WITHIN a short walk of Longbourn lived a family with whom the Bennets were particularly intimate. Sir William Lucas had been formerly¹ in trade in Meryton, where he had made a tolerable fortune and risen to the honour of knighthood by an address to the King during his mayoralty. The distinction had perhaps been felt too strongly. It had given him a disgust to his business and to his residence in a small market town; and quitting them both, he had removed with his family to a house about a mile from Meryton, denominated from that period Lucas Lodge², where he could think with pleasure of his own importance, and, unshackled by business, occupy himself solely³ in being civil to all the world. For though elated by his rank, it did not render him supercilious⁴; on the contrary, he was all attention to every body. By nature inoffensive, friendly and obliging, hispresentation at St. James's had made him courteous⁵.

距离浪博恩不远的地方，住着一家人家，这就是威廉·卢卡斯爵士府上。班纳特府上跟他们特别知已。爵士从前是在麦里屯做生意起家发迹的，曾在当市长的任内上书皇上，获得了一个爵士头衔；这个显要的身份使他觉得太荣幸，从此他就讨厌做生意，讨厌住在一个小镇上，于是歇了生意，告别小镇，带着家属迁到那离开麦里屯大约一英里路的一幢房子里去住，从那时候起就把那地方叫做卢家庄。他可以在这儿自得其乐，以显要自居，而且，既然摆脱了生意的纠缠，他大可以一心一意地从事社交活动。他尽管以自己的地位欣然自得，却并不因此而目空一切，反而对什么人都应酬得非常周到。他生来不肯得罪人，待人接物总是和蔼可亲，殷勤体贴，而且自从皇上觐见以来，更加彬彬有礼。

Lady Lucas was a very good kind of woman, not too clever to be a valuable neighbour to Mrs. Bennet. -- They had several children. The eldest⁶ of them, a sensible, intelligent young woman, about twenty-seven, was Elizabeth's intimate friend. That the Miss Lucases and the Miss Bennets should meet to talk over a ball was absolutely necessary; and the morning after the assembly brought the former to Longbourn to hear and to communicate.

卢卡斯太太是个很善良的女人，真是班纳特太太一位宝贵的邻居。卢府上有好几个孩子。大女儿是个明理懂事的年轻小姐，年纪大约二十六七岁，她是伊丽莎白的要好朋友。且说卢府上几位小姐跟班府上几位小姐这回非要见见面，谈谈这次跳舞会上的事业不可。于是在开完了跳舞会的第二天上午，卢府上的小姐们到浪博恩来跟班府上的小姐交换意见。

"You began the evening well, Charlotte," said Mrs. Bennet with civil self-command to Miss Lucas. "You were Mr. Bingley's first choice."

班纳特太太一看见卢卡斯小姐，便客客气气，从容不迫地说：“那天晚上全靠你开场开得好，你做了彬格莱先生的第一个意中人。”

"Yes; -- but he seemed to like his second better."

“是呀；可是他喜欢的倒是第二个意中人。”

"Oh! -- you mean Jane, I suppose -- because he danced with her twice. To be sure that did seem as if he admired her -- indeed I rather believe he did -- I heard something about it -- but I hardly know what -- something about Mr. Robinson."

“哦，我想你是说吉英吧，因为他跟她跳了两次。看起来，他是真的爱上她呢──我的确相信他是真的──我听到了一些话──可是我弄不清究竟──我听到了一些有关鲁宾逊先生的话。”