Pride and Prejudice - Chapter 17
Orgullo y Prejuicio - Capítulo 17
Elizabeth returned from Kent with much to think about. Her experiences at Hunsford had changed her perspective on many things, particularly on Darcy.
Elizabeth regresó de Kent con mucho en qué pensar. Sus experiencias en Hunsford habían cambiado su perspectiva sobre muchas cosas, particularmente sobre Darcy.
She now realized that she had been prejudiced against him from the beginning. She had allowed her wounded pride to blind her to his true character. And she had believed Wickham's lies without questioning them.
Ahora se daba cuenta de que había tenido prejuicios contra él desde el principio. Había permitido que su orgullo herido la cegara ante su verdadero carácter. Y había creído las mentiras de Wickham sin cuestionarlas.
"I have been so foolish," she thought over and over. "I judged him without giving him a chance."
—He sido tan tonta —pensaba una y otra vez—. Lo juzgué sin darle una oportunidad.
When she arrived home, she found the household in an uproar. Her youngest sister Lydia had been invited to go to Brighton with the regiment, and Mrs. Bennet was delighted.
Cuando llegó a casa, encontró el hogar en un alboroto. Su hermana menor, Lydia, había sido invitada a ir a Brighton con el regimiento, y la señora Bennet estaba encantada.
"It will be so good for her," Mrs. Bennet said. "She will have a chance to meet officers and have fun."
—Será muy bueno para ella —dijo la señora Bennet—. Tendrá la oportunidad de conocer oficiales y divertirse.
Elizabeth was horrified. Brighton was a seaside town known for its wild parties and loose morals. She feared that Lydia would get into trouble there.
Elizabeth estaba horrorizada. Brighton era una ciudad costera conocida por sus fiestas salvajes y su moral relajada. Temía que Lydia se metiera en problemas allí.
"You cannot let her go," Elizabeth told her father. "It is too dangerous."
—No puedes dejarla ir —le dijo Elizabeth a su padre—. Es demasiado peligroso.
But Mr. Bennet was careless. "Let her go," he said. "She will learn her lesson soon enough."
Pero el señor Bennet era descuidado. —Déjala ir —dijo—. Aprenderá su lección lo suficientemente pronto.
Elizabeth tried to convince him, but he would not listen. He thought Lydia was too silly to get into any real trouble.
Elizabeth trató de convencerlo, pero él no quiso escuchar. Pensaba que Lydia era demasiado tonta para meterse en problemas reales.
Meanwhile, Jane returned from London with news. She had seen Bingley briefly, and he had seemed friendly but distant.
Mientras tanto, Jane regresó de Londres con noticias. Había visto a Bingley brevemente, y él había parecido amistoso pero distante.
"I think he has forgotten me," Jane said sadly.
—Creo que me ha olvidado —dijo Jane con tristeza.
Elizabeth was sure that Darcy was still influencing Bingley, but she said nothing to Jane. She did not want to raise her sister's hopes falsely.
Elizabeth estaba segura de que Darcy todavía estaba influyendo en Bingley, pero no le dijo nada a Jane. No quería elevar falsamente las esperanzas de su hermana.
In the meantime, Elizabeth continued to think about Darcy. She remembered how he had looked at her at the ball, how he had proposed to her despite her family's obvious shortcomings. He must truly love her, she realized, to propose under such circumstances.
Mientras tanto, Elizabeth seguía pensando en Darcy. Recordaba cómo la había mirado en el baile, cómo le había propuesto matrimonio a pesar de los obvios defectos de su familia. Debía amarla de verdad, se dio cuenta, para proponerle matrimonio en tales circunstancias.
And she remembered the letter—the honest explanation, the admission of his mistakes, the revelation of Wickham's true character. Darcy was not the villain she had thought him to be. He was a good man who had been misunderstood.
Y recordaba la carta: la explicación honesta, la admisión de sus errores, la revelación del verdadero carácter de Wickham. Darcy no era el villano que ella había pensado. Era un buen hombre que había sido incomprendido.
But what could she do now? It was too late to change anything. Darcy was gone, and she might never see him again.
Pero, ¿qué podía hacer ahora? Era demasiado tarde para cambiar nada. Darcy se había ido, y tal vez nunca lo volvería a ver.