HAD Elizabeth's opinion been all drawn from her own family, she could not have formed a very pleasing picture of conjugal felicity or domestic comfort. Her father, captivated by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good humour which youth and beauty generally give, had married a woman whose weak understanding and illiberal mind had, very early in their marriage, put an end to all real affection for her. Respect, esteem, and confidence had vanished for ever; and all his views of domestic happiness were overthrown. But Mr. Bennet was not of a disposition to seek comfort, for the disappointment which his own imprudence had brought on, in any of those pleasures which too often console the unfortunate for their folly or their vice. He was fond of the country and of books; and from these tastes had arisen his principal enjoyments. To his wife he was very little otherwise indebted, than as her ignorance and folly had contributed to his amusement. This is not the sort of happiness which a man would in general wish to owe to his wife; but where other powers of entertainment are wanting, the true philosopher will derive benefit from such as are given.
倘若叫伊丽莎白根据她自己家庭的情形，来说一说什么叫做婚姻的幸福，什么叫做家庭的乐趣，那她一定说不出好话来。她父亲当年就因为贪恋青春美貌，为的是青春美貌往往会给人带来很大的情趣，因此娶了这样一个智力贫乏而又小心眼儿的女人，结婚不久，他对太太的深挚的情意便完结了。夫妇之间的互敬互爱和推心置腹，都永远消失得无影无踪；他对于家庭幸福的理想也完全给推翻了。换了别的人，凡是因为自己的冒失而招来了不幸，往往会用荒唐或是不正当的佚乐来安慰自己，可是班纳特先生却不喜欢这一套。他喜爱乡村景色，喜爱读书自娱，这就是他最大的乐趣。说到他的太太，除了她的无知和愚蠢倒可以供他开心作乐之外，他对她就再没有别的恩情了。一般男人照理总不希望在妻子身上找这一种乐趣，可是大智大慧的人既然没有本领去找别的玩艺儿，当然只好听天由命。

Elizabeth, however, had never been blind to the impropriety of her father's behaviour as a husband. She had always seen it with pain; but respecting his abilities, and grateful for his affectionate treatment of herself, she endeavoured to forget what she could not overlook, and to banish from her thoughts that continual breach of conjugal obligation and decorum which, in exposing his wife to the contempt of her own children, was so highly reprehensible. But she had never felt so strongly as now the disadvantages which must attend the children of so unsuitable a marriage, nor ever been so fully aware of the evils arising from so ill-judged a direction of talents; talents which rightly used, might at least have preserved the respectability of his daughters, even if incapable of enlarging the mind of his wife.
不过伊丽莎白并不是看不出父亲的缺德。她老是一看到就觉得痛苦；可是她尊重他的才能，又感谢他对读书的宠爱，因此，本来忽略不了的地方，她也尽量把它忽略过去，而且纵使父亲大不该叫孩子们看不起妈妈，以致使他们老夫妇一天比一天不能够互敬互爱地相处，她也尽量不去想它。但是，说到不美满的婚姻给儿女们带来的不利，她从前决没有象现在体验得这样深刻，父亲的才能使用不得当因而造成种种害处，这一点她从来没有象现在这样看得透彻。要是父亲的才能运用得适当，即使不能够扩展母亲的见识，至少也可以保存女儿们的体面。

When Elizabeth had rejoiced over Wickham's departure, she found little other cause for satisfaction in the loss of the regiment. Their parties abroad were less varied than before; and at home she had a mother and sister whose constant repinings at the dulness of every thing around them threw a real gloom over their domestic circle; and, though Kitty might in time regain her natural degree of sense, since the disturbers of her brain were removed, her other sister, from whose disposition greater evil might be apprehended, was likely to be hardened in all her folly and assurance by a situation of such double danger as a watering place and a camp. Upon the whole, therefore, she found what has been sometimes found before, that an event to which she had looked forward with impatient desire, did not, in taking place, bring all the satisfaction she had promised herself. It was consequently necessary to name some other period for the commencement of actual felicity; to have some other point on which her wishes and hopes might be fixed, and by again enjoying the pleasure of anticipation, console herself for the present, and prepare for another disappointment. Her tour to the Lakes was now the object of her happiest thoughts; it was her best consolation for all the uncomfortable hours which the discontentedness of her mother and Kitty made inevitable; and could she have included Jane in the scheme, every part of it would have been perfect.
韦翰走了固然使伊丽莎白感到快慰，然而，这个民兵团开拔以后，并没有什么别的地方叫她满意。外面的宴会不象以前那样多那样有趣了，在家里又是成天只听到母亲和妹妹口口声声埋怨生活沉闷，使家里笼罩上了一层阴影；至于吉蒂虽说那些闹得她心猿意马的人已经走了，她不久就会恢复常态；可是还有那另外一个妹妹，秉性本就不好，加上现在又处身在那兵营和浴场的双重危险的环境里，自然会更加大胆放荡，闯出更大的祸事来，因此从大体上说来，她发觉到（其实以前有一度她早就发觉到）她眼巴巴望着到来的一件事，等到真正到来了，总不象她预期的那么满意。因此她不得不把真正幸福的开端期诸来日，找些别的东西来寄托她的希望和心愿，在期待的心情中自我陶醉一番，暂时安慰自己一下，准备再遭受到失望。她现在心里最得意的一件事便是不久就可以到湖区去旅行，因为既然母亲和吉蒂心里不快活，吵得家里鸡犬不宁，当然一想起出门便使她获得了最大的安慰；如果吉英也能参加这次旅行，那就十全十美了。

"But it is fortunate," thought she, "that I have something to wish for. Were the whole arrangement complete, my disappointment would be certain. But here, by my carrying with me one ceaseless source of regret in my sister's absence, I may reasonably hope to have all my expectations of pleasure realized. A scheme of which every part promises delight, can never be successful; and general disappointment is only warded off by the defence of some little peculiar vexation."
她心里想：“总还算幸运，我还可以存些指望。假使处处都安排得很完满，我反面要感到失望了。姐姐不能够一同去，我自会时时刻刻都感到遗憾，不过也反而可以使我存着一分希望，因此我所期待的愉快也可能会实现。十全十美的计划总不会成功；只有稍许带着几分苦恼，才可以大体上防止得了失望。”