试听180秒22【恢复社交】身边的势利小人

选段解析 

原文选段1:

 “Had both the children been there, the affair might have been determined too easily by measuring them at once; but as Harry only was present, it was all conjectural assertion on both sides, and every body had a right to be equally positive in their opinion, and to repeat it over and over again as often as they liked. (P. 176)

作者煞有介事地论证了比身高这个话题的合理性和功效性。首先，如果两个孩子都在场，当面比比就知道谁更高了，根本不用探讨。因此其中一个孩子的缺席支撑了这个话题的合理性。同时，针对这个话题每个人都可以有自己的主见，加上反复强调自己是对的，这就保证了话题能够继续下去。

原文选段2:

The two mothers, though each really convinced that her own son was the tallest, politely decided in favour of the other. The two grandmothers, with not less partiality, but more sincerity, were equally earnest in support of their own descendant.(P. 176)

两个母亲心里都更偏向自己的儿子，但为了礼貌起见，都谦让地说对方高。两位祖母虽然和两个母亲一样偏心，但更坦率，都一个劲说自己的外孙高。

原文选段3:

Lucy, who was hardly less anxious to please one parent than the other, thought the boys were both remarkably tall for their age, and could not conceive that there could be the smallest difference in the world between them. Miss Steele, with yet greater address gave it, as fast as she could, in favour of each.(P. 176)

Lucy是最工于心计的一个姑娘，使用的语句也最迂回复杂。她一心想取悦两位母亲，就说两个孩子都高得出奇，她看不出有丝毫差别。她的用词都是比较中的最高级，非常夸张，极尽讨好之能事。Lucy的姐姐没有那么多心机，但更庸俗，作者给她的语句就简单得多。

原文选段4:

Elinor, having once delivered her opinion on William's side, by which she offended Mrs. Ferrars and Fanny still more, did not see the necessity of enforcing it by any farther assertion.(P. 176)

Elinor明确表态，是Lady Middleton的儿子高。

背景文化知识 

读懂大师的反讽

反讽，它是指在小说的某一局部, 作者表面上说了一种意思, 实际上却另有所指。作者的真正意图含而不露, 读者只有依靠小说的语境, 才能破译其中的奥妙。曾有评论家指出，“奥斯汀的小说貌似轻松，而实际上在偷偷发泄对周围环境的嫌恶, 作品是她自我表现的一种形式”。

比如在《傲慢与偏见》中, 一直被当作戏谑之言的“有钱的单身汉总要娶位太太”，的确成了“一条举世公认的真理”, 通过反讽的伪装, 作者最终把矛头指向了那个社会，她想表达，那个社会中，女人如果没有足够的嫁妆，就要想尽办法嫁个有钱男人，而却又要假定这些有钱男人都想娶老婆。

在奥斯汀所处的男权社会里，女性作家若想直截了当地批判和非议当时社会的种种不是，必然为主流社会所难以容忍。所以，很多女性作家形成了间接、隐讳的写作方式，反讽就是她们写作的一种独特策略。

奥斯丁的小说塑造了许多喜剧性的人物,她虽然下笔犀利，狠狠讽刺了他们虚伪粗鲁的行为，想借此揭露人性或社会存在的弊端，但总的来说她对这些人物的态度是宽容的，因此小说总是呈现轻松明快的基调。所以你看大师级的反讽不仅需要犀利的讽刺，还需要有对人物的宽容和悲悯。这正是经典作品能引起读者广泛共鸣，传世久经不衰的原因所在。

下讲预告 

哥哥嫂嫂少有地邀请Elinor姐妹来家中宴请，Steele姐妹也出席了宴会。席间，Mrs. Ferrars和嫂嫂为了排挤Elinor，故意对Lucy表现得很亲热。Lucy也使尽浑身解数，意图讨好未来的婆婆和嫂嫂。那么Lucy到底能不能成功嫁入Ferrars家族呢。