有声名著之理智与情感 01（在线收听）

Sense and Sensibility

Chapter 1

The Dashwood Family had long been settled in Sussex, in southeastern England. They lived in a grand home at Norlan Park and owned quite a bit land. The Dashwood was a quite respectable family that had lived on the land for generations. Who owned this land was a single man who had lived alone for many years with his sister. But after she died, nearly ten years before he did. He often invited his nephew Henry Dashwood to live with him. The old man decided that upon his death, he will give the nephew the land and his great home but told him that he must give the land and home to his son upon his own death. The old man leaved quite happily and grew to love his nephew and his wife duely as they treated him quite well with love and respect. Mr Henry Dashwood had one son with this wife before she died, after some time he married a kind woman and they had three daughters. The son, a calm and respectable young man had great fortune that was given to him by his mother. His own wife as well was a quite wealthy woman. So receiving the land at Norlan Park was not great addition to his wealthy fortune. His half sisters, however, had very little fortune for themselves as his father had little more than the land that he owned before he gived the land to his son. Their mother as well had no fortune to offer the girls, either. Just before Mr. Henry Dashwood died, he requested his son John Dashwood promise him to take care of his new mother and his half-sisters. The son then decided to give a present of 1000 pounds to each his sister. He was now receiving 4000 pounds a year from the land he would soon receive in addition to his present income. Besides the remaining half of his wn mother's fortune. This idea made him feel lots generous to his half-sisters. "Yes, I will give them 3000 pounds and it will be generous and handsome and it will give them freedom from money worries. 3000 pounds! I can't allow myself to give them such great amount although it will cause me a bit of convenience." He thought to himself. He thought with pride in his generous decision to give his sisters 3000 pounds and he did not regret that decision. Soon after his father's funeral was over, young Mr. John Dashwood, along his wife and child arrived at Norlan Park and announced to Mrs. Dashwood and her three daughters that they would be moving in. The young couple told their mother and daughters that the four would allowed to stay at Norland Park until they were able to find a new home of their own. The mother-in-law and her daughters were quite upset with Mrs.John Dashwood's impolite behaviors. The home, indeed, now belonged to her and her husband after Mr. Henry's death. But the mother -in-law was quite upset with the such inappropriate and unfeeling behaviors towards them who had just lost their father and her husband. Her hunsband's family never liked Mrs. John Dashwood because she was always cold and bitter towards them and didn't ask any worthen their opinions of her.The emotional mother didn't stand the inappropriate behaviors of her and wished to leave immediately. However, her oldest daughter Elinor explained calmly that they had not yet to leave because they had no other home to move to. She told her mother that they should begin looking for another home immediately indeed but must wait till they find a appropriate hom near Norlan Park of course. Her mother then agreed to remain with her disliked daughter-in-law as she cared so deeply her three daughters and their happiness. Elinor, the oldest daughter who had persuaded her mother remaining home for a short time had a calm character that guide her spirit. She was quite resonable and mature at the age of 19. For this reason, she was able to give her mother such advice and be respected. But the mother was quite different with her first child and she was passionate and unexpected just as her second daughter was as well. Elinor had an excellent heart and strong feelings but she knew how to handle these passions better then her mother and sisters. Her mother had not yet learnt this and her younger sister did not wish to learn. Marianne, the second daughter had excellent abilities just as Elinor did. She was clever but too eager in all her emotions. Her sadness and happiness were both extream. She was generous, friendly and interesting but never sensible or careful. She was quite like her mother. Elinor noticed her sister's extream sensibility with a great deal of cencern. To their mother, however, Marianne's sensibility and strong emotion were appriciated. Marinne and her mother encouraged each other in their passions and feelings. They experienced their loss of their father and home with sadness and emotion. Elinor. too, was deeply hurt bur she could manage her pain in a much more modest way. She could speak with her brother about business matters and greet her sister-in-law without being impolite. Margret, the youngest sister, was a friendly girl but watch over her elder sister Marianne carefully and grew to have strong emotions as well although she was only 13 and had much to learn.