評論
打印
"I cannot agree with you there, " said Elinor. "There are inconveniences attending such feelings as Marianne's, which all the charms of enthusiasm and ignorance of the world cannot atone for. Her systems have all the unfortunate tendency of setting propriety at nought; and a better acquaintance with the world is what I look forward to as her greatest possible advantage. "
“在這一點上我不能同意你的看法，”埃麗諾說，“瑪麗安這樣的觀點帶有種種不宜之處，任憑世人的狂熱和無知有多大魅力，也將于事無補。不幸的是，她的思想嚴重傾向于蔑視禮儀。我期望她能進一步認識世界，這可能給她帶來極大的好處。”
After a short pause he resumed the conversation by saying, --
上校停了一會兒，然后繼續說道：
"Does your sister make no distinction in her objections against a second attachment? or is it equally criminal in every body? Are those who have been disappointed in their first choice, whether from the inconstancy of its object, or the perverseness of circumstances, to be equally indifferent during the rest of their lives?"
“你妹妹是不是不加區別地一概反對第二次戀愛？難道每個人這樣做都同樣有罪嗎？難道凡是第一次選擇失當的人，無論因為對象朝三暮四，還是因為情況違逆多舛，就該一輩子漠然處之？”
"Upon my word, I am not acquainted with the minutiae of her principles. I only know that I never yet heard her admit any instance of a second attachment's being pardonable. "
“說心里話，我對她的詳細見解并不了解。我只知道，我從未聽她說過有哪一起二次戀愛是可以寬恕的。”
"This, " said he, "cannot hold; but a change, a total change of sentiments--No, no, do not desire it; for when the romantic refinements of a young mind are obliged to give way, how frequently are they succeeded by such opinions as are but too common, and too dangerous! I speak from experience. I once knew a lady who in temper and mind greatly resembled your sister, who thought and judged like her, but who from an inforced change--from a series of unfortunate circumstances"-- Here he stopt suddenly; appeared to think that he had said too much, and by his countenance gave rise to conjectures, which might not otherwise have entered Elinor's head. The lady would probably have passed without suspicion, had he not convinced Miss Dashwood that what concerned her ought not to escape his lips. As it was, it required but a slight effort of fancy to connect his emotion with the tender recollection of past regard. Elinor attempted no more. But Marianne, in her place, would not have done so little. The whole story would have been speedily formed under her active imagination; and every thing established in the most melancholy order of disastrous love.
“這種看法，”上校說，“是不會持久的。感情上的變化，感情上的徹底變化——不，不，不要癡心妄想了，因為青年人富于幻想，一旦被迫改變主意，代之而來的總是些平庸不堪、危險之極的觀點！我這樣說是有切身體驗的。我從前認識一位女子，她在性情和心地上很像你妹妹，像她那樣思考問題，判斷是非，但是她被迫改變了—一是讓一系列不幸事件逼迫的——，”說到這里，他驀地頓住了，似乎覺得自己說得太多了。看他那臉色，埃麗諾不禁起了猜疑。她看得出來，他不想提起與那女子有關的事情，要不然，這女子不會引起她的疑心。其實，事情不難想象，他之所以如此動情，定與想起過去的隱衷有關。埃麗諾沒去多想。不過，若是換成瑪麗安，卻不會想得這么少。她憑著活躍的想象，很快就會把整個故事構思出來，一切都會被納入一場愛情悲劇的框框，令人憂傷至極。
