名著精读《傲慢与偏见》第四章 第2节

Elizabeth listened in silence, but was not convinced. Their behaviour at the assembly had not been calculated to please in general; and with more quickness of observation and less pliancy of temper than her sister, and with a judgment, too, unassailed by any attention to herself, she was very little disposed to approve them.

伊丽莎白听着姐姐的话，嘴上一声不响，心里可并不信服。她比她姐姐的观察力来得敏锐，脾气她没有姐姐那么好惹，因此提到彬家姐妹，她只要想想她们在跳舞场里的那种举止，就知道她们并不打算要讨一般人的好。而且她胸有城府，决不因为人家等待她好就改变主张，她不会对她们发生多大好感的。

They were in fact very fine ladies, not deficient in good humour when they were pleased, nor in the power of being agreeable where they chose it; but proud and conceited. They were rather handsome, had been educated in one of the first private seminaries in town, had a fortune of twenty thousand pounds, were in the habit of spending more than they ought, and of associating with people of rank; and were therefore in every respect entitled to think well of themselves, and meanly of others. They were of a respectable family in the north of England; a circumstance more deeply impressed on their memories than that their brother's fortune and their own had been acquired by trade.

事实上她们都是些非常好的小姐；她们并不是不会谈笑风生，问题是在要碰到她们高兴的时候；她们也不是不会待人和颜悦色，问题在于她们是否乐意这样做。可惜的是，她们一味骄傲自大。她们都长得很漂亮，曾经在一个上流的专科学校里受过教育，有两万镑的财产，花起钱来总是挥霍无度，爱结交有身价地位的人，因此才造成了她们在各方面都自视甚高，不把别人放在眼里。她们出生于英格兰北部的一个体面家族。她们对自己的出身记得很牢，可是却几乎忘了她们兄弟的财产以及她们自己的财产都是做生意赚来的。

Mr. Bingley inherited property to the amount of nearly an hundred thousand pounds from his father, who had intended to purchase an estate, but did not live to do it. -- Mr. Bingley intended it likewise, and sometimes made choice of his county; but as he was now provided with a good house and the liberty of a manor, it was doubtful to many of those who best knew the easiness of his temper, whether he might not spend the remainder of his days at Netherfield, and leave the next generation to purchase.

彬格莱先生从他的父亲那儿只承继了一笔将近十万镑的遗产。他父亲生前本来打算购置些田产，可惜没有了却心愿就与世长辞了。彬格莱先生同样有这个打算，并且一度打算就在自己故乡购置，不过目前他既然有了一幢很好的房子，而且有庄园听他任意使用，于是那些了解他性格的人都说，象他这样一个随遇而安的人，下半辈子恐怕就在尼日斐花园度过，购置田产的事又要留给下一代去做了。

ulate ['kælkjuleit] vt. 计算, 估计, 考虑, 推测 vi. 计算, 预测, 依赖

The new regulations are deliberately calculated to make cheating impossible.
新的法规旨在杜绝诈骗行为。

rvation n. 观察, 观察力, 评论

He was taken into hospital for observation.
他被送进医院观察。

ncy n. 柔软, 柔顺

sailed adj. 未受攻击的；未受袭击的

eited adj. 自负的, 幻想的

I dislike conceited persons.
我不喜欢自高自大的人。

ire vt. 占有, 获得, 取得, 学到

How did he acquire his wealth?
他的财富是怎样得来的？

r n. (封建领主的)领地, 庄园

There is a large country house surrounded by a manor.
那儿是一所庄园大宅第。

ness n. 容易,温和,舒适,从容

r behaviour at the assembly had not been calculated to please in general; and with more quickness of observation and less pliancy of temper than her sister, and with a judgment, too, unassailed by any attention to herself, she was very little disposed to approve them.

【难句解析】Their behaviour是指彬家姐妹在舞会上的举止；with more elf做状语，其逻辑主语是she（伊丽莎白）；

【句子翻译】她比她姐姐的观察力来得敏锐，脾气她没有姐姐那么好惹，因此提到彬家姐妹，她只要想想她们在跳舞场里的那种举止，就知道她们并不打算要讨一般人的好。而且她胸有城府，决不因为人家等待她好就改变主张，她不会对她们发生多大好感的。

of associating with people of rank; and were therefore in every respect entitled to think well of themselves, and meanly of others.

【难句解析】people of rank意思是“有身份的人”；think well of...意思是“高度评价”；think meanly of others意思是“看不起别人”；

【句子翻译】...爱结交有身价地位的人，因此才造成了她们在各方面都自视甚高，不把别人放在眼里。