Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen

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

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

這部作品以日常生活為素材，一反當時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世紀末到19世紀初處于保守和閉塞狀態下的英國鄉鎮生活和人情世態。它多次被改編成電影和電視劇。

本文節選自《傲慢與偏見》第四十九章。

Jane then took it from her pocket-book，and gave it to Elizabeth. These were the contents：

“MY DEAR HARRIET，You will laugh when you know where I am gone，and I cannot help laughing myself at your surprise tomorrow morning，as soon as I am missed. I am going to Gretna Green，and if you cannot guess with who，I shall think you a simpleton，for there is but one man in the world I love，and he is an angel. I should never be happy without him，so think it no harm to be off. You need not send them word at Longbourn of my going，if you do not like it，for it will make the surprise the greater when I write to them and sign my name Lydia Wickham. What a good joke it will be！ I can hardly write for laughing. Pray make my excuses to Pratt，for not keeping my engagement and dancing with him to night. Tell him I hope he will excuse me when he knows all，and tell him I will dance with him at the next ball we meet，with great pleasure. I shall send for my clothes when I get to Longbourn;but I wish you would tell Sally to mend a great slit in my worked muslin gown before they are packed up. Good bye. Give my love to Colonel Forster. I hope you will drink to our good journey.Your affectionate friend，LYDIA BENNET.”

“Oh！ thoughtless，thoughtless Lydia！”cried Elizabeth when she had finished it.“What a letter is this，to be written at such a moment. But at least it shews that she was serious in the object of her journey. Whatever he might afterwards persuade her to，it was not on her side a scheme of infamy. My poor father！How he must have felt it！”

“I never saw any one so shocked. He could not speak a word for full ten minutes. My mother was taken ill immediately，and the whole house in such confusion！”

“Oh！ Jane！”cried Elizabeth，“was there a servant belonging to it，who did not know the whole story before the end of the day？”

“I do not know. I hope there was. But to be guarded at such a time，is very difficult. My mother was in hysterics，and though I endeavoured to give her every assistance in my power，I am afraid I did not do so much as I might have done！ But the horror of what might possibly happen，almost took from me my faculties.”

“Your attendance upon her has been too much for you. You do not look well. Oh！ that I had been with you，you have had every care and anxiety upon yourself alone.”

“Mary and Kitty have been very kind，and would have shared in every fatigue，I am sure，but I did not think it right for either of them. Kitty is slight and delicate，and Mary studies so much，that her hours of repose should not be broken in on. My aunt Phillips came to Longbournon Tuesday，after my father went away; and was so good as to stay till Thursday with me. She was of great use and comfort to us all，and Lady Lucas has been very kind;she walked here on Wednesday morning to condole with us，and offered her services，or any of her daughters，if they could be of use to us.”

“She had better have stayed at home，”cried Elizabeth;“perhaps she meant well，but under such a misfortune as this，one cannot see too little of one’s neighbours. Assistance is impossible;condolence，insufferable. Let them triumph over us at a distance，and be satisfied.”

She then proceeded to enquire into the measures which her father had intended to pursue，while in town， for the recovery of his daughter.

“He meant，I believe，”replied Jane，“to go to Epsom，the place where they last changed horses，see the postilions，and try if any thing could be made out from them. His principal object must be to discover the number of the hackney coach which took them from Clapham. It had come with a fare from London;and as he thought the circumstance of a gentleman and lady's removing from one carriage into another might be remarked，he meant to make enquiries at Clapham. If he could any how discover at what house the coachman had before set down his fare，he determined to make enquiries there，and hoped it might not be impossible to find out the stand and number of the coach. I do not know of any other designs that he had formed：but he was in such a hurry to be gone，and his spirits so greatly discomposed，that I had difficulty in finding out even so much as this.”

The whole party were in hopes of a letter from Mr. Bennet the next morning，but the post came in without bringing a single line from him. His family knew him to be，on all common occasions，a most negligent and dilatory correspondent，but at such a time they had hoped for exertion. They were forced to conclude that he had no pleasing intelligence to send，but even of that they would have been glad to be certain. Mr. Gardiner had waited only for the letters before he set off.

When he was gone，they were certain at least of receiving constant information of what was going on，and their uncle promised，at parting，to prevail on Mr. Bennet to return to Longbourn as soon as he could，to the great consolation of his sister，who considered it as the only security for her husband’s not being killed in a duel.

Mrs. Gardiner and the children were to remain in Hertfordshire a few days longer，as the former thought her presence might be serviceable to her nieces. She shared in their attendance on Mrs. Bennet，and was a great comfort to them in their hours of freedom. Their other aunt also visited them frequently，and always，as she said，with the design of cheering and heartening them up，though as she never came without reporting some fresh instance of Wickham’s extravagance or irregularity，she seldom went away without leaving them more dispirited than she found them.

All Meryton seemed striving to blacken the man，who，but three months before，had been almost an angel of light. He was declared to be in debt to every tradesman in the place，and his intrigues，all honoured with the title of seduction，had been extended into every tradesman’s family. Every body declared that he was the wickedest young man in the world;and every body began to find out that they had always distrusted the appearance of his goodness. Elizabeth，though she did not credit above half of what was said，believed enough to make her former assurance of her sister’s ruin still more certain;and even Jane，who believed still less of it，became almost hopeless，more especially as the time was now come when，if they had gone to Scotland，which she had never before entirely despaired of，they must in all probability have gained some news of them.

Mr. Gardiner left Longbourn on Sunday;on Tuesday，his wife received a letter from him;it told them that on his arrival，he had immediately found out his brother，and persuaded him to come to Gracechurch street;that Mr. Bennet had been to Epsom and Clapham before his arrival，but without gaining any satisfactory information;and that he was now determined to enquire at all the principal hotels in town，as Mr. Bennet thought it possible they might have gone to one of them， on their first coming to London， before they procured lodgings. Mr. Gardiner himself did not expect any success from this measure，but as his brother was eager in it，he meant to assist him in pursuing it. He added that Mr. Bennet seemed wholly disinclined at present，to leave London，and promised to write again very soon. There was also a postscript to this effect：

“I have written to Colonel Forster to desire him to find out，if possible，from some of the young man’s intimates in the regiment，whether Wickham has any relations or connections who would be likely to know in what part of the town he has now concealed himself. If there were any one that one could apply to with a probability of gaining such a clue as that，it might be of essential consequence. At present we have nothing to guide us. Colonel Forster will，I dare say，do every thing in his power to satisfy us on this head. But，on second thoughts，perhaps Lizzy could tell us what relations he has now living better than any other person.”

Elizabeth was at no loss to understand from whence this deference for her authority proceeded;but it was not in her power to give any information of so satisfactory a nature as the compliment deserved.

She had never heard of his having had any relations，except a father and mother，both of whom had been dead many years. It was possible，however，that some of his companions in the —shire，might be able to give more information; and， though she was not very sanguine in expecting it， the application was a something to look forward to.

Every day at Longbourn was now a day of anxiety; but the most anxious part of each was when the post was expected. The arrival of letters was the first grand object of every morning’s impatience. Through letters，whatever of good or bad was to be told would be communicated，and every succeeding day was expected to bring some news of importance.

But before they heard again from Mr. Gardiner，a letter arrived for their father from a different quarter -- from Mr. Collins;which，as Jane had received directions to open all that came for him in his absence，she accordingly read;and Elizabeth，who knew what curiosities his letters always were，looked over her，and read it likewise. It was as follows：

“MY DEAR SIR，I feel myself called upon by our relationship，and my situation in life，to condole with you on the grievous affliction you are now suffering under，of which we were yesterday informed by a letter from Hertfordshire. Be assured，my dear Sir，that Mrs. Collins and myself sincerely sympathise with you，and all your respectable family，in your present distress， which must be of the bitterest kind，because proceeding from a cause which no time can remove. No arguments shall be wanting on my part that can alleviate so severe a misfortune;or that may comfort you，under a circumstance that must be of all others most afflicting to a parent's mind. The death of your daughter would have been a blessing in comparison of this. And it is the more to be lamented，because there is reason to suppose，as my dear Charlotte informs me，that this licentiousness of behaviour in your daughter has proceeded from a faulty de-gree of indulgence，though at the same time，for the consolation of yourself and Mrs. Bennet，I am inclined to think that her own disposition must be naturally bad， or she could not be guilty of such an enormity at so early an age. Howsoever that may be，you are grievously to be pitied，in which opinion I am not only joined by Mrs. Collins，but likewise by Lady Catherine and her daughter，to whom I have related the affair. They agree with me in apprehending that this false step in one daughter will be injurious to the fortunes of all the others;for who，as Lady Catherine herself condescendingly says，will connect themselves with such a family. And this consideration leads me moreover to reflect with augmented satisfaction on a certain event of last November，for had it been otherwise，I must have been involved in all your sorrow and disgrace. Let me advise you then，my dear Sir，to console yourself as much as possible，to throw off your unworthy child from your affection for ever，and leave her to reap the fruits of her own heinous offence.---I am，dear Sir，&c.&c.”

于是吉英從口袋里掏出那封信，遞給伊麗莎白。全文如下：

親愛的海麗，明天一大早你發現我失了蹤，一定會大為吃驚;等你弄明白了我上什么地方去，你一定又會發笑。我想到這里，自己也禁不住笑出來了。我要到格利那草場去。如果你猜不著我是跟誰一起去，那我真要把你看成一個大傻瓜，因為這世界上只有一個男人是我心愛的，他真是一個天使。沒有了他，我決不會幸福，因此，你別以為這這次去會惹出什么禍來。如果你不愿意把我出走的消息告訴浪搏恩我家里人，那你不告訴也罷。我要讓他們接到我信的時候，看到我的簽名是“麗迪雅·韋翰”，讓他們更覺得事出意外。這個玩笑真開得太有意思了！我幾乎笑得無法寫下去了！請你替我向普拉特道個歉，我今天晚上不能赴約，不能和他跳舞了。我希望他知道了這一切情形以后，能夠原諒我;請你告訴他，下次在舞會上相見的時候，我一定樂意同他跳舞。我到了浪搏恩就派人來取衣服，請你告訴莎蕾一聲，我那件細洋紗的長衣服裂了一條大縫，叫她替我收拾行李的時候，把它補一補。再見。請代問候弗斯脫上校。愿你為我們的一路順風而干杯。你的好友麗迪雅·班納特。

伊麗莎白讀完了信以后叫道：“好一個沒有腦子的麗迪雅！遇到這樣重大的事，竟會寫出這樣一封信來！但是至少可以說明，她倒是把這一次旅行看成一件正經事。不管他以后會誘惑她走到哪一步田地，她可沒有存心要做出什么丟臉的事來。可憐的爸爸！！他對這件事會有多少感觸啊！”

“他當時驚駭得那種樣子，我真一輩子也沒見過。他整整十分鐘說不出一句話來。媽一下子就病倒了，全家都給弄得神魂不安！”

“噢，吉英，”伊麗莎白叫道。“豈不是所有的傭人當天都知道了這件事的底細嗎？”

“我不清楚，但愿他們并沒有全都知道。不過在這種時候，即使你要守護，也很難辦到。媽那種歇斯底里的毛病又發作了，我雖然盡了我的力量去勸慰她，恐怕還是有不夠周到的地方。我只怕會出什么意外，因此嚇得不知如何是好。”

“你這樣侍候她，真夠你累的。我看你臉色不怎么好。樣樣事都讓你一個人操心勞神，要是我跟你在一起就好了！”

“曼麗和吉蒂都非常善良，愿意替我分擔辛苦，可是我不好意思讓她們受累，因為吉蒂很纖弱，曼麗又太用功，不應該再去打擾她們休息的時間。好在星期二那天，父親一走，腓力普姨媽就到浪搏恩來了，蒙她那么好心，一直陪我到星期四才走。她幫了我們不少的忙，還安慰了我們。盧卡斯太太待我們也好，她星期三早上來慰問過我們，她說，如果我們需要她們幫忙，她和她女兒們都樂意效勞。”

伊麗莎白大聲說道：“還是讓她待在自己家里吧，她也許真是出于一片好意，但是遇到了這樣一件不幸的事，誰還樂意見到自己的鄰居？他們幫我們忙幫不成功，慰問我們反而會叫我們難受。讓她們在我們背后去高興得意吧。”

然后她又問起父親這次到城里去，打算采用什么方法去找到麗迪雅。

吉英說：“我看他打算到艾普桑去，因為他們倆是在那兒換馬車的，他要上那兒去找找那些馬車夫，看看能不能從他們那里探聽出一點消息。他的主要目的就要去查出他們在克拉普汗所搭乘的那輛出租馬車的號碼。那輛馬車本來是從倫敦搭載客人來;據他的想法，一男一女從一輛馬車換上另一輛馬車，一定會引起人家注目，因此他準備到克拉普汗去查問。他只要查出那個馬車夫在哪家門口卸下先前的那位客人，他便決定上那兒去查問一下，也許能夠查問得出那輛馬車的號碼和停車的地方。至于他有什么別的打算，我就不知道了。他急急忙忙要走，心緒非常紊亂，我能夠從他嘴里問出這么些話來，已經算是不容易了。”

第二天早上，大家都指望班納特先生會寄信來，可是等到郵差來了，卻沒有帶來他的片紙只字。家里人本來知道他一向懶得寫信，能夠拖延總是拖延;但是在這樣的時候，她們都希望他能夠勉為其難一些。既是沒有信來，她們只得認為他沒有什么愉快的消息可以告知，即使如此，她們也希望把事情弄個清楚明白。嘉丁納先生也希望在動身以前能夠看到幾封信。

嘉丁納先生去了以后，大家都認為，今后至少可以經常聽到一些事情的進展。他臨走的時候，答應一定去勸告班納特先生盡可能馬上回來。她們的母親聽了這些話，很是安慰，她認為只有這樣，才能保證她丈夫不會在決斗中被人打死。

嘉丁納太太和她的孩子們還要在哈福德郡多待幾天，因為她覺得，待在這里可以讓外甥女們多一個幫手。她可以幫她們侍候班納特太太，等她們空下來的時候，又大可以安慰安慰她們。姨媽也常常來看她們，而且據她自己說，她來的目的是為了讓她們高興高興，給她們打打氣，不過，她沒有哪一次來不談到韋翰的奢侈，每次都可以舉出新的事例。她每次走了以后，總是叫她們比她沒有來以前更加意氣消沉。

三個月以前，差不多整個麥里屯的人們都把這個男人捧到天上;三個月以后，整個麥里屯的人都說他的壞話。他們說，他在當地每一個商人那里都欠下了一筆債;又給他加上了誘騙婦女的的頭銜，又說每個商人家里都受過他的糟蹋。每個人都說他是天下最壞的青年;每個人都開始發覺自己一向就不信任他那偽善的面貌。伊麗莎白雖然對這些話只是半信半疑，不過她早就認為妹妹會毀在他手里，這一來當然更是深信無疑。吉英本來連半信半疑也談不上，這一來也幾乎感到失望──因為時間已經過了這么久，如果他們兩人真到蘇格蘭去了，現在也應該有消息了，這樣一想，縱使她從來沒有覺得完全失望，現在也難免要感到失望。

嘉丁納先生是星期日離開浪搏恩的。星期二他太太接到他一封信。信上說，他一到那里就找到了姐夫，把他勸到天恩寺街去了。又說，他沒有到達倫敦以前，班納特先生曾到艾普桑和克拉普汗去過，可惜沒有打聽到一點兒滿意的消息;又說他決定到城里各大旅館去打聽一下，因為班納特先生認為，韋翰和麗迪雅一到倫敦，可能先住旅館，然后再慢慢尋找房子。嘉丁納先生本人并沒有指望這種辦法會獲得什么成效;既是姐夫非要那樣做不可，又只有幫助他著手進行。信上還說，班納特先生暫時根本不想離開倫敦，他答應不久就會再寫一封信來。這封信上還有這樣的一段附言：

我已經寫信給弗斯脫上校，請他盡可能在民兵團里把那個年輕小伙子的要好朋友找幾個來打聽一下，韋翰有沒有什么親友知道他躲藏在這個城里的哪一個區域。要是我們有這樣的人可以請教，得到一些線索，那是大有用處的。目前我們還是無從得知。也許弗斯上校會盡量把這件事做得使我們滿意。但是我又想了一下，覺得麗萃也許比任何人都了解情況。會知道他現在還有些什么親戚。

伊麗莎白究竟為什么會受到這樣的推崇，她自己完全知道，只可惜她提供不出什么令人滿意的材料，所以也就受不起這樣的恭維。

她除了聽到韋翰談起過他自己的父母以外，從來不曾聽到他有什么親友，況且他父母也都去世多年。某某郡民兵團里他的一些朋友們，可能提供得出一些材料，她雖說并不能對此存著過分的奢望，但不妨試一試。

浪搏恩一家人每天都過得非常心焦，最焦急的時間莫過于等待郵差送信來。不管信上說的是好消息還是壞消息，總是要講給大家聽，還盼望著第二天會有重要的消息傳來。

嘉丁納先生雖然還沒有給她們寄來第二封信，可是她們卻收到了別的地方寄來的一封信，原來是柯林斯先生寄來了一封信給她們的父親。吉英事前曾受到父親的囑托，代他拆閱一切信件，于是她便來拜讀這一封信。伊麗莎白也知道柯林斯先生的信總是寫得奇奇怪怪，便也挨在吉英身旁一同拜讀。信是這樣寫的：

長者先生賜鑒：昨接哈福德郡來信，借悉先生目前正是心煩意亂，不勝苦悲。不佞與拙荊聞之，無論對先生個人或尊府老幼，均深表同情。以不佞之名份職位而言，自當聊申悼惜之意，何況與尊府為葭莩，益覺責無旁貸。夫癸諸情理，此次不幸事件自難免令人痛心疾首，蓋家聲一經敗壞，便永無清洗之日，傷天下父母之心，孰有甚于此者？早知如此，但冀其早日夭亡為幸耳。不佞只有曲盡言辭，備加慰問，庶幾可以聊寬尊懷。據內人夏綠蒂言，令媛此次離家，實系由于平日過分溺愛所致，此尤其可悲者也。唯不佞以為令媛年方及笄，竟而鑄成大錯，亦足見其本身天性之惡劣;先生固不必過于引咎自責也。日前遇咖苔琳夫人及其千金小姐，曾以此事奉告，夫人等亦與不佞夫婦有所同感。多蒙夫人與愚見不謀而合，認為令媛此次失足，辱沒家聲，遂使后之攀親者望而卻步，殃及其姐氏終生幸福，堪慮堪慮。瓴念言及此，不禁憶及去年十一月間一事，則又深為慶幸，否則木已成舟，勢必86英語篇報道鏈接自取其辱，受累不淺。敬祈先生善自寬慰，任其妄自菲薄，自食其果，不足憐惜也。（下略）