The part which I acted is now to be explained. His sisters' uneasiness had been equally excited with my own; our coincidence of feeling was soon discovered; and, alike sensible that no time was to be lost in detaching their brother, we shortly resolved on joining him directly in London. We accordingly went and there I readily engaged in the office of pointing out to my friend, the certain evils of such a choice.
我得在这里把我当初参与这件事的经过说明一下。原来他的姐妹们当时跟我一样,深为这件事感到不安。我们立刻发觉了彼此有同感,都觉得应该赶快到伦敦去把她们这位兄弟隔离起来,于是决定立刻动身。我们就这样走了。到了那里,便由我负责向我朋友指出,他如果攀上了这门亲事,必定有多少多少坏处。我苦口婆心,再三劝说。
I described, and enforced them earnestly. But, however this remonstrance might have staggered or delayed his determination, I do not suppose that it would ultimately have prevented the marriage, had it not been seconded by the assurance, which I hesitated not in giving, of your sister's indifference. He had before believed her to return his affection with sincere, if not with equal, regard. But Bingley has great natural modesty, with a stronger dependence on my judgment than on his own.
我这一番规劝虽然动摇了他的心愿,使他迟疑不决,可是,我当时要不是那么十拿九稳地说,你姐姐对他并没有什么倾心,那么这番规劝也许不会发生这样大的效力,这门婚姻到头来也许终于阻挡不了。在我没有进行这番劝说以前,他总以为令姐即使没有以同样的钟情报答他,至少也是在竟诚期待着他。但是彬格莱先生天性谦和,遇到任何事情,只要我一出主意,他总是相信我胜过相信他自己。
To convince him, therefore, that he had deceived himself, was no very difficult point. To persuade him against returning into Hertfordshire, when that conviction had been given, was scarcely the work of a moment. I cannot blame myself for having done thus much. There is but one part of my conduct in the whole affair, on which I do not reflect with satisfaction; it is that I condescended to adopt the measures of art so far as to conceal from him your sister's being in town. I knew it myself, as it was known to Miss Bingley, but her brother is even yet ignorant of it. That they might have met without ill consequence is, perhaps, probable; but his regard did not appear to me enough extinguished for him to see her without some danger.
我轻而易举地说服了他,使他相信这事情是他自己一时糊涂。他既然有了这个信念,我们便进一步说服他不要回到哈福德郡去,这当然不费吹灰之力。我这样做,自己并没觉得有什么不对。今天回想起来,我觉得只有一件事做得不能叫自己安心,那就是说,令姐来到城里的时候,我竟不择手段,把这个消息瞒住了他。这件事不但我知道,彬格莱小姐也知道,然而她哥哥一直到现在还蒙在鼓里。要是让他们俩见了面,可能也不会有坏的后果,可是我当时认为他并没有完全死心,见到她未必能免于危险。