2013初中英語閱讀:名名著《理智與情感》

　　The family of Dashwood had long been settled in Sussex. Their estate was large, and theirresidence was at Norland Park, in the centre of their property , where, for many generations,they had lived in so respectable a manner as to engage the general good opinion of their surrounding acquaintance .

　　達什伍德家在蘇塞克斯定居，可有些年代了。家里置下一個偌大的田莊，府第就設在田莊中心的諾蘭莊園。祖祖輩輩以來，一家人一直過著體面日子，贏得了四近鄉鄰的交口稱譽。

　　The late owner of this estate was a single man, who lived to a very advanced age, and who for many years of his life, had a constant companion and housekeeper in his sister. But her death, which happened ten years before his own, produced a great alteration in his home; for to supply her loss, he invited and received into his house the family of his nephew Mr. Henry Dashwood, the legal inheritor of the Norland estate, and the person to whom he intended tobequeath it.

　　已故莊園主是個單身漢，活到老大年紀。在世時，妹妹長年陪伴他，替他管管家務。不想妹妹早他十年去世，致使府上發生巨變。為了填補妹妹的空缺，他將侄兒亨利.達什伍德一家接到府上。亨利.達什伍德先生是諾蘭田莊的法定繼承人，老達什伍德打算把家業傳給他。

　　In the society of his nephew and niece, and their children, the old Gentleman's days were comfortably spent. His attachment to them all increased. The constant attention of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dashwood to his wishes, which proceeded not merely from interest, but from goodness of heart, gave him every degree of solid comfort which his age could receive; and thecheerfulness of the children added a relish to his existence.

　　這位老紳士有侄兒、侄媳及其子女作伴，日子過得倒也舒心。他越來越喜愛他們。亨利.達什伍德夫婦不僅出自利害關系，而且由于心地善良，對他總是百般照應，使他晚年享盡了天倫之樂。而那些天真爛漫的孩子也給他的生活增添了樂趣。

　　By a former marriage, Mr. Henry Dashwood had one son: by his present lady, three daughters.The son, a steady respectable young man, was amply provided for by the fortune of his mother, which had been large, and half of which devolved on him on his coming of age. By his own marriage, likewise, which happened soon afterwards, he added to his wealth.

　　亨利.達什伍德先生同前妻生下一個兒子，同現在的太太生了三個女兒。兒子是個踏實體面的青年。當年他母親留下一大筆遺產，到他成年時有一半交給了他，為他奠定了厚實的家底。此后不久，他成了親，又增添了一筆財產。

　　To him therefore the succession to the Norland estate was not so really important as to his sisters; for their fortune, independent of what might arise to them from their father's inheriting that property, could be but small. Their mother had nothing, and their father only seven thousand pounds in his own disposal; for the remaining moiety of his first wife'sfortune was also secured to her child, and he had only a life-interest in it.

　　所以，對他說來，父親是不是繼承諾蘭田莊，遠不像對他幾個妹妹那樣至關緊要。這幾個妹妹假若不依賴父親繼承這筆家業可能給她們帶來的進益，她們的財產便將微乎其微。她們的母親一無所有，父親僅僅掌管著七千鎊，而對前妻另一半遺產的所有權只在生前有效，他一去世，這一半財產也歸兒子承襲。

　　The old gentleman died: his will was read, and like almost every other will, gave as muchdisappointment as pleasure. He was neither so unjust, nor so ungrateful , as to leave hisestate from his nephew;--but he left it to him on such terms as destroyed half the value of thebequest . Mr. Dashwood had wished for it more for the sake of his wife and daughters than for himself or his son;--but to his son, and his son's son, a child of four years old, it was secured, in such a way, as to leave to himself no power of providing for those who were most dear to him, and who most needed a provision by any charge on the estate, or by any sale of itsvaluable woods.

　　老紳士死了，開讀遺囑，發現跟其他遺囑一樣，叫人既高興，也失望。他并非那樣偏頗無情，還是把田莊傳給了侄兒。但是，因為附有條件，這份遺產便失去了一半價值。本來，達什伍德先生想要這筆財產，只是顧念妻子和女兒，而不是為自己和兒子著想。但財產卻偏偏要世襲給他兒子和四歲的孫子，這樣一來，他便無權動用田莊的資財，或者變賣田莊的資財，來贍養他那些最親近、最需要贍養的家眷。

　　The whole was tied up for the benefit of this child, who, in occasional visits with his father and mother at Norland, had so far gained on the affections of his uncle, by such attractions as are by no means unusual in children of two or three years old; an imperfect articulation , an earnest desire of having his own way, many cunning tricks, and a great deal of noise, as to outweigh all the value of all the attention which, for years, he had received from his niece and her daughters. He meant not to be unkind, however, and, as a mark of his affection for the three girls, he left them a thousand pounds a-piece.

　　為了那個孩子，全盤家業都被凍結了。想當初，這孩子只是偶爾隨父母親到諾蘭莊園來過幾趟，跟其他兩三歲娃娃一樣，也沒有什么異常逗人喜愛的地方，大不過正牙牙學語，稟性倔強，好惡作劇，愛大吵大鬧，卻博得了老紳士的歡心。相形之下，侄媳母女多年關照的情分，倒變得無足輕重了。不過，老人也不想太苛刻，為了表示他對三個站娘的一片心意，好歹分給了每人一千鎊。

　　Mr. Dashwood's disappointment was, at first, severe; but his temper was cheerful andsanguine ; and he might reasonably hope to live many years, and by living economically, lay by a considerable sum from the produce of an estate already large, and capable of almostimmediate improvement. But the fortune, which had been so tardy in coming, was his only one twelvemonth . He survived his uncle no longer; and ten thousand pounds, including the late legacies, was all that remained for his widow and daughters.

　　達什伍德先生起初極為失望。他性情開朗，滿以為自己能多活些年歲，憑著這么大的一個田莊，只要馬上改善經營，省吃儉用，就能從收入中攢下一大筆錢，然而，這筆遲遲到手的財產在他名下只持續了一年工夫，因為叔父死后不久，他也一命歸天，給他的遺囑和女兒們留下的財產，包括叔父的遺產在內，總共不過一萬鎊。

　　His son was sent for as soon as his danger was known, and to him Mr. Dashwood recommended, with all the strength and urgency which illness could command, the interest of his mother-in-law and sisters.

　　當時，家人看他病危了，便打發人去叫他兒子。達什伍德先生竭盡最后一點氣力，向兒子做了緊急交代，囑托他照應繼母和三個妹妹。

　　Mr. John Dashwood had not the strong feelings of the rest of the family; but he was affectedby a recommendation of such a nature at such a time, and he promised to do every thing in his power to make them comfortable. His father was rendered easy by such an assurance, and Mr. John Dashwood had then leisure to consider how much there might prudently be in his power to do for them.

　　約翰.達什伍德先生不像家里其他人那樣多情善感。可是，此時此刻受到這般囑托，他也深為感動，答應盡力讓她們母女生活得舒舒適適的。父親聽到這番許諾，便也放寬心了。一時間，約翰.達什伍德先生有空算計起來：若是精打細算，他到底能為她們盡多大力量。

（育路中小學教育）