Elizabeth read on:
伊丽莎白接着读下去：

"I have seen them both. They are not married, nor can I find there was any intention of being so; but if you are willing to perform the engagements which I have ventured to make on your side, I hope it will not be long before they are. All that is required of you is to assure to your daughter, by settlement, her equal share of the five thousand pounds secured among your children after the decease of yourself and my sister; and, moreover, to enter into an engagement of allowing her, during your life, one hundred pounds per annum. These are conditions which, considering every thing, I had no hesitation in complying with, as far as I thought myself privileged, for you. I shall send this by express, that no time may be lost in bringing me your answer. You will easily comprehend, from these particulars, that Mr. Wickham's circumstances are not so hopeless as they are generally believed to be. The world has been deceived in that respect; and, I am happy to say, there will be some little money, even when all his debts are discharged, to settle on my niece, in addition to her own fortune. If, as I conclude will be the case, you send me full powers to act in your name throughout the whole of this business, I will immediately give directions to Haggerston for preparing a proper settlement. There will not be the smallest occasion for your coming to town again; therefore, stay quietly at Longbourn, and depend on my diligence and care. Send back your answer as soon as you can, and be careful to write explicitly. We have judged it best that my niece should be married from this house, of which I hope you will approve. She comes to us today. I shall write again as soon as any thing more is determined on.--- Your's, &c. EDW. GARDINER."
我已经看到他们俩。他们并没有结婚，我也看不出他们有什么结婚的打算；可是我大胆地向你提出条件来，要是你愿意照办的话，他们不久就可以结婚了。我要求你的只有一点。你本来已经为你女儿们安排好五千磅遗产，准备在你和姐姐归天以后给她们，那么请你立刻就把这位外甥女应得的一份给她吧。你还得和她订一个契约，在你生前每年再津贴她一百镑。这些条件我已经再三考虑，自以为有权利可以代你作主，因此便毫不迟疑地答应了。我特派专人前来送给你这封信，以便可以马上得到你的回音。你了解了这些详情以后，就会明白韦翰先生并不如一般人所料想的那么生计维艰，一筹莫展。一般人都把这件事弄错了。甥女除了自己名下的钱以外，等韦翰把债务偿清以后，还可以多些钱并给她，这使我很高兴。你如果愿意根据我所说的情况，让我全权代表你处理这件事，那么，我立刻就吩咐哈斯东去办理财产过户的手续。你不必再进城，大可以安心安意地待在浪搏恩。请你放心，我办起事来既勤快又小心。请赶快给我回信，还得费你的神，写得清楚明白些。我们以为最好就让外甥女从这所屋子里出嫁，想你也会同意。她今天要上我们这儿来。倘有其他情形，容当随时奉告。余不多及。爱德华·嘉丁纳---八月二日  星期一，写于天恩寺街

"Is it possible!" cried Elizabeth, when she had finished. -- "Can it be possible that he will marry her?"
伊丽莎白读完了信问道：“这事可能吗？他竟会同她结婚？”

"Wickham is not so undeserving, then, as we have thought him!" said her sister. "My dear father, I congratulate you."
她姐姐说：“那么，韦翰倒并不象我们所想象的那样不成器啦。亲爱的爸爸，恭喜你。”

"And have you answered the letter?" said Elizabeth.
“你写了回信没有？”伊丽莎白问。

"No; but it must be done soon."
“没有写回信，可是立刻就得写。”

Most earnestly did she then intreat him to lose no more time before he wrote.
于是她极其诚恳地请求他马上就回家去写，不要耽搁。

"Oh! my dear father," she cried, "come back, and write immediately. Consider how important every moment is, in such a case."
她嚷道：“亲爱的爸爸马上就回去写吧。你要知道，这种事情是一分钟一秒钟也不能耽搁的。”

"Let me write for you," said Jane, "if you dislike the trouble yourself."
吉英说：“要是你怕麻烦，让我代你写好了。”

"I dislike it very much," he replied; "but it must be done."
父亲回答道：“我的确不大愿意写，可是不写又不行。”

And so saying, he turned back with them, and walked towards the house.
他一边说，一边转过身来跟她们一同回到屋里去。

"And may I ask -- ?" said Elizabeth, "but the terms, I suppose, must be complied with."
伊丽莎白说：“我可以问你一句话吗？我想，他提出的条件你一定都肯答应吧？”

"Complied with! I am only ashamed of his asking so little."
“一口答应！他要得这么少，我倒觉得不好意思呢。”

"And they must marry! Yet he is such a man!"
“他们俩非结婚不可了！然而他却是那样的一个人。”

"Yes, yes, they must marry. There is nothing else to be done. But there are two things that I want very much to know: -- one is, how much money your uncle has laid down to bring it about; and the other, how I am ever to pay him."
“是啊！怎么不是，他们非结婚不可。没有别的办法。可是有两件事我很想弄个明白──第一件，你舅舅究竟拿出了多少钱，才使这件事有了个着落；第二件，我以后有什么办法还他这笔钱？”

"Money! my uncle!" cried Jane, "what do you mean, Sir?"
吉英嚷道：“钱！舅舅！你这是什么意思，爸爸？”

"I mean that no man in his senses would marry Lydia on so slight a temptation as one hundred a year during my life, and fifty after I am gone."
“我的意思是说，一个头脑最清楚的人是不会跟丽迪雅结婚的，因为她没有哪一点地方可以叫人家看中。我生前每年给她一百镑，死后一共也只有五千磅。”

"That is very true," said Elizabeth; "though it had not occurred to me before. His debts to be discharged, and something still to remain! Oh! it must be my uncle's doings! Generous, good man; I am afraid he has distressed himself. A small sum could not do all this."
伊丽莎白说：“那倒是实话，不过我以前却从来没有想到过。他的债务偿清了以后，还会多下钱来！噢，那一定是舅舅代他张罗的！好一个慷慨善良的人！我就怕苦了他自己。这样一来，他得花费不少钱呢。”

"No," said her father, "Wickham's a fool, if he takes her with a farthing less than ten thousand pounds. I should be sorry to think so ill of him in the very beginning of our relationship."
父亲说：“韦翰要是拿不到一万镑就答应娶丽迪雅，那他才是个大傻瓜呢。我同他刚刚攀上亲戚，照理不应该多说他的坏话。”

"Ten thousand pounds! Heaven forbid! How is half such a sum to be repaid?"
“一万镑！天不容！即使半数，又怎么还得起？”

Mr. Bennet made no answer, and each of them, deep in thought, continued silent till they reached the house. Their father then went to the library to write, and the girls walked into the breakfast-room.
班纳特先生没有回答。大家都转着念头，默不作声。回到家里，父亲到书房里去写信，女儿们都走进饭厅里去。