24【走出失恋】失恋是一场大病

选段解析 

原文选段1:

“Her fears and her difficulties were immediately before him. Her fears, he had no courage, no confidence to attempt the removal of;--he listened to them in silent despondence;--but her difficulties were instantly obviated, for with a readiness that seemed to speak the occasion, and the service pre-arranged in his mind，he offered himself as the messenger who should fetch Mrs. Dashwood. Elinor made no resistance that was not easily overcome. She thanked him with brief, though fervent gratitude, and while he went to hurry off his servant with a message to Mr. Harris, and an order for post-horses directly, she wrote a few lines to her mother.”

Elinor向上校说出了自己的担忧和困难。一开始，上校没有勇气，也没有信心帮Elinor解除担忧，因为Elinor实在担心妹妹真的会撒手人寰。这时候，上校只能默默倾听，不敢有什么行动，自己更是一点不敢触碰这个话题。

原文选段2:

He, meanwhile, whatever he might feel, acted with all the firmness of a collected mind, made every necessary arrangement with the utmost dispatch, and calculated with exactness the time in which she might look for his return. Not a moment was lost in delay of any kind. The horses arrived, even before they were expected, and Colonel Brandon only pressing her hand with a look of solemnity, and a few words spoken too low to reach her ear, hurried into the carriage.

他雷厉风行地安排好每一件事，精确计算了他回程的时间，让Elinor更安心。前前后后，一分一秒也不耽搁。驿马甚至提前到来了，上校神情严肃的握了握埃丽诺的手，嘀咕了几句Elinor也没听清的话，便急匆匆上了马车。这绝对是一位行动胜过语言的男人啊。所以你看到了，上校有训练有素的军人作风。这个时候，上校不管感受如何，行动起来还是踏踏实实，有条不紊。

背景文化知识 

18～19世纪，英国的健康医疗状况

在当时，多数医生缺乏治疗一般疾病的有效方法，尤其是传染病难以得到抑制。这也是为什么一听说Marianne患的可能是传染病，Mrs. Palmer就以最快的速度带孩子离开。小说中，为Marianne看病的医生，是到家里来就诊的，而且应该是一位得高望重的内科医生。为什么会下这样的判断呢？在18、19世纪，英国的医生群体一般分为三类，内科医生、外科医生和药剂师。内科医生具有较高的社会地位，负责诊断疾病和开具药方，主要为上层阶级和富人提供医疗服务。外科医生不同于现代拥有高收入和高地位的外科医生，当时他们不被认可为纯粹的医生，而是通过手工劳动为病人处理外伤。那个时代，许多医生都是在住所应诊，即开设家庭诊所。在一天中的特定时间内看病不需预约，中上阶层人士则会将医生请到家中。在这种情况下，医生或助手大多会长时间陪伴病人，以掌握病情进展或观察某些危险药物的疗效。但有名望的医生通常会被多个贵族家庭聘请，因此书中Mr. Harris医生不能一直照看Marianne，但通常会在需要的时候会立刻赶到。

下讲预告 

在姐姐的悉心照料下，Marianne的病情终于有所转机。但Elinor片刻不敢怠慢，时时观察着妹妹的状况，也盼着母亲能早些到来。尽管离上校约定的返程时间还有2个小时，按说上校预定的时间不会差几个分秒的，但Elinor还是激动地跑下楼去迎接母亲。那么到底是不是上校接Dashwood太太到来了呢？