精读《傲慢与偏见》②：年入5000镑的单身汉来了
《傲慢与偏见》英文原著精读第 2 篇：宾利先生单身、富有、年入四五千镑，贝内特太太立刻开始谋划女儿婚事。含中英对照、词汇、语法和测验。
这是《Pride and Prejudice / 傲慢与偏见》英文原著精读系列第 2 篇。上一段里，我们读到那句著名开场白：有钱的单身汉，必定需要一位太太。
这一段，这位“有钱单身汉”终于有名字了：Bingley。单身、富有、年入四五千镑——难怪贝内特太太立刻坐不住。
今天最值得看的，是贝内特夫妇一急一冷的对话：她满脑子婚事，他句句像在配合，又句句带着反讽。
English Text: Mr. Bingley's Arrival and Mrs. Bennet's Ambition
“What is his name?”
“Bingley.”
“Is he married or single?”
“Oh, single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!”
“How so? how can it affect them?”
“My dear Mr. Bennet,” replied his wife, “how can you be so tiresome? You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.”
“Is that his design in settling here?”
“Design? Nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes.”
“I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go--or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better; for as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party.”
“My dear, you flatter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown-up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty.”
“In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of.”
中文翻译：宾利先生的到来与贝内特太太的野心
“他叫什么名字？”
“宾利。”
“他是已婚还是单身？”
“噢，当然是单身，亲爱的！一个拥有巨额财产的单身汉；每年有四五千镑的收入呢。这对咱们的女儿来说真是件大好事！”
“怎么会呢？这跟她们有什么关系？”
“亲爱的贝内特先生，”他的妻子回答道，“你怎么这么让人心烦？你明明知道我在想让他娶她们中的哪一个。”
“这是他搬到这儿来的打算吗？”
“打算？胡扯，你怎么能这么说话！但他很有可能爱上她们中的一个，所以他一来你得马上去拜访他。”
“我看没那个必要。你可以带着女儿们去——或者你让她们自己去，这也许更好；因为你跟她们任何一个一样漂亮，宾利先生说不定最喜欢你呢。”
“亲爱的，你太抬举我了。我确实有过几分姿色，但我现在可不敢自命不凡了。当一个女人有了五个成年的女儿，她就不该再想着自己的美貌了。”
“在那样的情形下，女人往往也没剩下多少美貌值得去想了。”
阅读提示：这段好笑在哪里？
在贝内特太太眼里，宾利先生不是普通新邻居，而是女儿们未来婚姻的机会：single、of large fortune、一年四五千镑，条件全都摆在眼前。
贝内特先生的幽默则藏在“装糊涂”里。他明明知道妻子在想什么，却故意问“这跟女儿们有什么关系？”表面认真，实际上句句都在轻轻反讽。
最妙的是，他后来建议妻子和女儿们自己去，还说宾利先生也许会最喜欢贝内特太太。这句话表面是夸赞，实际是在调侃她的急切。
重点词汇
tiresome /ˈtaɪərsəm/ adj. — 令人厌烦的；烦人的
Mrs. Bennet 说丈夫 tiresome，不是单纯骂人，而是在抱怨他“明明懂，却偏要装不懂”。
fortune /ˈfɔːrtʃən/ n. — 大笔财产；财富
这里不是“运气”，而是“财产”。a man of large fortune 就是“拥有大笔财产的男子”。
design /dɪˈzaɪn/ n. — 意图；打算
Mr. Bennet 问 Is that his design...?，意思是“这是他的打算吗？”这里不是“设计”。
occasion /əˈkeɪʒən/ n. — 理由；必要；场合
I see no occasion for that. 可以理解为“我看没那个必要”。
flatter /ˈflætər/ v. — 奉承；使高兴
You flatter me. 是“你太抬举我了”。贝内特先生明明在调侃，贝内特太太还是忍不住接住了这句“夸奖”。
长难句解析
1. You and the girls may go...
原句：
You and the girls may go--or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better.
这句话包含一个非限制性定语从句。which 指代前面提到的整件事，也就是“让女儿们自己去”这个做法。
结构可以拆成：
主句1 + or + 主句2 + which 引导的非限制性定语从句
2. for as you are as handsome as any of them...
原句：
for as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party.
这里的 for 表示原因，相当于 because；as ... as any of them 是同级比较，意思是“和她们任何一个一样漂亮”。
贝内特先生表面夸妻子漂亮，实际是在调侃她对宾利先生的急切关注。
阅读测验
Q1. Why does Mrs. Bennet describe Mr. Bingley's arrival as 'a fine thing for our girls'?
A. Because he is handsome.
B. Because he is single and wealthy.
C. Because he is a relative.
D. Because he likes parties.
Q2. What is Mr. Bennet's attitude towards his wife's suggestion to visit Mr. Bingley?
A. Eager and excited.
B. Angry and violent.
C. Sarcastic and teasing.
D. Indifferent and silent.
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我会继续把《傲慢与偏见》拆成一小段一小段来读：原文、翻译、词汇、长难句和自测都会发在公众号里。适合想读英文原著，但又不想被长句和生词劝退的读者。
📖 Text from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
本文内容由 AI 辅助生成，并经过人工整理与审校。
