高阶 001.1 丨理智与情感：达什伍德一家“首秀”(上)

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英国摄政时期的乡绅阶层——达什伍德一家“首秀”(上)

第一本读什么呢？

Let me first introduce the historical background of the book.

时代背景 

一位国王生病了,年轻英俊的王子开始治国理政。这不是小说this is not a fictional story but the real history.这是英国摄政时期（Regency ['ridʒənsi]Era['ɪərə])的情形。这个时代是1811年至1820年间，在位的英王乔治三世因精神状态不适于统治suffer mental disease，因而他的长子，当时的威尔士亲王，即之后的乔治四世被任命为他的代理人作为摄政王（Prince Regent ['riːdʒ(ə)nt]）的时期。

如果用几个关键词描述这个时代的特点，那就是Elegance, Romance, Luxury.  Jane Austin（1775-1817）是这个时期的代表作家。Yes!Jane Austin是我们读文学时必须要为之留一席之位的作家！而小猫要带读的就是她的第一部作品Sense and Sensibility，《理智与情感》。

故事介绍 

This is the story of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, sisters who respectively represent the "sense" and "sensibility" of the title.   Through their parallel experience of love, the sisters learn that sense must mix with sensibility if they are to find personal happiness in a society where status and money govern the rules of love.

《理智与情感》讲述了代表理智的姐姐埃莉诺和代表情感的妹妹玛丽安妮各自的爱情故事，经历了甜蜜与忧伤之后，她们终于认识到在社会地位和金钱决定婚恋爱情的年代，理智与情感需要调和方能找到最后的幸福。

今天我们一起走进第一章，看看姐妹俩所在的家族达什伍德一家是如何亮相的吧。

含英咀华1 

作者一开头就交代了故事的地点和主人公的阶层。

The Dashwood family

原文1：For very many years there had been Dashwoods living in Sussex, in the south of England. The family owned a large area of land around their country house, Norland Park. Recently the head of the family, an unmarried man of great age, had invited into his home his nephew, who was expected to inherit the house and land, with his wife and children. The nephew, Mr Henry Dashwood, and his wife behaved kindly and thoughtfully towards the old gentleman,not from interest in his fortune,but from goodness of heart, so that he was able tospend his last years comfortablywith these pleasant and cheerful companions.

讲解：

1. 故事的地点: Sussex, 英国英格兰南部的一个历史悠久的郡。

2. 故事主人公们的阶层：a large area of land around their country house, Norland Park——透露出家底还是颇为殷实。

3. man of great age: 说人年纪大了也是有讲究的。如果直接用old显得很不礼貌。合适的说法有：senior citizen (退休年龄左右的人60岁上下），the elders/the elderly (年龄60+以上）

4. Mr. Henry Dashwood——从称谓上来看，是没有爵位的，不是贵族。有钱有地但未必是贵族，这就是英国历史上的乡绅阶层。英国社会阶层&乡绅阶层定义：英国社会阶层最顶层是英国王室(the Royal Family)。接下去是贵族(nobility)。到了18世纪，一个新的阶层崛起，开始挑战英国贵族的社会地位。这个阶层就是乡绅（gentry ['dʒɛntri]）。英国社会上这种未必拥有贵族头衔的有钱一族便是乡绅。

乡绅都拥有大量的财富和土地，几乎不工作，除非是做一些上层社会成员专属的职位，比如高级军官，主教。乡绅也可以打理自己的投资investment，但是如果让他们去做领工钱的差事，他们觉得是有失身份的。作家Jane Austin（1775-1817），同样出生长大在郡，也是乡绅阶层。所以奥斯汀能把英国乡绅的生活图景描绘得惟妙惟肖。

原文2：By his first wife Mr Henry Dashwood had one son, John; by his present wife, three daughters. John, a respectable, serious young man, had received a large inheritancefrom his mother, and had also added to his wealth by his own marriage. To him, therefore, the Norland fortune was not as important as to his sisters, who had very little money of their own.

讲解：

语言知识点：

1. inheritance 作可数／不可数名词，继承物，遗产；作不可数名词，指遗传特征，例如，genetic inheritance。 近义词辨析：heritage, 不可数名词，指和文化相关的遗产，比如传统，语言，建筑等。

文化知识点：

1. “…added to his wealth by his own marriage.” “通过婚姻使财富进一步增长”，这是指John的太太应该有一笔相当可观的嫁妆。当时的社会，婚姻更多的是利益交换，有钱家族间的强强联合。“his sisters, who had very little money of their own. ”由此可以推断，这三姐妹在女性几乎没有就业机会的时代，处境应该会很艰难，不仅仅是日常的经济状况堪忧，未来的婚姻选择应该也会遭遇不顺。

2. 财产继承制度：18-19世纪的英国，受教会法的影响，财产继承分为动产继承和不动产继承两个部分。英国的动产一直奉行分割继承的原则，遗产分为三份：妻子、子女、教会各继承一份。不动产继承是土地继承，实行长子继承制。当时人们的主要财产为不动产，动产在个人财产中一般只占很小比例。此外，当时英国社会还存在限定继承权。即对于没有儿子的家庭，其不动产由男性亲属继承。

情节串讲 

Dashwood老先生去世后，更不幸的是，一年后Henry Dashwood也去世了。因为放心不下没有财产的妻子和女儿们，Henry Dashwood在临终前请求儿子John能好好照顾她们。那么John愿不愿意照顾呢？他们夫妇的性格是怎样的？

含英咀华2 

原文1：Mrs John Dashwood now made sure that everyone knew she was mistress of Norland, and that her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law were there as visitors. Her husband, however, reminded her of the promise he had given to his dying father, that he would take care of his stepmother and sisters.

John Dashwood太太很迅速地“宣誓主权”，让大家知道她才是庄园的女主人，她的婆婆和小姑子们只不过是访客罢了。

原文2：'I had thought, my dear,' he added, 'of giving the girls one thousand pounds each. It would certainly be a generous present for them.'

Mrs John Dashwood did not at all, approve of this. It would mean taking three thousand pounds from the fortune of their dear little boy. She begged her husband to think again. How could he rob his child, and his only child too, of so much money? And how could the Miss Dashwoods, who were related to him only by half blood, which she considered no relation at all, possibly expect him to be so generous?

讲解：

这一段就已经显露出John Dashwood太太的吝啬与冷酷了。同父异母的妹妹在她看来是完全不沾亲带故的。

half blood, 拓展，half brother/sister, 同父异母／同母异父的兄弟／姐妹

John心里觉得这是父亲的last request,所以觉得还是应该do something for them.于是老婆说了：

原文3： 'Well, then,do something for them, but you need not give them three thousand pounds.

讲解：

'Well, then,do something for them, but you need not give them three thousand pounds.

斜体字表强调：如上文中的do, really。朗读斜体字单词时需要重读。

John觉得不应该辜负父亲的遗愿，他的太太说服他，给钱不如帮忙做事。

接下来，两口子你一言我一语，一边削减给亲人的补助，一边解释自己这么做合情合理，我们跳过一些细节，直接看最后的结果。

原文4：'To be sure you will. Indeed, to tell the truth, I am certain your father had no idea of your giving them any money at all. The assistance he was thinking of was, I dare say, looking for a comfortable small house for them, helping them to move their furniture, and sending them occasional presents of fish and meat in season. Do consider, Mr Dashwood, how very cheaply they will live! No carriage, no horses, and only one or two servants! I cannot imagine how they will spend half their money, and it is foolish to think of giving them more. '

And he decided to offer no more to his father's widow and daughters than such neighbourly assistance as his wife suggested.

讲解：

从最开始考虑给每个妹妹一千英镑，到最后决定只给些“帮忙找房子、搬家、送送新鲜鱼和肉”这样邻里间的帮助。并且还认为是“不折不扣” 信守了对父亲的诺言。John的虚伪、自私、吝啬一点也不输他太太。

文学鉴赏提示：简奥斯丁最爱的人物塑造手法conversation

作家塑造角色时，常常使用的方法包括描写人物的外貌、语言、动作、心理活动，或者使用一些象征意象。这里，奥斯汀通过两口子的这番讨论，让读者立刻就把握到了两位的性格特征。这样的描写（describe）比直接告诉（tell）读者要高明许多。

文豪金句背诵 

The nephew, Mr Henry Dashwood, and his wife behaved kindly and thoughtfully towards the old gentleman,not from interest in his fortune,but from goodness of heart, so that he was able to spend his last years comfortably with these pleasant and cheerful companions.

故事总结+悬念预告 

今天我们带领大家一起阅读了故事的开场部分，了解整个故事的时代背景（Regency England），认识了乡绅（gentry）这个社会阶层，特别是见识了奥斯汀刻画人物的老道手法，John Dashwood夫妇的吝啬与自私让我们印象深刻。下节课，我们会认识我们故事的女主人公们——理智的化身Elinor和多情善感的Marianne。