think I will have a chance to leave my new home in Kent for quite a while. Promise me, therefore, to come to visit me there.”
Elizabeth could not refuse, although she did not think that it would be a very pleasant visit.“My father and my little sister Maria are coming to see me in March,” added Charlotte, “and I hope you will agree to join them.Really, Eliza, you will be as welcome as either of them.”
The wedding took place. The bride and bridegroom set off for Kent from the church door, and everybody had as much to say on the subject as usual.
Elizabeth soon heard from Charlotte, and their communication was as regular and frequent as it had ever been.However, it was impossible that it could remain as free and easy as it had been previously.
Jane had already written a few lines to her sister to say that she and the Gardiners had arrived safely in London.She wrote again when she had seen Miss Bingley.“I did not think that Caroline looked happy,” Jane wrote, “but she was very glad to see me.I asked about her brother, of course. She said he was well, but so busy with Mr. Darcy that she said she hardly ever saw him.My visit was not long, as Caroline was preparing to go out. I am sure I will soon see them here.”
Elizabeth shook her head over this letter. ::It convinced (使确信) her that **only through **some lucky accident could Mr. Bingley discover that Jane was in London.::
'' *【 only through…could sb do…】是一个部分倒装句，当“only+状语”这一结构出现在句首时，需要部分倒装
Four weeks passed, and Jane did not see him once.
She tried to convince (使确信) herself that she did not regret it, but she could no longer ignore that Miss Bingley did not visit her often.
The letter which she wrote on this subject to her sister showed how she felt.
MY DEAREST LIZZY,
I will admit here that I was entirely mistaken about Miss Bingley’s affection for me.Caroline did not return my visit until yesterday, and I did not receive a single note in the meantime.When she did come, it was very obvious that she took no pleasure in doing so.Miss Bingley mentioned something about their never returning to Netherfield again, but could not say it with any certainty. We had better not mention it.
YOURS, JANE.
This letter gave Elizabeth some distress (痛苦) . She felt a bit better when she considered that Jane would no longer be fooled, by the sister at least.
She no longer had any expectations whatsoever for the brother, and would not even hope that he would ever again show interest in her sister.
Mrs. Bennet continued to wonder and despair whether he would not return again, and there seemed little chance that she would ever** think of it with less confusion and frustration** (挫折) .
Mr. Bennet treated the matter differently. “So, Lizzy,” said he one day, “your sister is disappointed in love.
I congratulate her. Next to being married, a girl likes to be disappointed in love now and then.
When will it be your turn? Let Wickham be your man. He is a pleasant fellow, and would do an excellent job of breaking your heart.”“Thank you, sir, but a less pleasant man would satisfy me. We must not all expect Jane’s good fortune.”
Elizabeth had recently received somewhat distressing (悲伤的) information concerning Mr. Wickham.His supposed affection for her had passed, and he was now the admirer of someone else, Miss King.
This young lady to whom Wickham now turned his attentions was made more charming by having recently inherited a sum of nearly ten thousand pounds.
Elizabeth could think of it without any heartache . Her heart had been touched only slightly, and she did not blame him for seeking a means of supporting himself.
She instead chose to try and open her mind, and accept the idea that handsome young men must have something to live on just as ordinary-looking ones do.
- **Upon the point of **在……的时候