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There was nothing in any of the party which could recommend them as companions to the Dashwoods; but the cold insipidity of Lady Middleton was so particularly repulsive, that in comparison of it the gravity of Colonel Brandon, and even the boisterous mirth of Sir John and his mother-in-law was interesting. Lady Middleton seemed to be roused to enjoyment only by the entrance of her four noisy children after dinner, who pulled her about, tore her clothes, and put an end to every kind of discourse except what related to themselves.
這伙人中，哪一位也沒有任何與達什伍德母女志趣相投之處。不過，米德爾頓夫人過于陰沉，讓人反感至極，相形之下，嚴肅的布蘭登上校、興高采烈的約翰爵士及其岳母，倒還有趣一些。米德爾頓夫人好像只是飯后見她四個孩子吵吵嚷嚷地跑進來，興致才高起來。這些孩子把她拖來拖去，扯她的衣服，于是，大伙除了談論他們，別的話題全部停止。
In the evening, as Marianne was discovered to be musical, she was invited to play. The instrument was unlocked, every body prepared to be charmed, and Marianne, who sang very well, at their request went through the chief of the songs which Lady Middleton had brought into the family on her marriage, and which perhaps had lain ever since in the same position on the pianoforte, for her ladyship had celebrated that event by giving up music, although by her mother's account, she had played extremely well, and by her own was very fond of it.
到了晚上，人們發現瑪麗安很有音樂才能，便邀請她當場表演。鋼琴打開了，大家都準備陶醉一番，瑪麗安的歌喉非常優美，在眾人的要求下，她演唱了樂譜里最動聽的幾首歌曲。這些樂譜都是米德爾頓夫人出嫁時帶來的，后來放在鋼琴上可能一直沒有挪動過，因為米德爾頓夫人為了慶賀她的婚姻大事，便放棄了音樂。不過，照她母親的話說，她彈得好極了；照她自己的話說，她非常喜愛音樂。
Marianne's performance was highly applauded. Sir John was loud in his admiration at the end of every song, and as loud in his conversation with the others while every song lasted. Lady Middleton frequently called him to order, wondered how any one's attention could be diverted from music for a moment, and asked Marianne to sing a particular song which Marianne had just finished. Colonel Brandon alone, of all the party, heard her without being in raptures. He paid her only the compliment of attention; and she felt a respect for him on the occasion, which the others had reasonably forfeited by their shameless want of taste. His pleasure in music, though it amounted not to that ecstatic delight which alone could sympathize with her own, was estimable when contrasted against the horrible insensibility of the others; and she was reasonable enough to allow that a man of five and thirty might well have outlived all acuteness of feeling and every exquisite power of enjoyment. She was perfectly disposed to make every allowance for the colonel's advanced state of life which humanity required.
瑪麗安的演唱受到熱烈歡迎。每演唱完一支歌曲，約翰爵士便高聲贊嘆，而在表演的過程中，他又和人高聲交談。米德爾頓夫人一次次地叫他安靜，不知道他聽歌曲怎么能有哪怕是片刻的分心，而她自己卻要求瑪麗安演唱一支剛剛唱完的歌曲。賓主之間，唯獨布蘭登上校沒有聽得欣喜若狂。上校只是懷有敬意地聽著；瑪麗安當時對他也深表尊敬，因為其他人表現出來的庸俗趣味，理所當然地失去了她的敬意。上校對音樂的愛好雖然沒有達到著迷的程度，沒有與她自己等同，但是與其他人的麻木不仁相對照，卻顯得十分難能可貴。瑪麗安非常通情達理地認為，一個三十五歲的男人可能早已失去了感情的敏銳性和對歡樂的強烈感受。她完全可以理解上校的老成持重，這是人類所必需的。
