CHAPTER 1 第一章

Sir Walter Elliot, of Kellynch Hall, in Somersetshire, was a man who, for his own amusement, never took up any book but the Baronetage; there he found occupation for an idle hour, and consolation in a distressed one; there his faculties were roused into admiration and respect, by contemplating the limited remnant of the earliest patents; there any unwelcome sensations, arising from domestic affairs changed naturally into pity and contempt as he turned over the almost endless creations of the last century; and there, if every other leaf were powerless, he could read his own history with an interest which never failed. This was the page at which the favourite volume always opened:

萨默塞特郡凯林奇府的沃尔特•埃利奥特爵士，为了自我娱乐，只看那本《准男爵录》而从不看其他的书；因为这本书，他在闲暇中找到了消遣，烦恼时找到了安慰；因为这本书，他沉思着最早加封的爵位所剩无几，心中不由得升起一股羡慕与崇敬之情；家中的一些事情使他感觉不快，但当他翻阅这本记载着上世纪册封的无穷无尽的爵位的书时，这种不快的感觉便自然而然地化作了怜悯与蔑视；如果所有别的页都很无味的话，那他就总是能自己以经久不衰的兴趣来读自己的家史。他总是把他最心爱的书翻到这一页：

ELLIOT OF KELLYNCH HALL.

凯林奇府的埃利奥特。

"Walter Elliot, born March 1, 1760, married, July 15, 1784, Elizabeth, daughter of James Stevenson, Esq. of South Park, in the county of Gloucester, by which lady (who died 1800) he has issue Elizabeth, born June 1, 1785; Anne, born August 9, 1787; a still—born son, November 5, 1789; Mary, born November 20, 1791. "

“沃尔特•埃利奥特，1760年3月1日出生，1784年7月15日与格洛斯特郡南方庄园的詹姆斯•史蒂文森先生之女伊丽莎白结婚。这位夫人（卒于1800年）为他留有以下后嗣：伊丽莎白，生于1785年6月1日；安妮，生于1787年8月9日；一个死产儿，1789年11月5日；玛丽，生于1791年11月20日。”

Precisely such had the paragraph originally stood from the printer's hands; but Sir Walter had improved it by adding, for the information of himself and his family, these words, after the date of Mary's birth—Married, December 16, 1810, Charles, son and heir of Charles Musgrove, Esq. of Uppercross, in the county of Somerset, "and by inserting most accurately the day of the month on which he had lost his wife.

准确地说，这是《准男爵录》上排印的文字，但是沃尔特爵士为了给自己和家人提供资料，通过补充美化了一下，在玛丽的生辰后面加上了一句—— “1810年12月16日与萨默塞特郡上阿珀克劳斯的查尔斯•马斯格罗夫的儿子兼继承人查尔斯结婚 "，并且极为确切地插入了自己丧偶的日期。”

Then followed the history and rise of the ancient and respectable family, in the usual terms; how it had been first settled in Cheshire; how mentioned in Dugdale, serving the office of high sheriff, representing a borough in three successive parliaments, exertions of loyalty, and dignity of baronet, in the first year of Charles II, with all the Marys and Elizabeths they had married; forming altogether two handsome duodecimo pages, and concluding with the arms and motto: — "Principal seat, Kellynch Hall, in the county of Somerset, " and Sir Walter's handwriting again in this finale:

接下来便是源远流长的名门望族的发迹史，表述不免落于俗套：最初如何到柴郡定居，如何在担任郡长之职时载入达格代尔的史册，如何代表行政区接连担任了三届议会议员，竭尽全力，忠心耿耿，升官进爵，在查尔斯二世继位后的第一年，先后娶了那些玛丽小姐、伊丽莎白小姐；这些占了满满的十二开本的两页，最后附上了族徽与徽文—— “主要邸宅：萨默塞特郡凯林奇府” 。最后又出现了沃尔特爵士的笔迹：

"Heir presumptive, William Walter Elliot, Esq., great grandson of the second Sir Walter. "

“假定继承人：威廉•沃尔特•埃利奥特先生，第二代沃尔特爵士的曾孙。”

Vanity was the beginning and the end of Sir Walter Elliot's character; vanity of person and of situation. He had been remarkably handsome in his youth; and, at fifty—four, was still a very fine man. Few women could think more of their personal appearance than he did, nor could the valet of any new made lord be more delighted with the place he held in society. He considered the blessing of beauty as inferior only to the blessing of a baronetcy; and the Sir Walter Elliot, who united these gifts, was the constant object of his warmest respect and devotion.

沃尔特•埃利奥特爵士秉性爱慕虚荣，他为自己的仪表堂堂和优越地位感到自命不凡。他年轻的时候非常英俊；现在到了54岁依旧一表人才。就是女人当中也几乎没人像他那样如此注重自己的仪表，而他对自己社会地位的满意程度，连新获封爵位的贵族的侍从也望尘莫及。他认为堂堂仪表仅次于准男爵的爵位；而两者兼而有之的沃尔特•埃利奥特爵士一直是他非常敬重与热爱的对象。

His good looks and his rank had one fair claim on his attachment; since to them he must have owed a wife of very superior character to any thing deserved by his own. Lady Elliot had been an excellent woman, sensible and amiable; whose judgement and conduct, if they might be pardoned the youthful infatuation which made her Lady Elliot, had never required indulgence afterwards. —She had humoured, or softened, or concealed his failings, and promoted his real respectability for seventeen years; and though not the very happiest being in the world herself, had found enough in her duties, her friends, and her children, to attach her to life, and make it no matter of indifference to her when she was called on to quit them. —Three girls, the two eldest sixteen and fourteen, was an awful legacy for a mother to bequeath, an awful charge rather, to confide to the authority and guidance of a conceited, silly father. She had, however, one very intimate friend, a sensible, deserving woman, who had been brought, by strong attachment to herself, to settle close by her, in the village of Kellynch; and on her kindness and advice, Lady Elliot mainly relied for the best help and maintenance of the good principles and instruction which she had been anxiously giving her daughters.

他的美貌与地位使他理所当然地有权利拥有爱情。也正是因为这两点，他才拥有了一位人品远远超越于他自己的妻子。埃利奥特夫人曾是一位优秀的女人，她通情达理而又和蔼可亲；只因年轻时感情上的一时冲动而成为埃利奥特夫人，如果这一点可以原谅，那么她以后的是非判断和待人处事倒也无可厚非。——十七年来，她总是迁就、弥补或掩饰丈夫的不足，激发他真正的可敬之处；而且她自己虽说并不是这个世界上最幸福的人，但她能够在履行职责、结交朋友与照顾孩子中找到足够的乐趣，对生活产生深深的依恋，因而当上帝要她离开他们的时候，她无论如何都不会感到泰然了。——一个母亲留下三个女儿，两个大的16岁，小的14岁，这是一笔骇人的遗产，而把她们留给一个自鸣得意而又愚蠢糊涂的父亲照管与教导，更是一个可怕的托付。不过，她有一个密友，那是一个通情达理而又可以依靠的女人，因为对埃利奥特夫人怀有深厚的感情，便搬到凯林奇村埃利奥特夫人家附近居住。埃利奥特夫人主要依靠这位好朋友的仁慈与指点，从而获得了帮助并维护了她自己一向竭力给她的女儿们灌输的正确原则，对女儿们进行了谆谆教导。

This friend, and Sir Walter, did not marry, whatever might have been anticipated on that head by their acquaintance. Thirteen years had passed away since Lady Elliot's death, and they were still near neighbours and intimate friends, and one remained a widower, the other a widow.

这位朋友与沃尔特爵士并未结婚，尽管他们的亲朋好友对此有过期待。埃利奥特夫人已去世十三年了，他们仍然只是近邻与密友，一个仍是鳏夫，一个还是寡妇。

That Lady Russell, of steady age and character, and extremely well provided for, should have no thought of a second marriage, needs no apology to the public, which is rather apt to be unreasonably discontented when a woman does marry again, than when she does not; but Sir Walter's continuing in singleness requires explanation. Be it known then, that Sir Walter, like a good father, (having met with one or two private disappointments in very unreasonable applications), prided himself on remaining single for his dear daughters 'sake. For one daughter, his eldest, he would really have given up any thing, which he had not been very much tempted to do. Elizabeth had succeeded, at sixteen, to all that was possible, of her mother's rights and consequence; and being very handsome, and very like himself, her influence had always been great, and they had gone on together most happily. His two other children were of very inferior value. Mary had acquired a little artificial importance, by becoming Mrs. Charles Musgrove; but Anne, with an elegance of mind and sweetness of character, which must have placed her high with any people of real understanding, was nobody with either father or sister; her word had no weight, her convenience was always to give way—she was only Anne.

这位拉塞尔夫人已经到了老成持重的年龄，生活条件极其优越，不会考虑再婚，这也不需向公众解释，其实一个寡妇改嫁比守寡更易引起人们无端的不满，但是沃尔特爵士仍然还是单身这一点却需要解释一下。要知道，沃尔特爵士认为，作为一个好父亲（曾经由于荒唐的求婚而私下碰过一两次钉子），为了几个宝贝女儿而保持单身，是件值得自豪的事。为了一个女儿，他的大女儿，他倒真愿意放弃一切，只不过至今他还不是很愿意那样做罢了。伊丽莎白16岁时已经从母亲那里继承了她可能继承的一切权利与地位；她很漂亮，长得很像她的父亲，因而她的影响力一直很大，他们父女俩相处得很融洽。他的另外两个女儿可就远远不如大女儿宝贝了。玛丽成为了查尔斯•马斯格罗夫太太，获得了某种徒有其表的地位；而安妮，尽管人品高雅，性格温柔，任何真正明白事理的人本应该都很尊重她，然而父亲与姐姐却没有把她放在眼里；她的意见无足轻重，她的安逸总是可以牺牲——她只不过是安妮罢了。

To Lady Russell, indeed, she was a most dear and highly valued god—daughter, favourite, and friend. Lady Russell loved them all; but it was only in Anne that she could fancy the mother to revive again.

对于拉塞尔夫人来说，安妮实在是最可爱、她最器重的教女、宠儿与朋友。拉塞尔夫人对三个姑娘都很喜欢；但是只有在安妮的身上，她才能看到她们母亲的影子。

A few years before, Anne Elliot had been a very pretty girl, but her bloom had vanished early; and as even in its height, her father had found little to admire in her, (so totally different were her delicate features and mild dark eyes from his own), there could be nothing in them, now that she was faded and thin, to excite his esteem. He had never indulged much hope, he had now none, of ever reading her name in any other page of his favourite work. All equality of alliance must rest with Elizabeth, for Mary had merely connected herself with an old country family of respectability and large fortune, and had therefore given all the honour and received none: Elizabeth would, one day or other, marry suitably.

几年前，安妮•埃利奥特还是位非常漂亮的女孩，但是她的青春年华却早已逝去。即使是在她风华正茂的时候，她父亲在她身上也没有发现什么值得赞赏的地方（她精致的容貌以及温柔的黑眼睛一点也不像他），现在她美艳消褪，消瘦不堪，当然更没有什么可以值得他珍视了。至于能否在他那本心爱的书的任何一页上看到安妮的名字，他从来不抱任何希望，现在更是完全失望了。要结成一起门当户对的姻缘，只能依靠伊丽莎白了，因为玛丽只不过嫁给了一个有钱有势的乡绅人家，因此所有的荣耀都给了婆家，自己却什么都没得到。有朝一日，伊丽莎白会嫁个门当户对的人家。

It sometimes happens that a woman is handsomer at twenty—nine than she was ten years before; and, generally speaking, if there has been neither ill health nor anxiety, it is a time of life at which scarcely any charm is lost. It was so with Elizabeth, still the same handsome Miss Elliot that she had begun to be thirteen years ago, and Sir Walter might be excused, therefore, in forgetting her age, or, at least, be deemed only half a fool, for thinking himself and Elizabeth as blooming as ever, amidst the wreck of the good looks of everybody else; for he could plainly see how old all the rest of his family and acquaintance were growing. Anne haggard, Mary coarse, every face in the neighbourhood worsting, and the rapid increase of the crow's foot about Lady Russell's temples had long been a distress to him.

有时会出现这样的情况：一个女人到了29岁倒比十年前更加楚楚动人。而且，一般来说，只要身体健康、无忧无虑，女人到这个年龄还不至于失去任何魅力。伊丽莎白便是这样。她依然是那位漂亮的埃利奥特小姐，就像十三年前一样。因此，沃尔爵士忘记了自己女儿的年龄，倒也情有可原。至少也不能由于他认定别人都已美貌不再，自己却和伊丽莎白青春常驻，就把他视为半傻不傻，因为他可以清楚地看到所有的亲朋好友都在变老。安妮有点憔悴，玛丽皮肤粗糙，左邻右舍更是等而下之，拉塞尔夫人鬓角周围的皱纹在迅速增多，这一切早就让他苦恼不已。

Elizabeth did not quite equal her father in personal contentment. Thirteen years had seen her mistress of Kellynch Hall, presiding and directing with a self—possession and decision which could never have given the idea of her being younger than she was. For thirteen years had she been doing the honours, and laying down the domestic law at home, and leading the way to the chaise and four, and walking immediately after Lady Russell out of all the drawing—rooms and dining—rooms in the country. Thirteen winters' revolving frosts had seen her opening every ball of credit which a scanty neighbourhood afforded, and thirteen springs shewn their blossoms, as she travelled up to London with her father, for a few weeks' annual enjoyment of the great world. She had the remembrance of all this, she had the consciousness of being nine—and—twenty to give her some regrets and some apprehensions; she was fully satisfied of being still quite as handsome as ever, but she felt her approach to the years of danger, and would have rejoiced to be certain of being properly solicited by baronet—blood within the next twelvemonth or two. Then might she again take up the book of books with as much enjoyment as in her early youth, but now she liked it not. Always to be presented with the date of her own birth and see no marriage follow but that of a youngest sister, made the book an evil; and more than once, when her father had left it open on the table near her, had she closed it, with averted eyes, and pushed it away.

讲到对自身条件的由衷满意，伊丽莎白并不完全像他父亲一样。她已经在凯利奇府当了十三年的女主人，冷静果断地操持家务，这绝不会使人觉得她比实际上年轻。十三年来，她一直以主妇自居，制定家规，带头去乘轻便马车及驷马马车，紧跟着拉塞尔夫人出入乡下所有的客厅与餐室。十三个周而复始的寒冬，在没有几家邻居能够办得起的豪华舞会上，她总是带头领舞；十三个百花盛开的春天，她每年都要随父亲去伦敦呆上几个星期，去享受一下繁华世界的乐趣。这一切她都历历在目，她意识到自己已经29岁了，心中不由得泛起了一丝惆怅与担心；她为自己仍然像过去一样漂亮而感到心满意足，但是她觉得自己正临近危险的年龄，要是拿得准一两年内有位准男爵身份的绅士来向她正式求婚，那她就会欣喜若狂。到那时，她就可以像在少女时代那样充分享受这本宝书带来的快乐，但是现在她并不喜欢这本书。书中总是写着她的出生日期，没有她的结婚日期，而她小妹妹的结婚日期却赫然在目，因此这本书这是个祸害。有好几次，父亲把书翻开搁在她身旁的桌子上，她却眼望着别处，把书合上推到一边。

She had had a disappointment, moreover, which that book, and especially the history of her own family, must ever present the remembrance of. The heir presumptive, the very William Walter Elliot, Esq., whose rights had been so generously supported by her father, had disappointed her.

何况，那本书，尤其是书中有关她家的那段史实，总是让她想起一件令人不愉快的往事。那位假定继承人，也就是威廉•沃尔特•埃利奥特先生，他的权利曾得到她父亲宽宏大量的维护，但是这位先生却使她大为失望。

She had, while a very young girl, as soon as she had known him to be, in the event of her having no brother, the future baronet, meant to marry him, and her father had always meant that she should. He had not been known to them as a boy; but soon after Lady Elliot's death, Sir Walter had sought the acquaintance, and though his overtures had not been met with any warmth, he had persevered in seeking it, making allowance for the modest drawing—back of youth; and, in one of their spring excursions to London, when Elizabeth was in her first bloom, Mr. Elliot had been forced into the introduction.

伊丽莎白还是小女孩的时候，曾听人说起，她要是没有弟弟，埃利奥特便是未来的准男爵，她便打定主意要嫁给他，而她的父亲也一向认为理应如此。威廉小时候，他们并不认识；但是在埃利奥特夫人死后不久，沃尔特先生便主动与他结识。虽然他的主动并没有受到热情的欢迎，但是考虑到年轻人的谦虚和畏缩，他便坚持要与他结交。于是，他们趁着一次到伦敦春游的机会，硬是结识了埃利奥特先生，当时伊丽莎白刚是个含苞待放的少女。

He was at that time a very young man, just engaged in the study of the law; and Elizabeth found him extremely agreeable, and every plan in his favour was confirmed. He was invited to Kellynch Hall; he was talked of and expected all the rest of the year; but he never came. The following spring he was seen again in town, found equally agreeable, again encouraged, invited, and expected, and again he did not come; and the next tidings were that he was married. Instead of pushing his fortune in the line marked out for the heir of the house of Elliot, he had purchased independence by uniting himself to a rich woman of inferior birth.

他那时候还是一个年轻的小伙子，正在埋头攻读法律；伊丽莎白发现他极其讨人喜欢，便进一步确定了讨他欢心的种种计划。他们邀请他到凯林奇府作客。那年余下的日子里，父女俩一直在讨论他，盼望着他的到来，但是他还是没有来。第二年春天，他们又在城里看到了他，他还是那样讨人喜欢，因此他们再次鼓励他，邀请他，盼望他，然而他还是没来。接着便传来消息，说他结婚了。他并没有让命运屈从于埃利奥特家为继承人定下的家规，而娶了一个出身低微的有钱女子，从而取得了独立自主的地位。

Sir Walter has resented it. As the head of the house, he felt that he ought to have been consulted, especially after taking the young man so publicly by the hand; "For they must have been seen together, " he observed, "once at Tattersall's, and twice in the lobby of the House of Commons. His disapprobation was expressed, but apparently very little regarded. Mr. Elliot had attempted no apology, and shewn himself as unsolicitous of being longer noticed by the family, as Sir Walter considered him unworthy of it: all acquaintance between them had ceased.

沃尔特爵士对此大为不快。作为一家之长，他认为这件事应该与他商量，尤其是他曾在公开场合牵过这位年轻人的手。 “因为人家一定已经见过我们俩人在一起，” 他说道， “一次在塔特索尔，两次在众议院的休息室里。” 他表示不赞成埃利奥特，但是人家显然没有把这件事放在心上。埃利奥特先生并不想赔礼道歉，对沃尔特家不再理睬他表现出一副无所谓的样子，而沃尔特爵士却认为他不值得受到关照：于是他们之间的所有交情都结束了。

This very awkward history of Mr. Elliot was still, after an interval of several years, felt with anger by Elizabeth, who had liked the man for himself, and still more for being her father's heir, and whose strong family pride could see only in him a proper match for Sir Walter Elliot's eldest daughter. There was not a baronet from A to Z whom her feelings could have so willingly acknowledged as an equal. Yet so miserably had he conducted himself, that though she was at this present time (the summer of 1814) wearing black ribbons for his wife, she could not admit him to be worth thinking of again. The disgrace of his first marriage might, perhaps, as there was no reason to suppose it perpetuated by offspring, have been got over, had he not done worse; but he had, as by the accustomary intervention of kind friends, they had been informed, spoken most disrespectfully of them all, most slightingly and contemptuously of the very blood he belonged to, and the honours which were hereafter to be his own. This could not be pardoned.

事隔几年，伊丽莎白想到与埃利奥特先生这件尴尬的往事仍然感到很气愤。本来她就喜欢埃利奥特这个人，但更重要的是他是父亲的继承人。她强烈的家族自豪感使她觉得只有他才能真正配得上沃尔特•埃利奥特爵士的大女儿。所有的准男爵中没有一个使她如此愿意承认能够与她匹配了。然而埃利奥特先生自己却表现得如此悲惨，虽然伊丽莎白眼下（一八一四年夏天）还在为了他的妻子戴黑纱，她却不能承认他值得别人再去理会他。要不是他做出了更糟糕的事情，或许他第一次婚姻的耻辱已经结束了，因为人们没有理由认为它会遗臭万年。但是，好心的朋友爱搬弄是非，告诉爵士父女说，埃利奥特先生曾经极失礼地议论过他们全家，并且对自己的血统和以后将得到的荣誉表示极大的轻蔑与鄙夷。这是不可原谅的。

Such were Elizabeth Elliot's sentiments and sensations; such the cares to alloy, the agitations to vary, the sameness and the elegance, the prosperity and the nothingness of her scene of life; such the feelings to give interest to a long, uneventful residence in one country circle, to fill the vacancies which there were no habits of utility abroad, no talents or accomplishments for home, to occupy.

这就是伊丽莎白的思绪与情感。这些就是她力求消除的烦恼，力求抑制的不安。这就是她高雅而单调、富裕而无聊的生活。她长时间平平淡淡地住在乡下这个圈子里，她关心的就是这样一些感情，用这些感情去填补空暇时间，因为她既没有到户外做公益活动的习惯，在家里又没有什么才能或手艺可以填补这样的空暇时间。

But now, another occupation and solicitude of mind was beginning to be added to these. Her father was growing distressed for money. She knew, that when he now took up the Baronetage, it was to drive the heavy bills of his tradespeople, and the unwelcome hints of Mr. Shepherd, his agent, from his thoughts. The Kellynch property was good, but not equal to Sir Walter's apprehension of the state required in its possessor. While Lady Elliot lived, there had been method, moderation, and economy, which had just kept him within his income; but with her had died all such right—mindedness, and from that period he had been constantly exceeding it. It had not been possible for him to spend less; he had done nothing but what Sir Walter Elliot was imperiously called on to do; but blameless as he was, he was not only growing dreadfully in debt, but was hearing of it so often, that it became vain to attempt concealing it longer, even partially, from his daughter. He had given her some hints of it the last spring in town; he had gone so far even as to say, "Can we retrench? Does it occur to you that there is any one article in which we can retrench? " and Elizabeth, to do her justice, had, in the first ardour of female alarm, set seriously to think what could be done, and had finally proposed these two branches of economy, to cut off some unnecessary charities, and to refrain from new furnishing the drawing—room; to which expedients she afterwards added the happy thought of their taking no present down to Anne, as had been the usual yearly custom. But these measures, however good in themselves, were insufficient for the real extent of the evil, the whole of which Sir Walter found himself obliged to confess to her soon afterwards. Elizabeth had nothing to propose of deeper efficacy. She felt herself ill—used and unfortunate, as did her father; and they were neither of them able to devise any means of lessening their expenses without compromising their dignity, or relinquishing their comforts in a way not to be borne.

可是目前，除了这一切，她又开始添加了另一桩心事和烦恼。她的父亲正越来越为钱财而苦恼。伊丽莎白知道，现在父亲要是拿起那本《准男爵录》，那是为了忘掉零售商的高额账单和代理人谢泼德先生讨厌的暗示。凯林奇府的财产是很可观的，但情况并不像沃尔特爵士这位主人想得那么好。埃利奥特夫人在世时，她持家有方，注意节俭，使得沃尔特爵士能做到量入为出。但是随着夫人的辞世，这一切明智之举都已经付诸东流了，从那时起，他就经常入不敷出了。他是不可能节省开销的，他所干的一切都是沃尔特•埃利奥特爵士的身份使然。但是尽管这种做法无可指摘，但他不仅负债累累，而且常常听到人们流言蜚语，因此他再向女儿隐瞒，哪怕只是部分隐瞒，那也是徒劳的。去年春天在城里的时候，他已经给过伊丽莎白一些暗示。他甚至把话说到这种地步： “我们能不能缩减一些开支？你有没有想到有哪些费用我们可以节省？” 说句公道话，伊丽莎白起初的确怀着女性常有的忐忑不安的心情，认真地考虑了应该怎么去做，然后提出了两项可节省的开支：一是减少一些不必要的施舍，二是控制住不再为客厅添置新家具。除了这些权宜之计以外，后来她又想出了妙点子，就是以后不再按照往年的惯例给安妮带礼物。然而，这些方法再好也不足以解决真正严重的困境。这不久以后，沃尔特爵士便发现他不得不把全部实情告诉伊丽莎白了。伊丽莎白也提不出更有效的方案了。她同她父亲一样，觉得自己受到了亏待，倒霉透顶。父女俩谁也想不出任何办法，既能节省开支，又能不伤体面，还不至于使他们以无法忍受的方式放弃舒适的生活。

There was only a small part of his estate that Sir Walter could dispose of; but had every acre been alienable, it would have made no difference. He had condescended to mortgage as far as he had the power, but he would never condescend to sell. No; he would never disgrace his name so far. The Kellynch estate should be transmitted whole and entire, as he had received it.

在沃尔特爵士掌握的地产之中，只有一小部分他可以自由处置。但是即使他可以转让所有的地产，也无济于事。他已尽力地把他所能抵押的都抵押一空，但是他决不肯纡尊降贵地变卖家产。不，他决不会如此玷污自己的名声的。凯林奇庄园是如何传给他的，他就要如何完完整整地传下去。

Their two confidential friends, Mr. Shepherd, who lived in the neighbouring market town, and Lady Russell, were called to advise them; and both father and daughter seemed to expect that something should be struck out by one or the other to remove their embarrassments and reduce their expenditure, without involving the loss of any indulgence of taste or pride.

他们的两位密友，一位是住在附近市镇上的谢泼德先生，一位是拉塞尔夫人，他们两位受邀请来帮忙出主意。父女俩似乎期望他们中的某一位能想出什么妙计，使他们既能摆脱困境和减少开支，又不至于失去体面与尊严。