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文/liangchaoxford 廣東涼茶煲牛津
一
1813 年的英國倫敦郊區的梅里頓舞會,就是現在年輕人婚禮的翻版:有人全場加微信,有人角落刷手機。
同一場舞會,賓利和達西的觀感迥然不同。
賓利視角是這樣的:
“這輩子沒見過更友善的人!簡·貝內特簡直是天使!”
達西視角是這樣的:
“一群路人,0 時尚值;簡?笑得像表情包。”
英國女作家奧斯汀確實是文學大家,寫作高手,僅用 100多個英文單詞就寫盡了“性格決定眼光”。
昨日流量收入0.81元,但我一如既往的閱讀英文原版的傲慢與偏見,這是我第74天閱讀傲慢與偏見英文原版。
上篇筆記講到賓利和達西性格上迥然不同,但是二人有著牢固的友誼,二人性格上的不同,給人的感覺也是很不一樣,賓利性格溫和友善,受到大家的歡迎,達西傲氣冷漠,很多人比較煩他。
那么,二人性格上的迥異有什么具體佐證呢,小說隨即就給出了對應的描述:
The manner in which they spoke of the Meryton assembly was sufficiently characteristic. Bingley had never met with pleasanter people or prettier girls in his life; everybody had been most kind and attentive to him, there had been no formality, no stiffness, he had soon felt acquainted with all the room; and as to Miss Bennet, he could not conceive an angel more beautiful. Darcy, on the contrary, had seen a collection of people in whom there was little beauty and no fashion, for none of whom he had felt the smallest interest, and from none received either attention or pleasure. Miss Bennet he acknowledged to be pretty, but she smiled too much.
這段描述不屬于很長,但是我的英文水平較低,只能是分開層次慢慢看才能看懂,還時不時瞅一眼生詞注釋。
二
第一部分:賓利和達西談論梅里頓舞會
The manner in which they spoke of the Meryton assembly was sufficiently characteristic.
他們二人談論梅里頓舞會的方式,就有著足夠充分的特征。
第二部分:賓利積極評論舞會
Bingley had never met with pleasanter people or prettier girls in his life; everybody had been most kind and attentive to him, there had been no formality, no stiffness, he had soon felt acquainted with all the room; and as to Miss Bennet, he could not conceive an angel more beautiful.
賓利從來沒有遇到過這么友善的人和這么漂亮的姑娘們;每個人都對他很友好且很關心,沒有拘謹感,沒有生硬感,很快和屋子里的人熟悉了;對于貝內特小姐,他想象不出更漂亮的天使了。
第三部分:達西消極評價舞會
Darcy, on the contrary, had seen a collection of people in whom there was little beauty and no fashion, for none of whom he had felt the smallest interest, and from none received either attention or pleasure. Miss Bennet he acknowledged to be pretty, but she smiled too much.
相反的,達西在一群人里面看不到有幾個漂亮時尚的,他對這些人沒興趣,也沒從這些人里得到關注和愉快。他承認貝內特小姐漂亮,但笑得太多。
整個的這段英文,描述的是賓利和達西對待梅里頓舞會這件事的不同視角。
賓利是積極陽光的,看到的是人美人善,收獲的是大家對他的熟悉和友善。
達西對待舞會是幾乎沒有看到漂亮的,自己又孤傲,因此也沒有誰關注理會他。
這是符合交往對等原則的,種瓜得瓜種豆得豆。
三
這段文字里有一些生詞,我給出簡潔注釋補充若干例句:
assembly
詞性:名詞
含義:集會;舞會
用法:社交場景。
sufficiently
詞性:副詞
含義:足夠地;充分地
用法:“sufficiently characteristic”,“極具代表性”
characteristic
詞性:形容詞
含義:典型的;特有的
用法:評價的屬性
pleasanter
詞性:形容詞(比較級)
含義:更令人愉快的
用法:“pleasanter people”,對舞會上人群的正面評價
prettier
詞性:形容詞(比較級)
含義:更漂亮的
用法:“prettier girls”,對女性的夸贊
attentive
詞性:形容詞
含義:殷勤的;關心的
用法:“attentive to him”,“對他很殷勤”
formality
詞性:名詞
含義:拘謹;形式主義
用法:文中“no formality”表示“毫無拘謹”,體現賓利對輕松社交的喜愛
stiffness
詞性:名詞
含義:刻板;僵硬
用法:同上
acquainted
詞性:形容詞
含義:熟悉的;認識的
用法:文中“felt acquainted with all the room”,“很快就和全場人熟絡”
conceive
詞性:動詞
含義:想象;設想
用法:文中“could not conceive an angel more beautiful”,“想象不出更美的天使”
contrary
詞性:名詞
含義:相反;反面
用法:文中“on the contrary”是固定短語,表示“相反地”
fashion
詞性:名詞
含義:時尚;時髦
用法:文中“no fashion”表示“毫無時髦感”
pleasure
詞性:名詞
含義:愉悅;快樂
用法:文中“received neither attention or pleasure”表示“既沒得到關注也沒獲得愉悅”
pretty
詞性:形容詞
含義:漂亮的;標致的
用法:文中達西對簡的評價“承認她漂亮”
四
逐句拆解與賞讀
“The manner in which they spoke of the Meryton assembly was sufficiently characteristic.”
The manner in which...:“……的方式”
sufficiently characteristic:“充分體現性格的”
“Bingley had never met with pleasanter people or prettier girls in his life; everybody had been most kind and attentive to him, there had been no formality, no stiffness, he had soon felt acquainted with all the room;”
never met with pleasanter... prettier:“從沒遇到過更友善/更漂亮的”
kind and attentive:“熱情周到”
“no formality, no stiffness”:“沒有拘謹刻板”
felt acquainted with all the room:“和全場人熟絡”
“and as to Miss Bennet, he could not conceive an angel more beautiful.”
as to:“至于”
could not conceive an angel more beautiful:“想象不出比她更美的天使”
“Darcy, on the contrary, had seen a collection of people in whom there was little beauty and no fashion, for none of whom he had felt the smallest interest, and from none received either attention or pleasure.”
a collection of people:“一群人”
little beauty and no fashion:“相貌平平、毫無格調”
“fashion”,格調
no... smallest interest“no... attention or pleasure”:三個“no”疊加,強化對舞會的負面感受
“Miss Bennet he acknowledged to be pretty, but she smiled too much.”
acknowledged:“承認”
but she smiled too much:“但笑太多了”
這段文字通過“總起—賓利的積極評價—達西的負面評價”的結構,以“談論同一舞會”為場景,用極致的對比手法深化了兩人的性格特質。
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