Pride and Prejudice - Chapter 3

Reading with Contextual Arabic Glosses

Not all that Mrs. Bennet, however, with the assistance of her five daughters, could ask on the subject was sufficient to draw from (تستخرج من) her husband any satisfactory description (وصفاً مُرضياً) of Mr. Bingley. They attacked him in various ways (بطرق شتى); with barefaced questions (أسئلة مباشرة وقحة), ingenious suppositions (افتراضات ذكية), and distant surmises (تخمينات غير مباشرة); but he eluded the skill of them all (أفلت من مهارتهن جميعاً); and they were at last obliged to accept (اضطُررن إلى قبول) the second-hand intelligence (المعلومات من مصدر ثانٍ) of their neighbour Lady Lucas. Her report was highly favourable (في غاية الإيجابية). Sir William had been delighted with him. He was quite young, wonderfully handsome, extremely agreeable (لطيفاً للغاية), and to crown the whole (وتوّجاً لكل ذلك), he meant to be at the next assembly (حفلة الرقص القادمة) with a large party. Nothing could be more delightful! To be fond of dancing (محباً للرقص) was a certain step towards falling in love; and very lively hopes (آمال حيّة جداً) of Mr. Bingley’s heart were entertained (راودتهن).

“If I can but see one of my daughters happily settled (مستقرةً سعيدةً) at Netherfield,” said Mrs. Bennet to her husband, “and all the others equally well married, I shall have nothing to wish for (لن يبقى لي ما أتمناه).”

In a few days Mr. Bingley returned Mr. Bennet’s visit (ردّ زيارة), and sat about ten minutes with him in his library. He had entertained hopes (ساوره الأمل) of being admitted to a sight of (أن يُؤذَن له برؤية) the young ladies, of whose beauty he had heard much; but he saw only the father. The ladies were somewhat more fortunate (أوفر حظاً نسبياً), for they had the advantage of ascertaining (التحقق) from an upper window, that he wore a blue coat and rode a black horse.

An invitation to dinner was soon afterwards dispatched (أُرسلت); and already had Mrs. Bennet planned the courses (الأطباق) that were to do credit to (تُشرِّف) her housekeeping (إدارتها للمنزل), when an answer arrived which deferred it all (أجّل كل شيء). Mr. Bingley was obliged to be in town (مضطراً للذهاب إلى المدينة) the following day, and consequently unable to accept the honour of their invitation. Mrs. Bennet was quite disconcerted (مضطربة تماماً). She could not imagine what business (ما الشأن) he could have in town so soon after his arrival in Hertfordshire; and she began to fear that he might be always flying about (يتنقل دائماً) from one place to another, and never settled at Netherfield as he ought to be. Lady Lucas quieted her fears (هدّأت مخاوفها) a little by starting the idea (بطرح فكرة) of his being gone to London only to get a large party for the ball; and a report soon followed (تبعه تقرير سريعاً) that Mr. Bingley was to bring twelve ladies and seven gentlemen with him to the assembly. The girls grieved over (حزنّ على) such a number of ladies; but were comforted (تعزّين) the day before the ball by hearing, that instead of twelve, he had brought only six with him from London, his five sisters and a cousin. And when the party entered the assembly room, it consisted of only five altogether (مؤلفةً من خمسة فحسب); Mr. Bingley, his two sisters, the husband of the eldest, and another young man.

Mr. Bingley was good looking and gentleman-like (يبدو كالرجل النبيل); he had a pleasant countenance (وجهاً بشوشاً), and easy, unaffected manners (أخلاقاً سهلةً غير متكلَّفة). His sisters were fine women, with an air of decided fashion (بهيئة أناقة واضحة). His brother-in-law, Mr. Hurst, merely looked the gentleman (لم يكن إلا بمظهر الرجل النبيل); but his friend Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention of the room (استقطب انتباه القاعة) by his fine, tall person (قوامه الممشوق), handsome features (ملامح وسيمة), noble mien (هيئة نبيلة); and the report which was in general circulation (المتداول على الألسن) within five minutes after his entrance, of his having ten thousand a year. The gentlemen pronounced him (أعلن عنه الرجال) to be a fine figure of a man, the ladies declared he was much handsomer than Mr. Bingley, and he was looked at with great admiration (بإعجاب كبير) for about half the evening, till his manners gave a disgust (أثارت اشمئزازاً) which turned the tide of his popularity (قلب مدّ شعبيته); for he was discovered to be proud (متكبراً), to be above his company (يترفع عن رفاقه), and above being pleased (يأبى أن يُسعَد بشيء); and not all his large estate in Derbyshire could then save him from having a most forbidding (منفّرة), disagreeable countenance (وجه بغيض), and being unworthy to be compared with his friend (لا يستحق المقارنة بصديقه).

Mr. Bingley had soon made himself acquainted with (تعرّف على) all the principal people in the room; he was lively and unreserved (حيوياً ومنفتحاً), danced every dance, was angry that the ball closed so early, and talked of giving one himself at Netherfield. Such amiable qualities (صفات محبوبة) must speak for themselves (تتكلم عن نفسها). What a contrast (يا له من تناقض) between him and his friend! Mr. Darcy danced only once with Mrs. Hurst and once with Miss Bingley, declined being introduced to (رفض أن يُعرَّف بـ) any other lady, and spent the rest of the evening in walking about the room, speaking occasionally (أحياناً) to one of his own party. His character was decided (شخصيته باتت محسومة). He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and every body hoped that he would never come there again. Amongst the most violent against him (أشد المعارضين له) was Mrs. Bennet, whose dislike of his general behaviour, was sharpened into particular resentment (حُدِّد في حقد خاص), by his having slighted (تجاهله لـ) one of her daughters.

Elizabeth Bennet had been obliged, by the scarcity of gentlemen (شُح الرجال), to sit down for two dances (تجلس طوال رقصتين); and during part of that time, Mr. Darcy had been standing near enough for her to overhear (تسمع عرَضاً) a conversation between him and Mr. Bingley, who came from the dance for a few minutes, to press his friend (يُلحّ على صديقه) to join it.

“Come, Darcy,” said he, “I must have you dance. I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner (بهذا الأسلوب الأحمق). You had much better dance (الأفضل لك أن ترقص).”

“I certainly shall not. You know how I detest it (أمقته), unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner (على معرفة خاصة بشريكتي). At such an assembly as this, it would be insupportable (لا يُطاق). Your sisters are engaged (مشغولتان), and there is not another woman in the room, whom it would not be a punishment (عقوبةً) to me to stand up with (أن أرقص معها).”

“I would not be so fastidious (متعنتاً) as you are,” cried Bingley, “for a kingdom! Upon my honour (بشرفي), I never met with so many pleasant girls in my life, as I have this evening; and there are several of them you see uncommonly pretty (جميلات بشكل لافت).”

“You are dancing with the only handsome girl in the room,” said Mr. Darcy, looking at the eldest Miss Bennet.

“Oh! she is the most beautiful creature I ever beheld (رأيت قط)! But there is one of her sisters sitting down just behind you, who is very pretty, and I dare say, very agreeable. Do let me ask my partner to introduce you.”

“Which do you mean?” and turning round, he looked for a moment at Elizabeth, till catching her eye (حتى التقت عيناه بعينيها), he withdrew his own (أدار بصره) and coldly said, “She is tolerable (مقبولة); but not handsome enough to tempt me (لتغريني); and I am in no humour (لستُ في مزاج) at present to give consequence to (أُولي اهتماماً لـ) young ladies who are slighted by other men (يتجاهلهن الرجال الآخرون). You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me.”

Mr. Bingley followed his advice. Mr. Darcy walked off; and Elizabeth remained with no very cordial feelings (بمشاعر غير ودية البتة) towards him. She told the story however with great spirit (بحيوية كبيرة) among her friends; for she had a lively, playful disposition (مزاجاً حيوياً مرِحاً), which delighted in any thing ridiculous (يستمتع بكل ما هو مضحك).

The evening altogether passed off pleasantly (مرّت بشكل ممتع في مجملها) to the whole family. Mrs. Bennet had seen her eldest daughter much admired (محلّ إعجاب كبير) by the Netherfield party. Mr. Bingley had danced with her twice, and she had been distinguished by his sisters (حظيت باهتمام أختيه). Jane was as much gratified by this (سُرَّت بهذا), as her mother could be, though in a quieter way. Elizabeth felt Jane’s pleasure (أحسّت بفرح جين). Mary had heard herself mentioned to Miss Bingley as the most accomplished girl (الفتاة الأكثر موهبةً) in the neighbourhood; and Catherine and Lydia had been fortunate enough to be never without partners (لم يفتقدا شريكاً للرقص قط), which was all that they had yet learnt to care for at a ball. They returned therefore in good spirits (بمعنويات عالية) to Longbourn, the village where they lived, and of which they were the principal inhabitants (السكان الرئيسيون). They found Mr. Bennet still up. With a book he was regardless of time (لا يكترث بالوقت); and on the present occasion he had a good deal of curiosity (فضولاً كبيراً) as to the event of an evening which had raised such splendid expectations (أثارت توقعات رائعة). He had rather hoped that all his wife’s views on the stranger would be disappointed (ستخيب ظنونها); but he soon found that he had a very different story to hear.

“Oh! my dear Mr. Bennet,” as she entered the room, “we have had a most delightful evening, a most excellent ball. I wish you had been there. Jane was so admired, nothing could be like it. Every body said how well she looked; and Mr. Bingley thought her quite beautiful, and danced with her twice. Only think of that my dear; he actually danced with her twice; and she was the only creature in the room that he asked a second time. First of all, he asked Miss Lucas. I was so vexed (منزعجةً جداً) to see him stand up with her; but, however, he did not admire her at all: indeed, nobody can, you know; and he seemed quite struck with Jane (مأخوذاً بجين تماماً) as she was going down the dance (تمشي في أرضية الرقص). So, he enquired who she was, and got introduced, and asked her for the two next. Then, the two third he danced with Miss King, and the two fourth with Maria Lucas, and the two fifth with Jane again, and the two sixth with Lizzy, and the Boulanger—-”

“If he had had any compassion for me,” cried her husband impatiently, “he would not have danced half so much! For God’s sake, say no more of his partners. Oh! that he had sprained his ancle (لو كان قد التوى كاحله) in the first dance!”

“Oh! my dear,” continued Mrs. Bennet, “I am quite delighted with him. He is so excessively handsome (وسيم بشكل مفرط)! and his sisters are charming women. I never in my life saw any thing more elegant than their dresses. I dare say the lace upon Mrs. Hurst’s gown (الدانتيل على ثوب السيدة هيرست)—-”

Here she was interrupted again. Mr. Bennet protested against any description of finery (رفض أي وصف للزينة والأناقة). She was therefore obliged to seek another branch of the subject (فرعاً آخر من الموضوع), and related, with much bitterness of spirit (بمرارة شديدة) and some exaggeration (وبعض المبالغة), the shocking rudeness (الوقاحة الصادمة) of Mr. Darcy.

“But I can assure you,” she added, “that Lizzy does not lose much by not suiting his fancy (لا تناسب ذوقه); for he is a most disagreeable, horrid man, not at all worth pleasing (لا يستحق أن يُرضى عنه). So high (متعجرفاً) and so conceited (مغروراً) that there was no enduring him (لا يُطاق)! He walked here, and he walked there, fancying himself so very great (متخيّلاً نفسه عظيماً جداً)! Not handsome enough to dance with! I wish you had been there, my dear, to have given him one of your set downs (لتردّه على أعقابه). I quite detest the man (أمقت هذا الرجل تماماً).”

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