Chapter40 "IneverthoughtMr.Darcysodeficientintheappearanceofitasyouusedtodo.""AndyetImeanttobeuncommonlycleverintakingsodecidedadisliketohim,withoutanyreason.Itissuchaspurtoone'sgenius,suchanopeningforwittohaveadislikeofthatkind.Onemaybecontinuallyabusivewithoutsayinganythingjust;butonecannotbealwayslaughingatamanwithoutnowandthenstumblingonsomethingwitty.""Lizzywhenyoufirstreadthatletter,Iamsureyoucouldnottreatthematterasyoudonow.""IndeedIcouldnot.Iwasuncomfortableenough.Iwasveryuncomfortable,Imaysayunhappy.AndwithnoonetospeaktoofwhatIfelt,noJanetocomfortmeandsaythatIhadnotbeensoveryweakandvainandnonsensicalasIknewIhad!Oh!howIwantedyou!""HowunfortunatethatyoushouldhaveusedsuchverystrongexpressionsinspeakingofWickhamtoMr.Darcy,fornowtheydoappearwhollyundeserved.""Certainly.ButthemisfortuneofspeakingwithbitternessisamostnaturalconsequenceoftheprejudicesIhadbeenencouraging.ThereisonepointonwhichIwantyouradvice.IwanttobetoldwhetherIought,oroughtnot,tomakeouracquaintanceingeneralunderstandWickham'scharacter."MissBennetpausedalittleandthenreplied, "Surelytherecanbenooccasionforexposinghimsodreadfully.Whatisyourownopinion?""Thatitoughtnottobeattempted.Mr.Darcyhasnotauthorisedmetomakehiscommunicationpublic.Onthecontrary,everyparticularrelativetohissisterwasmeanttobekeptasmuchaspossibletomyself;andifIendeavourtoundeceivepeopleastotherestofhisconduct,whowillbelieveme?ThegeneralprejudiceagainstMr.Darcyissoviolent,thatitwouldbethedeathofhalfthegoodpeopleinMerytontoattempttoplacehiminanamiablelight.Iamnotequaltoit.Wickhamwillsoonbegone;andthereforeitwillnotsignifytoanybodyhere,whathereallyis.Sometimehenceitwillbeallfoundout,andthenwemaylaughattheirstupidityinnotknowingitbefore.AtpresentIwillsaynothingaboutit.""Youarequiteright.Tohavehiserrorsmadepublicmightruinhimforever.Heisnowperhapssorryforwhathehasdone,andanxioustore-establishacharacter.Wemustnotmakehimdesperate."ThetumultofElizabeth'smindwasallayedbythisconversation.Shehadgotridoftwoofthesecretswhichhadweighedonherforafortnight,andwascertainofawillinglistenerinJane,whenevershemightwishtotalkagainofeither.Buttherewasstillsomethinglurkingbehind,ofwhichprudenceforbadthedisclosure.ShedarednotrelatetheotherhalfofMr.Darcy'sletter,norexplaintohersisterhowsincerelyshehadbeenvaluedbyhisfriend.Herewasknowledgeinwhichnoonecouldpartake;andshewassensiblethatnothinglessthanaperfectunderstandingbetweenthepartiescouldjustifyherinthrowingoffthislastincumbranceofmystery. "Andthen,"saidshe, "ifthatveryimprobableeventshouldevertakeplace,IshallmerelybeabletotellwhatBingleymaytellinamuchmoreagreeablemannerhimself.Thelibertyofcommunicationcannotbeminetillithaslostallitsvalue!" 第四十章 “你以为达西先生只是仪表方面有欠缺，我可从来不这么想。”“可是我倒以为你这样对他深恶痛绝，固然说不上什么理由，却是非常聪明。这样的厌恶，足以激励人的天才，启发人的智慧。例如，你不断地骂人，当然说不出一句好话；你要是常常取笑人，倒很可能偶然想到一句妙语。”“丽萃，你第一次读那封信的时候，我相信你对待这件事的看法一定和现在不同。”“当然不同，我当时十分难受。我非常难受──可以说是很不快活。我心里有许多感触，可是找不到一个人可以倾诉，也没有个吉英来安慰安慰我，说我并不象我自己所想象的那样懦弱，虚荣和荒诞！噢，我真少不了你啊！”“你在达西先生面前说到韦翰的时候，语气那么强硬，这真是多么不幸啊！现在看起来，那些话实在显得不怎么得体。”“的确如此，我确实不应该说得那么刻毒，可是我既然事先存了偏见，自然难免如此。有件事我要请教你。你说我应该不应该把韦翰的品格说出去，让朋友们都知道？”班纳特小姐想了一会儿才说道：“当然用不着叫他太难堪。你的意见如何？”“我也觉得不必如此。达西先生并没有允许我把他所说的话公开外界声张。他反而吩咐我说，凡是牵涉到他妹妹的事，都要尽量保守秘密；说到韦翰其他方面的品行，我即使要对大家说老实话，又有谁会相信？一般人对达西先生都存着那么深的成见，你要叫别人对他有好感，麦里屯有一半人死也不愿意。我真没有办法。好在韦翰马上就要走了，他的真面目究竟怎样，与任何人都无关。总会有一天真相大白，那时候我们就可以讥笑人们为什么那么蠢，没有早些知道。目前我可绝口不提。”“你的话对极了。要揭露他的错误，可能就会断送了他的一生。也许他现在已经后悔，痛下决心，重新做人。我们千万不要弄得他走投无路。”这番谈话以后，伊丽莎白的骚忧的心境平静了些。两星期来，这两件秘密心思一直压在她的心头，如今总算放下了一块大石头，她相信以后要是再谈起这两件事来，不论其中哪一件，吉英都会愿意听。可是这里面还有些蹊跷，为了谨慎起见，她可不敢说出来。她不敢谈到达西先生那封信的另外一半，也不敢向姐姐说明：他那位朋友对姐姐是多么竭诚器重。这件事是不能让任何人知道的，她觉得除非把各方面的情况里里外外都弄明白了，这最后的一点秘密还不应该揭露。她想：“这样看来，如果那件不大可能的事一旦居然成了事实，我便可以把这件秘密说出来，不过到那时候，彬格莱先生自己也许会说得更动听。要说出这番稳情，非等到事过境迁，才轮不到我呢！”