43天，《傲慢与偏见》女主之母慌了！

文/liangchaoxford 广东凉茶煲牛津
一
昨日流量收入1.06元。
这是第43天阅读英文版《傲慢与偏见》。
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.
这段英语文字够长，我从英文版《傲慢与偏见》开头读至今，这是最长的一段文字。
我读一遍过来，没有很清晰的看懂是啥意思，只是有点隔二片三的懵懂。
二
我把十几个陌生词汇给出简洁注释过一遍，之后，再试着读一遍，看是否读明白这段英语文字。
1. dispatched
词性：动词（过去分词）
含义：发送；派出
用法：“invitation was dispatched”，邀请被“发出”。
2. courses
词性：名词（复数）
含义：一道菜；课程
用法：“planned the courses”，“规划菜品”。
3. credit
词性：名词
含义：荣誉；赞扬；信用
用法：“do credit to her housekeeping”，“为她的持家能力争光”。
4. housekeeping
词性：名词
含义：家务管理；家政
用法：“her housekeeping”，她的“持家能力”。
5. deferred
词性：动词（过去式）
含义：推迟；延期
用法：“deferred it all”，“推迟”了全部。
6. obliged
词性：形容词
含义：被迫的；不得不的
用法：“was obliged to be in town”，“不得不”进城。
7. consequently
词性：副词
含义：因此；结果
用法：“consequently unable to accept”，因此不能够接受。
8. honour
词性：名词
含义：荣幸；荣誉
用法：“honour of their invitation”，他们邀请的“荣幸”。
9. disconcerted
词性：形容词
含义：困惑的；不安的
用法：“quite disconcerted”，“很不安”。
10. imagine
词性：动词
含义：想象；设想
用法：“could not imagine”，不能“理解”。
11. ought
词性：情态动词
含义：应该；应当
用法：“ought to be”，“本应”。
12. quieted
词性：动词（过去式）
含义：使平静；安抚
用法：“quieted her fears”，“安抚”了她的担忧。
13. followed
词性：动词（过去式）
含义：跟随；接着发生
用法：“a report soon followed”，消息“随后传来”。
14. gentlemen
词性：名词（复数）
含义：绅士；有教养的男士
用法：“twelve ladies and seven gentlemen”，12个女士和7个绅士。
15. assembly
词性：名词
含义：集会；舞会
用法：“to the assembly”，参加“舞会”。
16. grieved
词性：动词（过去式）
含义：悲伤；难过
用法：“grieved over such a number of ladies”，因这么多的女士而“沮丧”。
17. comforted
词性：动词（过去式）
含义：安慰；使舒适
用法：“were comforted the day before the ball”，舞会前一天“安心”。
18. cousin
词性：名词
含义：堂/表兄弟姐妹
用法：“five sisters and a cousin”，5个姐妹和1位“堂/表亲”。
19. consisted
词性：动词（过去式）
含义：由……组成；构成
用法：“consisted of only five altogether”，“由五人组成”。
这19个陌生词汇我过了一遍，把这段文字从头过一遍，我看能否明白这段文字的意思。
不久之后发出了午餐邀请，贝内特太太规划菜单显示她的持家能力，回应来了推迟了这一切。随后宾利先生不得不进城，因此不能接受邀请的荣幸，贝内特太太很是困惑。她不能想象什么事务让宾利刚到赫特福德郡不久就要进城，她开始担心他总是从这个地方到另一个地方，而不是安置在他本应在的内瑟菲尔德庄园。
我看到这里有点辛苦了，暂时歇息，有时间了继续看后面的句子是什么意思。
卢卡斯太太提出了一个想法，宾利先生是去伦敦找一大帮子人来参加舞会，这才稍微安抚了她；不久传来消息说宾利带了12个女士和7个绅士来参加舞会。这么多女士参加舞会姑娘们有点沮丧，但舞会的前一天她们有点欣慰，因为来的不是12个女士，而是一共带来6个人，5个是他的姐妹1个是他的表亲。当进入舞会大厅时才看到一共带了5个人，2个姐妹，姐夫，和1个年轻人。
三
这篇较长的英语文字的意思是明白了，只是不够很精准，我逐句的拆解开读一遍。
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.
分号前后是两个并列分句，前句“was dispatched”，发出邀请，后句用“already had... when...”，贝内特太太尽力筹备菜单到计划泡汤。
“do credit to her housekeeping”，为她的持家能力加分；“deferred it all”，全盘推迟，与“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”，是结果，“因此不能”。
“&c.”，et cetera，是省略，等等。
“the honour of their invitation”，这是客套措辞。
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”（慌乱），“was quite disconcerted”，很不安；“flying about”，四处游走；“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...”，提出想法安抚恐惧；“and a report soon followed that...”，不久信息传来；“twelve ladies and seven gentlemen”，数字具体。
英语文字较长，我一口气读不完，又歇息一回，有时间了继续。
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”，悲伤；“comforted”，安慰。
“grieved over...; but were comforted...”，这是转折。
“instead of twelve, he had brought only six”，数字落差。
“his five sisters and a cousin”，补充同行者身份。
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”，时间状语。
“only five”与“twelve ladies and seven gentlemen”，数字反差。
“Mr. Bingley... another young man”，列出人物构成。
这段英语文字较长，我读了3遍基本上是明白意思了。
宾利带来5个人，小说人物数量多了起来，从原来的贝内特夫妇及5个女儿、卢卡斯太太、宾利先生，一下子宾利带来了姐妹、姐夫、一个年轻人。
宾利带来的姐妹、姐夫及那个年轻人会在小说里怎么展开呢，小说里既然安排新的人物出场，那就得有用。