43天，《傲慢與偏見》女主之母慌了！

文/liangchaoxford 廣東涼茶煲牛津
一
昨日流量收入1.06元。
這是第43天閱讀英文版《傲慢與偏見》。
An invitation to dinner was soon afterwards dispatched; and already had Mrs. Bennet planned the courses that were to do credit to her housekeeping, when an answer arrived which deferred it all. Mr. Bingley was obliged to be in town the following day, and consequently unable to accept the honour of their invitation, &c. Mrs. Bennet was quite disconcerted. She could not imagine what business he could have in town so soon after his arrival in Hertfordshire; and she began to fear that he might be always flying about from one place to another, and never settled at Netherfield as he ought to be. Lady Lucas quieted her fears a little by starting the idea of his being gone to London only to get a large party for the ball; and a report soon followed that Mr. Bingley was to bring twelve ladies and seven gentlemen with him to the assembly. The girls grieved over such a number of ladies; but were comforted 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, Mr. Bingley, his two sisters, the husband of the eldest, and another young man.
這段英語文字夠長，我從英文版《傲慢與偏見》開頭讀至今，這是最長的一段文字。
我讀一遍過來，沒有很清晰的看懂是啥意思，只是有點隔二片三的懵懂。
二
我把十幾個陌生詞匯給出簡潔注釋過一遍，之后，再試著讀一遍，看是否讀明白這段英語文字。
1. dispatched
詞性：動詞（過去分詞）
含義：發送；派出
用法：“invitation was dispatched”，邀請被“發出”。
2. courses
詞性：名詞（復數）
含義：一道菜；課程
用法：“planned the courses”，“規劃菜品”。
3. credit
詞性：名詞
含義：榮譽；贊揚；信用
用法：“do credit to her housekeeping”，“為她的持家能力爭光”。
4. housekeeping
詞性：名詞
含義：家務管理；家政
用法：“her housekeeping”，她的“持家能力”。
5. deferred
詞性：動詞（過去式）
含義：推遲；延期
用法：“deferred it all”，“推遲”了全部。
6. obliged
詞性：形容詞
含義：被迫的；不得不的
用法：“was obliged to be in town”，“不得不”進城。
7. consequently
詞性：副詞
含義：因此；結果
用法：“consequently unable to accept”，因此不能夠接受。
8. honour
詞性：名詞
含義：榮幸；榮譽
用法：“honour of their invitation”，他們邀請的“榮幸”。
9. disconcerted
詞性：形容詞
含義：困惑的；不安的
用法：“quite disconcerted”，“很不安”。
10. imagine
詞性：動詞
含義：想象；設想
用法：“could not imagine”，不能“理解”。
11. ought
詞性：情態動詞
含義：應該；應當
用法：“ought to be”，“本應”。
12. quieted
詞性：動詞（過去式）
含義：使平靜；安撫
用法：“quieted her fears”，“安撫”了她的擔憂。
13. followed
詞性：動詞（過去式）
含義：跟隨；接著發生
用法：“a report soon followed”，消息“隨后傳來”。
14. gentlemen
詞性：名詞（復數）
含義：紳士；有教養的男士
用法：“twelve ladies and seven gentlemen”，12個女士和7個紳士。
15. assembly
詞性：名詞
含義：集會；舞會
用法：“to the assembly”，參加“舞會”。
16. grieved
詞性：動詞（過去式）
含義：悲傷；難過
用法：“grieved over such a number of ladies”，因這么多的女士而“沮喪”。
17. comforted
詞性：動詞（過去式）
含義：安慰；使舒適
用法：“were comforted the day before the ball”，舞會前一天“安心”。
18. cousin
詞性：名詞
含義：堂/表兄弟姐妹
用法：“five sisters and a cousin”，5個姐妹和1位“堂/表親”。
19. consisted
詞性：動詞（過去式）
含義：由……組成；構成
用法：“consisted of only five altogether”，“由五人組成”。
這19個陌生詞匯我過了一遍，把這段文字從頭過一遍，我看能否明白這段文字的意思。
不久之后發出了午餐邀請，貝內特太太規劃菜單顯示她的持家能力，回應來了推遲了這一切。隨后賓利先生不得不進城，因此不能接受邀請的榮幸，貝內特太太很是困惑。她不能想象什么事務讓賓利剛到赫特福德郡不久就要進城，她開始擔心他總是從這個地方到另一個地方，而不是安置在他本應在的內瑟菲爾德莊園。
我看到這里有點辛苦了，暫時歇息，有時間了繼續看后面的句子是什么意思。
盧卡斯太太提出了一個想法，賓利先生是去倫敦找一大幫子人來參加舞會，這才稍微安撫了她；不久傳來消息說賓利帶了12個女士和7個紳士來參加舞會。這么多女士參加舞會姑娘們有點沮喪，但舞會的前一天她們有點欣慰，因為來的不是12個女士，而是一共帶來6個人，5個是他的姐妹1個是他的表親。當進入舞會大廳時才看到一共帶了5個人，2個姐妹，姐夫，和1個年輕人。
三
這篇較長的英語文字的意思是明白了，只是不夠很精準，我逐句的拆解開讀一遍。
1. An invitation to dinner was soon afterwards dispatched; and already had Mrs. Bennet planned the courses that were to do credit to her housekeeping, when an answer arrived which deferred it all.
分號前后是兩個并列分句，前句“was dispatched”，發出邀請，后句用“already had... when...”，貝內特太太盡力籌備菜單到計劃泡湯。
“do credit to her housekeeping”，為她的持家能力加分；“deferred it all”，全盤推遲，與“planned the courses”形成落差。
2. Mr. Bingley was obliged to be in town the following day, and consequently unable to accept the honour of their invitation, &c.
“was obliged to”，是理由“不得不”；“consequently unable”，是結果，“因此不能”。
“&c.”，et cetera，是省略，等等。
“the honour of their invitation”，這是客套措辭。
3. Mrs. Bennet was quite disconcerted. She could not imagine what business he could have in town so soon after his arrival in Hertfordshire; and she began to fear that he might be always flying about from one place to another, and never settled at Netherfield as he ought to be.
“disconcerted”（慌亂），“was quite disconcerted”，很不安；“flying about”，四處游走；“never settled”，不安定。
4. Lady Lucas quieted her fears a little by starting the idea of his being gone to London only to get a large party for the ball; and a report soon followed that Mr. Bingley was to bring twelve ladies and seven gentlemen with him to the assembly.
“quieted her fears by starting the idea...”，提出想法安撫恐懼；“and a report soon followed that...”，不久信息傳來；“twelve ladies and seven gentlemen”，數字具體。
英語文字較長，我一口氣讀不完，又歇息一回，有時間了繼續。
5. The girls grieved over such a number of ladies; but were comforted 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.
“grieved”，悲傷；“comforted”，安慰。
“grieved over...; but were comforted...”，這是轉折。
“instead of twelve, he had brought only six”，數字落差。
“his five sisters and a cousin”，補充同行者身份。
6. And when the party entered the assembly room, it consisted of only five altogether, Mr. Bingley, his two sisters, the husband of the eldest, and another young man.
“when... it consisted of only five altogether”，時間狀語。
“only five”與“twelve ladies and seven gentlemen”，數字反差。
“Mr. Bingley... another young man”，列出人物構成。
這段英語文字較長，我讀了3遍基本上是明白意思了。
賓利帶來5個人，小說人物數量多了起來，從原來的貝內特夫婦及5個女兒、盧卡斯太太、賓利先生，一下子賓利帶來了姐妹、姐夫、一個年輕人。
賓利帶來的姐妹、姐夫及那個年輕人會在小說里怎么展開呢，小說里既然安排新的人物出場，那就得有用。