Jane Austenn

《傲慢與偏見》（Pride and Prejudice）是英國女小說家簡·奧斯汀的長篇小說。

小說描寫了鄉(xiāng)紳班納特五個(gè)待字閨中的千金的生活，主角是二女兒伊麗莎白。她在一次舞會上認(rèn)識了一位年輕的紳士達(dá)西，但是耳聞他為人傲慢，就一直對他心生排斥。經(jīng)歷了一番周折，伊麗莎白終于消除了對達(dá)西的偏見，達(dá)西也不再傲慢，有情人終成眷屬。

這部作品以日常生活為素材，一反當(dāng)時(shí)社會上流行的感傷小說矯揉造作的寫作手法，生動地反映了18世紀(jì)末到19世紀(jì)初處于保守和閉塞狀態(tài)下的英國鄉(xiāng)鎮(zhèn)生活和人情世態(tài)。它多次被改編成電影和電視劇。

本文節(jié)選自《傲慢與偏見》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，“l(fā)et 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.”

彬格萊先生非但沒有如伊麗莎白所料，接到他朋友不能履約的道歉信，而且在咖苔琳夫人來過以后沒有幾天，就帶著達(dá)西一同來到浪搏恩。兩位貴客來得很早。吉英坐在那兒時(shí)時(shí)刻刻擔(dān)心，唯恐母親把達(dá)西的姨母來訪的消息當(dāng)面告訴達(dá)西，好在班納特太太還沒有來得及說這件事，彬格萊就提議出去散步，因?yàn)樗牒图为?dú)呆在一塊兒。大家都同意。班納特太太沒有散步的習(xí)慣，曼麗又從來不肯浪費(fèi)時(shí)間，于是一同出去的只有五個(gè)人。彬格萊和吉英馬上就讓別人走在前頭，自己在后邊走，讓伊麗莎白、吉蒂和達(dá)西三個(gè)人去互相應(yīng)酬。三個(gè)人都不大說話：吉蒂很怕達(dá)西，因此不敢說話；伊麗莎白正在暗地里下最大的決心；達(dá)西或許也是一樣。

他們向盧卡斯家里走去，因?yàn)榧傧胍タ纯船旣悂啠灰聋惿子X得用不著大家都去，于是等吉蒂離開了他們以后，她就大著膽子跟他繼續(xù)往前走?，F(xiàn)在是她拿出決心來的時(shí)候了；她便立刻鼓起勇氣跟他說；

“達(dá)西先生，我是個(gè)自私自利的人，我只想叫自己心里痛快，也不管是否會傷害你的情感。你對我那位可憐的妹妹情義太重，我再也不能不感激你了。我自從知道了這件事情以后，一心就想對你表達(dá)謝意；要是我家里人全都知道了，那么就不止我一個(gè)要感激你了?！?/p>

“我很抱歉，我真抱歉，”達(dá)西先生又是驚奇又是激動?！斑@件事要是以錯(cuò)誤的眼光去看，也許會使你覺得不好受，想不到竟會讓你知道。我沒有料到嘉丁納太太這樣不可靠?！?/p>

“你不應(yīng)該怪我舅母。只因?yàn)辂惖涎抛约翰涣羯?，先露出了口風(fēng)，我才知道你牽涉在這件事情里面；那么我不打聽個(gè)清楚明白，當(dāng)然不肯罷休。讓我代表我全家人謝謝你，多謝你本著一片同情心，不怕麻煩，受盡委屈，去找他們。”

達(dá)西說：“如果你當(dāng)真要謝我，你只用表明你自己的謝意。不用否認(rèn)，我之所以做得那么起勁，除了別的原因以外，也是為了想要使你高興。你家里人不用感謝我。我雖然尊敬他們，可是當(dāng)時(shí)我心里只想到你一個(gè)人?！?/p>

伊麗莎白窘得一句話也說不出來。過了片刻工夫，只聽得她的朋友又說：“你是個(gè)爽快人，決不會開我的玩笑。請你老實(shí)告訴我，你的心意是否還是和四月里一樣。我的心愿和情感依然如舊，只要你說一句話，我便再也不提起這樁事。”

伊麗莎白聽他這樣表明心跡，越發(fā)為他感到不安和焦急，便不得不開口說話。她立刻吞吞吐吐地告訴他說，自從他剛剛提起的那個(gè)時(shí)期到現(xiàn)在，她的心意已經(jīng)起了很大的變化，現(xiàn)在她愿意以愉快和感激的心情來接受他這一番盛情美意。這個(gè)回答簡直使他感到從來沒有過的快樂，他正像一個(gè)狂熱的人一樣，立刻抓住這個(gè)機(jī)會，無比熱烈地向她傾訴衷腸。要是伊麗莎白能夠抬起頭來看看他那雙眼睛，她就可以看出，他那滿臉喜氣洋洋的神氣，使他變得多么漂亮；她雖然不敢看他的臉色，卻敢聽他的聲音；只聽得他把千絲萬縷的感情都告訴了她，說她在他心目中是多么重要，使她越聽越覺得他情感的寶貴。

他們只顧往前走，連方向也不辨別一下。他們有多少心事要想，多少情感要去體會，多少話要談。實(shí)在無心去注意別的事情，她馬上就認(rèn)識到，這次雙方之所以會取得這樣的諒解，還得歸功于他姨母的一番努力，原來他姨母回去的時(shí)候，路過倫敦果真去找過他一次，把她自己到浪搏恩來的經(jīng)過、動機(jī)，以及和伊麗莎白談話的內(nèi)容，都一一告訴了他，特別把伊麗莎白的一言一語說得十分詳細(xì)，凡是她老人家認(rèn)為囂張乖怪、厚顏無恥的地方，都著重地說了又說，認(rèn)為這樣一來，縱使伊麗莎白不肯答應(yīng)取消這門親事，她姨侄一定會親口承諾。不過，也是老夫人該倒霉，效果恰恰相反。

他說：“以前我?guī)缀醪桓疑萃?，這一次倒覺得事情有了希望。我完全了解你的脾氣，我想，假若你當(dāng)真恨我入骨，再也沒有挽回的余地，那你一定會在咖苔琳夫人面前照直說出來?！?/p>

伊麗莎白漲紅了臉，一面笑，一面說：“這話不假，你知道我為人直爽，因此才相信我會做到那種地步。我既然能夠當(dāng)著你自己的面，深惡痛絕地罵你，自然也會在你任何親戚面前罵你?！?/p>

“你罵我的話，哪一句不是活該？雖然你的指責(zé)都沒有根據(jù)，都是聽到人家以訛傳訛，可是我那次對你的態(tài)度，實(shí)在應(yīng)該受到最嚴(yán)厲的責(zé)備。那是不可原諒的。我想起這件事來，就免不了痛恨自己?！?/p>

伊麗莎白說：“那天下午的事，究竟應(yīng)該誰多負(fù)責(zé)任，我們也用不著爭論了，嚴(yán)格說來，雙方的態(tài)度都不好，不過從那次以后，我覺得我們雙方都比較有禮貌些了?！?/p>

“我心里實(shí)在過意不去。幾個(gè)月以來，一想起我當(dāng)時(shí)說的那些話，表現(xiàn)出的那種行為，那種態(tài)度，那種表情，我就覺得說不出的難過。你罵我的話，確實(shí)罵得好，叫我一輩子也忘不了。你說：‘假如你表現(xiàn)得有禮貌一些就好了?！悴恢滥氵@句話使我多的痛苦，你簡直無從想象；不過，說老實(shí)話，我也還是過了好久才明白過來，承認(rèn)你那句話罵得對?！?/p>

“我萬萬想不到那句話對你有那樣大的影響。我完全沒有料到那句話竟會叫你難受?！?/p>

“你這話我倒很容易相信。你當(dāng)時(shí)認(rèn)為我沒有一絲一毫真正的感情，我相信你當(dāng)時(shí)一定是那樣的想法。我永遠(yuǎn)也忘不了，當(dāng)時(shí)你竟翻了臉，你說，不管我怎樣向你求婚，都不能打動你的心，叫你答應(yīng)我。”

“哎喲，我那些話你也不必再提，提起來未免不像話。告訴你，我自己也早已為那件事覺得難為情了。”