DAY 10

3 Mr. Collins visits Longbourn （3-3）

‘I am sure you're right，’said Mr. Bennet．‘No doubt you are expert at flattering with delicacy．May I ask how you think of these pleasing compliments？’

‘Some of them come to me at the time，but in my spare moments I do occasionally prepare a few words which may be suitable for different occasions．’

Mr. Bennet listened to his cousin with the greatest enjoyment．Mr. Collins was as foolish as he had hoped．But by tea-time Mr. Bennet had had enough(受够了)，and after tea，asked his guest to read aloud to the ladies．However，when a novel was handed to Mr. Collins，he looked shocked，and protested that he never read novels．He chose a religious book instead，and started reading in a slow，serious voice．Lydia could not hide her boredom for long，and after only three pages she interrupted him rudely，to ask her mother a question about one of the officers in Meryton. Mr. Collins was offended，and refused to read any more，although Mrs. Bennet and her other daughters apologized for Lydia's lack of manners．

Mr. Collins was not a sensible man，and neither education nor society had improved him．The respect he felt for his patron， and his very good opinion of himself and his new position， made him proud and servile奴性的;逢迎的 at the same time．Now that he had a home and a considerable income，he had decided to marry． The Bennet girls，who would lose their inheritance because of him，had a reputation for being attractive and charming，and his idea of making amends to them was to marry one of them． He considered this an excellent plan，and thought himself extremely generous and unselfish in carrying it out．

He had known he was right when he arrived at Longbourn and saw Jane Bennet's lovely face．As the eldest，she should marry first，and for the first evening she was his choice．But the next morning，after a fifteen-minute conversation with Mrs. Bennet，he had to change his mind．When he explained that he was hoping to find a wife among her daughters，she replied， with a happy smile，that her eldest daughter was very likely to be engaged soon．‘But there are my other daughters，Mr. Collins，’she continued，encouragingly．

Mr. Collins had only to change from Jane to Elizabeth，and it was soon done—done while Mrs. Bennet was pouring the tea． Next to Jane in birth and beauty，Elizabeth was the obvious choice．

Mrs. Bennet was delighted，hoping that she might soon have two daughters married．The man whom she had so disliked the day before was now a favourite with her．

 

                                          (Mr. Collins and Elizabeth)

NOTES:

1. …said Mr. Bennet．‘No doubt you are expert at flattering with delicacy．May I ask how you think of these pleasing compliments？’

“你奉承人体贴入微，毫无疑问是个专家。请问你是怎么想起这些取悦之辞的?” 

Mr. Bennet这话听起来不太友好哦。但Collins好像甘之如饴呀。（是听不懂Mr.Bennet的毒舌吗？）

2. But by tea-time Mr. Bennet had had enough(受够了)

3. However，when a novel was handed to Mr. Collins，he looked shocked，and protested that he never read novels．He chose a religious book instead.

为什么Collins拒绝读小说呢？

这里还想给大家介绍一个小背景，关于为什么要描写Mr. Collins不读小说。是因为他这个人很无趣吗(不过他确实挺无趣的) ?其实，在英国，小说是18世纪开始盛行的，为什么呢，这和英国17世纪的资产阶级革命分不开。在革命以前的封建社会，英国流行的是一种传奇文学(Romance) ，因为它采用一个“理想的”世界来粉饰现实，能够维护封建统治。但是资产阶级崛起了啊，他们就是要揭露现实，所以有了各种“反传奇的”(Anti-romance) 小说。因此在18世纪初，封建贵族都不喜欢这种“邪魔外道”。Mr. Collins自称从不读小说，其实也说明了他这个人，趋炎附势，故作优雅，受封建思想荼毒很深呐~

4. Mr. Collins had only to change from Jane to Elizabeth，and it was soon done—done while Mrs. Bennet was pouring the tea． Next to Jane in birth and beauty，Elizabeth was the obvious choice．

柯林斯先生不得不把简换成伊丽莎白，不一会儿就定了下来——班纳特太太沏茶时他做出了决定。伊丽莎白在年龄和姿色上都仅次于简，选她是很显然的。

5. Mrs. Bennet was delighted，hoping that she might soon have two daughters married．The man whom she had so disliked the day before was now a favourite with her．

女儿能出嫁，妈妈如此喜滋滋。为什么呢？

除了限定继承这一紧箍咒以外，还与当时的社会背景有关。

英国在18世纪末接连卷入美国独立战争和拿破仑战争，大量适婚男性被派驻海外参战，光是伤亡总数便多达三十五万以上，这造成了婚姻市场上男女供需关系的失衡，女性终身未婚的现象非常普遍，例如作者Jane Austen就是在错失了一段姻缘后终身未婚，和姐姐卡桑德拉依靠父兄的支持度过余生。根据剑桥大学某研究小组对英国十二个堂区的历史文献的分析结果，从1775年到1799年，英国终身未婚的男女加起来约占总人口的四分之一。所以本尼特太太的急切虽然有些夸张，却也并非不可理解。 此外，当时英国的两性不平等的现象十分严重，在1870年的《已婚妇女财产法》生效以前，女性从制度上被剥夺了独立的经济基础：她们婚后没有财产权，不仅嫁妆全归丈夫所有，婚后通过劳动、馈赠或者继承得到的财务亦是如此。（以上内容摘自李继宏所译《傲慢与偏见》）

New words and expressions:

be expert at 

flatter with

had a reputation for

lose their inheritance

making amends to

carry… out