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一个女人必须精通音乐、歌唱、图画、舞蹈以及现代语文，那才当得起这个称号；除此以外，她的仪表和步态，她的声调，她的谈吐和表情，都得有相当风趣，否则她就不够资格。
"It ought to be good, " he replied, "it has been the work of many generations. "
"And then you have added so much to it yourself, you are always buying books. "
"I cannot comprehend the neglect of a family library in such days as these. "
"Neglect! I am sure you neglect nothing that can add to the beauties of that noble place. Charles, when you build YOUR house, I wish it may be half as delightful as Pemberley. "
"I wish it may. "
"But I would really advise you to make your purchase in that neighbourhood, and take Pemberley for a kind of model. There is not a finer county in England than Derbyshire. "
"With all my heart; I will buy Pemberley itself if Darcy will sell it. "
"I am talking of possibilities, Charles. "
"Upon my word, Caroline, I should think it more possible to get Pemberley by purchase than by imitation. "
Elizabeth was so much caught with what passed, as to leave her very little attention for her book; and soon laying it wholly aside, she drew near the card-table, and stationed herself between Mr. Bingley and his eldest sister, to observe the game.
"Is Miss Darcy much grown since the spring?" said Miss Bingley; "will she be as tall as I am?"
"I think she will. She is now about Miss Elizabeth Bennet's height, or rather taller. "
"How I long to see her again! I never met with anybody who delighted me so much. Such a countenance, such manners! And so extremely accomplished for her age! Her performance on the pianoforte is exquisite. "
"It is amazing to me, " said Bingley, "how young ladies can have patience to be so very accomplished as they all are. "
"All young ladies accomplished! My dear Charles, what do you mean?"
"Yes, all of them, I think. They all paint tables, cover screens, and net purses. I scarcely know anyone who cannot do all this, and I am sure I never heard a young lady spoken of for the first time, without being informed that she was very accomplished. "
"Your list of the common extent of accomplishments, " said Darcy, "has too much truth. The word is applied to many a woman who deserves it no otherwise than by netting a purse or covering a screen. But I am very far from agreeing with you in your estimation of ladies in general. I cannot boast of knowing more than half-a-dozen, in the whole range of my acquaintance, that are really accomplished. "
"Nor I, I am sure, " said Miss Bingley.
"Then, " observed Elizabeth, "you must comprehend a great deal in your idea of an accomplished woman. "
"Yes, I do comprehend a great deal in it. "
"Oh! certainly, " cried his faithful assistant, "no one can be really esteemed accomplished who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with. A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half-deserved. "
