傲慢与偏见

精读《傲慢与偏见》47：母亲不希望女儿马上康复

简的病有了好转，伊丽莎白请母亲来看看。可贝内特太太一见女儿没有性命之忧，反倒不盼她立刻康复——因为一旦好起来，简就得离开内瑟菲尔德，离开宾利。

这一段开始读《傲慢与偏见》第九章。表面是母亲赶来探病，奥斯汀却用一句冷冷的旁白点破她的算盘：一见简没有性命之忧，她反倒不希望女儿立刻康复，因为康复就意味着简得离开内瑟菲尔德、离开宾利。

English Text: A Visit, and a Mother's Quiet Calculation

Elizabeth passed the chief of the night in her sister’s room, and in the morning had the pleasure of being able to send a tolerable answer to the inquiries which she very early received from Mr. Bingley by a housemaid, and some time afterwards from the two elegant ladies who waited on his sisters. In spite of this amendment, however, she requested to have a note sent to Longbourn, desiring her mother to visit Jane, and form her own judgment of her situation. The note was immediately despatched, and its contents as quickly complied with. Mrs. Bennet, accompanied by her two youngest girls, reached Netherfield soon after the family breakfast.

Had she found Jane in any apparent danger, Mrs. Bennet would have been very miserable; but being satisfied on seeing her that her illness was not alarming, she had no wish of her recovering immediately, as her restoration to health would probably remove her from Netherfield. She would not listen, therefore, to her daughter’s proposal of being carried home; neither did the apothecary, who arrived about the same time, think it at all advisable. After sitting a little while with Jane, on Miss Bingley’s appearance and invitation, the mother and three daughters all attended her into the breakfast parlour. Bingley met them with hopes that Mrs. Bennet had not found Miss Bennet worse than she expected.

中文翻译：母亲探病背后的一笔算盘

伊丽莎白在姐姐房里守了大半夜。到了早上，她欣慰地发现总算可以给一连串问候一个还算过得去的答复了——一大早，宾利先生就打发女佣来打听，过了一会儿，又有两名伺候他姐妹的、衣着讲究的侍女来问询。尽管病情有了这点好转，她还是请人往浪博恩送了封信，请母亲来看看简，亲自判断她的状况。信立刻送了出去，那边也同样爽快地照办了。贝内特太太带着两个最小的女儿，在这家人刚用完早饭不久便赶到了内瑟菲尔德。

倘若发现简有什么明显的危险，贝内特太太一定会痛苦万分；可一见女儿病得并不吓人，她反倒不希望简立刻康复了——因为一旦恢复健康，简多半就得离开内瑟菲尔德。因此，对于女儿提出想被送回家的打算，她根本不肯听；恰好这时赶来的药剂师，也认为眼下完全不宜搬动。陪简坐了一会儿之后，宾利小姐进来相邀，母女四人便随她一同去了早餐室。宾利先生迎上来，说但愿贝内特太太没有觉得简的情况比预想的更糟。

阅读提示：一句旁白，把"关切"翻了个底朝天

这一段表面是母亲赶来探病，读起来却处处不对味。奥斯汀先用一个虚拟句起头——"Had she found Jane in any apparent danger, Mrs. Bennet would have been very miserable"（假如简真有危险，她一定痛苦万分）。这话本该是母爱的证明，可紧接着一个 but 就把它翻了过去：既然没危险，她"had no wish of her recovering immediately"（并不希望简马上好起来）。奥斯汀不动声色地补上一句理由——康复就意味着简得离开内瑟菲尔德。母亲的算盘，就藏在这句冷冷的旁白里。

再看她怎样落实这份算盘。女儿想回家，她"would not listen"（根本不肯听）；偏巧药剂师也说不宜搬动，两股力量一拍即合，把简继续留在了宾利家。叙述者一个字没提"婚姻"，可谁都读得出：这位母亲惦记的，不是女儿好得快不快，而是这门亲事近不近。

读这一段时，不妨带着一个问题：奥斯汀为什么不直接骂贝内特太太自私，反而用"探病""关切"这些体面动作来写她？把体面话和真实动机之间的缝隙找出来，就读到了奥斯汀式反讽的核心。

重点词汇

tolerable /ˈtɒlərəbl/ adj. — 还算过得去的；勉强令人满意的
原文例句：...had the pleasure of being able to send a tolerable answer to the inquiries...
伊丽莎白报出的不是"简好多了"，而只是一个 tolerable answer——一个"还说得过去"的答复。这个词分寸拿捏得很准：病情只是略缓，远谈不上康复，也悄悄为后文埋了伏笔——正因为简没好利索，母亲才有把她继续留下的借口。

inquiry /ɪnˈkwaɪəri/ n. — 询问；问候的打听
原文例句：...the inquiries which she very early received from Mr. Bingley by a housemaid...
一大早，问候就一波接一波：先是宾利先生派来的女佣，再是伺候他姐妹的侍女。这些 inquiries 写出了宾利家表面的殷勤周到，也反衬出稍后贝内特太太那份并不单纯的"关切"。

despatch /dɪˈspætʃ/ v. — （迅速）送出；派遣
原文例句：The note was immediately despatched, and its contents as quickly complied with.
信"立刻送出"、那边"同样爽快照办"，一来一回快得出奇。这个词和后面的 as quickly 呼应，把贝内特太太闻讯即到的急切写得活灵活现——她赶得这样快，究竟是为病，还是为宾利？

apothecary /əˈpɒθəkəri/ n. — 药剂师（旧时兼看诊、配药，口语里可理解为"琼斯医生"）
原文例句：...neither did the apothecary, who arrived about the same time, think it at all advisable.
药剂师"也认为不宜搬动"，这句专业判断来得正是时候：它给了贝内特太太一个体面的台阶，让"把简留下"显得顺理成章。一个中立的第三方，无意间成了母亲算盘的帮手。

长难句解析

1. Had she found Jane in any apparent danger, Mrs. Bennet would have been very miserable; but being satisfied on seeing her that her illness was not alarming, she had no wish of her recovering immediately.

说明：句子开头 "Had she found..." 是省略 if 的虚拟语气倒装，等于 "If she had found Jane in any apparent danger"，表示与过去事实相反的假设。分号后用 but 转折，"being satisfied..." 是现在分词短语作状语（既然放了心）。真正的重锤落在最后：她"had no wish of her recovering immediately"（并不盼她立刻好起来）。前半句的假设越体贴，后半句的转折就越刺人。

结构：Had + 主语 + 过去分词 (虚拟倒装从句), 主语 + would have + 过去分词 (主句); but + 分词状语, 主语 + 谓语

2. She had no wish of her recovering immediately, as her restoration to health would probably remove her from Netherfield.

说明：as 在这里引导原因状语从句（因为……）。"her recovering" 是动名词复合结构，her 是动名词的逻辑主语。主句 "her restoration to health"（她恢复健康）用一个抽象名词短语作主语，读起来冷静克制，正好配合叙述者那种置身事外、点到为止的反讽语气——一句轻描淡写的因果，就把母亲的动机交代得清清楚楚。

结构：主句 (had no wish of + 动名词复合结构) + as (因为) + 原因状语从句 (restoration would remove her from...)

今日测验

Q1. Why did Mrs. Bennet not want Jane to recover immediately?

A. She wanted to punish Jane for getting sick.
B. She wanted Jane to stay at Netherfield longer.
C. She did not trust the apothecary's advice.
D. She wanted to take Jane home herself.