傲慢與偏見

Jane Austen, "Pride and Prejudice"(1796)
珍奧思汀，《傲慢與偏見》，陳玥菁譯，希代出版，1996

●情節

Mrs. Bennet是一個庸俗而勢利的婦人，畢生以嫁掉她五個女兒為志(1)，適逢Mr. Binley一行於Netherfield租屋，又是有錢之人，故甚寄予厚望。(2)在舞會上，Mr. Bingley與Jane即刻墜入愛河；另一方面，被大家包括Lizzy評為傲慢冷漠的Mr.Darcy卻喜歡上Lizzy(6)。Lizzy照顧感冒的Jane的其間，常與Mr.Darcy針鋒相對。Mr.Darcy則拒絕了Ms. Binley的苦心追求。(7-12)

此時，親戚Mr.Collins因調職與繼承家業之故來訪，其虛偽而重利之性格，三日內分向Jane, Lizzy, Charlotte求婚，最後與Charlotte結了婚(13-26)。Lizzy則愛上表面溫雅、實則狼籍的Wickham，並深信他是受到Darcy所迫害的可憐人。但他稍後便為取得繼承權而愛上另一個女子。Jane的戀情也受到了阻撓，Mr.Binley被迫搬回倫敦。

之後，Lizzy動身前往Hunsford拜會Collins夫婦，並一起到Rosings拜訪Catherine夫人，再度遇到Darcy(27-32)。Lizzy由William口中得知，Jane的婚事原是Darcy從中作梗，於是，對他的憎恨憤怒達到極點(33)。他的求婚與表白遂慘遭拒絕(34)。但隨後Darcy那封為了澄清誤會的長信(35)卻讓Lizzy極為錯愕，先前的恨意轉為羞愧與自責。原來，Mr.Binley之隔離乃因Jane未有明確表態、Bennet家人表現愚昧，有辱名譽；Wickham自少年即為無恥、誘騙之徒。(36-41)

當Lizzy在旅程中再度碰到Darcy，發覺其誠懇殷勤態度與先前判若兩人(44)，這使Lizzy動了心。在接下來么妹Lydia與Wickham的私奔事件裡(46-51)，Darcy更竭盡心力、低聲下氣與他斡旋、義務支付費用(52)，此時，Lizzy的心防已經徹底瓦解。當Mr.Binley與Darcy再度回到Longbourn，他們與Jane, Lizzy的戀情都告確定，全書在團圓的喜劇中結束。

●分析

1.Darcy的Pride乃基於對膚淺的不屑，否定他人存在，連禮貌性的尊重都沒有，這當然是種缺陷。但「愛情」的受挫，使他悔悟，懂得為人著想(44)。Lizzy的Prejudice則基於人的虛榮，將個人價值建立在他人的認定(50，是種自尊受挫的報復，因此Prejudice也是種Pride。但「事實」的澄清，才知自己是無情踐踏他人善意的兇手。

2.愛使人心靈成長：Darcy學到：想要得到別人的愛，就得先愛別人；Lizzy則學到：踐踏別人的愛，是最大的罪惡，因為自己也同別人需要被愛。

3.Austen的愛情觀：金錢婚姻(Mr.Collins vs Charlotte)、肉體婚姻(Wickham vs Lydia)都是短暫的；心靈婚姻(Jane vs Mr.Binley)(Lizzy vs Mr. Darcy)則為永恆。

●●佳句

●Pride:

⊙"That is very true," replied Elizabeth, "and I could easily
forgive _his_ pride, if he had not mortified _mine_."

"Pride," observed Mary, who piqued herself upon the solidity
of her reflections, "is a very common failing, I believe. By
all that I have ever read, I am convinced that it is very common
indeed; that human nature is particularly prone to it, and
that there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of
self-complacency on the score of some quality or other, real
or imaginary. Vanity虛榮 and pride are different things, though
the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud
without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of
ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us."(5)
（驕傲是一種自信，與虛榮不同）

⊙"Yes, vanity is a weakness indeed. But pride--where there is a
real superiority of mind, pride will be always under good
regulation."(11)

⊙"I cannot be so easily reconciled to myself. The recollection
of what I then said, of my conduct, my manners, my expressions
during the whole of it, is now, and has been many months,
inexpressibly painful to me. Your reproof, so well applied, I
shall never forget: 'had you behaved in a more gentlemanlike
manner.' Those were your words. You know not, you can
scarcely conceive, how they have tortured me;--though it was
some time, I confess, before I was reasonable enough to allow
their justice."(58)（治療驕傲在於：挫折與禮貌）

⊙"Nothing is more deceitful," said Darcy, "than the appearance of
humility. It is often only carelessness of opinion, and sometimes
an indirect boast."

"And which of the two do you call _my_ little recent piece of
modesty?"

"The indirect boast; for you are really proud of your defects in
writing, because you consider them as proceeding from a
rapidity of thought and carelessness of execution, which, if not
estimable, you think at least highly interesting.(10)（自貶也是一種自誇）

●Prejudice:

⊙"How despicably I have acted!" she cried; "I, who have prided
myself on my discernment! I, who have valued myself on my
abilities! who have often disdained the generous candour of my
sister, and gratified my vanity in useless or blameable mistrust!
How humiliating is this discovery! Yet, how just a humiliation!
Had I been in love, I could not have been more wretchedly blind!
But vanity, not love, has been my folly. Pleased with the
preference of one, and offended by the neglect of the other,
on the very beginning of our acquaintance, I have courted
prepossession and ignorance, and driven reason away, where
either were concerned. Till this moment I never knew myself."(36)
（自己的偏見乃基於虛榮，亦即受別人左右）

⊙Miss Bennet was the only creature who could suppose there might
be any extenuating circumstances in the case, unknown to the
society of Hertfordshire; her mild and steady candour always
pleaded for allowances, and urged the possibility of mistakes--but
by everybody else Mr. Darcy was condemned as the worst of men.(24)
（體認事物表裡不一的可能性）

●Love:

⊙"It may perhaps be pleasant," replied Charlotte, "to be able to
impose on the public in such a case; but it is sometimes a
disadvantage to be so very guarded. If a woman conceals her
affection with the same skill from the object of it, she may lose
the opportunity of fixing him; and it will then be but poor
consolation to believe the world equally in the dark. There is
so much of gratitude or vanity in almost every attachment, that
it is not safe to leave any to itself. We can all _begin_ freely--a
slight preference is natural enough; but there are very few of us
who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement.
In nine cases out of ten a women had better show _more_ affection
than she feels. Bingley likes your sister undoubtedly; but he
may never do more than like her, if she does not help him on."

"But she does help him on, as much as her nature will allow.
If I can perceive her regard for him, he must be a simpleton,
indeed, not to discover it too."

"Remember, Eliza, that he does not know Jane's disposition as
you do."

"But if a woman is partial to a man, and does not endeavour to
conceal it, he must find it out."(6)（不能只是順其自然）

⊙Elizabeth's spirits soon rising to playfulness again, she
wanted Mr. Darcy to account for his having ever fallen in love
with her. "How could you begin?" said she. "I can comprehend
your going on charmingly, when you had once made a beginning;
but what could set you off in the first place?"

"I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the
words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was
in the middle before I knew that I _had_ begun."

"My beauty you had early withstood, and as for my manners--my
behaviour to _you_ was at least always bordering on the uncivil,
and I never spoke to you without rather wishing to give you pain
than not. Now be sincere; did you admire me for my impertinence?"

"For the liveliness of your mind, I did."

"You may as well call it impertinence at once. It was very
little less. The fact is, that you were sick of civility, of
deference, of officious attention. You were disgusted with
the women who were always speaking, and looking, and thinking
for _your_ approbation alone. I roused, and interested you,
because I was so unlike _them_. Had you not been really
amiable, you would have hated me for it; but in spite of the
pains you took to disguise yourself, your feelings were always
noble and just; and in your heart, you thoroughly despised the
persons who so assiduously courted you. There--I have saved
you the trouble of accounting for it; and really, all things
considered, I begin to think it perfectly reasonable. To be
sure, you knew no actual good of me--but nobody thinks of
_that_ when they fall in love." (60)
（愛的開端在於獨特感，而非具體特質）

●Marriage:

⊙"Well," said Charlotte, "I wish Jane success with all my heart;
and if she were married to him to-morrow, I should think she
had as good a chance of happiness as if she were to be studying
his character for a twelvemonth. Happiness in marriage is
entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties
are ever so well known to each other or ever so similar beforehand,
it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always
continue to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their
share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible
of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life."(6)
（婚姻幸福與否完全靠機會）

⊙Mr. Collins, to be sure, was
neither sensible nor agreeable; his society was irksome, and his
attachment to her must be imaginary. But still he would be her
husband. Without thinking highly either of men or matrimony,
marriage had always been her object; it was the only provision
for well-educated young women of small fortune, and however
uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest
preservative from want. (22)（婚姻做為長期飯票）

●Women:

⊙"Your list of the common extent of accomplishments," said Darcy,
"has too much truth. The word is applied to many a woman who
deserves it no otherwise than by netting a purse or covering
a screen. But I am very far from agreeing with you in your
estimation of ladies in general. I cannot boast of knowing
more than half-a-dozen, in the whole range of my acquaintance,
that are really accomplished."

"Nor I, I am sure," said Miss Bingley.

"Then," observed Elizabeth, "you must comprehend a great deal
in your idea of an accomplished woman."

"Yes, I do comprehend a great deal in it."

"Oh! certainly," cried his faithful assistant, "no one can be really
esteemed accomplished who does not greatly surpass what is
usually met with. A woman must have a thorough knowledge of
music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to
deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain
something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her
voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but
half-deserved."

"All this she must possess," added Darcy, "and to all this she
must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of
her mind by extensive reading."(8)（何謂多才多藝）

●Psychology:

⊙"I wish I might take this for a compliment; but to be so easily
seen through I am afraid is pitiful."

"That is as it happens. It does not follow that a deep, intricate
character is more or less estimable than such a one as yours."

"Lizzy," cried her mother, "remember where you are, and do not
run on in the wild manner that you are suffered to do at home."

"I did not know before," continued Bingley immediately, "that
you were a studier of character. It must be an amusing study."

"Yes, but intricate characters are the _most_ amusing. They
have at least that advantage."

"The country," said Darcy, "can in general supply but a few
subjects for such a study. In a country neighbourhood you move
in a very confined and unvarying society."

"But people themselves alter so much, that there is something
new to be observed in them for ever."(9)（研究性格最有趣）

●Poetry:

⊙When she was only fifteen,
there was a man at my brother Gardiner's in town so much in
love with her that my sister-in-law was sure he would make her
an offer before we came away. But, however, he did not.
Perhaps he thought her too young. However, he wrote some
verses on her, and very pretty they were."

"And so ended his affection," said Elizabeth impatiently. "There
has been many a one, I fancy, overcome in the same way. I
wonder who first discovered the efficacy of poetry in driving
away love!"

"I have been used to consider poetry as the _food_ of love," said
Darcy.

"Of a fine, stout, healthy love it may. Everything nourishes
what is strong already. But if it be only a slight, thin sort of
inclination, I am convinced that one good sonnet will starve it
entirely away."(9)（詩趕走了愛情！！）

●Humor:

⊙That is his notion
of Christian forgiveness! The rest of his letter is only about
his dear Charlotte's situation, and his expectation of a young
olive-branch. But, Lizzy, you look as if you did not enjoy it.
You are not going to be _missish_, I hope, and pretend to be
affronted at an idle report. For what do we live, but to make
sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?"(57)
（人生是場自我解嘲）

2000.6.26
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