When the ladies returned to the drawing room, there was little to be done but to hear Lady Catherine talk, which she did without any intermission till coffee came in, delivering her opinion on every subject in so decisive a manner as proved that she was not used to have her judgment controverted. She enquired into Charlotte's domestic concerns familiarly and minutely, and gave her a great deal of advice as to the management of them all; told her how every thing ought to be regulated in so small a family as her's, and instructed her as to the care of her cows and her poultry. Elizabeth found that nothing was beneath this great lady's attention, which could furnish her with an occasion of dictating to others. In the intervals of her discourse with Mrs. Collins, she addressed a variety of questions to Maria and Elizabeth, but especially to the latter, of whose connections she knew the least, and who, she observed to Mrs. Collins, was a very genteel, pretty kind of girl. She asked her at different times, how many sisters she had, whether they were older or younger than herself, whether any of them were likely to be married, whether they were handsome, where they had been educated, what carriage her father kept, and what had been her mother's maiden name? -- Elizabeth felt all the impertinence of her questions, but answered them very composedly. -- Lady Catherine then observed,
女客们回到会客室以后,只是听咖苔琳夫人谈话。夫人滔滔不绝地一直谈到咖啡端上来为止,随便谈到哪一桩事,她总是那么斩钉截铁、不许别人反对的样子。她毫不客气地仔细问着夏绿蒂的家常,又给她提供了一大堆关于料理家务的意见。她告诉夏绿蒂说,象她这样的一个小家庭,一切事情都应该精密安排,又指教她如何照料母牛和家禽。伊丽莎白发觉这位贵妇人只要有机会支配别人,随便怎么小的事情也决不肯轻易放过。夫人同柯林斯太太谈话的时候,也间或向玛丽亚和伊丽莎白问几句话,特别向伊丽莎白问得多。她不大清楚伊丽莎白和她们是什么关系,不过她对柯林斯太太说,她是个很斯文、很标致的姑娘。她好几次问伊丽莎白有几个姐妹,她们比她大还是比她小,她们中间有没有哪一个已经结婚,她们长得好看不好看,在哪里读书,她们的父亲有什么样的马车,她母亲的娘家姓什么。伊丽莎白觉得她这些话问得唐突,不过还是心平气和地回答了她。于是咖苔琳夫人说:

"Your father's estate is entailed on Mr. Collins, I think. For your sake," turning to Charlotte, "I am glad of it; but otherwise I see no occasion for entailing estates from the female line. -- It was not thought necessary in Sir Lewis de Bourgh's family. -- Do you play and sing, Miss Bennet?"
“你父亲的财产得由柯林斯先生继承吧,我想?”──说到这里,她又掉过头来对夏绿蒂说:“为你着想,我倒觉得高兴;否则我实在看不出有什么理由不让自己的女儿们来继承财产,却要给别人。刘威斯·德·包尔家里就觉得没有这样做的必要。──你会弹琴唱歌吗,班纳特小姐?”

"A little."
“略知一二。”

"Oh! then -- some time or other we shall be happy to hear you. Our instrument is a capital one, probably superior to -- You shall try it some day. -- Do your sisters play and sing?"
“噢,几时我们倒想要听一听。我们的琴非常好,说不定比──你哪一天来试一试看吧。你的姐妹们会弹琴唱歌吗?”

"One of them does."
“有一个会。”

"Why did not you all learn? -- You ought all to have learned. The Miss Webbs all play, and their father has not so good an income as your's. -- Do you draw?"
“为什么不大家都学呢?你们应该个个都学。魏伯家的小姐们就个个都会,她们父亲的收入还比不上你们父亲呢。你们会画吗?”

"No, not at all."
“不,一点儿不会。”

"What, none of you?"
“怎么说,一个也不会吗?”

"Not one."
“没有一个会。”

"That is very strange. But I suppose you had no opportunity. Your mother should have taken you to town every spring for the benefit of masters."
“这倒很稀奇。我猜想你们是没有机会学吧。你们的母亲应该每年春天带你们上城里来投投名师才对。”

"My mother would have had no objection, but my father hates London."
“我妈是不会反对的,可是我父亲厌恶伦敦。”

"Has your governess left you?"
“你们的女家庭教师走了吗?”

"We never had any governess."
“我们从来就没有请过女家庭教师。”

"No governess! How was that possible? Five daughters brought up at home without a governess! -- I never heard of such a thing. Your mother must have been quite a slave to your education."
“没有女家庭教师!那怎么行?家里教养着五个姑娘,却不请个女家庭教师!我从来没听到过这样的事!你妈简直是做奴隶似的教育你们啦。”

Elizabeth could hardly help smiling, as she assured her that had not been the case.
伊丽莎白禁不住笑起来了,一面告诉她说,事实并不是那样。

"Then, who taught you? who attended to you? Without a governess you must have been neglected."
“那么谁教导你们呢?谁服待你们呢?没有一个女家庭老师,你们不就是没人照管了吗?”

"Compared with some families, I believe we were; but such of us as wished to learn, never wanted the means. We were always encouraged to read, and had all the masters that were necessary. Those who chose to be idle, certainly might."
“同别的一些人家比较起来,我们家里待我们算是比较懈怠;可是姐妹们中间,凡是好学的,决不会没有办法。家里经常鼓励我们好好读书,必要的教师我们都有。谁要是存心偷懒,当然也可以。”