When Mr．Bingley，a rich young bachelor，rents Netherfield Park，one of the neighboring estates，excitement stirs in the Bennet family，which includes five marriageable daughters．The flighty Mrs．Bennet immediately begins plotting which daughter to marry off to the unsuspecting Bingley．Her long-suffering husband suggests that Mr．Bingley might want some choice in the matter，but before long Mr．Bennet is persuaded by his wife to pay a formal call at Nether-field Park．
The Bennet daughters meet Mr．Bingley at the Meryton Ball．Also in attendance is Mr．Bingley'saristocratic① friend Fitzwilliam Darcy，who turn suphis nose at the vulgarity of Mrs．Bennet and snubs her daughters．Elizabeth Bennet，the liveliest and most intelligent of the Bennet girls，overhears the newcomer making condescending② remarks about the local provincial③ society．When he refuses to be introduced to her，Elizabeth Bennet becomes instantly prejudiced against him，despite his good looks and GREat wealth．
More successful at the ball are the amiable Mr．Bingley and Elizabeth's lovely，good-natured older sister，Jane，to whom Elizabeth is closely attached．Soon after，Bingley and his sisters become friends with Jane Bennet，and the romance between Bingley and Jane seems to flourish．Eventually Darcy unbends a bit toward Elizabeth，and the two engage inironic banter④．
One day while visiting the Bingleys in the rain，Jane comes down with a bad cold and is compelled to stay at Netherfield Park．Elizabeth walks three miles through the mud to visit and nurse her sister．Her disheveled⑤ appearance when she arrives is meat for Caroline's gossip，but Mrs．Bennet sees the episode as a GREat opportunity to cement relations between Jane and Bingley．While Elizabeth is nursing her sister，Darcy pays her more attention，and Caroline's jealousy rages．
Bingley's sister Caroline is interested in Darcy herself．She tries unsuccessfully to poison his mind against Elizabeth．A more serious obstacle to the romance is Darcy's distaste for Elizabeth's vulgar，scheming mother and for the younger Bennet girls：flighty，officer-crazy Lydia and Kitty，and dull，plain Mary．Meanwhile the Reverend⑥ William Collins，a cousin of the Bennets，who is in line to inherit Mr．Bennet's estate，comes to visit．The supremely con-ceited⑦ Mr．Collins talks constantly about his patroness，the rich and arrogant Lady Catherine de Bourgh，an aunt of Darcy's．Since she has urged him to marry（and her word is his command），he proposes to Elizabeth in a ludicrously⑧ pompous⑨ manner．She rejects him immediately，displeasing her mother but immensely satisfying her father who is fonder of her than of his other daughters．
Unabashed⑩ by rejection，Mr．Collins proposes again，but finally concedes defeat．Immediately after，he becomes engaged to a friend of Elizabeth's，the placid(11)，unimaginative Charlotte Lucas．
One of Darcy's acquaintances is a dashing(12)young officer，George Wickham，who poisons Elizabeth's mind against Darcy by telling her that Darcy is a wicked，cold-hearted man who has refused to carry out the wishes of his father's will，cheating Wickham out of a legacy．Fearing to meet Darcy face to face，Wickham stays away from a ball which he knows Darcy will attend．Misinterpreting Wickham's motives，Elizabeth becomes increasingly suspicious of Darcy．
Shortly after the ball，Bingley and his sisters suddenly leave Netherfield for London．Elizabeth is convinced that Bingley's sisters are trying to keep him from marrying Jane whom they consider beneath him ．Jane accepts the break with outward com- posure(13)，but soon visits her aunt，Mrs．Gardiner，in London，hoping to see Bingley there by chance．When Elizabeth joins Jane in London，she learns that Bingley has never called on Jane．Elizabeth believes that Darcy has deliberately kept Jane's presence in the city from Bingley．
In March，Elizabeth visits her friend Charlotte Lucas，now married to Mr．Collins，in Kent．She realizes with a sudden wave of sympathy that Charlotte，a rather homely girl of advancing years，married Mr．Collins out of necessity，fearing a lonely and pover-ty-stricken life as an old maid．
While in Kent，Elizabeth again meets Darcy who is visiting his aunt，Lady Catherine de Bourgh．Again，Darcy is attracted to Elizabeth．He proposes to her in so haughty(14) a manner that she rejects him and upbraids(15) him for what she considers his mistreatment of her sister and of the unfortunate Wickham．Darcy listens to her accusations in silence．The next day he writes her a letter admitting that he has tried to keep Bingley from Jane because his pride and prejudice．
To add to Elizabeth's woes(16)，she now feels that Darcy，whom she has begun to love，will have nothing to do with her，for Lydia's behavior confirms all he has ever said about the commonness of the Bennet family．To Elizabeth's surprise ，however，Darcy，who is now deeply in love with her，has gone off secretly to London，where he finds Lydia and Wickham，pays Wickham's many debts，and gives him ￡1，000 with which to marry Lydia．
Mr．Bennet had also gone in search of the couplebut has returned from London withoutsuccess．When Lydia returns home，she tells Elizabeth that Darcy had attended her wedding．Elizabeth's suspicions of Darcy's part in the affair are confirmed by a letter from her aunt，Mrs．Gardiner，whom Darcy had sworn to se-crecy．
After Lydia and Wickham leave，Mr．Bingley returns to Nether- field Park，accompanied by Darcy．Bingley soon becomes engaged to Jane，much to the Bennets'satisfaction。
The arrogant Lady Catherine de Bourgh descends on Longbourn，furious because of a rumor that Elizabeth and Darcy have become engaged．（Lady Catherine wished Darcy to marry her own daughter，a pathetically listless and unattractive girl．）Haughtily she de-
mands that Elizabeth give up Darcy．Elizabeth，however，is more than adequate to the challenge．Without losing her temper，she coolly tells Lady Catherine to mind her own business．When Lady Catherine tells Darcy that Elizabeth refuses to give him up，Darcy begins to hope that Elizabeth returns his love．
Thus encouraged，Darcy again proposes to Elizabeth，this time with proper humility，and ishappily accepted．Mrs．Bennet，having married off three of her daughters，is filled with joy．Mr．Bennet philosophically awaits any further suitors who may come along．
傲慢与偏见
当年轻、富有的单身汉彬格莱先生租下附近一处庄园———尼日斐花园时，有五个成年待嫁女儿的班纳特一家顿时为之激动起来。轻浮的班纳特太太立即开始筹划该将哪个女儿许配给没料想到将发生这种事的彬格莱，可是长期忍气吞声的丈夫却提出，彬格莱先生对此事也许会挑三拣四。但不久，班纳特先生终于被妻子说服，正式到尼日斐花园去拜访。
在梅利顿举行的舞会上，班纳特家的女儿们结识了彬格莱先生。出席舞会的还有彬格莱的贵族朋友费茨威廉·达西，他对班纳特太太的粗俗嗤之以鼻，还怠慢了她的女儿们。伊丽莎白在班纳特家姑娘中是最活泼、最聪慧的一位，她无意中听到这位新来者十分高傲地贬评当地庸俗的社交界。当他拒绝别人把他介绍给她时，伊丽莎白对他顿生偏见，尽管他相貌英俊，家财万贯。
在舞会上较成功的是和蔼可亲的彬格莱先生和伊丽莎白的秀美动人、性情温和的姐姐洁英。伊丽莎白十分喜欢她。不久以后，彬格莱和他的姊妹跟洁英·班纳特成了朋友，彬格莱与洁英之间的恋情似乎热乎了。终于，达西对伊丽莎白稍许随和了一些，两人也相互嬉谑嘲弄起来。
一天，洁英冒雨走访彬格莱兄妹，因而患重感冒病倒，只好留在尼日斐花园。伊丽莎白穿过泥泞的道路，步行三英里去看望并照料她姐姐。她到达时的狼狈相，为卡罗琳说长道短提供了话柄。而班纳特太太则将这一插曲看成是巩固洁英同彬格莱之间关系的大好机会。在伊丽莎白照料她姐姐期间，达西更是对她大献殷勤，卡罗琳则争风吃醋，大发脾气。
彬格莱的妹妹卡罗琳本身对达西颇感兴趣。她竭力破坏他对伊丽莎白的好感，却未能成功。阻挡他们相恋的一个更为严重的障碍是，达西讨厌伊丽莎白那粗俗而喜欢算计的母亲，还有班纳特家那些年幼的姑娘们：轻浮而狂热追求军官的丽迪亚和吉蒂，以及平庸乏味的玛丽。
在此同时，牧师威廉·柯林斯前来拜访，他是班纳特姐妹的一个表兄，按顺序该轮到他继承班纳特先生的财产。十分自负的柯林斯先生多次谈到其富有而傲慢的女庇护人凯瑟琳·德·包尔夫人，她是达西的姨母。由于她催促他结婚（她的话对他来说就是命令），他便向伊丽莎白求婚，举止浮夸，滑稽可笑。伊丽莎白当即加以拒绝，这使得她母亲很不高兴，却让喜欢她甚于其余女儿的父亲感到十分满意。
遭拒绝后，柯林斯先生并不感到羞愧，再次求婚，但最终不得不自认失败。紧接着他就和伊丽莎白的女友夏绿蒂·卢卡斯订了婚，她性情温和而头脑缺乏想象力。
达西的一位熟人是个浮华的年轻军官，名叫乔治·韦翰。他使伊丽莎白对达西产生恶感，说他是个邪恶、冷酷的人，拒不执行他父亲的遗嘱，骗取了留给韦翰的遗产。由于不敢面对达西，韦翰没有参加一个舞会，因为他知道达西将会出席。伊丽莎白错误地理解了韦翰的动机，
对达西的疑忌与日俱增。舞会后不久，彬格莱及其姊妹们突然离开尼日斐花园前往伦敦。伊丽莎白确信，彬格莱的姊妹们认为洁英配不上他，正竭力阻止他娶她。洁英表面上镇静地接受了这一关系的中断，但不久便去伦敦探望她的姑母加德纳夫人，希望在那里能邂逅彬格莱。当伊丽莎白与洁英在伦敦会合时，她获悉彬格莱从未看望过洁英。伊丽莎白相信，是达西故意不让彬格莱知道洁英在伦敦。
三月份，伊丽莎白在肯特郡去看望此时已嫁给柯林斯先生的女友夏绿蒂·卢卡斯。她心中蓦地涌起一股同情，意识到夏绿蒂只是因相貌平平，年龄日见增长，由于害怕成为老姑娘，过孤独、贫寒的生活才不得已嫁给了柯林斯先生。
在肯特郡小住时，伊丽莎白再次与正在探望其姨母凯瑟琳·德·包尔夫人的达西相逢。达西再次为伊丽莎白所吸引。他向她求婚，但因态度高傲，她拒绝了他，并谴责他不公正地对待她的姐姐和可怜的韦翰。达西默默无言地听取了她的指责。第二日他写给她一封信，承认他曾阻挠彬格莱与洁英接触，因为他的傲慢与偏见。
令伊丽莎白愁上加愁的是，她已开始爱上达西，但她觉得他将不会与她有任何往来，因为丽迪雅的行为证实了他曾说过的关于班纳特家平庸俗气的言论。但出乎伊丽莎白意料之外，此时深深爱上了她的达西已秘密前往伦敦，在那里找到了丽迪雅和韦翰，还清了韦翰欠下的许多债务，还赠给他一千英镑用于跟丽迪雅结婚。
班纳特先生也出去寻找这对年轻人，但从伦敦徒劳而归。丽迪雅回到家中，她告诉伊丽莎白说，达西出席了她的婚礼。伊丽莎白猜疑达西在这件事中起了作用，而她姑母加德纳夫人的来信证实了她的猜疑，虽然对此事达西曾让加德纳夫人发誓保密。
丽迪雅与韦翰离开后，彬格莱先生便在达西的陪同下返回了尼日斐花园。不久，彬格莱和洁英订了婚，使班纳特夫妇满心欢喜。
傲慢的凯瑟琳·德·包尔夫人屈尊驾临朗伯恩，因听到传闻伊丽莎白已与达西订婚而大发雷霆。（凯瑟琳夫人希望达西娶她自己的女儿，一个冷漠、讨厌得可怜的姑娘。）凯瑟琳夫人盛气凌人，要求伊丽莎白放弃达西。然而，伊丽莎白对这一挑衅完全应付裕如。她未发脾气，只是冷冷地告诉凯瑟琳夫人不要管闲事。当凯瑟琳夫人告诉达西说伊丽莎白拒绝放弃他时，达西开始希望伊丽莎白会报答他的爱情。
受到这样的鼓舞，达西再次向伊丽莎白求了婚，这次态度谦卑、得体，被愉快地接受了。已经嫁出三个女儿后，班纳特太太满怀喜悦，班纳特先生则十分明达地等待再有求婚者上门。
②condescending屈尊俯就的；以恩赐态
度相待的
③provincial偏狭的；粗俗的
④banter玩笑；打趣
⑤dishevelled不整齐的；凌乱的
⑥Reverend牧师的尊称
⑦conceited自负的；自夸的
⑧ludicrously滑稽地，可笑地
⑨pom pous华而不实的；自负的
⑩unabash不怕害臊的 （12）dashing有朝气的，浮华的
(13)com posure镇静；泰然自若
(14)haughty傲慢的；自大的
(15)upbraid责骂；斥责
(16)woe悲哀
①aristocratic贵族的，贵族化的
（11）placid平静的
