以下內(nèi)容選自《傲慢與偏見》的第一章。男二彬格萊（Bingley）尚未登場(chǎng)，就引起了女主（伊麗莎白，也就是文中的Lizzy）父母的一場(chǎng)爭(zhēng)執(zhí)，班太太急著給女兒們找金龜婿，催丈夫去見彬格萊，卻被陰陽(yáng)怪氣地潑了冷水。班家父母永遠(yuǎn)聊不到一塊兒，班先生平常就愛宅家看書，不喜交際，典型的清高讀書人，很少有人能入他的法眼。而太太卻是心直口快，熱衷八卦、聚會(huì)和一切膚淺的事物，好死不死，她還喜歡拉著丈夫東扯西扯，自然成為班先生挖苦諷刺的重點(diǎn)對(duì)象。好在班太太不怎么介意丈夫的毒舌，也許是習(xí)慣了，也許是聽不懂。所以，家里盡管時(shí)有爭(zhēng)吵，但還是一番快樂(lè)祥和的氣氛。

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

眾所周知，一個(gè)有錢的單身男士，必定欠缺一個(gè)妻子。

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 the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.

不管他性情怎樣、三觀如何，當(dāng)這樣一位男性新來(lái)到一個(gè)地方，篤信這個(gè)真理的鄰居都把他視作自家女兒的合法財(cái)產(chǎn)。

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

“我親愛的班奈特先生，”這天班太太對(duì)丈夫說(shuō)，“你聽說(shuō)了嗎，尼日斐莊園終于租出去了？”

Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.

班先生回答沒聽說(shuō)。

“But it is,” returned she; “for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it.”

“但它真的出租了，”她回應(yīng)道；“因?yàn)閯偛怕√谶@兒，她把這事都跟我說(shuō)了?！?/p>

Mr. Bennet made no answer.

班先生不接話。

“Do you not want to know who has taken it?” cried his wife impatiently.

“你不想知道誰(shuí)租下它的嗎？”他太太不耐煩地提高了音量。

“You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.”

“你想告訴我，我還能不聽嗎？”

This was invitation enough.

這足夠讓太太往下說(shuō)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;

“哎呀，我親愛的，你要知道，隆太太說(shuō)，尼日斐的租客是個(gè)有錢的年輕人，他從英格蘭北方過(guò)來(lái)；

*注：當(dāng)時(shí)英格蘭北方工業(yè)革命如火如荼，許多企業(yè)家晉升社會(huì)新貴，而這個(gè)新鄰居就是個(gè)妥妥的富二代。

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;

他周一坐著四輪馬車來(lái)看地方，對(duì)那里十分滿意，立刻和莫里斯先生成交；

* chaise and four：由四匹馬牽拉的大馬車，是當(dāng)時(shí)達(dá)官貴人出門的標(biāo)配。

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.”

他打算在米迦勒節(jié)之前入住，他的一些傭人下周末前就會(huì)到房子里來(lái)。

* Michaelmas：米迦勒節(jié)（9月29日），為基督教節(jié)日，在當(dāng)時(shí)的英國(guó)通常是結(jié)算租金的日子。

“What is his name?”

“他貴姓？”

“Bingley.”

“彬格萊。”

“Is he married or single?”

“他成家沒？”

“Oh! Single, my dear, to be sure!

“哦！沒成家，我親愛的，還用說(shuō)！”

A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year.

一個(gè)巨有錢的單身小伙；一年收入五千英磅。

*根據(jù)奧斯汀的另一小說(shuō)《理智與情感》，500英鎊足夠負(fù)擔(dān)四口之家一年的房租、傭人和吃穿，可想彬格萊先生的5000英鎊為相當(dāng)高的年收入。

What a fine thing for our girls!”

這么好的事落在咱們閨女的頭上了！

“How so? How can it affect them?”

“何出此言？這對(duì)她們有何影響？”

“My dear Mr. Bennet,” replied his wife, “how can you be so tiresome!

“我親愛的班先生，”妻子回應(yīng)道，“你真煩人！

You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.”

你肯定知道，我想的是他能娶咱家一個(gè)女兒?！?/p>

“Is that his design in settling here?”

“他是抱著這個(gè)目的搬過(guò)來(lái)的？”

“Design! Nonsense, how can you talk so!

“目的！胡說(shuō)八道，你怎么這樣講話！

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.”

不過(guò)他沒準(zhǔn)會(huì)愛上咱們的一個(gè)女兒，因此他一過(guò)來(lái)你必須馬上去拜訪他?！?/p>

“I see no occasion for that.

“我看沒有那個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)。

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 may like you the best of the party.”

你和姑娘們可以去啊，或者你讓她們自己去，這應(yīng)該還好些，因?yàn)槟汩L(zhǎng)得不輸她們?nèi)魏我粋€(gè)，彬格萊先生可能最喜歡你哦?！?/p>

“My dear, you flatter me.

“我親愛的，你嘴巴真甜。

I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now.

我當(dāng)年確實(shí)長(zhǎng)得閉月羞花，但現(xiàn)在我可不要充什么大美女了。

When a woman has five grown-up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty.”

當(dāng)一個(gè)女人已經(jīng)養(yǎng)大了五個(gè)女兒，她不該再有心思關(guān)注自己的美貌了?！?/p>

“In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of.”

“這種情況下，一個(gè)女人也沒多少美貌可關(guān)注了?！?/p>

“But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the neighbourhood.”

“言歸正傳，我親愛的，你一定要去見彬格萊先生，在他搬過(guò)來(lái)的時(shí)候?！?/p>

“It is more than I engage for, I assure you.”

“這我可不能保證，我告訴你?！?/p>

“But consider your daughters.

“但想想你的女兒們。

Only think what an establishment it would be for one of them.

想想，對(duì)她們來(lái)說(shuō)，這是多么好的一門親事。

Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined to go, merely on that account, for in general, you know, they visit no newcomers.

威廉爵士夫妻一定要去的，也就是沖著這，因?yàn)橐话闱闆r下，你知道的，他們不會(huì)拜訪新鄰居。

Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for us to visit him if you do not.”

你真的一定要去，要是你不去，我們就不能見彬格萊?！?/p>

“You are over-scrupulous, surely.

“你太多慮了，真的。

I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you;

我敢說(shuō)彬格萊先生會(huì)很樂(lè)意見你的；

and I will send a few lines by you to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying whichever he chooses of the girls;

而且我會(huì)請(qǐng)你帶幾句話，讓他放心，不論他看上哪個(gè)小姑娘，我都會(huì)百分百支持他；

though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy.”

但是我一定得為我的小麗茲加句好話?！?/p>

“I desire you will do no such thing.

“我希望你不要做這種事。

Lizzy is not a bit better than the others;

麗茲沒有哪點(diǎn)比她姐妹強(qiáng)；

and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane, nor half so good-humoured as Lydia.

我很清楚，她不及簡(jiǎn)一半的漂亮，也沒有莉迪亞一半的好性子。

But you are always giving her the preference.”

可你老是偏向她?！?/p>

“They have none of them much to recommend them,” replied he;

“她們沒什么值得稱道的，”班先生答道；

“they are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters.”

“她們?nèi)际巧蛋滋?，和其他小姑娘一樣；但是麗茲比她姐妹們多一絲機(jī)靈?！?/p>

“Mr. Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such a way?

“班先生，你怎么能這樣詆毀自己的孩子？

You take delight in vexing me.

你就是喜歡氣我。

You have no compassion for my poor nerves.”

你一點(diǎn)都不顧惜我脆弱的神經(jīng)。”

“You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves.

“你誤會(huì)我了，我親愛的。我非常非常敬重你的神經(jīng)。

They are my old friends.

它們是我的老朋友了。

I have heard you mention them with consideration these last twenty years at least.”

至少最近二十年，我都在聽你鄭重其事地念叨它們。”

“Ah, you do not know what I suffer.”

“啊，你不懂我受的苦?！?/p>

“But I hope you will get over it, and live to see many young men of four thousand a year come into the neighbourhood.”

“但我希望你能克服它，好好活著，見證許多年入四千英鎊的小伙子來(lái)跟你做鄰居?！?/p>

“It will be no use to us, if twenty such should come, since you will not visit them.”

“哪怕來(lái)二十個(gè)富二代，對(duì)我們都毫無(wú)意義，因?yàn)槟悴蝗ヒ娝麄??！?/p>

“Depend upon it, my dear, that when there are twenty, I will visit them all.”

“請(qǐng)放心，我親愛的，當(dāng)湊夠二十，我一定會(huì)都去拜訪的。”

今天分享的初衷是出于對(duì)簡(jiǎn)·奧斯汀的喜歡，其次是希望借助雙語(yǔ)閱讀幫助到學(xué)英語(yǔ)的朋友。以我從業(yè)英語(yǔ)培訓(xùn)十多年（暴露年齡了）的經(jīng)驗(yàn)，多數(shù)學(xué)習(xí)者的瓶頸在于詞匯量，想表達(dá)的不知道該用什么詞，想看的書又太多生詞。而提升詞匯量的最佳方法，就是閱讀。

一位美國(guó)高中校長(zhǎng)曾經(jīng)對(duì)我說(shuō)，他不理解為什么中國(guó)的孩子人手一本詞匯書，要提高詞匯量，應(yīng)該去圖書館看書??！

現(xiàn)實(shí)是，很多人進(jìn)入了惡性循環(huán)：詞匯量小導(dǎo)致看不懂原版書，于是求助詞匯書想快速提高詞匯量，但是成效不好，更加抗拒原版書。

有國(guó)際高中二年級(jí)的孩子跟我說(shuō)，我也想看書的，我去看《傲慢與偏見》，但是看不下去，實(shí)在太難了。我跟她說(shuō)，你選錯(cuò)書了，你應(yīng)該去看《小豬佩奇》。如果詞匯量問(wèn)題拖得太久，就會(huì)出現(xiàn)這樣的矛盾——學(xué)習(xí)者已經(jīng)是成年人的心智，卻只有少兒的詞匯量。

好在，一些詞匯量要求不太高的兒童讀物也很適合大人，比如《小木屋》、《秘密花園》、《納尼亞傳奇》、《夏洛的網(wǎng)》……?作為新手媽媽，我常常被這些簡(jiǎn)單又美好的文字打動(dòng)，也熱衷于給學(xué)員安利?？上б恍┖⒆犹α?，上課、補(bǔ)習(xí)、音樂(lè)考級(jí)、運(yùn)動(dòng)比賽、刷短視頻、王者榮耀之外，留給閱讀的時(shí)間很少很少。他們最終還是傾向于通過(guò)報(bào)班學(xué)習(xí)來(lái)達(dá)到速成的效果。

也許，當(dāng)有一天，所有的大人小孩，都能靜下心來(lái)去享受閱讀，我們的“內(nèi)卷”才能真正結(jié)束吧。