文/liangchaoxford 广东凉茶煲牛津
一
1813 年的英国伦敦郊区的梅里顿舞会，就是现在年轻人婚礼的翻版：有人全场加微信，有人角落刷手机。
同一场舞会，宾利和达西的观感迥然不同。
宾利视角是这样的：
“这辈子没见过更友善的人！简·贝内特简直是天使！”
达西视角是这样的：
“一群路人，0 时尚值；简？笑得像表情包。”
英国女作家奥斯汀确实是文学大家，写作高手，仅用 100多个英文单词就写尽了“性格决定眼光”。
昨日流量收入0.81元，但我一如既往的阅读英文原版的傲慢与偏见，这是我第74天阅读傲慢与偏见英文原版。
上篇笔记讲到宾利和达西性格上迥然不同，但是二人有着牢固的友谊，二人性格上的不同，给人的感觉也是很不一样，宾利性格温和友善，受到大家的欢迎，达西傲气冷漠，很多人比较烦他。
那么，二人性格上的迥异有什么具体佐证呢，小说随即就给出了对应的描述：
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.
这段描述不属于很长，但是我的英文水平较低，只能是分开层次慢慢看才能看懂，还时不时瞅一眼生词注释。
二
第一部分：宾利和达西谈论梅里顿舞会
The manner in which they spoke of the Meryton assembly was sufficiently characteristic.
他们二人谈论梅里顿舞会的方式，就有着足够充分的特征。
第二部分：宾利积极评论舞会
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.
宾利从来没有遇到过这么友善的人和这么漂亮的姑娘们；每个人都对他很友好且很关心，没有拘谨感，没有生硬感，很快和屋子里的人熟悉了；对于贝内特小姐，他想象不出更漂亮的天使了。
第三部分：达西消极评价舞会
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，达西在一群人里面看不到有几个漂亮时尚的，他对这些人没兴趣，也没从这些人里得到关注和愉快。他承认贝内特小姐漂亮，但笑得太多。
整个的这段英文，描述的是宾利和达西对待梅里顿舞会这件事的不同视角。
宾利是积极阳光的，看到的是人美人善，收获的是大家对他的熟悉和友善。
达西对待舞会是几乎没有看到漂亮的，自己又孤傲，因此也没有谁关注理会他。
这是符合交往对等原则的，种瓜得瓜种豆得豆。
三
这段文字里有一些生词，我给出简洁注释补充若干例句：
assembly
词性：名词
含义：集会；舞会
用法：社交场景。
sufficiently
词性：副词
含义：足够地；充分地
用法：“sufficiently characteristic”，“极具代表性”
characteristic
词性：形容词
含义：典型的；特有的
用法：评价的属性
pleasanter
词性：形容词（比较级）
含义：更令人愉快的
用法：“pleasanter people”，对舞会上人群的正面评价
prettier
词性：形容词（比较级）
含义：更漂亮的
用法：“prettier girls”，对女性的夸赞
attentive
词性：形容词
含义：殷勤的；关心的
用法：“attentive to him”，“对他很殷勤”
formality
词性：名词
含义：拘谨；形式主义
用法：文中“no formality”表示“毫无拘谨”，体现宾利对轻松社交的喜爱
stiffness
词性：名词
含义：刻板；僵硬
用法：同上
acquainted
词性：形容词
含义：熟悉的；认识的
用法：文中“felt acquainted with all the room”，“很快就和全场人熟络”
conceive
词性：动词
含义：想象；设想
用法：文中“could not conceive an angel more beautiful”，“想象不出更美的天使”
contrary
词性：名词
含义：相反；反面
用法：文中“on the contrary”是固定短语，表示“相反地”
fashion
词性：名词
含义：时尚；时髦
用法：文中“no fashion”表示“毫无时髦感”
pleasure
词性：名词
含义：愉悦；快乐
用法：文中“received neither attention or pleasure”表示“既没得到关注也没获得愉悦”
pretty
词性：形容词
含义：漂亮的；标致的
用法：文中达西对简的评价“承认她漂亮”
四
逐句拆解与赏读
“The manner in which they spoke of the Meryton assembly was sufficiently characteristic.”
The manner in which...：“……的方式”
sufficiently characteristic：“充分体现性格的”
“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：“从没遇到过更友善/更漂亮的”
kind and attentive：“热情周到”
“no formality, no stiffness”：“没有拘谨刻板”
felt acquainted with all the room：“和全场人熟络”
“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、毫无格调”
“fashion”，格调
no... smallest interest“no... attention or pleasure”：三个“no”叠加，强化对舞会的负面感受
“Miss Bennet he acknowledged to be pretty, but she smiled too much.”
acknowledged：“承认”
but she smiled too much：“但笑太多了”
这段文字通过“总起—宾利的积极评价—达西的负面评价”的结构，以“谈论同一舞会”为场景，用极致的对比手法深化了两人的性格特质。
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