傲慢与偏见》(Pride and Prejudice)是英国女小说家简·奥斯汀创作的长篇小说,小说描写了小乡绅班纳特的二女儿伊丽莎白与贵族达西之间的感情纠葛。这部作品以日常生活为素材,生动地反映了18世纪末到19世纪初处于保守和闭塞状态下的英国乡镇生活和世态人情,小说多次被改编成电影和电视剧。
书里有许多精彩片段,今天为大家选取的达西先生初次告白失败后写给伊丽莎白的信。
"Be not alarmed, Madam, on receiving this letter, by the apprehension of its containing any repetition of those sentiments, or renewal of those offers, which were last night so disgusting to you.
小姐:接到这封信时,请你不必害怕。既然昨天晚上向你诉情和求婚,结果只有使你极其厌恶,我自然不会又在这封信里旧事重提。
I write without any intention of paining you, or humbling myself, by dwelling on wishes, which, for the happiness of both, cannot be too soon forgotten; and the effort which the formation and the perusal of this letter must occasion should have been spared, had not my character required it to be written and read.
我曾经衷心地希望我们双方会幸福,可是我不想在这封信里再提到这些,免得使你痛苦,使我自己受委屈。我所以要写这封信,写了又要劳你的神去读,这无非是拗不过自己的性格,否则便可以双方省事,免得我写你读。
You must, therefore, pardon the freedom with which I demand your attention; your feelings, I know, will bestow it unwillingly, but I demand it of your justice.
因此你得原谅我那么冒昧地亵渎你的精神,我知道你决不会愿意劳神的,可是我要求你心平气和一些。
This, madam, is a faithful narrative of every event in which we have been concerned together; and if you do not absolutely reject it as false, you will, I hope, acquit me henceforth of cruelty towards Mr. Wickham.
小姐,我在这里已经把所有与我们有关的事,都老老实实地谈过了;如果你并不完全认为我撒谎,那么,我希望从今以后,你再也不要认为我对韦翰先生残酷无情。
I know not in what manner, under what form of falsehood, he has imposed on you; but his success is not, perhaps, to be wondered at. Ignorant as you previously were of every thing concerning either, detection could not be in your power, and suspicion certainly not in your inclination.
我不知道他是用什么样的胡说,什么样的手段来欺骗你的;不过,你以前对于我们的事情一无所知,那么他骗取了你的信任,也许不足为奇。你既无从探听,又不喜欢怀疑。
You may possibly wonder why all this was not told you last night.But I was not then master enough of myself to know what could or ought to be revealed. For the truth of every thing here related, I can appeal more particularly to the testimony of Colonel Fitzwilliam, who from our near relationship and constant intimacy, and still more as one of the executors of my father's will, has been unavoidably acquainted with every particular of these transactions.
你也许不明白为什么我昨天晚上不把这一切当面告诉你。可是当时我自己也捉摸不住自己,不知道哪些话可以讲,哪些话应该讲。这封信中所说的一切,是真是假,我可以特别请你问问费茨威廉上校,他是我们的近亲,又是我们的至交,而且是先父遗嘱执行人之一,他对于其中的一切详情自然都十分清楚,他可以来作证明。
If your abhorrence of me should make my assertions valueless, you cannot be prevented by the same cause from confiding in my cousin; and that there may be the possibility of consulting him, I shall endeavour to find some opportunity of putting this letter in your hands in the course of the morning. I will only add, God bless you.
假使说,你因为厌恶我,竟把我的话看得一文不值,你不妨把你的意见说给我的表弟听;我所以要想尽办法找机会把这封信一大早就交到你手里,就是为了让你可以去和他商量一下。我要说的话都说完了,愿上帝祝福你。
达西第一次雨中向伊丽莎白诉衷情失败后,写给她一封信,希望能解除伊丽莎白的偏见和误解,接受他的道歉。亲笔的书信是表达情感最真切的方式之一,密密麻麻的字迹,字里行间都是绵绵深情;也因此,它才有打动人心的魅力。正是这封言辞恳切的书信,彻底动摇了伊丽莎白对达西根深蒂固的偏见。