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網誌日期:2008-11-25 14:22

再和大家分享好文章。今次的是小說《Sense and Sensibility》中賤男 Willoughby 給女主角那封冷血的分手信。

話說賤男跟女主角在家鄉相戀,有天男的要到倫敦工幹,短期內不會回來;女的唯有承諾等他,更剪下一束頭髮,給他留念。後來她千里迢迢跑到倫敦,想和他重聚,找了良久,最後在舞會中碰上了,但男的竟然對她毫不理會,只顧和身邊的女伴談笑。女的傷痛欲絕,寫信跟他攤牌。信中第一句就說:

What am I to imagine, Willoughby, by your behaviour last night? I demand an explanation of it.

末段更表示「如果你不愛我了,請交還我給你的那束頭髮」:

If your sentiments are no longer what they were, you will return my notes, and the lock of my hair which is in your possession.

幾天後,苦命的女主角收到這樣的回信:

My Dear Madam,

I have just had the honour of receiving your letter, for which I beg to return my sincere acknowledgements. I am much concerned to find there was anything in my behaviour last night that did not meet your approbation; and though I am quite at a loss to discover in what point I could be so unfortunate as to offend you, I entreat your forgiveness [...]. My esteem for your whole family is very sincere; but if I have been so unfortunate as to give rise to a belief of more than I felt, or meant to express, I shall reproach myself for not having been more guarded in my professions of that esteem. [...] It is with great regret that I obey your commands of returning the letters, with which I have been honoured from you, and the lock of hair, which you so obligingly bestowed on me.

I am, dear Madam, Your most obedient humble Servant,

John Willoughby.

整篇意思大約是:「我跟你從來沒有甚麼關係,是你自作多情了。」

最要命的是信中措詞。信中用字極度謙卑有禮,卻同時冷酷得教人不寒而慄。這些字句,像寫給陌生人的公函多於像寫給舊愛的信:

had the honour of receiving your letter

beg to return my sincere acknowledgements

anything in my behaviour... that did not meet your approbation

at a loss to discover in what point I could be so unfortunate as to offend you

措詞愈有禮,愈教人心寒。

賤男更把責任都推在「自作多情」的女主角身上,這同樣以委婉的言詞道出:

if I have been so unfortunate as to give rise to a belief of more than I felt, I shall reproach myself for not having been more guarded in my professions of that esteem.

大意是:「假如我對你表現得太友善而引起誤會,我深感遺憾。」

讀到這裡,只想爆粗,同時不得不由衷佩服賤男的文筆。

蕭愷一

註:《Sense and Sensibility》中譯為《理智與感情》,作者是十九世紀初期英國作家 Jane Austen,她最為大家熟識的作品該是《Pride and Prejudice》(傲慢與偏見)。Austen 也是我很喜歡的作家。

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  • 檢舉

    astonaudi 2009-07-31 15:46

    我想, 第二段第一行的"工幹"是錯字, 應為"公幹"
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    hilda 2009-07-11 21:34

    Pride and Prejudice周街都係呢~不過Sense and Sensibility真係好少見噢,我未睇過,好羨慕你咁勁睇原著!!!我唔夠lev
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    my melody 2008-12-15 21:17

    查字典查到傻都唔係問題, 最怕就係查咗字典之後, 都好似未解得通.  
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    Coo 2008-12-14 11:41

    Do you know what's Christmas Tomato?

    http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/kuusel/article?mid=69
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    三蕃薯 2008-12-05 17:19

    哈哈! Jane Austen的全集我終于係幾個月前買到啦! 12蚊加幣,抵!

    P.S.: 好耐無見啦,蕭叔叔。 最近如何啊?

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    ah-yo 2008-12-04 19:14

    喂蕭愷一我們可組織珍姐粉絲會啊.....

    (其實我不太喜歡S&S,但很寫實倒是真的....不認賬的賤男, 哪個世代都有...)

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    小刀 2008-12-04 13:19

    Willoughby扮陌生人真係最不要得的,寧願狠狠的對女仔說我不愛你好過

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    熊貓 2008-12-03 20:10

    女主角一定好傷心喇,分手啫,唔洗咁hurt人呀

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    內科阿四 2008-12-02 22:48

    Siu Sir, 真係奇ar, 分手信唔係咁寫, 應該點寫? 我係 Willoughby, 都驚Marianne發爛渣. 對唔住ar. 分手信, 我都寫過, 都係咁寫kar. Marianne係咪蠢咗啲ar? Willoughby影都唔見, 咪即係對佢say no囉.我又唔明喎, Marianne如果真係鐘意Willoughby, 見佢係個ball度玩得咁happy, 應該開心格.跟住應該拔腳走人囉. Marianne啲頭髮咁長, 仲問Willoughby 攞咩頭髮ar? 分明係揾嘢嚟做....真係唔明ar. 究竟係我in得濟, 定呢個古仔out得濟. 我係網上面睇咗免費ke chapter one, 雖然它啲英文好, 但真係頂唔順, 睇唔落去ar.

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    Meltyp 2008-12-02 10:22

    sdf
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    Meltyp 2008-12-02 10:21

    I wanna ask this question for a long long time

    it is alright to say "Siu Sir"? Or can we only say "Mr. Siu"?

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    rice 2008-12-02 09:39

    Siu Sir, 点解甘多英文单词入边A 、I等可以发两个音 [i]  同[ə] ,例如:definite中间的I,字典里标这个音可以发 [i] 或[ə] ?为什么英语会有这种情况?

    又点解同一个词又可以发长短音,例如:orchard, 前面的音可以发长,又可以发短音。

    如果我系字典见到同一个词条,有多个读音,点算?

    音标前的KK同DJ又系咩意思?

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    和楓 2008-12-01 19:16

    蕭老師保重身子 謝謝你既分享 和楓會繼續學習著
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    骷髏會 2008-12-01 12:27

    做賤男都要有好文筆
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    Joe 2008-12-01 00:59

    Another great entry!

    I found a typo here. Siu, you must be really tired.. ~~
    obingingly --> obligingly
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    啊乖 2008-11-30 13:45

    謝謝教導!!
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    elmo 2008-11-29 20:47

    我想问下大家学习噶动力系咩。。。

    因为我e+已经无晒方向感同动力了。。。

    特别想问下siu sir噶动力系咩?

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    Bboykevin 2008-11-29 11:40

    Siu Sir. 我一直都有留意你個blog ,都開始跟你既suggestion 咁去學eng .
    我想問,其實我比較喜歡 American Eng,我依家就睇Friends 學緊.

    我想問下你仲有咩suggestion 去學Am eng 
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    alexw517 2008-11-29 00:00

    HELP!!!

    does anyone here know "你自己問他" is

    "you ask him yourself" or "you ask him for yourself" ar?

     

     

     

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    maren 2008-11-28 13:31

    幾時搞jane austen書會...?
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    小豆腐 2008-11-27 21:52

    希望蕭Sir講下奧巴馬勝利宣言的其中一段..
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    平平無奇 2008-11-27 00:03

    jane austen~~ 我睇過pride and prejudice好多次… 一直都想睇sense and sensibility… 係時候睇番d書…
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    pangpang 2008-11-26 23:55

    Willoughby is perhaps the personification of what's sometimes so offensive of the class-ridden England.  He manages to be profoundly cruel and insulting yet appears exceedingly polite and cordial all at the same time.  An all around gentleman indeed.
  • 這是私人回應
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    Isabel 2008-11-26 22:32

    Siu sir,

    有時間可以教我們讀番正d名牌e.g. Zara (I have listen someone say 'Zera' or 'Zara', which one is correct? ..Chevigon..LV.....
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    匿名 2008-11-26 22:02

    蕭sir~~~~~~~~~~~~

     

    好多謝你曾來過支持我呀~到我出書啦!!

     

    新書<口罩背後>(天地圖書天馬文化)快將於各大書局有售!! (約兩星期後~日期待定!我會再給你通知呢!)

     

    希望不會令你失望!

     

    請多多支持~有空也給我宣傳一下啊!! =P

     

    來~先看看封面吧~~

     

    http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/hidden-identity

     

    小小匿名~

     

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    斬雲割風 2008-11-26 21:39

    有啲字查字典都查唔到...O咀...

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    朱小骨 2008-11-26 21:28

    雖然 Jane Austen 是我喜愛的作者, 但個人較為喜歡 <Emma> 多一點...

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    迷迭香 2008-11-26 21:17

    作者是女的,那跟男人沒關吧?
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    RETAW 2008-11-26 21:13

    如果我能夠寫到這樣的信 真係死而無憾
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    2008-11-26 20:00

    PS:有機會再跟大家談上廁所的委婉說法
    幾時有chance ,you can teach new swear words
    except  piss ,fuck, shit, crap,bitch ,asshole

    learn more swear words, it seems like more native, i thought
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    JacQuelinE* 2008-11-26 19:46

    o, i liked pride and prejudice alot 
    thanks for the introduction
    this letter do seem very interesting
    now i should go and find this book

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    港產"不比凸" 2008-11-26 17:44

    Sir Siu, will you write the similar thing?
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    sam 2008-11-26 15:44

    She is really great ^^
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    Hiya 2008-11-26 12:31

    想請教你Immediately Available還是Immediate Available正確?

    同意你所言:"措詞愈有禮,愈教人心寒"! 

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    かってに‧J 2008-11-26 12:06

    呢次好深(我承認我英文能力唔好)要慢慢睇先得.....(悲)
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    The Teacher 2008-11-26 11:27

    Siu, you don't really want your students to write like that, do you? 

     

    On describing Willoughby, don't you think 賤男 is a bit strong?  I thought the last scene of the ladies' wedding showing him looking on mournfully from a distance confirmed that his feelings for Marianne was sincere, no?

  • 這是私人回應
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    debug 假 2008-11-26 10:34

    Hi, I found a typo. Should it be possession instead of posession?

    I have started to enhance my English by reading fictions and watching movies a few months ago. I found that I am able to read, listen and understand most of the short sentences. But, when the sentences became longer and longer, I found that I am not able to handle them.

    Further more, I found that most fictions have a lot of vocabulary that I need to pause my reading and go to the dictionary. I was so frustrated.

    Do you have any suggestion? I suggested to create a category about the suggestion of book/movie for different level of readers. The blog reader may suggest the books they read in the category.




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    2008-11-26 10:13

    多謝教導
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    Lai 2008-11-26 09:22

    BTW, I believe Mansfield Park was her best book, though P&P is a sentimental favorite of mine.

    Emma -- a good romantic "mystery" if you catch my drift.

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    Lai 2008-11-26 09:20

    That was my very humble attempt at 影評. 多多指教
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    Lai 2008-11-26 09:18

    >兩個女人,被心愛的男人甩掉,才喜歡上本來毫不喜歡的男人。

    Not quite. Elinor got her man in the end.

    >Keira Knightley 那套 Pride and Prejudice

    My review of all P&P movies:

    If you are looking for a faithful P&P rendition, you will come away disappointed. The heroine is too pert, the hero too plain, the climax too short, and the ending too rushed. The last thirty minutes is a mad dash towards the finishing lines -- "Mrs. Darcy" (sealed with kisses --not in the book either!).

    But if you expect a rather modern interpretation of the tale, the movie is more than acceptable. Though some dialogues sound like a hasty cut-and-paste job by the sreenwriter, the cinematographer lets the scenes speak for the missing dialogues, and captures a humor not conveyed in the other versions. The director transposes the famous scenes to new settings, and this movie's different look saves it from unfavorable comparisons to the BBC editions. Smart move.

    Of all four P&P's, Matthew MacFadyen is probably the least convincing Darcy. David Rintoul (1985 BBC version) is still unparalleled with his perfect display of reserved dignity. Haven't found a perfect Lizzy yet. Those who look the part become too pert, and those who aren't pert (like Jennifer Ehle) don't look the part at all. Keira Knightley does a respectable job considering her previous role. From bounty hunting to husband hunting: who will be her next prey?

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    yanyan 2008-11-26 06:50

    Hi siu sir,

    多謝你係我個facebook留comment(我叫janice wing yan chan)

    jane austen好似係southampton人,我前個月去就見到有講,應該有佢的故居

    ^^依家我係portsmouth呀(好近southampton),好可惜唔可以係英國見到你!!

    英文grammar我就唔好,亦都唔係好鐘意睇愛情小說,我只係睇過一本塊肉餘生(hard times??唔知係唔係), charles dickens,好好睇呀,佢係portsmouth人,遲d我都會去佢故居睇下hehe^^

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    陳敬創 chong chan 2008-11-26 02:27

    had the honour of receiving your letter!!!

    yes! its really bad!

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    Coolbe 2008-11-26 00:52

    Siu sir ,我搵唔到你那篇講 welcome to wi - fi 文法有錯的網誌
    另外期待擺脫港式英文 " Excuse me"  ge 下集~
  • 這是私人回應
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    小孩子 2008-11-25 22:07

    書就沒看過, 電影就有... 講三姐妹的愛情故事, 原本以為會悶到抽根, 但是睇完又覺幾好睇....
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    蕭愷一2008-11-25 22:42

    電影當然有電影的好,就像幾年前 Keira Knightley 那套 Pride and Prejudice 就超好看。但只看戲而不讀原著實在太可惜了,正如看三國電視劇而不讀原著,很沒意思。

     

    而且 Jane Austen 幽默諷剌的筆觸,電影是拍不到的。例如 Pride and Prejudice 中談女主角父母的一段:

     

    Mr Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Her mind was less difficult to develop. She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.

     

    電影能用聲音和影像表現阿 Bennet 太的膚淺性格,但單用文字去描繪,別有一番風味。

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    晴仔 2008-11-25 21:56

    有很久沒有更新了,thanks

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    蕭愷一2008-11-25 22:43

    對,近來忙爆,不好意思呢。
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    晴仔 2008-11-25 21:56

    有很久沒有更新了,thanks

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