傲慢与偏见，第一章（三版本对比）
第一章
凡是有财产的单身汉，必定需要娶位太太，这已经成了一条举世公认的真理。
有條人人信以為真的真理：凡是有錢的單身漢，總覺得自己缺個太太。
IT IS A TRUTH universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
这样的单身汉，每逢新搬到一个地方，四邻八舍虽然完全不了解他的性情如何，见解如何，可是，既然这样的一条真理早已在人们心目中根深蒂固，因此人们总是把他看作自己某一个女儿理所应得的一笔财产。
至於這單身漢怎麼想、心裡是什麼感覺，大家也不去管，只要方圓百里內出現這麼一號人物，這條真理立刻在附近人家心裡活動，理直氣壯把對方當成自家女兒的財產。
However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.
有一天，班纳特太太对她的丈夫说：“我的好老爷，尼日斐花园终于租出去了，你听说过没有？”
「班奈特先生，」這天太座開口了，「你聽說沒有，尼德斐莊園終於租出去了。」
'My dear Mr Bennet,' said his lady to him one day, 'have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?'
班纳特先生回答道，他没有听说过。
班奈特先生回說沒有。
Mr Bennet replied that he had not.
“的确租出去了，” 她说，“郎格太太刚刚上这儿来过，她把这件事的底细，一五一十地都告诉了我。”
「但真的租出去了，」她又說，「隆格太太剛才來家裡坐，一五一十告訴我了。」
'But it is,' returned she; 'for Mrs Long has just been here, and she told me all about it.'
班纳特先生没有理睬她。
班奈特先生沒搭理她。
Mr Bennet made no answer.
“你难道不想知道是谁租去的吗？” 太太不耐烦地嚷起来了。
「你不想知道是誰租的嗎？」太座不耐煩了。
'Do not you want to know who has taken it?' cried his wife impatiently.
"既是你要说给我听，我听听也无妨。"
「妳想告訴我，我也不反對。」
'You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.'
这句话足够鼓励她讲下去了。
這就算是歡迎她說下去了。
This was invitation enough.
“哦，亲爱的，你得知道，郎格太太说，租尼日斐花园的是个阔少爷，他是英格兰北部的人；听说他星期一那天，乘着一辆驷马大轿车来看房子，看得非常中意，当场就和莫理斯先生谈妥了；他要在‘米迦勒节’以前搬进来，打算下个周末先叫几个用人来住。”
「哎呀，親愛的，我跟你說，隆格太太說啊，這尼德斐莊園，是給個有錢的青年租去了，聽說是北方人，禮拜一乘著私家馬車下來看房子，看得高興了，當場就跟莫里斯先生談妥，說是九月底以前入住，下週末先差家僕過來打掃。」
'Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with it that he agreed with Mr Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.'
“这人叫什么名字？”
「姓什麼？」
'What is his name?'
“彬格莱。”
「賓利。」
'Bingley.'
“有太太的呢，还是个单身汉？”
「結婚了還是單身？」
'Is he married or single?'
“噢！是个单身汉，亲爱的，确确实实是个单身汉！一个有钱的单身汉，每年有四五千镑的收入。真是女儿们的福气！”
「哎！是單身哪，親愛的，我都打聽清楚了！是個有錢的單身漢！每年光利息收入就有四、五千鎊。這下我們家丫頭可好了！」
'Oh! single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune, four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!'
“这怎么说？关女儿们什么事？”
「怎麼說？這跟我們家丫頭有什麼關係？」
'How so? how can it affect them?'
“我的好老爷，” 太太回答道，“你怎么这样叫人讨厌！告诉你吧，我正在盘算，他要是挑中我们的一个女儿做老婆，可多好！”
「班奈特先生，」太座回他，「你這人也真討厭！難道你不知道我是在想他娶我們家丫頭嗎。」
'My dear Mr Bennet,' replied his wife, 'how can you be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.'
“他住到这儿来，就是为了这个打算吗？”
「原來他搬來打的是這個算盤。」
'Is that his design in settling here?'
“打算！胡扯，这是哪儿的话！不过，他倒兴许看中我们的某一个女儿呢。他一搬来，你就得去拜访拜访他。”
「打什麼算盤！胡說八道！不過人家是真的有可能看上我們家丫頭哪，所以他人一到你就去走動走動吧。」
'Design! nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes.'
“我不用去。你带着女儿们就得啦，要不你干脆打发她们自己去，那或许倒更好些，因为你跟女儿们比起来，她们哪一个都不能胜过你的美貌，你去了，彬格莱先生倒可能挑中你呢。”
「我看沒這個必要。妳跟幾個丫頭去就好，不然叫她們自己去更好，否則你這麼漂亮，跟丫頭不相上下，說不定賓利先生最中意妳呢。」
'I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better, for as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr Bingley might like you the best of the party.'
“我的好老爷，你太捧我啦。从前也的确有人赞赏过我的美貌，现在我可不敢说有什么出众的地方了。一个女人家有了五个成年的女儿，就不该想到自己的美貌啦。”
「親愛的，你太抬舉我了。我漂亮是漂亮過，但現在也無心假裝出眾了。女人家啊，女兒都大了，就不該只想著自己的美貌了。」
'My dear, you flatter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown-up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty.'
“这样看来，一个女人家并没有多少时候好想到自己的美貌喽。”
「到了這節骨眼，女人家也沒多少美貌好想了。」
'In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of.'
“不过，我的好老爷，彬格莱一搬到我们的邻近来，你的确应该去看看他。”
「反正親愛的，你非去見賓利先生不可，他一到你就去。」
'But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr Bingley when he comes into the neighbourhood.'
“老实跟你说吧，这不是我分内的事。”
「我才不攬這事兒呢，我跟妳說真的。」
'It is more than I engage for, I assure you.'
“看女儿们分上吧。只请你想一想，她们不论哪一个，要是攀上了这样一个人家，够多么好。威廉爵士夫妇已经决定去拜望他，他们也无非是这个用意。你知道，他们通常是不会拜望新搬来的邻居的。你的确应该去一次。要是你不去，叫我们怎么去。”
「你也替那幾個丫頭打算打算吧。要是這婚事真的成了，那可不得了。盧卡斯爵士和夫人都打定主意要去了，為的不就是這個？你哪次看過他們拜訪新來的了？真的你非去不可，你不去，我們怎麼去。」
'But consider your daughters. Only think what an establishment it would be for one of them. Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined to go, merely on that account, for in general you know they visit no newcomers. Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for us to visit him, if you do not.'
“你实在过分细心啦。彬格莱先生一定很高兴看到你的，我可以写封信给你带去，就说随便他挑中了我哪一个女儿，我都心甘情愿地答应他把她娶过去；不过，我在信上得特别替小丽萃吹嘘几句。”
「妳想太多了。我敢說賓利先生一定很樂意接見妳；我還會寫幾句話讓妳帶去，好讓他安心，知道我是打從心底歡迎他娶我女兒，不管看上哪一個都好；不過我要多幫我的莉西美言幾句。」
'You are over-scrupulous surely. I dare say Mr Bingley will be very glad to see you; and I will send a few lines by you to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying whichever he chooses of the girls; though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy.'
“我希望你别这么做。丽萃没有一点儿地方胜过别的几个女儿；我敢说，论漂亮，她抵不过吉英一半；论性子，她抵不过丽迪雅一半。你可老是偏爱她。”
「我看不要吧；莉西哪裡比其他丫頭強了？她不及珍一半漂亮，也不及麗迪亞一半好脾氣，偏偏妳最疼她。」
'I desire you will do no such thing. Lizzy is not a bit better than the others; and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane, nor half so good-humoured as Lydia. But you are always giving her the preference.'
“她们没有哪一个值得夸奖的，” 他回答道；“她们跟人家的姑娘一样，又傻，又无知；倒是丽萃要比她的几个姐妹伶俐些。”
「那幾個丫頭，看來看去都差不多，沒什麼好誇獎的，」 他接著說，「既沒腦筋、又沒心眼，跟外邊的女孩沒什麼兩樣；但是莉西就不同了，她比那幾個丫頭伶俐多了。」
'They have none of them much to recommend them,' replied he; 'they are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters.'
“我的好老爷，你怎么舍得这样糟蹋自己的亲生女儿？你是在故意叫我气恼，好让你自己得意吧。你半点儿也不体谅我的神经衰弱。”
「班奈特先生，你怎麼可以這樣說自己的親生女兒？你就是愛氣我。也不體諒體諒我神經衰弱。」
'Mr Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such a way? You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion on my poor nerves.'
“你真错怪了我，我的好太太。我非常尊重你的神经。它们是我的老朋友。至少在最近二十年以来，我一直听到你郑重其事地提到它们。”
「妳誤會我了，親愛的。我怎麼敢不尊重妳的神經？我跟妳的神經認識那麼久了，又常常聽妳煞有介事地提起，少說也聽了二十年有了。」
'You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least.'
“啊！你不知道我怎样受苦呢！”
「唉，你哪裡知道我難受。」
'Ah! you do not know what I suffer.'
“不过我希望你这毛病会好起来，那么，像这种每年有四千镑收入的阔少爷，你就可以眼看着他们一个个搬来做你的邻居了。”
「知道也好，不知道也罷，但我是真心希望妳好起來，這樣才能看著年收入四千鎊的青年一個個都搬來做妳的鄰居。」
'But I hope you will get over it, and live to see many young men of four thousand a year come into the neighbourhood.'
“你既然不愿意去拜望他们，即使有二十个搬了来，对我们又有什么好处！”
「那有什麼用，就算來了二十個，你也不會去拜訪人家。」
'It will be no use to us, if twenty such should come since you will not visit them.'
“放心吧，我的好太太，等到有了二十个，我一定去一个个拜望到。”
「你聽我一句，親愛的，要是真的搬來二十個，我一定一個一個都去拜訪。」
'Depend upon it, my dear, that when there are twenty, I will visit them all.'
班纳特先生真是个古怪人，他一方面喜欢插科打诨，爱挖苦人，同时又不苟言笑，变幻莫测，真使他那位太太积二十三之经验，还摸不透他的性格。太太的脑子是很容易加以分析的。她是个智力贫乏、不学无术、喜怒无常的女人，只要碰到不称心的事，她就自以为神经衰弱。她生平的大事就是嫁女儿；她生平的安慰就是访友拜客和打听新闻。
班奈特先生這人就是這麼複雜，為人機伶，說話諷刺，寡言內斂，難以捉摸。班奈特太太跟他做了二十三年的夫妻，還是摸不透他的個性。她的個性倒是不難了解。這女人家頭腦不好，見識淺薄，陰晴不定，一有不如意，就假想自己神經衰弱。她每天為了幫女兒作媒而奔忙，最高興的就是拜訪鄰居和道聽途說。
Mr Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Her mind was less difficult to develop. She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.
——第一章完——
