Maximum-assistance view: every word above everyday vocabulary is explained at every appearance; each name is introduced at its first appearance in the chapter.

CHAPTER I.

It is a truth universally acknowledged (The narrator does not believe this. It is what the families with daughters believe, said with a straight face), that a single man in possession of a good fortune (that an unmarried man who has a lot of money) must be in want of a wife (must be in need of a wife (want here means lack, not wish)).

However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be (However little anyone knows what such a man feels or thinks) on his first entering a neighbourhood (when he first moves into a district), this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families (this idea is so firmly set in the minds of the families around him), that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters (that they treat him as belonging by right to one of their daughters, and the narrator is mocking them for it).

“My dear Mr. Bennet (her husband, dry and mocking, who enjoys teasing her) (Mrs Bennet, bent on marrying off her daughters),” said his lady to him one day (his wife said to him one day), “have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last? (have you heard that Netherfield Park has finally been rented out?)”

Mr. Bennet replied that he had not (Mr. Bennet answered that he had not).

“But it is,” returned she (she answered); “for Mrs. Long has just been here (because Mrs. Long has just been here), and she told me all about it.”

Mr. Bennet made no answer (Mr. Bennet said nothing).

“Do not you want to know who has taken it?” cried his wife, impatiently (his wife cried, out of patience).

“You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it (You want to tell me, and I don’t mind hearing it).”

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This was invitation enough (That was all the encouragement she needed).

“Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken (Mrs. Long says Netherfield has been rented) by a young man of large fortune from the north of England (Netherfield has been rented by a rich young man from the north of England); that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place (that he came down on Monday in a carriage pulled by four horses to look at the place), and was so much delighted with it that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately (and liked it so much that he settled it with Mr. Morris straight away); that he is to take possession before Michaelmas (that he is to move in before the end of September), and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.”

“What is his name?”

“Bingley (the rich young man who has taken Netherfield).”

“Is he married or single?”

“Oh, single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year (with four or five thousand pounds a year, a very large income, enough to make him one of the richest men for miles). What a fine thing for our girls!”

“How so? how can it affect them?”

“My dear Mr. Bennet,” replied his wife (his wife answered), “how can you be so tiresome? (how can you be so annoying?) You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them (You must realise I am thinking of him marrying one of them).”

“Is that his design in settling here? (Is that his plan in moving here?)”

“Design? Nonsense, how can you talk so! (Plan? Rubbish, how can you talk like that!) But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes (and so you must go and call on him as soon as he arrives).”

“I see no occasion for that (I see no reason for that). You and the girls may go--or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better (or you may send them on their own, which might be better still); for as you are as handsome as any of them (because you are as good-looking as any of them), Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party (Mr. Bingley might like you best of the whole group, he is teasing her, not praising her).”

“My dear, you flatter me (My dear, you are being too kind about me). I certainly have had my share of beauty (I certainly have had my share of good looks), but I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now (but I don’t claim to be anything special now). When a woman has five grown-up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty (she should stop thinking about her own looks).”

“In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of (In cases like that a woman usually has little beauty left to think about, a dry insult to his wife, not agreement).”

“But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the neighbourhood.”

“It is more than I engage for, I assure you (That is more than I am promising to do, I can tell you).”

“But consider your daughters. Only think what an establishment it would be for one of them (Just think what a household one of them would get out of it). Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined to go (Sir William and Lady Lucas have made up their minds to go), merely on that account (only for that reason); for in general, you know, they visit no new comers (because usually, as you know, they don’t call on newcomers at all). Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for us to visit him, if you do not (the women of a family could not call on a new man until its head had called first, so if Mr. Bennet will not go, none of them can ever meet Bingley).”

“You are over scrupulous, surely (You are being far too particular, surely). I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you (I expect Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you); and I will send a few lines by you (and I will send a short note with you) to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying whichever he chooses of the girls (to tell him he has my full agreement to marry whichever of the girls he picks)--though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy (though I must put in a good word for my little Lizzy).”

“I desire you will do no such thing (I want you to do nothing of the sort). Lizzy is not a bit better than the others: and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane (she is not half as good-looking as Jane), nor half so good-humoured as Lydia (nor half as cheerful as Lydia). But you are always giving her the preference (But you always favour her).”

“They have none of them much to recommend them (There is not much to be said for any of them),” replied he: “they are all silly and ignorant like other girls (they are all foolish and know nothing, like other girls); but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters (but Lizzy is sharper than her sisters).”

“Mr. Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such a way? (how can you insult your own children like that?) You take delight in vexing me (You enjoy annoying me). You have no compassion on my poor nerves (You have no pity for my poor nerves).”

“You mistake me, my dear (You have got me wrong, my dear). I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends (He is mocking her nerves, which she has complained of for twenty years). I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least (I have heard you speak of them with respect for at least twenty years).”

“Ah, you do not know what I suffer (Ah, you have no idea what I go through).”

“But I hope you will get over it (But I hope you will get past it), and live to see many young men of four thousand a year come into the neighbourhood (and live to see many young men with four thousand a year, very rich young men, move into the district).”

“It will be no use to us, if twenty such should come (It will do us no good if twenty of them come), since you will not visit them.”

“Depend upon it, my dear (You can be sure of it, my dear), that when there are twenty, I will visit them all (when there are twenty I will visit them all, a joke, he has no intention of visiting any).”

Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture (Mr. Bennet was such a strange mixture) of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice (was such a strange mixture of a quick mind, cutting jokes, holding back, and sudden changes of mood), that the experience of three-and-twenty years had been insufficient (that twenty-three years of living with him had not been enough) to make his wife understand his character (for his wife to understand what he was like). Her mind was less difficult to develope (Her own mind was easier to work out). She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper (She was a woman who understood little, knew little, and could not be relied on for her mood). When she was discontented, she fancied herself nervous (When she was unhappy she decided her nerves were bad, the narrator is saying her nerves were an act). The business of her life was to get her daughters married (The whole work of her life was getting her daughters married): its solace was visiting and news (its comfort was calling on people and hearing gossip).

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