BARTON PARK was about half a mile from the cottage. The ladies had passed near it in their way along the valley, but it was screened from their view at home by the projection1 of a hill. The house was large and handsome; and the Middletons lived in a style of equal hospitality and elegance2. The former was for Sir John's gratification, the latter for that of his lady. There were scarcely ever without some friends staying with them in the house, and they kept more company of every kind than any other family in the neighbourhood. It was necessary to the happiness of both; for however dissimilar in temper and outward behaviour, they strongly resembled each other in that total want of talent and taste which confined their employments, unconnected with such as society produced, within a very pass. Sir John was a sportsman, Lady Middleton a mother. He hunted and shot, and she humoured her children; and these were their only resources. Lady Middleton had the advantage of being able to spoil her children all the year round, while Sir John's independent employments were in existence only half the time. Continual engagements at home and abroad, however, supplied all the deficiencies of nature and education; supported the good spirits of Sir John, and gave exercise to the good breeding of his wife.
Lady Middleton piqued3 herself upon the elegance of her table, and of all her domestic arrangements; and from this kind of vanity was her greatest enjoyment4 in any of their parties. But Sir John's satisfaction in society was much more real; he delighted in collecting about him more young people than his house would hold, and the noisier they were the better was he pleased. He was a blessing5 to all the juvenile6 part of the neighbourhood; for in summer he was for ever forming parties to eat cold ham and chicken out of doors, and in winter his private balls were numerous enough for any young lady who was not suffering under the unsatiable appetite of fifteen. The arrival of a new family in the country was always a matter of joy to him; and in every point of view he was charmed with the inhabitants he had now procured7 for his cottage at Barton. The Misses Dashwood were young, pretty, and unaffected. It was enough to secure his good opinion; for to be unaffected was all that a pretty girl could want to make her mind as captivating as her person. The friendliness8 of his disposition9 made him happy in accommodating those, whose situation might be considered, in comparison with the past, as unfortunate. In showing kindness to his cousins, therefore, he had the real satisfaction of a good heart; and in settling a family of females only in his cottage, he had all the satisfaction of a sportsman; for a sportsman, though he esteems10 only those of his sex who are sportsmen likewise, is not often desirous of encouraging their taste by admitting them to a residence within his own manor11. Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters were met at the door of the house by Sir John, who welcomed them to Barton Park with unaffected sincerity12; and as he attended them to the drawingroom repeated to the young ladies the concern which the same subject had drawn13 from him the day before, at being unable to get any smart young men to meet them. They would see, he said, only one gentleman there besides himself; a particular friend who was staying at the Park
, but who was neither very young nor very gay. He hoped they would all excuse the smallness of the party, and could assure them it should never happen so again. He had been to several families that morning, in hopes of procuring14 some addition to their number, but it was moonlight, and every body was full of engagements. Luckily Lady Middleton's mother had arrived at Barton within the last hour; and as she was a very cheerful, agreeable woman, be hoped the young ladies would not find it so very dull as they might imagine. The young ladies, as well as their mother, were perfectly15 satisfied with having two entire strangers of the party, and wished for no more. Mrs. Jennings, Lady Middleton's mother, was a good-humoured, merry, fat, elderly woman, who talked a great deal, seemed very happy, and rather vulgar. She was full of jokes and laughter, and before dinner was over, had said many witty16 things on the subject of lovers and husbands; hoped they had not left their hearts behind them in Sussex, and pretended to see them blush whether they did or not. Marianne was vexed17 at it for her sister's sake, and turned her eyes towards Elinor to see how she bore these attacks, with an earnestness which gave Elinor far more pain than could arise from such common-place raillery as Mrs. Jennings's.
Colonel Brandon, the friend of Sir John, seemed no more adapted by resemblance of manner to be his friend, than Lady Middleton was to be his wife, or Mrs. Jennings to be Lady Middleton's mother. He was silent and grave. His appearance, however, was not unpleasing, in spite of his being, in the opinion of Marianne and Margaret, an absolute old bachelor, for he was on the wrong side of five-and-thirty; but though his face was not handsome, his countenance18 was sensible, and his address was particularly gentlemanlike. There was nothing in any of the party which could recommend them as companions to the Dashwoods; but the cold insipidity19 of Lady Middleton was so particularly repulsive20, that in comparison of it the gravity of Colonel Brandon, and even the boisterous21 mirth of Sir John and his mother-in-law, was interesting. Lady Middleton seemed to be roused to enjoyment only by the entrance of her four noisy children after dinner, who pulled her about, tore her clothes, and put an end to every kind of discourse22 except what related to themselves. In the evening, as Marianne was discovered to be musical, she was invited to play. The instrument was unlocked, every body prepared to be charmed, and Marianne, who sang very well, at their request went through the chief of the songs which Lady Middleton had brought into the family on her marriage, and which, perhaps, had lain ever since in the same position on the piano-forte; for or ladyship had celebrated23 that event by giving up music, although, by her mother's account, she had played extremely well, and by her own was very fond of it.
Marianne's performance was highly applauded. Sir John was loud in his admiration24 at the end of every song, and as loud in his conversation with the others while every song lasted. Lady Middleton frequently called him to order, wondered how any one's attention could be diverted from music for a moment, and asked Marianne to sing a particular song which Marianne had just finished. Colonel Brandon alone, of all the party, heard her without being in raptures25. He paid her only the compliment of attention; and she felt a respect for him on the occasion, which the others had reasonably forfeited26 by their shameless want of taste. His pleasure in music, though it amounted not to that ecstatic delight which alone could sympathise with her own, was estimable when contrasted against the horrible insensibility of the others; and she was reasonable enough to allow that a man of five-and-thirty might well have outlived all acuteness of feeling, and every exquisite27 power of enjoyment. She was perfectly disposed to make every allowance for the colonel's advanced state of life which humanity required.
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projection
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| n.发射，计划，突出部分 | |
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elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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piqued
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| v.伤害…的自尊心( pique的过去式和过去分词 )；激起（好奇心） | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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juvenile
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| n.青少年，少年读物；adj.青少年的，幼稚的 | |
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procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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friendliness
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| n.友谊，亲切，亲密 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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esteems
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| n.尊敬，好评( esteem的名词复数 )v.尊敬( esteem的第三人称单数 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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manor
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| n.庄园，领地 | |
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sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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procuring
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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witty
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| adj.机智的，风趣的 | |
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vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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insipidity
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| n.枯燥无味，清淡，无精神；无生气状 | |
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repulsive
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| adj.排斥的，使人反感的 | |
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boisterous
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| adj.喧闹的，欢闹的 | |
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discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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25
raptures
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| 极度欢喜( rapture的名词复数 ) | |
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26
forfeited
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| （因违反协议、犯规、受罚等）丧失，失去( forfeit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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