Читать книгу Pride and Prejudice. Адаптированная книга для чтения на английском языке. Intermediate - Джейн Остин, Сет Грэм-Смит - Страница 1

A wealthy man, if he is single, must need a wife. This is a universal truth.

Therefore, when such a man first arrives in some neighborhood, all the families in that neighborhood are sure that he must marry one of their daughters.

Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet had five daughters, so, as soon as she had heard that Netherfield Park had been let, Mrs. Bennet came to her husband and told him about it.

Mr. Bennet was silent.

«Don't you want to know who has taken it?» his wife asked excitedly.

Her husband said that he had no objection to hearing what she wanted to tell him.

In a happily excited manner Mrs. Bennet told him that Netherfield was taken by a single young man from the north of England. His name was Bingley, and his income was four or five thousand a year.

«What a fine thing for our girls!» she exclaimed.

«Why? How does it concern them?»

«My dear Mr. Bennet», replied his wife, «how tiring you are! You very well know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them».

«Is that why he has decided to settle here?»

«What nonsense you are talking! But I think he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes».

«I can't see why I should. You and the girls may go, or, better still, you may send them by themselves. You are as beautiful as any of them, and Mr. Bingley may like you the best of the party».

«Don't flatter me, my dear. I can't pretend to be anything extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown-up daughters, she ought to stop thinking of her own beauty».

«It can only happen to a woman who has never had much beauty at all».

«But, Mr. Bennet, you must indeed go and pay Mr. Bingley a visit when he comes into the neighborhood».

«It is more than I can promise, I assure you».

«But think of your daughters. What good fortune it would be for one of them. Sir William and Lady Lucas don't usually visit newcomers, but they decided to go now, just for that reason, for their daughter's sake. Indeed you must go. If you don't go, it will be impossible for us to visit him».

«You are over-scrupulous, my dear. I'm sure Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you; and I will send a note by you in which I'll assure him that I will give my hearty consent whichever of the girls he chooses to marry; though I will put in a good word for my little Lizzy».

«You shouldn't do anything like that. Lizzy is not a bit better than the others; and she is not half so beautiful as Jane, and not half so cheerful as Lydia. But you are always giving her the preference».

«None of them have much to recommend them», replied he, «they are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy is more quick-witted than her sisters».

«Mr. Bennet, how can you say such nasty things about your own children? You like to annoy me so much. You have no compassion for my poor nerves».

«On the contrary, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have listened to your talking about them with great compassion these last twenty years at least».

«Ah, you do not know how much I suffer».

Mr. Bennet expressed his hope that his wife would live long and see many single young men of four thousand a year in the neighborhood.

«Since you will not visit them, it will be of no use to us, if twenty such men should come».

«I can assure you, my dear Mrs. Bennet, that when there are twenty, I will visit them all».

Mr. Bennet was such a strange mixture of personality traits, sarcastic humor, reserve, and whims, that for twenty three years of their married life his wife hadn't been able to understand his character. Her mind was of a simpler structure. She was a woman of a very average intelligence, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was displeased, she imagined herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its consolation was visiting and gossip.