[有聲]Sense and Sensibility (Excerpt)理智與情感(節選)

 

Sense and Sensibility 理智與情感  
by Jane Austen 簡.奧斯丁

Chapter 10
第十章

Marianne's preserver, as Margaret, with more elegance than precision, styled Willoughby, called at the cottage early the next morning to make his personal enquiries. He was received by Mrs. Dashwood with more than politeness; with a kindness which Sir John's account of him and her own gratitude prompted; and every thing that passed during the visit tended to assure him of the sense, elegance, mutual affection, and domestic comfort of the family to whom accident had now introduced him. Of their personal charms he had not required a second interview to be convinced.

瑪麗安的救命恩人（這是瑪格麗特對威洛比言過其實的 尊稱），第二天一早即來登門問安。達什伍德太太對他的接 待不僅彬彬有禮，而且和藹可親，這是約翰爵士美言的結果 ，也出自她自己的感激之情。威洛比在拜訪期間所見到的一 切，都使他確信：他意外結識的這家人通情達理，舉止文雅 ，相親相愛，安安逸逸。對於她們的嫵媚動人，他無需進行 第二次訪問，便深信不疑。  

Miss Dashwood had a delicate complexion, regular features, and a remarkably pretty figure. Marianne was still handsomer. Her form, though not so correct as her sister's, in having the advantage of height, was more striking; and her face was so lovely, that when in the common cant of praise, she was called a beautiful girl, truth was less violently outraged than usually happens. Her skin was very brown, but, from its transparency, her complexion was uncommonly brilliant; her features were all good; her smile was sweet and attractive; and in her eyes, which were very dark, there was a life, a spirit, an eagerness, which could hardily be seen without delight. From Willoughby their expression was at first held back, by the embarrassment which the remembrance of his assistance created. But when this passed away, when her spirits became collected, when she saw that to the perfect good-breeding of the gentleman, he united frankness and vivacity, and above all, when she heard him declare, that of music and dancing he was passionately fond, she gave him such a look of approbation as secured the largest share of his discourse to herself for the rest of his stay.

達什伍德小姐麵色嬌嫩，眉目清秀，身段嫋娜。瑪麗安 長得還要漂亮。她的身材雖說不及她姐姐來得勻稱，但她個子高，顯得更加惹人注目。她的麵孔十分漂亮，若是用一般 的俗套來讚揚她，說她是個美麗的少女，倒不會像通常那樣純屬阿諛逢迎，與事實相去甚遠。她的皮膚黝黑，但是半透明似的，異常光潤；她眉清目秀，微笑起來甜蜜蜜的，十分 迷人；她眼珠烏黑，機靈、神氣、熱切，誰見了都會喜愛。 但在一開始，她還不敢向威洛比傳送秋波，因為一想起他抱 她回家的情形，就覺得十分難為情。當這種感覺消釋了，當 情緒鎮定下來，她看到他由於受到完美的紳士教養，顯得既 坦率又活潑，尤其重要的是，她聽他說，他酷愛音樂和舞蹈 ，這時，她向他投出了讚賞的目光。於是，他來訪的後半段 時間，絕大部分是用來同她攀談。

It was only necessary to mention any favourite amusement to engage her to talk. She could not be silent when such points were introduced, and she had neither shyness nor reserve in their discussion. They speedily discovered that their enjoyment of dancing and music was mutual, and that it arose from a general conformity of judgment in all that related to either. Encouraged by this to a further examination of his opinions, she proceeded to question him on the subject of books; her favourite authors were brought forward and dwelt upon with so rapturous a delight, that any young man of five and twenty must have been insensible indeed, not to become an immediate convert to the excellence of such works, however disregarded before. Their taste was strikingly alike. The same books, the same passages were idolized by each-- or if any difference appeared, any objection arose, it lasted no longer than till the force of her arguments and the brightness of her eyes could be displayed. He acquiesced in all her decisions, caught all her enthusiasm; and long before his visit concluded, they conversed with the familiarity of a long-established acquaintance.

你要跟瑪麗安搭話，隻消提起一項她所喜愛的娛樂活動 就足夠了。一觸及這樣的話題，她就沉默不住了，談起話來 既不靦腆，也不顧忌。他們迅即發現，兩人都愛好音樂和舞 蹈，而且這種愛好還起因於他們對兩者完全一致的見解。為 此，瑪麗安大受鼓舞，便想進一步考察一下他的觀點。她問 起他的讀書情況，搬出了她最喜愛的幾位作家，而旦談得眉 飛色舞。一個二十五歲的青年人不管以前多麽漠視讀書，如 今麵對如此優秀的作品還不趕緊頂禮膜拜，那一定是個十足 的傻瓜。他們有著驚人相似的興趣。兩人崇拜相同的書籍、 相同的段落，即使出現差別和異議，隻要經她一爭辯，眼睛 一亮閃，也都煙消雲散。凡是她所決定的，他都默認；凡是 她所熱衷的，他都喜愛。早在訪問結束之前，他們就像故友 重逢似的親切交談著。

"Well, Marianne," said Elinor, as soon as he had left them, "for one morning I think you have done pretty well. You have already ascertained Mr. Willoughby's opinion in almost every matter of importance. You know what he thinks of Cowper and Scott; you are certain of his estimating their beauties as he ought, and you have received every assurance of his admiring Pope no more than is proper. But how is your acquaintance to be long supported, under such extraordinary despatch of every subject for discourse? You will soon have exhausted each favourite topic. Another meeting will suffice to explain his sentiments on picturesque beauty, and second marriages, and then you can have nothing farther to ask."--

“瑪麗安，”威洛比剛走，埃麗諾便說，“你這—個上 午幹得很有成績呀！幾乎在所有重大問題上，你都已經摸清 了威洛比先生的見解。你知道了他對考柏和司各特的看法， 確信他對他們的優美詩篇作出了應有的評價。你還絕對相信 他對波普的讚賞是恰如其分的。不過，照這樣奇特的速度了 結一個個話題，你們怎麽能夠持久地交往下去！不用多久， 你們最喜愛的話題都會一個個談盡說完。再見一次麵就能把 他對美景和再婚的看法解說清楚，以後你就沒有東西好問了 ——”

"Elinor," cried Marianne, "is this fair? is this just? are my ideas so scanty? But I see what you mean. I have been too much at my ease, too happy, too frank. I have erred against every common-place notion of decorum; I have been open and sincere where I ought to have been reserved, spiritless, dull, and deceitful--had I talked only of the weather and the roads, and had I spoken only once in ten minutes, this reproach would have been spared."

“埃麗諾，”瑪麗安嚷道，“這樣說公平嗎？合理嗎？ 我的思想就這麽貧乏？不過，我明白你的意思。我一直太自 在，太快活，太坦率了。我違背了拘泥禮節的陳腐觀念！我 不該那麽坦率，那麽誠摯，而應該沉默寡言，無精打采，呆 頭呆腦，虛虛掩掩。我假若隻是談談天氣馬路，而且十分鍾 開一次口，那就不會遭此非難。”

"My love," said her mother, "you must not be offended with Elinor--she was only in jest. I should scold her myself, if she were capable of wishing to check the delight of your conversation with our new friend."-- Marianne was softened in a moment.

“我的乖孩子，”她母親說，“你不該生埃麗諾的氣— —她不過是開開玩笑。她要是真想阻止你和我們新結識的朋 友快樂地交談，我還要罵她呢。”頓時，瑪麗安又變得心平 氣和了。

Willoughby, on his side, gave every proof of his pleasure in their acquaintance, which an evident wish of improving it could offer. He came to them every day. To enquire after Marianne was at first his excuse; but the encouragement of his reception, to which every day gave greater kindness, made such an excuse unnecessary before it had ceased to be possible, by Marianne's perfect recovery. She was confined for some days to the house; but never had any confinement been less irksome. Willoughby was a young man of good abilities, quick imagination, lively spirits, and open, affectionate manners. He was exactly formed to engage Marianne's heart, for with all this, he joined not only a captivating person, but a natural ardour of mind which was now roused and increased by the example of her own, and which recommended him to her affection beyond every thing else.

再看看威洛比。他處處表明，能結識她們委實使他感到 榮幸。顯而易見，他熱切希望進一步改善這種關係。他每天 都來登門拜訪。起先，他以問候瑪麗安為借口。但是，她們 一天天待他越來越親切，使他深受鼓舞，沒等瑪麗安的身體 完全複原，這種借口已經大可不必了。瑪麗安在屋裏關了幾 天，但是從來沒有關得這樣少有煩惱。威洛比是個十分精幹 的小夥子，他思路敏捷，精力旺盛，性格開朗，感情充沛。 他有這樣的氣質，正中瑪麗安的心意；因為他把這些氣質不 僅和他那副迷人的儀表，而且和他那顆火熱的心結合了起來 。這顆心如今為瑪麗安的心所激勵，變得更加火熱，博得了 她的無比鍾情。

His society became gradually her most exquisite enjoyment. They read, they talked, they sang together; his musical talents were considerable; and he read with all the sensibility and spirit which Edward had unfortunately wanted.

和他在一起逐漸成為她的最大樂趣。他們一起讀書，一 起交談，一起唱歌。他有相當高的音樂才能，讀起書來也充 滿感情，富有生氣，這正是愛德華不幸所缺少的。

In Mrs. Dashwood's estimation he was as faultless as in Marianne's; and Elinor saw nothing to censure in him but a propensity, in which he strongly resembled and peculiarly delighted her sister, of saying too much what he thought on every occasion, without attention to persons or circumstances. In hastily forming and giving his opinion of other people, in sacrificing general politeness to the enjoyment of undivided attention where his heart was engaged, and in slighting too easily the forms of worldly propriety, he displayed a want of caution which Elinor could not approve, in spite of all that he and Marianne could say in its support.

威洛比在達什伍德太太眼裏和在瑪麗安眼裏一樣，也被 視為完美無缺。埃麗諾覺得他沒有什麽可以非議的地方，隻 是他有個同她妹妹十分相似、因而使妹妹特別喜愛的傾向， 這就是在任何時候，對自己的想法談論得太多，不看對象， 不分場合。他愛對別人勿忙下結論，注意力一旦被什麽東西 吸引住了，便專心致誌地盡情欣賞，連通常的禮貌都不顧了 ；本來是一些符合人情世故的禮儀，他也動輒加以蔑視。處 處表明他辦事不夠謹慎小心。對此，盡管威洛比和瑪麗安極 力進行辯護，埃麗諾還是不能讚同。

Marianne began now to perceive that the desperation which had seized her at sixteen and a half, of ever seeing a man who could satisfy her ideas of perfection, had been rash and unjustifiable. Willoughby was all that her fancy had delineated in that unhappy hour and in every brighter period, as capable of attaching her; and his behaviour declared his wishes to be in that respect as earnest, as his abilities were strong.

瑪麗安現在開始領悟到：她十六歲半就產生一種絕望情 緒，認為一輩子也見不到一個使她稱心如意的理想男人，這 未免過於輕率，毫無道理。無論是在那不幸的關頭，還是在 每個快樂的時刻，威洛比都是她理想中的完人，能夠引起她 的愛慕。而且他的行為表明，他在這方麵的願望是熱切的， 能力是超群的。

作者簡介

      簡.奧斯丁 (1775-1817) 出生在英國漢普郡斯蒂文頓鎮的一個牧師家庭，過著祥和、小康的鄉居生活。兄弟姐妹共八人，奧斯丁排行第六。她從未進過正規學校，隻是九歲時，曾被送往姐姐的學校伴讀。她的姐姐卡桑德拉是她畢生最好的朋友，然而奧斯丁的啟蒙教育卻更多得之於她的父親。奧斯丁酷愛讀書寫作，還在十一、二歲的時候，便已開始以寫作為樂事了。成年後奧斯丁隨全家遷居多次。1817 年，奧斯丁已抱病在身，為了求醫方便，最後一次舉家再遷。然而在到了曼徹斯特後不過兩個多月，她便去世了。死後安葬在溫徹斯特大教堂。簡·奧斯丁終身未嫁。逝世時僅為四十二歲。 

      奧斯丁創作的小說，幾乎都經過長時間的反複修訂改寫。她出版的第一部小說是《理智與情感》(1811) 。《傲慢與偏見》(1813) 是她的第二部作品。這兩部作品，加上她去世後出版的《諾桑覺寺》(1818) ，都寫於十八世紀的九十年代，通常算是她的早期作品。而《曼斯菲爾德莊園》(1814) 、《愛瑪》(1816) 與《勸導》(1818) 則寫於十九世紀，算是後期作品。

     根據《簡明不列顛百科全書》的說法，簡.奧斯丁是“第一個現實地描繪日常平凡生活中平凡人物的小說家。她的作品反映了當時英國中產階級生活的喜劇，顯示了家庭文學的可能性。她多次探索青年女主角從戀愛到結婚中自我發現的過程。這種著力分析人物性格以及女主角和社會之間緊張關係的做法，使她的小說擺脫十八世紀的傳統而接近於現代的生活。正是這種現代性，加上她的機智和風趣，她的現實主義和同情心，她的優雅的散文和巧妙的故事結構，使她的小說能長期吸引讀者。當時 (十九世紀初) 流行誇張戲劇性的浪漫小說，已使人們所厭倦，奧斯丁的樸素的現實主義啟清新之風，受到讀者的歡迎。到二十世紀，人們才認識到她是英國攝政王時期 (1810-1820) 最敏銳的觀察者，她嚴肅地分析了當時社會的性質和文化的質量，記錄了舊社會向現代社會的轉變。現代評論家也讚佩奧斯丁小說的高超的組織結構，以及她能於平凡而狹窄有限的情節中揭示生活的悲喜劇的精湛技巧。” 
 
 

 Source: http://www.joyen.net/article/reading/1/200904/1739.html