Lady Catherine: You can be of no loss, Miss Bennet, to understand why I
am here.
Elizabeth: Indeed you're mistaken. I cannot account for this honour at all.
Catherine: Miss Bennet, I warn you, I am not to be trifled with. A report of a most alarming nature
has reached me, that you intend to be united with my nephew, Mr. Darcy. I know
this to be a scandalous falsehood, though not wishing to injure him by supposing
it possible, I instantly set off to make my sentiments known.
Elizabeth: If you believed it to be impossible, I wonder you took the trouble
of coming so far.
Catherine: To hear it contradicted, Miss Bennet.
Elizabeth: Your coming will be a rather confirmation, surely if indeed such a
report exists.
Catherine: If? Do you pretend to be ignorant
of it? Has it not been industriously circulated by yourself?
Elizabeth: I have never heard of it.
Catherine: And can you declare there is no foundation for it?
Elizabeth: I do not pretend to possess equal frankness with your Ladyship.
You may ask a question which I may choose not to answer.
Catherine: This is not to be borne. Has my nephew made you an offer of
marriage?
Elizabeth: Your Ladyship has declared it to be impossible.
Catherine: Let me be understood! Mr. Darcy is engaged to my daughter. Now
what have you to say?
Elizabeth: Only this. If that is the case, you can have no reason to suppose
he would make an offer to me.
Catherine: You selfish girl! This union has been planned since their infancy.
Do you think it can be prevented by a young woman of inferior birth whose own
sister's elopement resulted in a scandalously patched-up marriage only achieved
at the expense of your uncle? Heaven and Earth! Are the shades of Pemberley to
be thus polluted? Now tell me once and for
all, are you engaged to him?
Elizabeth: I am not.
Catherine: Will you promise never to enter into such an engagement?
Elizabeth: I will not and I certainly never shall. You have insulted me in
every possible way and can now have nothing further to say. I must ask you to
leave immediately. Goodnight.
Catherine: I have never been thus treated in my entire life!
Mr. Bennet: Lizzie, what on earth is going on?
Elizabeth: Just a small misunderstanding.
Mrs. Bennet: Lizzie?
Elizabeth: For once in your life, leave me alone!
妙词佳句，活学活用
1. account for
这里是“解释；说明”的意思。 e.g. She could not account for her
mistake. 她无法解释其错误。 I can't account for Peter's
unhappiness. 我说不出彼得不高兴的原因。 Account的一些常用习语还有 on no
account决不，在任何条件下都不 on (one's) own account为了自身 take into account 考虑；顾及
2. trifle
在这里是“嘲弄，取笑”的意思。这个词还有一些其它的用法，如： A. to play with or toy with玩弄, 戏耍 e.g.
She trifled with my affections 她玩弄我的感情。 B. To waste time or money
虚度光阴，浪费 e.g. You should not trifle with your health.
你不要疏忽你的健康。 Trifle还可以做名词，意思是"小事，琐事，微不足道的东西"。 e.g. I have no money on
trifles. 我没钱买这些小东西。
3. be ignorant of / in
这个搭配是“无知识的；不知道的，不了解的”的意思。我们来看两个例子： She is
very ignorant about her own country. 她对自己的国家很不了解。 What his plans are I am
quite ignorant of. 我一点也不知道他的计划是什么。
4. once and for all
“断然地，坚决地，最后地”的意思，表示已经最终永久觉得了的意思。我们来看个例子： e.g. Once and for all, we can't
agree! 最后再说一遍，我们不能同意! Once的词组还有一个For once，"就这一次，破例一回"的意思。 e.g. For once
you didn't lie after you failed your exams. 你考试没通过，就这一次没撒谎。
Once构成的其它习惯用语还有一些： All at once 突然，同时 Every once in a while 偶尔 Once
and again 一再，再三 Once and away / once for all 一劳永逸，永久地，彻底地
Lady Catherine: You can be of no loss, Miss Bennet, to understand why I
am here.
Elizabeth: I have never heard of it.
