傲慢与偏见

精读《傲慢与偏见》35：一封报病短信，照出贝内特夫妇两副心肠

简淋雨后在内瑟菲尔德病倒，写来一张轻描淡写的报病短信。贝内特先生用黑色反讽戳穿太太的下雨算计，太太却对"死"字毫不动容，只在意简能留在宾利家。

这一段继续读《傲慢与偏见》第七章。同一封轻描淡写的报病短信，成了照妖镜——贝内特先生用"就算她病死，至少也是死于追求宾利、死于你的命令"这样的黑色反讽戳穿太太的算计；太太却对"死"字毫不动容，满心只有简能留在宾利家。

English Text: A Note from Netherfield

“This was a lucky idea of mine, indeed!” said Mrs. Bennet, more than once, as if the credit of making it rain were all her own. Till the next morning, however, she was not aware of all the felicity of her contrivance. Breakfast was scarcely over when a servant from Netherfield brought the following note for Elizabeth:--

“My dearest Lizzie, “I find myself very unwell this morning, which, I suppose, is to be imputed to my getting wet through yesterday. My kind friends will not hear of my returning home till I am better. They insist also on my seeing Mr. Jones--therefore do not be alarmed if you should hear of his having been to me--and, excepting a sore throat and a headache, there is not much the matter with me. “Yours, etc.”

“Well, my dear,” said Mr. Bennet, when Elizabeth had read the note aloud, “if your daughter should have a dangerous fit of illness--if she should die--it would be a comfort to know that it was all in pursuit of Mr. Bingley, and under your orders.”

“Oh, I am not at all afraid of her dying. People do not die of little trifling colds. She will be taken good care of. As long as she stays there, it is all very well. I would go and see her if I could have the carriage.”

中文翻译：一封从内瑟菲尔德送来的短信

"这真是我的一个幸运主意，一点不错！"贝内特太太不止一次地说，那口气仿佛这场雨真是她一手促成、功劳全归她所有。然而，直到第二天早上，她才尝到自己这条妙计带来的全部得意。早饭刚过，内瑟菲尔德就打发了一个仆人，给伊丽莎白送来下面这张便条：

亲爱的丽萃：我今早觉得很不舒服，我想，这多半要归咎于昨天淋了个透。好心的朋友们说什么也不肯让我病着回家，非要等我好起来不可；他们还坚持要我看琼斯先生——所以，你要是听说他来给我看过病，可别惊慌——除了嗓子疼、头疼，我并没有什么大碍。你的，等等。

"好啊，亲爱的，"伊丽莎白把便条大声念完后，贝内特先生说，"要是你女儿真得了一场重病——万一她就此送了命——想到这一切都是为了追求宾利先生、而且是奉了你的命令，倒也算是一种安慰。"

"噢，我一点都不担心她会死。人哪会为一点微不足道的小感冒就送命。她在那边会有人好好照料的。只要她待在那儿，就万事大吉。我要是能用上马车，一定亲自去看看她。"

阅读提示：一封小小的报病短信，怎样量出两副心肠

先看这封信本身。简写得极其克制：她把病因轻轻归到淋雨上（is to be imputed to my getting wet），反过来还先安慰丽萃"别惊慌"，最后一句是"除了嗓子疼、头疼，并没有什么大碍"。也就是说，戏并不在信里——真正的戏，在这封信被念出来之后，父母两人截然不同的反应里。

贝内特先生这句话是全段的锋刃。他不直接骂太太，而是顺着她的算计往下推，一层层加码："要是得了重病——万一她死了——那也是一种安慰。"为什么是安慰？因为"死于追求宾利、死于你的命令"。他把太太"下雨困住简、好让她留在宾利家"的盘算，直接推到"就算赔上女儿一条命"的荒唐尽头。这不是冷血，更像是一记无可奈何的黑色反讽：用最平静的语气，说最刺人的话。

再看贝内特太太的回答，妙就妙在她根本没接"死"这个字的分量。她只轻飘飘一句"人哪会为一点小感冒就送命"，随即滑向她真正在意的事——"只要她待在那儿，就万事大吉"。丈夫在说生死，她听见的却只有"简能留在宾利先生身边"。奥斯汀不用一句评语，就靠这一问一答，把这位母亲的价值排序摆得清清楚楚。

重点词汇

impute /ɪmˈpjuːt/ v. — 把（过错、原因）归咎于，归因于（常用 impute A to B）
原文例句：I find myself very unwell this morning, which, I suppose, is to be imputed to my getting wet through yesterday.
这是读懂简那封信的钥匙词。它不是"输入"，而是"把某事归因、归咎于某原因"。简用被动的 is to be imputed to，把自己的病轻轻推给"昨天淋透了"，语气克制得几乎像在替别人开脱。

contrivance /kənˈtraɪvəns/ n. — 计谋，精心策划的安排；发明
原文例句：She was not aware of all the felicity of her contrivance.
这个词点破了贝内特太太的"雨中妙计"本质上是一场刻意的算计。用 contrivance 而不是中性的 plan，叙述者已经暗暗带上了评价。

felicity /fəˈlɪsəti/ n. — 巨大的幸福、称心如意；（此处）得意
原文例句：She was not aware of all the felicity of her contrivance.
把 felicity（幸福、得意）和 contrivance（计谋）放在一起，是奥斯汀的反讽笔法：一场害女儿生病的算计，竟被当成天大的美事来"得意"，读起来越郑重越好笑。

trifling /ˈtraɪflɪŋ/ adj. — 微不足道的，琐碎的
原文例句：People do not die of little trifling colds.
贝内特太太一句 little trifling colds（一点微不足道的小感冒），就把丈夫刚说的"病死"轻轻抹掉了。这个词标出了她的态度：简的病根本不值一提，值得在意的只有简待在哪里。

长难句解析

1. I find myself very unwell this morning, which, I suppose, is to be imputed to my getting wet through yesterday.

说明：which 引导一个非限制性定语从句，指代前面"我今早很不舒服"这整件事，而不是某个名词。从句主干是 which is to be imputed to...（这……应归咎于……），is to be + 过去分词是被动结构，读作"应当被归因于"；插入语 I suppose（我想）让语气变得试探、不肯把话说死。介词 to 后面接的是动名词短语 my getting wet through，意思是"我淋了个透"。

结构：主句 (I find myself very unwell) + 非限制性定语从句 (which, [I suppose], is to be imputed to + 动名词短语)

2. It would be a comfort to know that it was all in pursuit of Mr. Bingley, and under your orders.

说明：句首的 It 是形式主语，真正的主语是后面的不定式 to know that...（得知……这件事）。that 引导宾语从句，作 know 的内容。贝内特先生正是借这个冷静、正式的句式说反话："万一女儿病死，只要想到这全是为追求宾利、又是奉你之命，倒也算是一种安慰"——句式越像在陈述事实，反讽就越锋利。

结构：形式主语 (It) + would be + 表语 (a comfort) + 真正主语 (to know that... and under your orders)

今日测验

Q1. Why is Mrs. Bennet not worried about Jane's illness?

A. She believes Mr. Jones is a terrible doctor.
B. She thinks the illness is fake.
C. She is happy that the illness keeps Jane at Netherfield near Mr. Bingley.
D. She does not care about Jane at all.