We pass over the infinite variety of petty torments1, which our heroine contrived3 to inflict4 upon her fellow-travellers during her journey down to Devonshire. Inns, food, beds, carriage, horses, baggage, roads, prospect5, hill, dale, sun, wind, dust, rain, earth, air, fire, and water, all afforded her matter of complaint. It was astonishing that Emma discovered none of these inconveniences; but, as fast as they were complained of, she amused herself in trying to obviate7 them.
Lord Kames has observed, that a power to recall at will pleasing objects would be a more valuable gift to any mortal than ever was bestowed8 in a fairy tale. With this power Emma was endowed in the highest perfection; and as fast as our heroine recollected9 some evil that had happened, or was likely to happen, Emma raised the opposite idea of some good, past, present, or future; so that it was scarcely possible even for the spirit of contradiction personified to resist the magic of her good-humour.
No sooner did she arrive at her own house, than she contrived a variety of ways of showing attention and kindness to her guest; and when all this was received with sullen10 indifference11, or merely as tributes due to superiority, Emma was not discouraged in her benevolence12, but, instead of being offended, seemed to pity her friend for “having had her temper so unhappily spoiled.”
“Griselda is so handsome,” said Mrs. Granby one day, in her defence, “she has such talents — she has been so much admired, worshipped, and indulged — that it would be wonderful if she were not a little spoiled. I dare say that, if I had been in her place, my brain would never have stood the intoxication13. Who can measure their strength, or their weakness, till they are tried? Another thing should be considered; Griselda excites envy, and though she may not have more faults than her neighbours, they are more noticed, because they are in the full light of prosperity. What a number of motes14 swarm15 in a single ray of light, coming through the shutter16 of a darkened room! There are not more motes in that spot than in any other part of the room, but the sun-beams show them more distinctly. The dust that lives in snug17 obscurity should consider this, and have mercy upon its fellow dust.”
In Emma’s kindness there was none of the parade of goodness; she seemed to follow her natural disposition18; and, as Griselda once said of her, to be good because she could not help it. She required neither praise nor thanks for any thing that she did; and, provided her friends were happy, she was satisfied, without ever wishing to be admired as the cause of that happiness. Her powers of pleasing were chiefly remarkable19 for lasting20 longer than others, and the secret of their permanence was not easily guessed, because it was so simple. It depended merely on the equability of her humour. It is said, that there is nothing marvellous in the colours of those Egyptian monuments which have been the admiration21 of ages; the secret of their duration is supposed to depend simply on the fineness of the climate and invariability of the temperature. — But
“Griselda will admit no wandering muse6.”
Mrs. Bolingbroke was by this time tired of continuing in one mood, even though it was the sullen; and her genius was cramped22 by the constraint23 of affected24 submission25. She recovered her charming spirits soon after she came into the country, and for a short time no mortal mixture of earth’s mould could be more agreeable. She called forth26 every charm; she was all gaiety, wit, and smiles; she poured light and life upon conversation.
As the Marquis de Chastellux said of some fascinating fair one —“She had no expression without grace, and no grace without expression.” It was delightful27 to our heroine to hear it said, “How charming Mrs. Bolingbroke can be when she pleases; when she wishes to captivate, how irresistible28! — Who can equal Mrs. Bolingbroke when she is in one of her good days?”
The triumph of eclipsing Mrs. Granby would have been delightful, but that Emma seemed to feel no mortification29 from being thrown into the shade; she seemed to enjoy her friend’s success so sincerely, that it was impossible to consider her as a rival. She had so carefully avoided noticing any little disagreement or coolness between Mr. and Mrs. Bolingbroke, that it might have been doubted whether she attended to their mutual31 conduct; but the obvious delight she took in seeing them again on good terms with each other proved that she was not deficient32 in penetration33. She appeared to see only what others desired that she should see, upon these delicate occasions, where voluntary blindness is not artifice34, but prudence35. Mr. Bolingbroke was now enchanted36 with Griselda, and ready to exclaim every instant, “Be ever thus!”
Her husband thought he had found a mine of happiness; he began to breathe, and to bless his kind stars. He had indeed lighted unexpectedly upon a rich vein37, but it was soon exhausted38, and all his farther progress was impeded39 by certain vapours, dangerous to approach. Fatal sweets! which lure40 the ignorant to destruction, but from which the more experienced fly with precipitation. — Our heroine was now fully30 prepared to kill her husband with kindness; she was afraid, if he rode, that his horse would throw him; if he walked, that he would tire himself; if he sat still, that he must want exercise; if he went out, that he would catch cold; if he stayed at home, that he was kept a prisoner; if he did not eat, that he was sick; if he did eat, that he would be sick; —&c. &c. &c. &c. There was no end to these fond fears: he felt that there was something ridiculous in submitting to them; and yet to resist in the least was deemed the height of unkindness and ingratitude41. One night she fell into a fit of melancholy42, upon his laughing at her fears, that he should kill himself, by standing43 for an instant at an open window, on a fine night, to look at a beautiful rising moon. When he endeavoured to recover her from her melancholy, it was suddenly converted into anger, and, after tears, came a storm of reproaches. Her husband, in consideration of the kindness of her original intention, passed over her anger, and even for some days refrained from objecting to any regimen she prescribed for his health and happiness. But his forbearance failed him at length, and he presumed to eat some salad, which his wife “knew would disagree with him.” She was provoked afterwards, because she could not make him allow that it had made him ill. She termed this extreme obstinacy44; he pleaded that it was simple truth. Truth upon some occasions is the most offensive thing that can be spoken: the lady was enraged45, and, after saying every thing provoking that matrimonial spleen could suggest, when he in his turn grew warm, she cooled, and said, “You must be sensible, my dear, that all I say and do arises from affection.”
“Oh! my love,” said he, recovering his good-humour, “this never-failing opiate soothes46 my vanity, and lulls47 my anger; then you may govern me as you please. Torment2 me to death — I cannot oppose you.”
“I suppose,” said she, “you think me like the vampire-bat, who fans his victim to sleep with its wings, whilst she sucks its life-blood.”
“Yes, exactly,” said he, smiling: “thank you for the apt allusion48.”
“Very apt, indeed,” said she; and a thick gloom overspread her countenance49. She persisted in taking his assent50 in sober earnest. “Yes,” said she, “I find you think all my kindness is treacherous51. I will show you no more, and then you cannot accuse me of treachery.”
It was in vain that he protested he had been only in jest; she was convinced that he was in earnest; she was suddenly afflicted52 with an absolute incapacity of distinguishing jest from earnest. She recurred53 to the idea of the vampire-bat, whenever it was convenient to her to suppose that her husband thought strange things of her, which never entered his brain. This bat proved to him a bird of ill omen54, which preceded a train of misfortunes, that no mortal foresight55 could reach, and no human prudence avert56. His goddess was not to be appeased57 by any propitiatory58 or expiatory59 sacrifice.
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1
torments
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| （肉体或精神上的）折磨，痛苦( torment的名词复数 )； 造成痛苦的事物[人] | |
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torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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inflict
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| vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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muse
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| n.缪斯（希腊神话中的女神），创作灵感 | |
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7
obviate
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| v.除去，排除，避免，预防 | |
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8
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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recollected
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| adj.冷静的；镇定的；被回忆起的；沉思默想的v.记起，想起( recollect的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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benevolence
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| n.慈悲，捐助 | |
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intoxication
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| n.wild excitement;drunkenness；poisoning | |
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motes
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| n.尘埃( mote的名词复数 )；斑点 | |
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15
swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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16
shutter
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| n.百叶窗；(照相机)快门；关闭装置 | |
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17
snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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18
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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cramped
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| a.狭窄的 | |
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constraint
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| n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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submission
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| n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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28
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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29
mortification
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| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
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30
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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deficient
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| adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的 | |
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33
penetration
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| n.穿透，穿人，渗透 | |
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34
artifice
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| n.妙计，高明的手段；狡诈，诡计 | |
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prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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36
enchanted
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| adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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37
vein
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| n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络 | |
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38
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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39
impeded
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| 阻碍，妨碍，阻止( impede的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40
lure
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| n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引 | |
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41
ingratitude
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| n.忘恩负义 | |
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42
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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43
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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44
obstinacy
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| n.顽固；（病痛等）难治 | |
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45
enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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46
soothes
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| v.安慰( soothe的第三人称单数 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦 | |
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47
lulls
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| n.间歇期（lull的复数形式）vt.使镇静，使安静（lull的第三人称单数形式） | |
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48
allusion
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| n.暗示，间接提示 | |
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49
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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50
assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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51
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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52
afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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53
recurred
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| 再发生，复发( recur的过去式和过去分词 )； 治愈 | |
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54
omen
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| n.征兆，预兆；vt.预示 | |
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55
foresight
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| n.先见之明，深谋远虑 | |
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56
avert
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| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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57
appeased
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| 安抚，抚慰( appease的过去式和过去分词 )； 绥靖（满足另一国的要求以避免战争） | |
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58
propitiatory
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| adj.劝解的；抚慰的；谋求好感的；哄人息怒的 | |
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59
expiatory
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| adj.赎罪的，补偿的 | |
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