傲慢与偏见

父亲当面说她们“最蠢”，为什么只有凯瑟琳沉默了？｜精读 31

军官团进驻梅里屯，凯瑟琳和莉迪亚整天只谈军官；父亲一句重话，凯瑟琳当场局促噤声，莉迪亚却毫不在意。

父亲当面说她们“最蠢”，为什么只有凯瑟琳沉默了？

军官团进驻梅里屯，凯瑟琳和莉迪亚整天只谈军官；父亲一句重话，凯瑟琳当场局促噤声，莉迪亚却毫不在意。

第七章把同一句批评交给两个女儿：凯瑟琳发窘并沉默，莉迪亚毫不在意，继续谈军官。差别藏在“停下”与“继续”两个动作里。

English Text: Two of the Silliest Girls in the Country

Their visits to Mrs. Philips were now productive of the most interesting intelligence. Every day added something to their knowledge of the officers’ names and connections. Their lodgings were not long a secret, and at length they began to know the officers themselves. Mr. Philips visited them all, and this opened to his nieces a source of felicity unknown before. They could talk of nothing but officers; and Mr. Bingley’s large fortune, the mention of which gave animation to their mother, was worthless in their eyes when opposed to the regimentals of an ensign.

After listening one morning to their effusions on this subject, Mr. Bennet coolly observed,--

“From all that I can collect by your manner of talking, you must be two of the silliest girls in the country. I have suspected it some time, but I am now convinced.”

Catherine was disconcerted, and made no answer; but Lydia, with perfect indifference, continued to express her admiration of Captain Carter, and her hope of seeing him in the course of the day, as he was going the next morning to London.

中文翻译：对军官的痴迷，与父亲的冷眼

她们到菲利普斯太太家的拜访，如今总能打听到最有意思的“情报”。每一天，她们对军官们的姓名和门第都多知道一点。军官们的住处很快就不再是秘密，最后她们甚至开始结识军官本人。菲利普斯先生把他们挨个拜访了一遍，这为几个外甥女开启了前所未有的快乐源泉。她们嘴里除了军官别无话题；宾利先生的巨额财产虽然一提起就让她们的母亲眉飞色舞，可在她们眼里，跟一件少尉的军装比起来，简直一文不值。

一天早上，贝内特先生听完她们在这个话题上的滔滔不绝，冷冷地说道——

“照你们说话的样子，我敢断定，你们准是全英国最蠢的两个丫头。这一点我早就疑心，如今算是彻底信了。”

凯瑟琳局促不安，一句话也答不上来；莉迪亚却毫不在意，照旧絮絮地表白她对卡特上尉的倾慕，还盼着当天能见他一面——因为他第二天一早就要动身去伦敦了。

made no answer 与 continued：人物在两个动词处分开

这一段最见功力的地方，是奥斯汀没有单独去写“凯瑟琳怎样、莉迪亚怎样”，而是先递上一句同样的批评，再让两姐妹自己反应给你看。

留意她把两人的反应压进同一个句子，用一个 but 顶住：凯瑟琳 was disconcerted, and made no answer（局促、噤声），莉迪亚 with perfect indifference, continued（毫不在意、照旧往下说）。同样的刺，一个被扎到，一个像没听见。人物的分量差，就在这一顿一续之间。

还可以顺手看贝内特先生：他的评语很准，也很毒，但只到 coolly observed（冷冷点评）为止，说完便算。奥斯汀让他做旁观的冷眼，不做管教的家长，这份“只讽刺、不作为”，后面会一路埋单。读这一段，别只记住“女儿们很傻”，多问一句：这句话让我们分别看清了谁？

重点词汇

intelligence /ɪnˈtelɪdʒəns/ noun — 消息，情报（此处指打听来的军官八卦）
原文例句：Their visits to Mrs. Philips were now productive of the most interesting intelligence.

felicity /fəˈlɪsəti/ noun — 极大的幸福，快乐
原文例句：This opened to his nieces a source of felicity unknown before.

effusion /ɪˈfjuːʒn/ noun —（感情的）倾泻，滔滔不绝的话语
原文例句：After listening one morning to their effusions on this subject, Mr. Bennet coolly observed…

disconcerted /ˌdɪskənˈsɜːtɪd/ adjective — 不安的，尴尬的，手足无措的
原文例句：Catherine was disconcerted, and made no answer.

长难句解析

1. Mr. Bingley’s large fortune, the mention of which gave animation to their mother, was worthless in their eyes when opposed to the regimentals of an ensign.

说明：主干很短——“宾利先生的财产……一文不值”。中间用一个非限制性定语从句 the mention of which gave animation to their mother 插进来，补一句“一提起就让母亲眉飞色舞”，顺手把母女两代人的价值观对立起来：母亲盯着财产，女儿盯着军装。结尾 when opposed to… 是省略了主语的状语，相当于 when it is opposed to（当把它拿来和……相比时）。

结构：主语(Mr. Bingley’s large fortune) + 插入定语从句(the mention of which gave animation to their mother) + 系动词(was) + 表语(worthless) + 状语(when opposed to the regimentals of an ensign)

2. Catherine was disconcerted, and made no answer; but Lydia, with perfect indifference, continued to express her admiration of Captain Carter.

说明：一个分号加一个 but，把两姐妹的反应并排放。前半是“被扎到”——disconcerted 加 made no answer；后半用插入语 with perfect indifference（毫不在意）先给莉迪亚定性，再让她 continued（照旧往下说）。同一句批评，两种回应，奥斯汀不评点，光靠句子结构就把对比递到你眼前。

结构：分句A(Catherine was disconcerted, and made no answer) + 分号 + but + 分句B(Lydia, [with perfect indifference], continued to express her admiration…)

今日测验

Q1. How did Mr. Bennet react to his daughters' obsession with the officers?

A. He forbade them from seeing the officers again.
B. He shared their excitement about the military.
C. He criticized them for being extremely silly.
D. He encouraged them to marry for money.

Q2. What does the text reveal about Lydia's character compared to Catherine's?

A. Lydia is more sensitive to criticism.
B. Lydia is indifferent to her father's disapproval.
C. Lydia is more interested in Mr. Bingley's fortune.
D. Lydia is shy and reserved.