02【开篇】吝啬的兄嫂

阅读技巧 

长篇的对话其实可以当成小议论文来读，而读议论文，要从结构入手。议论文结构构大多都是三段论，包括引言、正文和结论三个部分。

1. 引言（Introduction）：引出说话人自己的观点，它可以是问出一个问题也可以是表明一个态度，这都是文章主旨（thesis statement），整段对话都会围绕这个主旨来阐述。

2. 中间正文部分是摆论据（supporting grounds），看几个论据之间的关系。一般议论文的论据具有“典型、平行和均匀分布”三种。本讲选段对话中的嫂嫂，就选择了三个逻辑平行的论据，在思维上层层递进地说服了自己的丈夫。

3. 结论：通过前面的论证得出最终的结论

选段解析 

1.老父亲的临终叮嘱

“Mr. Dashwood recommended, with all the strength and urgency which illness could command, the interest of his mother-in-law and sisters.”

中文注解：主人公的父亲竭尽自己最后一丝力气，也要嘱托儿子，一定要照顾继母和三个姐妹。

2.嫂嫂的三步劝诫词

第一步：开宗明义，亮明观点

“Mrs. John Dashwood did not all approve of what her husband intended to do for his sisters.”

选段注解：嫂嫂反对哥哥接济主人公姐妹，这是选段的主旨意思主旨意思（thesis statement）。

第二步：摆论据，制造危机感

论据1：“To take three thousand pounds from the fortune of their dear little boy, would be impoverishing him to the most dreadful degree.”

 “How could he answer it to himself to rob his child, and his only child too, of so large a sum?”

选段注解：丈夫拿自己的钱周济别人，会让自己的儿子陷入赤贫。

论据2：“It was very well known that no affection was ever supposed to exist between the children of any man by different marriages; and why was he to ruin himself, and their poor little Harry, by giving away all his money to his half sisters?” （7）

 “He did not know what he was talking off, I dare say; ten to one but he was light-headed at the time. Had he been in his right senses, he could not have thought of such a thing as begging you to give away half your fortune from your own child.”（7）

“Well, then, let something be done for them; but that something need not be three thousand pounds. Consider,’ she added, ‘that when the money is once parted with, it never can return. Your sisters will marry, and it will be gone for ever. If, indeed, it could ever be restored to our poor little boy--”（8）

选段注解：这些小姑是丈夫异母所生，根本不算亲属。在消除了丈夫的负罪感。同时，把丈夫的危机感进一步加深加深，声明儿子未来的生活会受到影响。这是选段的论据部分（supporting grounds）。

第三步：讲事实，解除丈夫责任

论据3: “my dear Mr. Dashwood, how excessively comfortable your mother-in-law and her daughters may live on the interest of seven thousand pounds, besides the thousand pounds belonging to each of the girls, which brings them in fifty pounds a-year a-piece,” （10）

选段注解：丈夫的继母手上有7000磅的遗产，妹妹们手头还一人有1000磅，而每1000磅就能缠手一年 50磅的利息收入，所以事实就是，这些女人们的钱就已经很多了。由此声明这些女人们并不像丈夫想得那样无助。

“They will live so cheap! Their housekeeping will be nothing at all. They will have no carriage, no horses, and hardly any servants; they will keep no company, and can have no expenses of any kind! Only conceive how comfortable they will be! Five hundred a-year! I am sure I cannot imagine how they will spend half of it; and as to your giving them more, it is quite absurd to think of it. They will be much more able to give you something.”（10）

选段注解：婆婆与小姑们生活在一起，可以不用仆人和马车，开销小得惊人。完全没有需要资助的必要，甚至她们都能有富裕的钱给自己的丈夫。选段的最后一个平行论据（supporting grounds）。

文化知识补充 

18～19世纪英国社会社会阶层区分

奥斯汀生活的年代，英国社会的上层阶级可以分为三类: 贵族、有田产的士绅和无须工作的乡绅及绅士。贵族是最大地主，地产超过1万英亩，年收入超过10,000 英镑，这是英国权力最大的少数群体，大约300到400户。士绅的地产少些，大概为1,000 到10,000 英亩，年收入约为1,000到10,000英镑，大约有3,000 户。这两类上层阶级，拥有英格兰三分之二以上的土地。乡绅或绅士的土地和收入少些，年收入约为700英镑到1,000英镑。

下讲预告 

主人公的兄嫂作为Norland Park的新主人，大大方方地搬进了主人公姐妹俩从小长大的家。下一讲，我们就要正式和主人公姐妹见面了。

奥斯汀对人物刻画非常细腻，用词也是特别生动多变。如何通过绕开变化多端的生词，读懂人物，下一讲教你一招，用优雅变化Elegance variation，来提升猜词能力。