《傲慢与偏见》英文原版精读笔记 - 第2章

原创 By Declan Wong

第2章 精读笔记

Mr. Bennet was among the earliest of those who waited on Mr. Bingley. He had always intended to visit him, though to the last always assuring his wife that he should not go; and till the evening after the visit was paid, she had no knowledge of it. It was then disclosed in the following manner. Observing his second daughter employed in trimming a hat, he suddenly addressed her with,

wait on: (旧式英语) to visit, call upon 拜访

to the last: 直到最后

have no knowledge of: 不知道

disclose: 揭露;公开

in the following manner: 以如下方式

employed in: 忙于…

trimming a hat: decorating a hat 装饰一顶帽子,通常用丝带、羽毛或者其他物品进行装饰。trim本意是修剪,这里是装饰的意思。看看下面这张来自影片《公爵夫人》的剧照就会明白了。

眼尖的你是不是已经发现了图中扮演公爵夫人的女演员就是2005版《傲慢与偏见》里扮演伊丽莎白的凯拉•奈特利?不得不说这张剧照里的帽子和服饰很有贵族气。Bennet家不是富人也不是贵族,女孩儿们的帽子没那么考究,也就是自己找点材料装饰下,下面这张2005版《傲慢与偏见》的剧照感受一下,Bennet家女孩的帽子基本上只是扎了根丝带而已。

研究完帽子,继续回来读书...

to address someone with something : to say something to someone 对某人说

译文:Mr. Bennet是最早去拜访Mr. Bingley的那些人中的一员。他一直都想去拜访他,虽然直到最后总是跟她的太太说他不会去,直到他拜访回来的那天傍晚,她还一点儿都不知情。这件事情后来以下面这种方式被公开了。注意到他的第二个女儿(即Elizabeth)正在忙着装饰一顶帽子,他突然对她说,

解读:贝内特老爷子虽然很皮,还是很希望自己的女儿嫁个好人家,所以背地里一直关注着,等到Mr. Bingley一来就第一时间去拜访了。

“I hope Mr. Bingley will like it, Lizzy.”

译文:“我希望Mr. Bingley会喜欢它,Lizzy。”

“We are not in a way to know what Mr. Bingley likes,” said her mother resentfully, “since we are not to visit.”

in a way: to a certain extent or in certain respects 从某种程度上来说,从某些方面来说

resentfully /rɪ'zentfəli/: 愤恨地

译文:“从某方面来说,我们无法知道Mr. Bingley喜欢什么,”她的母亲愤愤地说,“因为我们都不去拜访他。”

“But you forget, mama,” said Elizabeth, “that we shall meet him at the assemblies, and that Mrs. Long has promised to introduce him.”

assembly: 集会,指在当时有跳舞和其他娱乐活动的社交集会,这样的集会从18世纪开始在英国各地流行起来,集会是对公众开放的,可能需要出点入场费,所以Bennet家的女人们即使没有Mr. Bennet的陪同也可以参加,从而有机会结识Mr. Bingley。

译文:“但是你忘记了,妈妈”,伊丽莎白说,“我们会在舞会上遇到他,Mrs. Long已经答应过会把他介绍给我们。”

“I do not believe Mrs. Long will do any such thing. She has two nieces of her own. She is a selfish, hypocritical woman, and I have no opinion of her.”

hypocritical /ˌhɪpə'krɪtɪkl/: 伪善的

have no opinion of: have no good opinion of 对…没有好的看法

译文:“我可不相信Mrs. Long会这样做,她自己还有两个侄女,她是个自私、伪善的女人,我对她没有好感。”

“No more have I,” said Mr. Bennet; “and I am glad to find that you do not depend on her serving you.”

No more have I = I have no more good opinion of her either.

serving: helping

译文:“我对她也没啥好看法,”Mr. Bennet说;“我很高兴你不想靠她帮忙。”

Mrs. Bennet deigned not to make any reply; but unable to contain herself, began scolding one of her daughters.

deign /dein/: 屈尊,俯就,认为…合适/值得做

deigned not(旧式英语)= did not deign(现代句式)

Mrs. Bennet deigned not to make any reply 也可以写成Mrs. Bennet deigned no reply. Mrs. Bennet不想搭理Mr. Bennet,认为不值得回应他的话。

注意:这个词在现代英语稍显冷僻,跟没有受过良好教育的群体交流时尽量不要用这个词,可以用stoop to(屈尊,堕落)来替代,例如:She did not stoop to reply. 她不屑于回答。

contain: to restrain one’s feelings,控制某人的情绪

scold /skəʊld/:责骂、斥责

译文:Mrs. Bennet不屑于回应Mr. Bennet,但又无法抑制自己的气恼,于是开始责骂她的一个女儿。

“Don't keep coughing so, Kitty, for heaven's sake! Have a little compassion on my nerves. You tear them to pieces.”

keep doing: 持续不断做某事。keep coughing 不停地咳嗽

tear…to pieces: 把…扯成碎片

译文:“别这样咳个不停了,Kitty,看在老天爷的份上!对我(脆弱)的神经有点同情心吧,你把它们都扯成碎片了!”(四女儿Kitty无辜躺枪,成了出气筒)

“Kitty has no discretion in her coughs,” said her father; “she times them ill.”

discretion /dɪ'skreʃn/: 指做决定或采取合适行为的自由或能力,裁量权

Kitty has no discretion in her coughs: to have discretion在当前语境中意为to have a choice,所以这句的含义是Kitty没法选择什么时候咳嗽。

she times them ill: time这里是动词,表示计划/打算在某个时间做某事,或者在某个时间使某事发生。ill这里是副词而不是形容词,意为badly,所以这句可以改写为:she times her coughs badly或者she coughs at a wrong time 她咳嗽得不是时候。贝内特夫人正肚子里一包气没地方发作,Kitty在旁边不停的咳嗽,所以就不幸被当成出气筒挨骂了。

译文:“Kitty又没法选择要不要咳嗽”,她的父亲说,“她咳得不是时候罢了。”

“I do not cough for my own amusement,” replied Kitty fretfully.

amusement娱乐;消遣

fretfully /'fretfli/: 烦燥地,生气地

译文:“我又不是为了自己消遣才咳嗽的,” Kitty气恼地说

“When is your next ball to be, Lizzy?”

译文:“Lizzy,你们下一次舞会是什么时候?”

解读:这句应该是Mr. Bennet问的。因为Mrs. Bennet喜欢去舞会凑热闹,所以应该知道每次舞会的时间,而且她正在气头上,不会这么平静地讲话。另外老爷子最喜欢Lizzy,所以由老爷子来问Lizzy是很自然的。简·奥斯汀小说里的对话经常会省略说话的人名,她认为读者应该很清楚某句话是谁说的。

“To-morrow fortnight.”

fortnight/ˈfɔːtˌnaɪt/: 14 consecutive days; two weeks 两周的时间。To-morrow fortnight: two weeks from tomorrow 明天起两周后。

“Aye, so it is,” cried her mother, “and Mrs. Long does not come back till the day before; so it will be impossible for her to introduce him, for she will not know him herself.”

译文:“是啊,的确如此,” 她的母亲嚷道,“Mrs. Long直到前一天才能回来,看来指望她来介绍是不可能的了,因为她自己都还不认识他。”

“Then, my dear, you may have the advantage of your friend, and introduce Mr. Bingley to her.”

have the advantage of: 胜过,占优势

your friend: 指Mrs. Long

译文:“那样的话,我亲爱的老婆,你可要比你的朋友更占有先机了,你就能把Mr. Bingley介绍给她了。”

“Impossible, Mr. Bennet, impossible, when I am not acquainted with him myself; how can you be so teasing?”

be acquainted with someone: 结识某人

teasing /tiːzɪŋ/: 戏弄的,对所说或所做的不严肃

译文:“这不可能,Mr. Bennet,不可能,连我自己都还不认识他呢,你怎么能这么戏弄人?”

“I honour your circumspection. A fortnight's acquaintance is certainly very little. One cannot know what a man really is by the end of a fortnight. But if we do not venture, somebody else will; and after all, Mrs. Long and her nieces must stand their chance; and therefore, as she will think it an act of kindness, if you decline the office, I will take it on myself.”

这段有点长,拆成2部分来看。

1. I honour your circumspection. A fortnight's acquaintance is certainly very little. One cannot know what a man really is by the end of a fortnight.

honour: to respect highly, to show great respect 尊重

circumspection /,sə:kəm'spekʃən/: 慎重,谨慎

acquaintance /ə'kweɪntəns/: 相识;了解

译文:我很欣赏你的谨慎,两周的相识显然是不够的,一个人无法在两周的时间内了解到一个男人的真正为人。

2. But if we do not venture, somebody else will; and after all, Mrs. Long and her nieces must stand their chance; and therefore, as she will think it an act of kindness, if you decline the office, I will take it on myself.”

venture /'ventʃə/ : 冒着一些风险去做

stand their chance: take their chances 抓住机会

an act of kindness:善意的行为、善举

office: 这里不是办公室的意思,而是service to another person 为别人做的一件事情,特别是一件对别人有益的事情。

take it on: 承担下来

译文:但是如果我们不去做的话,别人一定会,毕竟Mrs. Long和她的外甥女们一定会抓住机会,由于她会把这(引见Mr. Binley给她们的行为)当成一个善举,所以如果你拒绝这么做的话,我会自己来。

解读:由于所有人都不知道Mr. Bennet已经去拜访过Mr. Bingley了,所以他这时说的这段话会让房间里所有的女人都觉得莫名其妙,摸不着头脑,从下文对她们反应的描写也证实了这一点。Mr. Bennet的意思是虽然在两周的时间内他们对Mr. Bingley的为人也无法真正了解,但是还是应该把他介绍给Mrs. Long,因为即使他们不这么做,Mrs. Long也会想方设法通过其他途径结识Mr. Bingley,还不如卖个人情给她,所以他说要是Mrs. Bennet不做的话他就会去做。但是贝内特老爷子说这段话时故意隐藏了他已经拜访过Mr. Bingley的前提,导致Mrs. Bennet还在认为自己都没机会认识Mr. Bingley,所以对她来讲这个任务根本就是mission impossible。两人的对话完全不在一个频道上。

The girls stared at their father. Mrs. Bennet said only, “Nonsense, nonsense!”

译文:女孩们盯着她们的父亲,Mrs. Bennet嘴里只是说,“胡说八道,胡说八道!”

“What can be the meaning of that emphatic exclamation?” cried he. “Do you consider the forms of introduction, and the stress that is laid on them, as nonsense? I cannot quite agree with you there. What say you, Mary? for you are a young lady of deep reflection, I know, and read great books, and make extracts.”

emphatic /ɪm'fætɪk /: 强调的。表示说话者说话时带有强烈的情绪

exclamation /ˌeksklə'meɪʃn/: 感叹,惊叹

forms: 这里的意思是style, method, conventional ways of doing something; 即社会传统的仪式、礼节等。

stress:强调、重要性

the stress that is laid on them: 对礼节的强调,them指前面说的forms。

quite agree with: 非常同意

what say you? : 老式英语,等于现在的 what do you think? 你怎么认为?

reflection:本意为反映,反射,这里意为认真或长时间的思考

lady of deep reflection: 可以译为有着深刻见解的女士

extract /ˈekstrækt / 摘抄

make extracts: 做摘录

译文:“你这话算什么意思?” 他嚷到。“你认为介绍的传统礼节和对它们的重视都是胡说八道吗?关于这一点我无法完全同意你。Mary,作为一个有思想,爱读巨著,喜欢做摘抄的女孩,你怎么看?”

Mary wished to say something very sensible, but knew not how.

knew not how = did not know how

译文:Mary本想说些很有见识的话,但是又不知道该怎么说。

解读:这里是Mary第一次出场,从后文可知Mary是五姐妹里相貌最普通的一个,她为了弥补相貌的不足花了很大精力在读书和学习其他才艺上,主要目的还是为了让自己显得更有智慧和才华,从而在合适的时候炫耀。Mr. Bennet了解Mary的个性,知道她读书摘抄其实主要是为了卖弄学问,只流于表面,没有深入理解,所以他并不真的认为Mary能有什么高见,而是有点嘲弄她的意味。

“While Mary is adjusting her ideas,” he continued, “let us return to Mr. Bingley.”

译文:“趁Mary还在组织她的想法,”他接着说,“让我们(将话题)回到Mr. Bingley.”

“I am sick of Mr. Bingley,” cried his wife.

sick of: 对…厌恶;厌烦

译文:“我对Mr. Bingley厌烦透了,”她老婆嚷道。

“I am sorry to hear that; but why did not you tell me so before? If I had known as much this morning, I certainly would not have called on him. It is very unlucky; but as I have actually paid the visit, we cannot escape the acquaintance now.”

call on: 拜访

pay the visit: 拜访

escape the acquaintance: 逃避结识某人

译文:“我很遗憾听到你这么说,但是你为啥不早点告诉我呢?我要是今天早上就知道的话,我肯定不会去拜访他。真是太不幸了,但是既然我已经去拜访过了,我们就没法避免结识他了。”

The astonishment of the ladies was just what he wished; that of Mrs. Bennet perhaps surpassing the rest; though when the first tumult of joy was over, she began to declare that it was what she had expected all the while.

astonishment /əˈstɒnɪʃmənt/: 惊讶

that指代astonishment

surpass /sə'pɑːs/: to exceed, to be greater than 超过

tumult /'tjuːmʌlt/: 吵闹,骚动

all the while: 一直、始终

译文:女士们的惊讶恰恰是他所希望看到的,Mrs. Bennet的惊讶可能超过了所有其他人,虽然当第一波兴奋的喧闹过后,她就开始宣称一切早在她的意料之中。

“How good it was in you, my dear Mr. Bennet! But I knew I should persuade you at last. I was sure you loved our girls too well to neglect such an acquaintance. Well, how pleased I am! and it is such a good joke, too, that you should have gone this morning and never said a word about it till now.”

How good it was in you: 说某种品质或者能力in you,是说你很自然地拥有它们,或者说与生俱来就有。

you should have gone:这里不是表示本该去而没去,这里的should用来表示一种欣喜、惊讶、不相信的语气,所以要翻译成:你竟然去了。

译文:“你真是太好了,我亲爱的Mr. Bennet!但是我知道我最终一定会说服你。我确信你很爱我们的女儿们,不会无视这样的结交机会。好吧,我真是太高兴了!你可真是开了个大玩笑,早上竟然一声不响地去了,而且直到现在一个字也没说。”

“Now, Kitty, you may cough as much as you choose,” said Mr. Bennet; and, as he spoke, he left the room, fatigued with the raptures of his wife.

fatigue /fəˈtiːɡ/: 疲惫,疲倦

fatigued with: 对…感到厌倦,等于get tired of…

rapture /'ræptʃə/:狂喜

译文:“Kitty,你现在想怎么咳就怎么咳吧,”Mr. Bennet说,他一边说着一遍离开了房间,厌倦了他老婆的欣喜若狂的样子。

“What an excellent father you have, girls,” said she, when the door was shut. “I do not know how you will ever make him amends for his kindness; or me either, for that matter. At our time of life, it is not so pleasant I can tell you, to be making new acquaintance every day; but for your sakes, we would do anything. Lydia, my love, though you are the youngest, I dare say Mr. Bingley will dance with you at the next ball.”

make amends for:补偿,弥补

make him amends for his kindness 报答他的好意

for that matter: 就此而言,关于这点。指为了女儿结识新来的有钱人这件事。

or me either, for that matter这里可以看出Mrs. Bennet很喜欢给自己揽功劳,把自己变成关注的中心,认为自己为了女儿的事情也操心出力了,女儿们也应该感激她。

译文:“孩子们,你们有个多么优秀的父亲啊,”她在门关上的时候说道。“我不知道你们应该怎样才能报答他的好意,或许也包括我,就这件事情来说。到了我们这把年纪,老实跟你们说,已经没啥兴致天天去结交朋友,但是为了你们,我们愿意做任何事情。Lydia,虽然你是年龄最小的,我敢说Mr. Bingley会愿意跟你在下一场舞会上跳舞。”

“Oh!” said Lydia stoutly, “I am not afraid; for though I am the youngest, I'm the tallest.”

stoutly /'staʊtli /: 坚决地,坚强地

译文:“噢!”Lydia坚定地说,“我才不担心呢,因为虽然我是年龄最小的,我是个子最高的。”

解读:这里是Bennet五姐妹里最小的Lydia第一次出场,Lydia年纪15岁左右,是贝内特太太的最爱,也是姐妹里最蠢的一个,任性、草率、无知、自负,可以说是蠢妈教出来的蠢女儿。从她说的这句不太make sense的话也能看出来,虽然年龄最小,但是她发育的早,已经比姐姐们高了,为此她很得意。

The rest of the evening was spent in conjecturing how soon he would return Mr. Bennet's visit, and determining when they should ask him to dinner.

spend in doing something: 花费时间做某事,文中是被动形式。

conjecture /kən'dʒektʃə/: 推测,猜想

译文:这天晚上的剩余时间她们都花在了猜测他多久才会回访和讨论应该何时邀请他来吃晚餐上。

解读:这里体现了当时关于社交介绍的传统,Mr. Bennet作为现有居民要先去拜访新来的Mr. Bingley,接下去Mr. Bingley要回访,这些拜访都是很简短的会面,然后Mr. Bingley才可以被邀请到Bennet家吃正餐。

✨ 第2章结束!

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