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Emma by Jane Austen, Volume 2. Chapter 1.

Volume 2. Chapter 1.

Emma and Harriet had been walking together one morning, and, in Emma's opinion, had been talking enough of Mr. Elton for that day. She could not think that Harriet's solace or her own sins required more; and she was therefore industriously getting rid of the subject as they returned;--but it burst out again when she thought she had succeeded, and after speaking some time of what the poor must suffer in winter, and receiving no other answer than a very plaintive--"Mr. Elton is so good to the poor!" she found something else must be done.

They were just approaching the house where lived Mrs. and Miss Bates. She determined to call upon them and seek safety in numbers. There was always sufficient reason for such an attention; Mrs. and Miss Bates loved to be called on, and she knew she was considered by the very few who presumed ever to see imperfection in her, as rather negligent in that respect, and as not contributing what she ought to the stock of their scanty comforts.

She had had many a hint from Mr. Knightley and some from her own heart, as to her deficiency--but none were equal to counteract the persuasion of its being very disagreeable,--a waste of time--tiresome women--and all the horror of being in danger of falling in with the second-rate and third-rate of Highbury, who were calling on them for ever, and therefore she seldom went near them. But now she made the sudden resolution of not passing their door without going in--observing, as she proposed it to Harriet, that, as well as she could calculate, they were just now quite safe from any letter from Jane Fairfax.

The house belonged to people in business. Mrs. and Miss Bates occupied the drawing-room floor; and there, in the very moderate-sized apartment, which was every thing to them, the visitors were most cordially and even gratefully welcomed; the quiet neat old lady, who with her knitting was seated in the warmest corner, wanting even to give up her place to Miss Woodhouse, and her more active, talking daughter, almost ready to overpower them with care and kindness, thanks for their visit, solicitude for their shoes, anxious inquiries after Mr. Woodhouse's health, cheerful communications about her mother's, and sweet-cake from the beaufet--"Mrs. Cole had just been there, just called in for ten minutes, and had been so good as to sit an hour with them, and she had taken a piece of cake and been so kind as to say she liked it very much; and, therefore, she hoped Miss Woodhouse and Miss Smith would do them the favour to eat a piece too." The mention of the Coles was sure to be followed by that of Mr. Elton. There was intimacy between them, and Mr. Cole had heard from Mr. Elton since his going away. Emma knew what was coming; they must have the letter over again, and settle how long he had been gone, and how much he was engaged in company, and what a favourite he was wherever he went, and how full the Master of the Ceremonies' ball had been; and she went through it very well, with all the interest and all the commendation that could be requisite, and always putting forward to prevent Harriet's being obliged to say a word. This she had been prepared for when she entered the house; but meant, having once talked him handsomely over, to be no farther incommoded by any troublesome topic, and to wander at large amongst all the Mistresses and Misses of Highbury, and their card-parties. She had not been prepared to have Jane Fairfax succeed Mr. Elton; but he was actually hurried off by Miss Bates, she jumped away from him at last abruptly to the Coles, to usher in a letter from her niece.

"Oh! yes--Mr. Elton, I understand--certainly as to dancing--Mrs. Cole was telling me that dancing at the rooms at Bath was--Mrs. Cole was so kind as to sit some time with us, talking of Jane; for as soon as she came in, she began inquiring after her, Jane is so very great a favourite there. Whenever she is with us, Mrs. Cole does not know how to shew her kindness enough; and I must say that Jane deserves it as much as any body can. And so she began inquiring after her directly, saying, 'I know you cannot have heard from Jane lately, because it is not her time for writing;' and when I immediately said, 'But indeed we have, we had a letter this very morning,' I do not know that I ever saw any body more surprized. 'Have you, upon your honour?' said she; 'well, that is quite unexpected. Do let me hear what she says. ' " Emma's politeness was at hand directly, to say, with smiling interest-- "Have you heard from Miss Fairfax so lately? I am extremely happy. I hope she is well?" "Thank you. You are so kind!" replied the happily deceived aunt, while eagerly hunting for the letter.--"Oh! here it is. I was sure it could not be far off; but I had put my huswife upon it, you see, without being aware, and so it was quite hid, but I had it in my hand so very lately that I was almost sure it must be on the table. I was reading it to Mrs. Cole, and since she went away, I was reading it again to my mother, for it is such a pleasure to her--a letter from Jane--that she can never hear it often enough; so I knew it could not be far off, and here it is, only just under my huswife--and since you are so kind as to wish to hear what she says;--but, first of all, I really must, in justice to Jane, apologise for her writing so short a letter--only two pages you see--hardly two--and in general she fills the whole paper and crosses half. My mother often wonders that I can make it out so well. She often says, when the letter is first opened, 'Well, Hetty, now I think you will be put to it to make out all that checker-work'--don't you, ma'am?--And then I tell her, I am sure she would contrive to make it out herself, if she had nobody to do it for her--every word of it--I am sure she would pore over it till she had made out every word. And, indeed, though my mother's eyes are not so good as they were, she can see amazingly well still, thank God! with the help of spectacles. It is such a blessing! My mother's are really very good indeed. Jane often says, when she is here, 'I am sure, grandmama, you must have had very strong eyes to see as you do--and so much fine work as you have done too!--I only wish my eyes may last me as well. ' " All this spoken extremely fast obliged Miss Bates to stop for breath; and Emma said something very civil about the excellence of Miss Fairfax's handwriting. "You are extremely kind," replied Miss Bates, highly gratified; "you who are such a judge, and write so beautifully yourself. I am sure there is nobody's praise that could give us so much pleasure as Miss Woodhouse's. My mother does not hear; she is a little deaf you know. Ma'am," addressing her, "do you hear what Miss Woodhouse is so obliging to say about Jane's handwriting?" And Emma had the advantage of hearing her own silly compliment repeated twice over before the good old lady could comprehend it. She was pondering, in the meanwhile, upon the possibility, without seeming very rude, of making her escape from Jane Fairfax's letter, and had almost resolved on hurrying away directly under some slight excuse, when Miss Bates turned to her again and seized her attention. "My mother's deafness is very trifling you see--just nothing at all. By only raising my voice, and saying any thing two or three times over, she is sure to hear; but then she is used to my voice. But it is very remarkable that she should always hear Jane better than she does me. Jane speaks so distinct! However, she will not find her grandmama at all deafer than she was two years ago; which is saying a great deal at my mother's time of life--and it really is full two years, you know, since she was here. We never were so long without seeing her before, and as I was telling Mrs. Cole, we shall hardly know how to make enough of her now." "Are you expecting Miss Fairfax here soon?" "Oh yes; next week." "Indeed!--that must be a very great pleasure." "Thank you. You are very kind. Yes, next week. Every body is so surprized; and every body says the same obliging things. I am sure she will be as happy to see her friends at Highbury, as they can be to see her. Yes, Friday or Saturday; she cannot say which, because Colonel Campbell will be wanting the carriage himself one of those days. So very good of them to send her the whole way! But they always do, you know. Oh yes, Friday or Saturday next. That is what she writes about. That is the reason of her writing out of rule, as we call it; for, in the common course, we should not have heard from her before next Tuesday or Wednesday." "Yes, so I imagined. I was afraid there could be little chance of my hearing any thing of Miss Fairfax to-day." "So obliging of you! No, we should not have heard, if it had not been for this particular circumstance, of her being to come here so soon. My mother is so delighted!--for she is to be three months with us at least. Three months, she says so, positively, as I am going to have the pleasure of reading to you. The case is, you see, that the Campbells are going to Ireland. Mrs. Dixon has persuaded her father and mother to come over and see her directly. They had not intended to go over till the summer, but she is so impatient to see them again--for till she married, last October, she was never away from them so much as a week, which must make it very strange to be in different kingdoms, I was going to say, but however different countries, and so she wrote a very urgent letter to her mother--or her father, I declare I do not know which it was, but we shall see presently in Jane's letter--wrote in Mr. Dixon's name as well as her own, to press their coming over directly, and they would give them the meeting in Dublin, and take them back to their country seat, Baly-craig, a beautiful place, I fancy. Jane has heard a great deal of its beauty; from Mr. Dixon, I mean--I do not know that she ever heard about it from any body else; but it was very natural, you know, that he should like to speak of his own place while he was paying his addresses--and as Jane used to be very often walking out with them--for Colonel and Mrs. Campbell were very particular about their daughter's not walking out often with only Mr. Dixon, for which I do not at all blame them; of course she heard every thing he might be telling Miss Campbell about his own home in Ireland; and I think she wrote us word that he had shewn them some drawings of the place, views that he had taken himself. He is a most amiable, charming young man, I believe. Jane was quite longing to go to Ireland, from his account of things." At this moment, an ingenious and animating suspicion entering Emma's brain with regard to Jane Fairfax, this charming Mr. Dixon, and the not going to Ireland, she said, with the insidious design of farther discovery, "You must feel it very fortunate that Miss Fairfax should be allowed to come to you at such a time. Considering the very particular friendship between her and Mrs. Dixon, you could hardly have expected her to be excused from accompanying Colonel and Mrs. Campbell." "Very true, very true, indeed. The very thing that we have always been rather afraid of; for we should not have liked to have her at such a distance from us, for months together--not able to come if any thing was to happen. But you see, every thing turns out for the best. They want her (Mr. and Mrs. Dixon) excessively to come over with Colonel and Mrs. Campbell; quite depend upon it; nothing can be more kind or pressing than their joint invitation, Jane says, as you will hear presently; Mr. Dixon does not seem in the least backward in any attention. He is a most charming young man. Ever since the service he rendered Jane at Weymouth, when they were out in that party on the water, and she, by the sudden whirling round of something or other among the sails, would have been dashed into the sea at once, and actually was all but gone, if he had not, with the greatest presence of mind, caught hold of her habit--(I can never think of it without trembling!) --But ever since we had the history of that day, I have been so fond of Mr. Dixon!" "But, in spite of all her friends' urgency, and her own wish of seeing Ireland, Miss Fairfax prefers devoting the time to you and Mrs. Bates?" "Yes--entirely her own doing, entirely her own choice; and Colonel and Mrs. Campbell think she does quite right, just what they should recommend; and indeed they particularly wish her to try her native air, as she has not been quite so well as usual lately." "I am concerned to hear of it. I think they judge wisely. But Mrs. Dixon must be very much disappointed. Mrs. Dixon, I understand, has no remarkable degree of personal beauty; is not, by any means, to be compared with Miss Fairfax." "Oh! no. You are very obliging to say such things--but certainly not. There is no comparison between them. Miss Campbell always was absolutely plain--but extremely elegant and amiable." "Yes, that of course." "Jane caught a bad cold, poor thing! so long ago as the 7th of November, (as I am going to read to you,) and has never been well since. A long time, is not it, for a cold to hang upon her? She never mentioned it before, because she would not alarm us. Just like her! so considerate!--But however, she is so far from well, that her kind friends the Campbells think she had better come home, and try an air that always agrees with her; and they have no doubt that three or four months at Highbury will entirely cure her--and it is certainly a great deal better that she should come here, than go to Ireland, if she is unwell. Nobody could nurse her, as we should do." "It appears to me the most desirable arrangement in the world." "And so she is to come to us next Friday or Saturday, and the Campbells leave town in their way to Holyhead the Monday following--as you will find from Jane's letter. So sudden!--You may guess, dear Miss Woodhouse, what a flurry it has thrown me in! If it was not for the drawback of her illness--but I am afraid we must expect to see her grown thin, and looking very poorly. I must tell you what an unlucky thing happened to me, as to that. I always make a point of reading Jane's letters through to myself first, before I read them aloud to my mother, you know, for fear of there being any thing in them to distress her. Jane desired me to do it, so I always do: and so I began to-day with my usual caution; but no sooner did I come to the mention of her being unwell, than I burst out, quite frightened, with 'Bless me! poor Jane is ill!' --which my mother, being on the watch, heard distinctly, and was sadly alarmed at. However, when I read on, I found it was not near so bad as I had fancied at first; and I make so light of it now to her, that she does not think much about it. But I cannot imagine how I could be so off my guard. If Jane does not get well soon, we will call in Mr. Perry. The expense shall not be thought of; and though he is so liberal, and so fond of Jane that I dare say he would not mean to charge any thing for attendance, we could not suffer it to be so, you know. He has a wife and family to maintain, and is not to be giving away his time. Well, now I have just given you a hint of what Jane writes about, we will turn to her letter, and I am sure she tells her own story a great deal better than I can tell it for her." "I am afraid we must be running away," said Emma, glancing at Harriet, and beginning to rise--"My father will be expecting us. I had no intention, I thought I had no power of staying more than five minutes, when I first entered the house. I merely called, because I would not pass the door without inquiring after Mrs. Bates; but I have been so pleasantly detained! Now, however, we must wish you and Mrs. Bates good morning." And not all that could be urged to detain her succeeded. She regained the street--happy in this, that though much had been forced on her against her will, though she had in fact heard the whole substance of Jane Fairfax's letter, she had been able to escape the letter itself.

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Volume 2. Chapter 1. Volumen 2. Capítulo 1. Cilt 2. Bölüm 1. 第 2 卷第 1 章。

Emma and Harriet had been walking together one morning, and, in Emma's opinion, had been talking enough of Mr. Elton for that day. 有一天早上,艾瑪和哈里特一起散步,艾瑪認為,那天關於艾爾頓先生的話題已經說得夠多了。 She could not think that Harriet's solace or her own sins required more; and she was therefore industriously getting rid of the subject as they returned;--but it burst out again when she thought she had succeeded, and after speaking some time of what the poor must suffer in winter, and receiving no other answer than a very plaintive--"Mr. Elton is so good to the poor!" ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||sorrowful|||||||| 她不認為哈麗特的安慰或她自己的罪需要更多的安慰;因此,當他們回來時,她努力地擺脫這個話題;但是當她認為自己已經成功了,並且在談論了窮人在冬天必須遭受的痛苦之後,除了一個非常好的答案之外,沒有得到其他答案,這個話題又爆發了。哀怨——“艾爾頓先生對窮人真好!” she found something else must be done.

They were just approaching the house where lived Mrs. and Miss Bates. 他們正接近貝茨太太和貝茨小姐住的房子。 She determined to call upon them and seek safety in numbers. 她決定向他們求助並尋求數量上的安全。 There was always sufficient reason for such an attention; Mrs. and Miss Bates loved to be called on, and she knew she was considered by the very few who presumed ever to see imperfection in her, as rather negligent in that respect, and as not contributing what she ought to the stock of their scanty comforts. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||assumed|||||||||||||||||||||||||limited| 這種關注總是有充分的理由的。貝茨夫人和貝茨小姐喜歡被拜訪,她知道,極少數人認為她在這方面相當疏忽,認為她在這方面相當疏忽,並且沒有為他們稀缺的股票做出她應有的貢獻。舒適。

She had had many a hint from Mr. Knightley and some from her own heart, as to her deficiency--but none were equal to counteract the persuasion of its being very disagreeable,--a waste of time--tiresome women--and all the horror of being in danger of falling in with the second-rate and third-rate of Highbury, who were calling on them for ever, and therefore she seldom went near them. ||||||||||||||||||||||||overcome||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| 關於她的缺陷,她從奈特利先生那裡得到了很多暗示,還有一些來自她自己的內心——但沒有一個能夠抵消這種說服力,因為它非常令人不快——浪費時間——令人們厭煩的女人──而且與海布里的二流和三流的人交往的危險讓她感到恐懼,他們永遠拜訪他們,因此她很少靠近他們。 But now she made the sudden resolution of not passing their door without going in--observing, as she proposed it to Harriet, that, as well as she could calculate, they were just now quite safe from any letter from Jane Fairfax. 但現在她突然決定,不進去就不經過他們的門——當她向哈麗特提出這個建議時,她發現,據她所知,他們現在很安全,不會收到簡·費爾法克斯的任何來信。

The house belonged to people in business. Mrs. and Miss Bates occupied the drawing-room floor; and there, in the very moderate-sized apartment, which was every thing to them, the visitors were most cordially and even gratefully welcomed; the quiet neat old lady, who with her knitting was seated in the warmest corner, wanting even to give up her place to Miss Woodhouse, and her more active, talking daughter, almost ready to overpower them with care and kindness, thanks for their visit, solicitude for their shoes, anxious inquiries after Mr. Woodhouse's health, cheerful communications about her mother's, and sweet-cake from the beaufet--"Mrs. Cole had just been there, just called in for ten minutes, and had been so good as to sit an hour with them, and  she had taken a piece of cake and been so kind as to say she liked it very much; and, therefore, she hoped Miss Woodhouse and Miss Smith would do them the favour to eat a piece too." |||||||||||||||||||||||||||warmly and sincerely|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||concern||||||||||||||||||||sideboard||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| The mention of the Coles was sure to be followed by that of Mr. Elton. 提到科爾斯之後一定會提到艾爾頓先生。 There was intimacy between them, and Mr. Cole had heard from Mr. Elton since his going away. Emma knew what was coming; they must have the letter over again, and settle how long he had been gone, and how much he was engaged in company, and what a favourite he was wherever he went, and how full the Master of the Ceremonies' ball had been; and she went through it very well, with all the interest and all the commendation that could be requisite, and always putting forward to prevent Harriet's being obliged to say a word. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||praise||||||||||||||||| This she had been prepared for when she entered the house; but meant, having once talked him handsomely over, to be no farther incommoded by any troublesome topic, and to wander at large amongst all the Mistresses and Misses of Highbury, and their card-parties. |||||||||||||||||||||||bothered or inconven||||||||||||||||||||| 當她進屋的時候,她就已經做好這個準備了。但意思是,一旦和他談過之後,就不再被任何麻煩的話題所困擾,並在海布里的所有男女主婦和他們的卡片聚會中閒逛。 She had not been prepared to have Jane Fairfax succeed Mr. Elton; but he was actually hurried off by Miss Bates, she jumped away from him at last abruptly to the Coles, to usher in a letter from her niece. 她並沒有準備好讓簡·費爾法克斯接替艾爾頓先生;她沒有準備好讓簡·費爾法克斯接替艾爾頓先生。但他居然被貝茲小姐催走了,她終於猛然離開他,來到科爾斯,去迎接她姪女的一封信。

"Oh! yes--Mr. Elton, I understand--certainly as to dancing--Mrs. Cole was telling me that dancing at the rooms at Bath was--Mrs. Cole was so kind as to sit some time with us, talking of Jane; for as soon as she came in, she began inquiring after her, Jane is so very great a favourite there. 是的——先生。艾爾頓,我理解──當然是跳舞──艾爾頓太太。科爾告訴我,在巴斯的房間裡跳舞是——夫人。科爾非常友善,願意和我們一起坐一會兒,談論簡。因為她一進來就開始打聽她的情況,簡是那裡非常受歡迎的人。 Whenever she is with us, Mrs. Cole does not know how to shew her kindness enough; and I must say that Jane deserves it as much as any body can. 每當科爾夫人和我們在一起時,她都不知道如何表達她的善意;我必須說,簡和任何人一樣應得的。 And so she began inquiring after her directly, saying, 'I know you cannot have heard from Jane lately, because it is not her time for writing;' and when I immediately said, 'But indeed we have, we had a letter this very morning,' I do not know that I ever saw any body more surprized. 於是她開始直接問她,說:“我知道你最近沒有簡的消息,因為現在不是她寫作的時間;”當我立即說:「但我們確實收到了,今天早上我們收到了一封信」時,我不知道我見過比這更驚訝的人了。 'Have you, upon your honour?' said she; 'well, that is quite unexpected. ||||||surprising Do let me hear what she says. ' " Emma's politeness was at hand directly, to say, with smiling interest-- 艾瑪的禮貌直接就在眼前,帶著微笑的興趣說—— "Have you heard from Miss Fairfax so lately? I am extremely happy. I hope she is well?" "Thank you. You are so kind!" replied the happily deceived aunt, while eagerly hunting for the letter.--"Oh! |||||||searching for|||| 被騙了的阿姨高興地回答道,同時急切地尋找那封信。--「喔! here it is. I was sure it could not be far off; but I had put my huswife upon it, you see, without being aware, and so it was quite hid, but I had it in my hand so very lately that I was almost sure it must be on the table. ||||||||||||||sewing kit|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| 我確信它離我們不遠了。但你看,我把我的妻子放在上面,你看,沒有意識到,所以它是相當隱蔽的,但我最近才把它拿在手裡,我幾乎可以肯定它一定在桌子上。 I was reading it to Mrs. Cole, and since she went away, I was reading it again to my mother, for it is such a pleasure to her--a letter from Jane--that she can never hear it often enough; so I knew it could not be far off, and here it is, only just under my huswife--and since you are so kind as to wish to hear what she says;--but, first of all, I really must, in justice to Jane, apologise for her writing so short a letter--only two pages you see--hardly two--and in general she fills the whole paper and crosses half. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||le||||| 我把這封信讀給科爾太太聽,自從她走後,我又把這封信讀給我母親聽,因為這對她來說是一件很高興的事——一封來自簡的信——她永遠都聽不夠。所以我知道它不會太遠,就在這裡,就在我妻子的下面——既然你那麼好心,希望聽聽她說的話;——但是,首先,我真的必須,在為簡伸張正義,為她寫這麼短的信道歉——你只看到兩頁——幾乎沒有兩頁——而且一般來說,她填滿了整張紙,劃掉了一半。 My mother often wonders that I can make it out so well. She often says, when the letter is first opened, 'Well, Hetty, now I think you will be put to it to make out all that checker-work'--don't you, ma'am?--And then I tell her, I am sure she would contrive to make it out herself, if she had nobody to do it for her--every word of it--I am sure she would pore over it till she had made out every word. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||figure out||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| 當這封信第一次被打開時,她經常說,「好吧,海蒂,現在我想你會被要求去弄清楚所有這些檢查工作」——不是嗎,女士?——然後我告訴她,我確信她會想辦法自己弄清楚,如果沒有人幫她做的話——其中的每一個字——我相信她會仔細研究,直到她弄清楚每一個字。 And, indeed, though my mother's eyes are not so good as they were, she can see amazingly well still, thank God! 確實,雖然我母親的眼睛不如以前那麼好,但她仍然能看得很清楚,感謝上帝! with the help of spectacles. ||||glasses 在眼鏡的幫助下。 It is such a blessing! My mother's are really very good indeed. Jane often says, when she is here, 'I am sure, grandmama, you must have had very strong eyes to see as you do--and so much fine work as you have done too!--I only wish my eyes may last me as well. 簡經常說,當她在這裡的時候,「我確信,奶奶,您一定有一雙非常敏銳的眼睛,才能看到您所做的事情——而且您也做了很多出色的工作!——我只希望我的眼睛能長久我也是。 ' " All this spoken extremely fast obliged Miss Bates to stop for breath; and Emma said something very civil about the excellence of Miss Fairfax's handwriting. 這一切講得極快,迫使貝茲小姐停下來喘口氣。艾瑪對費爾法克斯小姐出色的筆跡說了一些非常客氣的話。 "You are extremely kind," replied Miss Bates, highly gratified; "you who are such a judge, and write so beautifully yourself. 「你真是太好了,」貝茲小姐非常滿意地回答。 「你真是一位法官,而且你自己寫得也很漂亮。 I am sure there is nobody's praise that could give us so much pleasure as Miss Woodhouse's. 我確信沒有人的讚美能像伍德豪斯小姐一樣帶給我們這麼多的快樂。 My mother does not hear; she is a little deaf you know. Ma'am," addressing her, "do you hear what Miss Woodhouse is so obliging to say about Jane's handwriting?" 女士,”對她說,“您聽到伍德豪斯小姐如此熱情地談論簡的筆跡了嗎?” And Emma had the advantage of hearing her own silly compliment repeated twice over before the good old lady could comprehend it. 艾瑪的優點在於,在那位善良的老太太聽懂之前,她就聽到自己愚蠢的讚美重複了兩遍。 She was pondering, in the meanwhile, upon the possibility, without seeming very rude, of making her escape from Jane Fairfax's letter, and had almost resolved on hurrying away directly under some slight excuse, when Miss Bates turned to her again and seized her attention. 與此同時,她正在考慮是否有可能(看起來不太粗魯)逃離簡·費爾法克斯的信,幾乎決定找個藉口就趕緊走開,這時貝茨小姐又轉向她,引起了她的注意。 。 "My mother's deafness is very trifling you see--just nothing at all. 「你看,我母親的耳聾是非常輕微的——根本就沒有什麼。 By only raising my voice, and saying any thing two or three times over, she is sure to hear; but then she is used to my voice. 只要我提高聲音,任何事說兩三遍,她就一定能聽到;但後來她習慣了我的聲音。 But it is very remarkable that she should always hear Jane better than she does me. Jane speaks so distinct! However, she will not find her grandmama at all deafer than she was two years ago; which is saying a great deal at my mother's time of life--and it really is full two years, you know, since she was here. 然而,她不會發現她的祖母比兩年前更聾了;這在我母親的一生中意義重大——你知道,自從她來到這裡以來,已經整整兩年了。 We never were so long without seeing her before, and as I was telling Mrs. Cole, we shall hardly know how to make enough of her now." "Are you expecting Miss Fairfax here soon?" "Oh yes; next week." "Indeed!--that must be a very great pleasure." "Thank you. You are very kind. Yes, next week. Every body is so surprized; and every body says the same obliging things. I am sure she will be as happy to see her friends at Highbury, as they can be to see her. 我相信她會很高興見到她在海布里的朋友,就像他們很高興見到她一樣。 Yes, Friday or Saturday; she cannot say which, because Colonel Campbell will be wanting the carriage himself one of those days. 是的,週五或週六;她不能說是哪一個,因為有一天坎貝爾上校也會想要這輛馬車。 So very good of them to send her the whole way! But they always do, you know. Oh yes, Friday or Saturday next. That is what she writes about. That is the reason of her writing out of rule, as we call it; for, in the common course, we should not have heard from her before next Tuesday or Wednesday." "Yes, so I imagined. I was afraid there could be little chance of my hearing any thing of Miss Fairfax to-day." "So obliging of you! |kind of you|| 「真是太感謝你了! No, we should not have heard, if it had not been for this particular circumstance, of her being to come here so soon. 不,如果不是這個特殊情況,我們不會聽說她這麼快就來到這裡。 My mother is so delighted!--for she is to be three months with us at least. Three months, she says so, positively, as I am going to have the pleasure of reading to you. The case is, you see, that the Campbells are going to Ireland. 你看,情況是坎貝爾一家要去愛爾蘭。 Mrs. Dixon has persuaded her father and mother to come over and see her directly. They had not intended to go over till the summer, but she is so impatient to see them again--for till she married, last October, she was never away from them so much as a week, which must make it very strange to be in different kingdoms, I was going to say, but however different countries, and so she wrote a very urgent letter to her mother--or her father, I declare I do not know which it was, but we shall see presently in Jane's letter--wrote in Mr. Dixon's name as well as her own, to press their coming over directly, and they would give them the meeting in Dublin, and take them back to their country seat, Baly-craig, a beautiful place, I fancy. 他們原本打算等到夏天才過去,但她迫不及待地想再次見到他們——因為直到去年十月她結婚為止,她從來沒有離開過他們一個星期,這肯定會讓她感到很奇怪。我想說的是,在不同的王國,但無論在不同的國家,所以她給她的母親或她的父親寫了一封非常緊急的信,我聲明我不知道那封信是哪封,但我們很快就會在簡的信中看到——以迪克森先生和她自己的名義寫下,敦促他們直接過來,他們將在都柏林給他們開會,然後帶他們回到他們的鄉村住所,巴利克雷格,一個美麗的地方,我想。 Jane has heard a great deal of its beauty; from Mr. Dixon, I mean--I do not know that she ever heard about it from any body else; but it was very natural, you know, that he should like to speak of his own place while he was paying his addresses--and as Jane used to be very often walking out with them--for Colonel and Mrs. Campbell were very particular about their daughter's not walking out often with only Mr. Dixon, for which I do not at all blame them; of course she heard every thing he might be telling Miss Campbell about his own home in Ireland; and I think she wrote us word that he had shewn them some drawings of the place, views that he had taken himself. 簡已經聽過很多關於它的美麗的事了。我是說,迪克森先生說的——我不知道她是否從其他人那裡聽說過這件事;但是,你知道,他在付地址時喜歡談論自己的住所是很自然的——而且簡過去常常和他們一起出去——因為坎貝爾上校和夫人非常挑剔關於他們的女兒不經常只和迪克森先生一起出去,對此我一點也不責怪他們;當然,她聽到了他可能告訴坎貝爾小姐的關於他自己在愛爾蘭的家的一切;我想她寫信給我們說,他給他們看了一些這個地方的圖畫,以及他自己拍攝的景色。 He is a most amiable, charming young man, I believe. Jane was quite longing to go to Ireland, from his account of things." At this moment, an ingenious and animating suspicion entering Emma's brain with regard to Jane Fairfax, this charming Mr. Dixon, and the not going to Ireland, she said, with the insidious design of farther discovery, ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||deceptive intention|||| 此刻,一種巧妙而生動的懷疑進入艾瑪的大腦,關於簡·費爾法克斯,這位迷人的迪克森先生,以及不去愛爾蘭,她說,帶著進一步發現的陰險設計, "You must feel it very fortunate that Miss Fairfax should be allowed to come to you at such a time. 「你一定感到非常幸運,費爾法克斯小姐能在這個時候來找你。 Considering the very particular friendship between her and Mrs. Dixon, you could hardly have expected her to be excused from accompanying Colonel and Mrs. 考慮到她和迪克森夫人之間非常特殊的友誼,你很難想像她會被免除陪同迪克森上校和夫人。 Campbell." "Very true, very true, indeed. The very thing that we have always been rather afraid of; for we should not have liked to have her at such a distance from us, for months together--not able to come if any thing was to happen. 這正是我們一直非常害怕的事情;因為我們不應該喜歡她離我們這麼遠,在一起幾個月——如果有什麼事情發生,她就不能來。 But you see, every thing turns out for the best. They want her (Mr. and Mrs. Dixon) excessively to come over with Colonel and Mrs. Campbell; quite depend upon it; nothing can be more kind or pressing than their  joint invitation, Jane says, as you will hear presently; Mr. Dixon does not seem in the least backward in any attention. 他們非常希望她(迪克森先生和夫人)能與坎貝爾上校和夫人一起過來。完全依賴它;簡說,沒有什麼比他們的共同邀請更友善或更緊迫的了,正如你很快就會聽到的那樣。迪克森先生的注意力似乎絲毫沒有落後。 He is a most charming young man. Ever since the service he rendered Jane at Weymouth, when they were out in that party on the water, and she, by the sudden whirling round of something or other among the sails, would have been dashed into the sea at once, and actually was all but gone, if he had not, with the greatest presence of mind, caught hold of her habit--(I can never think of it without trembling!) 自從他在韋茅斯為簡提供服務以來,當他們在水面上成群結隊時,她,由於帆中突然旋轉的某種東西,會立即被沖入大海,實際上是如果他沒有以最冷靜的頭腦抓住她的習慣,一切都差不多消失了——(我永遠無法不顫抖地想到它!) --But ever since we had the history of that day, I have been so fond of Mr. Dixon!" "But, in spite of all her friends' urgency, and her own wish of seeing Ireland, Miss Fairfax prefers devoting the time to you and Mrs. 「但是,儘管她所有的朋友都很著急,而且她自己也希望去愛爾蘭看看,費爾法克斯小姐還是更願意把時間花在你和費爾法克斯夫人身上。 Bates?" "Yes--entirely her own doing, entirely her own choice; and Colonel and Mrs. Campbell think she does quite right, just what they should recommend; and indeed they particularly  wish her to try her native air, as she has not been quite so well as usual lately." 「是的——完全是她自己做的,完全是她自己的選擇;坎貝爾上校和夫人認為她做得很對,正是他們應該推薦的;事實上,他們特別希望她嘗試一下她的本土風格,因為她還沒有完全適應。”最近一如既往。” "I am concerned to hear of it. I think they judge wisely. But Mrs. Dixon must be very much disappointed. Mrs. Dixon, I understand, has no remarkable degree of personal beauty; is not, by any means, to be compared with Miss Fairfax." "Oh! no. You are very obliging to say such things--but certainly not. There is no comparison between them. Miss Campbell always was absolutely plain--but extremely elegant and amiable." "Yes, that of course." "Jane caught a bad cold, poor thing! so long ago as the 7th of November, (as I am going to read to you,) and has never been well since. A long time, is not it, for a cold to hang upon her? She never mentioned it before, because she would not alarm us. Just like her! so considerate!--But however, she is so far from well, that her kind friends the Campbells think she had better come home, and try an air that always agrees with her; and they have no doubt that three or four months at Highbury will entirely cure her--and it is certainly a great deal better that she should come here, than go to Ireland, if she is unwell. Nobody could nurse her, as we should do." "It appears to me the most desirable arrangement in the world." “在我看來,這是世界上最理想的安排。” "And so she is to come to us next Friday or Saturday, and the Campbells leave town in their way to Holyhead the Monday following--as you will find from Jane's letter. 「所以她要在下週五或週六來找我們,坎貝爾一家會在下週一離開小鎮前往霍利黑德——正如你從簡的信中看到的那樣。 So sudden!--You may guess, dear Miss Woodhouse, what a flurry it has thrown me in! ||||||||||state of agitation||||| If it was not for the drawback of her illness--but I am afraid we must expect to see her grown thin, and looking very poorly. 如果不是因為她的病——但恐怕我們會看到她變得瘦弱,而且看起來很糟糕。 I must tell you what an unlucky thing happened to me, as to that. I always make a point of reading Jane's letters through to myself first, before I read them aloud to my mother, you know, for fear of there being any thing in them to distress her. 我總是刻意先把簡的信讀給自己聽,然後再大聲讀給母親聽,你知道,因為擔心裡面有什麼東西會讓她難過。 Jane desired me to do it, so I always do: and so I began to-day with my usual caution; but no sooner did I come to the mention of her being unwell, than I burst out, quite frightened, with 'Bless me! 簡希望我這樣做,所以我總是這樣做:所以我以一貫的謹慎態度開始了今天的工作。但當我一提到她身體不適時,我就非常害怕地喊道:“保佑我!” poor Jane is ill!' --which my mother, being on the watch, heard distinctly, and was sadly alarmed at. However, when I read on, I found it was not near so bad as I had fancied at first; and I make so light of it now to her, that she does not think much about it. But I cannot imagine how I could be so off my guard. If Jane does not get well soon, we will call in Mr. Perry. The expense shall not be thought of; and though he is so liberal, and so fond of Jane that I dare say he would not mean to charge any thing for attendance, we could not suffer it to be so, you know. 費用不用考慮;雖然他很開明,也很喜歡簡,我敢說他不會向出席者收取任何費用,但你知道,我們不能容忍這樣的情況發生。 He has a wife and family to maintain, and is not to be giving away his time. Well, now I have just given you a hint of what Jane writes about, we will turn to her letter, and I am sure she tells her own story a great deal better than I can tell it for her." 好吧,現在我只是向你暗示了簡所寫的內容,我們將轉向她的信,我相信她講述自己的故事比我為她講述的要好得多。” "I am afraid we must be running away," said Emma, glancing at Harriet, and beginning to rise--"My father will be expecting us. I had no intention, I thought I had no power of staying more than five minutes, when I first entered the house. I merely called, because I would not pass the door without inquiring after Mrs. Bates; but I have been so pleasantly detained! 我只是打電話,因為我不會在不詢問貝茨夫人的情況下進門。但我被如此愉快地拘留了! Now, however, we must wish you and Mrs. Bates good morning." And not all that could be urged to detain her succeeded. She regained the street--happy in this, that though much had been forced on her against her will, though she had in fact heard the whole substance of Jane Fairfax's letter, she had been able to escape the letter itself. |returned to|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| 她重新回到了街道上——對此感到高興的是,儘管有很多事情是違背她的意願強加給她的,儘管她實際上已經聽到了簡·費爾法克斯信中的全部內容,但她還是能夠逃脫這封信本身。