Their visits to Mrs. Philips were now productive of the most interesting intelligence. Every day added something to their knowledge of the officers' names and connections. Their lodgings were not long a secret, and at length they began to know the officers themselves. Mr. Philips visited them all, and this opened to his nieces a source of felicity unknown before. They could talk of nothing but officers; and Mr. Bingley's large fortune, the mention of which gave animation to their mother, was worthless in their eyes when opposed to the regimentals of an ensign.
从此她们每次拜访腓力普太太都获得了最有趣的消息。她们每天都会打听到几个军官的名字和他们的社会关系。军官们的住宅不久就让大家知道了,再后来小姐们就直接跟他们搞熟了,腓力普先生一一拜访了那些军官,这真是替她的姨侄女们开辟了一道意想不到的幸福源泉。她们现在开口闭口都离不开那些军官。在这以前,只要提到彬格莱先生的偌大财产,她们的母亲就会眉飞色舞,如今跟军官们的制服对比起来,她们就觉得偌大的财产简直一钱不值了。
After listening one morning to their effusions on this subject, Mr. Bennet coolly observed,
一天早晨,班纳特先生听到她们滔滔不绝地谈到这个问题,他不禁冷言冷语地说:
"From all that I can collect by your manner of talking, you must be two of the silliest girls in the country. I have suspected it some time, but I am now convinced."
“看你们谈话的神气,我觉得你们真是些再蠢不过的女孩子。以前我不过半信半疑,现在我可完全相信了。”
Catherine was disconcerted, and made no answer; but Lydia, with perfect indifference, continued to express her admiration of Captain Carter, and her hope of seeing him in the course of the day, as he was going the next morning to London.
咖苔琳一听此话,颇感不安,可是并没有回答。丽迪雅却完全没有把爸爸的话当一回事,还是接着说下去,说她自己多么爱慕卡特上尉,还希望当天能够跟他见面,因为他明天上午就要到伦敦去。
"I am astonished, my dear," said Mrs. Bennet, "that you should be so ready to think your own children silly. If I wished to think slightingly of any body's children, it should not be of my own, however."
班纳特太太对她丈夫说:“我真奇怪,亲爱的,你总喜欢说你自己的孩子蠢。要是我呀,什么人的孩子我都可以看不起,可是我决不会看不起自己的孩子。”
"If my children are silly I must hope to be always sensible of it."
“要是我自己的孩子果真蠢,我决不愿意没有自知之明。”
"Yes -- but as it happens, they are all of them very clever."
“你说得不错,可是事实上,她们却一个个都很聪明。”