傲慢与偏见

年入两千英镑的庄园，为什么不能直接留给五个女儿？｜精读 30

贝内特家的庄园年入两千英镑，却按限定继承归一位远亲；母亲的四千英镑财产也很难补足缺口。

年入两千英镑的庄园，为什么不能直接留给五个女儿？

贝内特家的庄园年入两千英镑，却按限定继承归一位远亲；母亲的四千英镑财产也很难补足缺口。

第七章先给出一张家庭资产表。它没有说五姐妹必然一无所有，却明确区分了“现在拥有的收入”和“将来能够承接的产业”。

English Text: An Entailed Estate and a New Regiment

Mr. Bennet’s property consisted almost entirely in an estate of two thousand a year, which, unfortunately for his daughters, was entailed, in default of heirs male, on a distant relation; and their mother’s fortune, though ample for her situation in life, could but ill supply the deficiency of his. Her father had been an attorney in Meryton, and had left her four thousand pounds.

She had a sister married to a Mr. Philips, who had been a clerk to their father and succeeded him in the business, and a brother settled in London in a respectable line of trade.

The village of Longbourn was only one mile from Meryton; a most convenient distance for the young ladies, who were usually tempted thither three or four times a week, to pay their duty to their aunt, and to a milliner’s shop just over the way. The two youngest of the family, Catherine and Lydia, were particularly frequent in these attentions: their minds were more vacant than their sisters’, and when nothing better offered, a walk to Meryton was necessary to amuse their morning hours and furnish conversation for the evening; and, however bare of news the country in general might be, they always contrived to learn some from their aunt. At present, indeed, they were well supplied both with news and happiness by the recent arrival of a militia regiment in the neighbourhood; it was to remain the whole winter, and Meryton was the head-quarters.

中文翻译：贝内特一家的处境

贝内特先生的财产几乎全部是一处年收入两千英镑的庄园；不幸的是，由于没有男性继承人，这处产业被限定继承（entail）给了一位远房亲戚——这对他的女儿们极为不利。她们母亲的陪嫁按她的出身来说算得上丰厚，却远不足以填补这份亏空。她的父亲曾在梅里屯做律师，留给她四千英镑。

她有个妹妹嫁给了菲利普斯先生；此人原是她们父亲的书记员，后来接手了那家事务所。她还有个兄弟在伦敦经营着一门体面的生意。

浪博恩村距梅里屯不过一英里，对这几位年轻小姐来说是再方便不过的距离。她们通常每周要往那儿跑上三四趟，一来给姨妈请安，二来顺路逛逛街对面的女帽店。家里最小的两个女儿凯瑟琳和莉迪亚去得尤其勤：她们的脑子比几个姐姐更空，一旦没有更好的消遣，去梅里屯走一趟就成了打发上午、又为晚上凑齐话题的必修课；而无论乡下平日多么闭塞、没什么新鲜事，她们总有办法从姨妈口中打听出点消息。眼下更不必说——附近新到了一支民兵团，给她们送来了充足的新闻和快乐；这支队伍要驻扎整整一个冬天，梅里屯就是它的总部。

一句话里的三项限制：收入、继承人与缺口

这一段没有对话，没有场景，只有一笔家产账。但奥斯汀把最要紧的信息放在句子最前面——先说财产，紧接着一个法律词 entailed（被限定继承），才轮到"unfortunately for his daughters"这句插入语。顺序本身就是判断：钱和法律排在前，女儿们的命运被"顺带"钉在了后面。

再看她怎么收尾。写到两个小女儿，叙述者直接下了一句冷冷的评语——"their minds were more vacant than their sisters'"（她们的脑子比姐姐们更空）；然后把一支民兵团的到来，说成给她们的"news and happiness"。这份"快乐"越写得郑重，反讽越明显：无事可做的人，只能靠向外张望来填满日子。

读这一段时，不妨带着一个问题：奥斯汀花这么多笔墨交代钱和亲戚，到底是在写"家底"，还是在写这几个女儿别无选择的处境？

重点词汇

entail /ɪnˈteɪl/ v.（此处被动） — （地产）限定继承：财产依法只能传给特定继承人，通常是男性
原文例句：...an estate of two thousand a year, which... was entailed, in default of heirs male, on a distant relation.
这里指限定继承。当前段落能够确认的是：家中没有男性继承人，庄园将归一位远亲。更完整的法律制度背景需要外部资料另行核验。

deficiency /dɪˈfɪʃənsi/ n. — 不足，亏空，缺口
原文例句：Her fortune could but ill supply the deficiency of his.
用在这里是把"钱不够"说得很正式：母亲的陪嫁再体面，也补不上庄园无法继承留下的窟窿。

vacant /ˈveɪkənt/ adj. — （头脑）空虚的，无所用心的
原文例句：Their minds were more vacant than their sisters’.
它不只是"有空"，而是"脑子里没什么东西"。这是叙述者对凯瑟琳和莉迪亚不动声色的定性。

contrive /kənˈtraɪv/ v. — 设法做到，想方设法
原文例句：They always contrived to learn some news from their aunt.
乡下再没新闻，她们也"总能设法"打听到——把两姐妹搜罗八卦的劲头写得又生动又好笑。

长难句解析

1. Mr. Bennet’s property consisted almost entirely in an estate of two thousand a year, which, unfortunately for his daughters, was entailed, in default of heirs male, on a distant relation.

说明：主句是"财产几乎全在一处庄园里"；which 引导非限制性定语从句，补充这处庄园的关键命运——被限定继承。从句里塞了两处插入语："unfortunately for his daughters"是叙述者的情感评点，"in default of heirs male"是法律条件（在没有男性继承人的情况下）。重磅词 entailed 被前后夹住，读起来像一句公文，落点却是女儿们的命运。

结构：主句 (property consisted in an estate) + 非限制性定语从句 (which [插入语] was entailed [插入语] on a relation)

2. The two youngest of the family, Catherine and Lydia, were particularly frequent in these attentions: their minds were more vacant than their sisters’, and when nothing better offered, a walk to Meryton was necessary to amuse their morning hours.

说明：冒号前陈述现象（两个小女儿跑得最勤），冒号后解释原因（脑子空、需要消遣），冒号在这里等于"因为"。"when nothing better offered"是时间状语从句，直译"当没有更好的事情出现时"，语气里已带着调侃。

结构：陈述 (The two youngest were frequent) : 并列解释 (minds were vacant + [状语从句] a walk was necessary)

今日测验

Q1. Why is Mr. Bennet's estate a problem for his daughters?

A. It is too small to support them.
B. It is heavily in debt.
C. It is entailed to a distant male relative because there are no sons.
D. Their mother spent all the money.

Q2. What currently makes Meryton particularly attractive to Catherine and Lydia?

A. A new milliner’s shop has opened.
B. Their aunt has moved into a new house.
C. Their brother has returned from London.
D. A militia regiment has arrived in the neighbourhood.