Volume I

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

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.

“My dear Mr. Bennet,”said his lady to him one day,“have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?”

Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.

“But it is,”returned she;“for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it.”

Mr. Bennet made no answer.

“Do not you want to know who has taken it?”cried his wife impatiently.

“You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.”

This was invitation enough.

“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.”

“What is his name?”

“Bingley.”

“Is he married or single?”

“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!”

“How so? how can it affect them?”

“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.”

“Is that his design in settling here?”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of.”

“But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the neighbourhood.”

“It is more than I engage for, I assure you.”

“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 new comers. Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for us to visit him, if you do not.”

“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 which ever he chooses of the girls; though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy.”

“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.”

“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.”

“Mr. Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such way? You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion on my poor nerves.”

“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.”

“Ah! you do not know what I suffer.”

“But I hope you will get over it, and live to see many young men of four thousand a year come into the neighbourhood.”

“It will be no use to us if twenty such should come, since you will not visit them.”

“Depend upon it, my dear, that when there are twenty I will visit them all.”

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 develope. 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.

第一卷

腰纏萬貫的單身漢一定想娶一位太太，這是一條普遍公認的真理。

這種單身漢初到一個地方，盡管左鄰右舍完全不了解他的性情或見解，但這種真理在人們心里根深蒂固，所以他就被看成是他們某個女兒可以合法得到的一筆財產。

“親愛的貝內特先生，”一天，他的太太對他說道，“你聽說過內瑟菲爾德莊園終于租出去了嗎？”

貝內特先生回答說他沒有聽說過。

“可它租了出去，”她又說道，“因為朗太太剛來過這里，并把這一切都告訴了我?！?

貝內特先生沒有回答。

“你不想知道是誰租去的嗎？”他的太太不耐煩地大聲說道。

“你想告訴我，我也不反對聽。”

這足以請她講下去。

“啊，親愛的，你一定知道，朗太太說內瑟菲爾德莊園是被一個來自英格蘭北部的非常有錢的小伙子租去的；他星期一乘著一輛四馬輕便馬車來看房子，對房子十分滿意，立馬就跟莫里斯先生談好了；他要在米迦勒節前入住，下一個周末幾個仆人先來住?！?

“他姓什么？”

“賓利?！?

“他是已婚還是單身？”

“噢！當然是單身，親愛的！一個非常有錢的單身漢，一年四五千呢。這對我們的姑娘們真是好事！”

“為什么是這樣？這怎么能影響她們呢？”

“親愛的貝內特先生，”他的太太回答說，“你怎么能這樣煩人??！你一定知道我正在想著他會娶我們女兒當中的哪一個呢。”

“他移居這里，就是這個圖謀？”

“圖謀！胡說，你怎么這樣說！而他十有八九會愛上我們女兒中的一個，所以他一來，你就一定要去拜訪他?！?

“我看沒有那個必要。你和姑娘們可以去，要么你可以打發她們自己去，這樣說不定會更好；因為你跟她們一樣好看，所以賓利先生說不定會最喜歡你呢?！?

“親愛的，你是奉承我。我的確曾有過漂亮的容貌，可我現在不敢自稱有任何突出的地方了。一個女人有了五個成年的女兒之后，應該放棄關心自己漂亮的容貌?！?

“要是這樣的話，一個女人對美貌常常也就沒有多少想頭了?！?

“不過，親愛的，等賓利先生搬來這里之后，你真的一定要去看看他。”

“我確切告訴你，這我保證不了?！?

“你可要為女兒們考慮考慮啊。試想一下，攀上這樣的人家，該是多好的一門親事?。⊥羰亢捅R卡斯決定去，也不過是這個原因，因為一般來說，你知道他們從不拜訪新來的房客。你真的一定要去啊，要是你不去的話，我們就不可能去拜訪他。”

“你的確是多慮了。我敢說，賓利先生會很高興見你；我寫幾句話讓你捎去，確切告訴他，無論他選中哪個姑娘，我都衷心同意他娶過去；不過，我必須為我的小麗齊美言一句?！?

“我希望你不要這樣做。麗齊一點也不比其他姑娘出色；而且我確信，她還沒有簡一半漂亮，也沒有麗迪雅一半快樂?？赡憧偸瞧珢鬯??！?

“她們都沒有什么值得稱道的，”他答道，“她們都傻乎乎的，像其他姑娘一樣愚昧無知；不過，麗齊要比她的幾個姐妹機靈些?！?

“貝內特先生，你怎么能這樣污蔑自己的孩子們呢？你就喜愛惹我生氣，從不憐憫我可憐的神經?！?

“你錯怪我了，親愛的。我十分尊重你的神經。它們是我的老朋友了。至少這二十年，我總是聽到你體貼周到地提起它們。”

“?。∧悴恢牢沂艿目??！?

“不過，我希望你會克服這一點，親眼看到好多個收入四千英鎊的年輕人搬到這里來?！?

“既然你不愿去拜訪他們，即使搬來二十個這樣的人，對我們也毫無用處?！?

“放心好了，親愛的，要是有二十個搬來的話，我就一定會一一拜訪他們?！?

貝內特先生就是這樣古怪，既愛插科打諢、諷刺挖苦，又矜持內斂、變幻莫測，相處二十三年的經驗也不足以使太太了解他的性格。太太的頭腦倒不難捉摸。她是一個悟性低下、知識不多、性情無常的女人，心里不滿時，就以為自己神經出了毛病。她一生的任務就是要把女兒們嫁出去；她一生的安慰就是走親訪友和打聽消息。