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Pride and Prejudice《傲慢与偏见》节选
作者：简·奥斯汀（Jane Austen）
首次出版：1813 年 1 月 28 日
首次发表刊物：T. Egerton（伦敦）
出版背景：英国原版刊印，后世多次校勘再版。
多国译本与双语选编版本广泛流传。
收录说明：该版本为原著定本节选，
围绕贝内特一家几位女儿的婚恋故事展开，
重点讲述伊丽莎白与达西从误会、
偏见走向相知相爱的过程。
语言机智风趣，刻画人情世故与爱情观，
是英国现实主义小说的经典。
创作背景：
当时英国乡绅社会重视门第与财产，
婚姻常被当作交易。
奥斯汀以细腻幽默的笔触，歌颂基于理解、
尊重与真情的爱情，讽刺功利的婚恋风气。
英文原文
It is a truth universally acknowledged,
that a single man in possession of a good fortune,
must be in want of a wife.
However little known the feelings or views of such a man
may be on his first entering a neighbourhood,
this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families,
that he is considered the rightful property
of some one or other of their daughters.
“My dear Mr. Bennet,” said his lady to him one day,
“have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?”
Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.
“But it is,” returned she;
“for Mrs. Long has just been here,
and she told me all about it.”
Mr. Bennet made no answer.
“Do you not want to know who has taken it?”
cried his wife impatiently.
“You want to tell me,
and I have no objection to hearing it.”
This was invitation enough.
“Why, my dear, you must know,
Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune
from the north of England;
that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place,
and was so much delighted with it,
that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately;
that he is to take possession before Michaelmas,
and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.”
“What is his name?”
“Bingley.”
“Is he married or single?”
“Oh! Single, my dear, to be sure!
A single man of large fortune;
four or five thousand a year.
What a fine thing for our girls!”
“How so?
How can it affect them?”
“My dear Mr. Bennet,” replied his wife,
“how can you be so tiresome!
You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.”
“Is that his design in settling here?”
“Design! Nonsense, how can you talk so!
But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them,
and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes.”
“I see no occasion for that.
You and the girls may go,
or you may send them by themselves,
which perhaps will be still better,
for as you are as handsome as any of them,
Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party.”
“My dear, you flatter me.
I certainly have had my share of beauty,
but I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now.
When a woman has five grown-up daughters,
she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty.”
“In such cases,
a woman has not often much beauty to think of.”
“But, my dear,
you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley
when he comes into the neighbourhood.”
“It is more than I engage for, I assure you.”
“But consider your daughters.
Only think what an establishment it would be for one of them.
Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined to go,
merely on that account,
for in general, you know, they visit no newcomers.
Indeed you must go,
for it will be impossible for us to visit him if you do not.”
“You are over-scrupulous, surely.
I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you;
and I will send a few lines by you to assure him
of my hearty consent to his marrying whichever he chooses of the girls;
though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy.”
“I desire you will do no such thing.
Lizzy is not a bit better than the others;
and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane,
nor half so good-humoured as Lydia.
But you are always giving her the preference.”
“They have none of them much to recommend them,” replied he;
“they are all silly and ignorant like other girls;
but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters.”
“Mr. Bennet,
how can you abuse your own children in such a way?
You take delight in vexing me.
You have no compassion on my poor nerves.”
“You mistake me, my dear.
I have a high respect for your nerves.
They are my old friends.
I have heard you mention them with consideration
these twenty years at least.”
“Ah!
You do not know what I suffer.”
“But I hope you will get over it,
and live to see many young men of four thousand a year
come into the neighbourhood.”
“It will be no use to us,
if twenty such should come,
since you will not visit them.”
“Depend upon it, my dear,
that when there are twenty,
I will visit them all.”
译文
凡是有钱的单身汉，
总想娶位太太，
这已经成了一条举世公认的真理。
这样的单身汉，
每逢新搬到一个地方，
四邻八舍虽然完全不了解他的性情如何、见解如何，
可是，既然这样一条真理早已在人们心中根深蒂固，
大家总是把他看作自家某个女儿理所应得的一笔财产。
有一天，班纳特太太对丈夫说：
“我的好老爷，尼日斐花园终于租出去了，
你听说过没有？”
班纳特先生答道，他还没有听说。
“的确租出去了，”她说，
“朗格太太刚刚来过，
把这件事的底细一五一十告诉了我。”
班纳特先生没有应声。
“你难道不想知道是谁租下的吗？”
太太不耐烦地嚷起来。
“既然你打算讲给我听，
那我听听也无妨。”
这句话足够鼓励她继续说下去。
“哦，亲爱的，你得知道，
朗格太太说，租尼日斐花园的是个阔少爷，
从英格兰北部过来。
他星期一乘着驷马大车来看房子，
看得十分中意，当场就和莫理斯先生敲定了。
他打算在米迦勒节之前搬进来，
下个周末先安排几个佣人入住。”
“这人叫什么名字？”
“彬格莱。”
“他成家了，还是单身？”
“噢，单身，亲爱的，千真万确！
一个家底丰厚的单身汉，一年有四五千镑收入。
这可是咱们女儿们的福气！”
“这话怎么讲？
和她们有什么关系？”
“我的好老爷，”太太答道，
“你怎么这么让人烦闷！
我心里盘算着，说不定他会看上咱们其中一个女儿，
和她成婚。”
“他搬到这儿来，就是抱着这个打算吗？”
“打算！瞎说，怎么能这么讲！
不过他很有可能爱上咱们某个姑娘。
他一搬过来，你就得登门拜访他。”
“我看没必要。
你可以带着姑娘们去，
或者让她们自己过去，说不定反倒更好。
你的姿色不输任何一个女儿，
彬格莱先生说不定反倒最喜欢你。”
“我的好老爷，你太抬举我了。
从前我的确也算好看，
可现在不敢说还有什么出众之处。
一个女人家，有五个成年的女儿，
就不该再惦记自己的容貌了。”
“照这么说，
女人到了这个年纪，
本就没多少容貌值得惦记了。”
“可是亲爱的，
彬格莱搬到附近之后，你一定要去拜访他。”
“老实跟你说，这事我办不到。”
“看在女儿们的份上想一想吧。
只要想想，她们当中谁要是攀上这门亲事，
该是多么好的归宿。
威廉爵士夫妇已经打定主意要去拜访，
目的和我们一样，
你也知道，他们一般不会接待新来的邻居。
你必须去一趟，
你不去，我们母女几个就没法登门。”
“你实在太过多虑了。
彬格莱先生见到你们一定会很高兴。
我可以写张便条让你捎过去，
告诉他，不管他挑中哪个女儿，我都心甘情愿同意。
不过，我一定要替小莉齐多说几句好话。”
“我希望你别这么做。
莉齐没有一点胜过其他姐妹的地方。
论漂亮，她远不及简；
论性情温和，又比不上莉迪亚。
可你总是偏爱她。”
“她们几个都没什么值得称道的地方，”他回答，
“和别的姑娘一样，愚昧无知。
只有莉齐，比她的姐妹们更机敏一些。”
“班纳特先生，
你怎么能这样贬低自己的孩子？
你就喜欢惹我生气，
一点都不体谅我脆弱的神经。”
“你误会我了，亲爱的。
我非常尊重你的神经。
它们是我的老朋友。
这二十年里，
我至少听你郑重其事提起过无数次。”
“唉！你根本不知道我有多煎熬。”
“但我希望你慢慢释怀，
将来亲眼看见好多每年有四千镑收入的阔少爷搬到这一带。”
“就算搬来二十个，对我们也没用，
你不肯上门拜访，一切都是空谈。”
“放心吧，亲爱的，
真要是来了二十个，
我挨个去拜访。”
🔍长难句赏析与拆解
原句：
It is a truth universally acknowledged,
that a single man in possession of a good fortune,
must be in want of a wife.
句式解读：
本句是典型形式主语句型，
It作形式主语，that引导真正的主语从句。
in possession of介词短语后置，用来修饰a single man。
作者用一句一本正经的“公理”制造强烈反讽，是全书标志性开篇句。
句子主干：
A single man must be in want of a wife.
原句：
However little known the feelings or views of such a man
may be on his first entering a neighbourhood,
this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families,
that he is considered the rightful property
of some one or other of their daughters.
句式解读：
however引导让步状语从句，从句使用倒装结构；
主句搭配so…that引导的结果状语从句。
作者把单身富家男子比作各家女儿的“财产”，
含蓄讽刺当时社会把婚姻当作交易的风气。
句子主干：
This truth is fixed in the minds,
that he is considered the property of their daughters.
文学赏析
《傲慢与偏见》的这一段开篇，
是简·奥斯汀最负盛名的文字。
作者没有一上来就铺写热烈的爱恋，
而是从英国乡间邻里的闲谈切入，
借班纳特夫妇一来一回的对话，
铺开当时乡绅阶层真实的生存底色。
在那个时代，女性缺少独立谋生的途径，
婚姻几乎是她们安稳度日唯一的出路。
在邻里众人眼中，富有的单身青年，
天然就是各家女儿争相争取的目标。
班纳特太太满心焦灼，一心想要把女儿嫁出去；
班纳特先生聪慧幽默，冷眼看透周遭人的功利心思，
在平淡对话里藏着戏谑与清醒。
奥斯汀的文字克制内敛，擅长使用反讽。
那句“举世公认的真理”读起来郑重严肃，
本质却是调侃整个社会对财富、婚姻的功利执念。
故事核心冲突的伏笔，在这段对话里已经埋下：
旁人看重钱财、门第，
而伊丽莎白之后追求的，
是人格平等、彼此尊重的真挚感情。
作者依靠夫妻对话塑造人物，
班纳特太太急躁虚荣，班纳特先生通透诙谐，
寥寥几句交谈，人物性格立刻鲜活立体。
这里没有激烈冲突，
却把全书的时代背景、核心矛盾交代清楚，
这正是奥斯汀独有的叙事功力。
写作迁移点拨
适合写作主题：世俗偏见、物质与爱情、
独立人格、反讽手法、婚姻与自我价值。
高分仿写：
It is widely believed that material wealth can bring lasting happiness,
yet many people gradually realize that mutual respect
and spiritual understanding matter more in a sincere relationship.
仿写运用：
模仿原文形式主语+反讽的开篇写法，
适合议论文开头，引出对世俗固有观念的反思。
📖全篇句式特点
以大量对话推动情节，长句短句交错排布。
长句结构规整，带着古典英式书面语的严谨感；
短句简短明快，贴合日常闲谈的语气。
文本多用反讽，表面平静客观，暗含对世俗观念的调侃，
语言优雅含蓄，不直白批判，观点藏在叙事当中。
核心词汇
1. acknowledge
/əkˈnɒlɪdʒ/
承认
动词 (v.)
2. possession
/pəˈzeʃn/
拥有，财产
名词 (n.)
3. neighbourhood
/ˈneɪbəhʊd/
邻里，周边地区
名词 (n.)
4. impatiently
/ɪmˈpeɪʃntli/
不耐烦地
副词 (adv.)
5. consent
/kənˈsent/
同意，应允
名词 (n.)
6. vex
/veks/
使烦恼，激怒
动词 (v.)
7. compassion
/kəmˈpæʃn/
同情，体恤
名词 (n.)
8. scrupulous
/ˈskruːpjələs/
顾虑多的，小心谨慎的
形容词 (adj.)
9. prejudice
/ˈpredʒədɪs/
偏见
名词 (n.)
10. universally
/ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsəli/
普遍地
副词 (adv.)
💡主旨品读
这一段开篇撕开了那个时代一层现实的面纱。
在当时的社会环境里，婚姻不是两情相悦的浪漫选择，
更像是一场关乎生计、家产、地位的权衡博弈。
班纳特太太的焦虑，不只是单纯贪慕富贵，
更是一位母亲，在时代枷锁之下，
为五个女儿的未来出路忧心。
简·奥斯汀一边如实写出这套世俗规则，
一边悄悄埋下反抗的种子。
后文伊丽莎白的选择，
正是对这套功利婚恋观的拒绝。
真正珍贵的感情，不该建立在财富、身份的算计之上，
而是两个人放下傲慢与偏见，看见对方真实的灵魂。
平淡的乡间闲谈背后，
藏着作者长久的思考：女性的价值、爱情的本质，
以及人该如何挣脱世俗眼光，遵从本心做出选择。
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