《傲慢与偏见》是简·奥斯汀的代表作,它描述了乡绅之女伊丽莎白·班纳特和德比郡的绅士达西先生之间的爱情故事。
达西先生有着上层贵族的矜持与骄傲,却无法自拔地爱上了他曾鄙视的乡绅家的女儿伊丽莎白。伊丽莎白可爱聪颖,不屈世俗,却因为达西先生一开始表现出来的傲慢对他过早地下了定论。几经波折,达西先生的深情终于打动了伊丽莎白。
今天我们要欣赏的是《傲慢与偏见》中的经典句子。
I would not wish to be hasty in censuring anyone; but I always speak what I think.
我不愿意轻易地去非难一个人,可我又总是实话实说。
“Pride”, observed Mary, who piqued herself upon the solidity of her reflections, “is a very common failing, I believe. By all that I have ever read, I am convinced that it is very common indeed; that human nature is particularly prone to it, and that there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency on the score of some quality or other, real or imaginary.”
“我认为,骄傲是人的通病。”玛莉如是说,她夸耀着自己高明的想法,“根据我阅读过的所有书籍来看,我认为它的确是一种通病,人性会特别容易倾向于骄傲,很多人都会因为自己有了某种品质或者自以为有了这种品质而沾沾自喜。”
If a woman conceals her affection with the same skill from the object of it, she may lose the opportunity of fixing him; and it will then be but poor consolation to believe the world equally in the dark.
假如一个女人为了瞒住所有人,而用同样的手段,想在心爱的男人面前瞒住她的爱,那么她就不能博得那个男人的欢心。这样的话,就算全世界都被蒙在鼓里都于事无补。
That is as it happens. It does not follow that a deep, intricate character is more or less estimable than such a one as yours.
这得看情况,性格深沉复杂的人未必比你这样的人难懂。
Elizabeth, having rather expected to affront him, was amazed at his gallantry; but there was a mixture of sweetness and archness in her manner which made it difficult for her to affront anybody.
伊丽莎白原本想让他当众难堪的,可是他这次的体贴却让她十分惊讶。她原本就可爱又善解人意,不太会做什么让人难堪的事。
”Both,” replied Elizabeth archly, “for I have always seen a great similarity in the turn of our minds. We are each of an unsocial, taciturn disposition, unwilling to speak, unless we expect to say something that will amaze the whole room, and be handed down to posterity with all the eclat of a proverb.”
“都有,”伊丽莎白调皮地说,“因为我总觉得我们有着同样的想法。我们都不太合群,也不爱与人交谈,难得开口,除非我们想说些让整个屋子的人都感到惊讶的话,然后成为格言代代流传。”
In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.
我是如此地痛苦,这怎么行呢。我的情感再也无法压抑,请允许我告诉你,我是多么地喜欢你、爱慕着你。
In such cases as this, it is, I believe, the established mode to express a sense of obligation for the sentiments avowed, however unequally they may be returned. It is natural that obligation should be felt, and if I could FEEL gratitude, I would now thank you. But I cannot—I have never desired your good opinion, and you have certainly bestowed it most unwillingly.
我认为,这种时候我应该对你的真情流露表达做出些回应,尽管我不能给予你同样的爱意。按道理来说,我应该觉得感激。如果我真的觉得感激的话,我现在就会向你表达我的谢意。但我并没有——我从未期望你对我有什么好印象,当然你在表达对我的好感时也十分勉强。
She certainly did not hate him. No; hatred had vanished long ago, and she had almost as long been ashamed of ever feeling a dislike against him, that could be so called.
她决不会恨他,绝对不。恨意早在很久之前就消失了,如果她曾经有恨意的话,那么她早已经为自己曾经有过的憎恨而感到羞愧。
They had for basis the excellent understanding, and super-excellent disposition of Jane, and a general similarity of feeling and taste between her and himself.
他们之间心心相印,简又如此善解人意,两人的性格和志趣也十分相投,这就是他们爱情的基础。
MY affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever.
我对你的心意从未改变,但是,只要你说一句话表达不满,我就再也不提这件事。
达西先生的傲慢与不可一世和伊丽莎白的聪慧可爱与不屈世俗,两人之间的矛盾使得整个故事妙趣横生。