《傲慢與偏見》中“教養”的作用

摘 要：《傲慢與偏見》是一部偉大的巨著，它極大程度地影響了英國的文學發展。之前已有許多關于此小說的評論與剖析，本文試圖從“教養”這一角度分析主人公達西與伊麗莎白的愛情與婚姻關系。作為評價一個人社會地位標志的“教養”一詞無論在十八世紀的英國社會還是小說中都起著舉足輕重的地位，也正是“教養”彌補了達西與伊麗莎白的經濟地位差異，最終導致二人陷入愛河的。所以通過本文可以讓讀者更加深刻體會到它的作用。

關鍵詞：教養 婚姻

在小說《傲慢與偏見》中，作者深刻闡述了婚姻與金錢的關系。通過作者的描述我們都知道如果一位女士想要嫁給一個條件優越的男士，她就要有豐厚的嫁妝。所以我們不得不承認婚姻是奠定在財產之上的。那么是什么導致沒有任何嫁妝的伊麗莎白卻嫁給了有錢的達西的呢？那應該是“教養”的作用。

小說的作者簡·奧斯汀曾描述婚姻是一種在禮節“外衣”之下的利益關系。那么如何解釋達西與伊麗莎白之間不平等的婚姻關系呢？在小說的開始部分作者設定了一系列的障礙阻止男女主人公感情的順利發展，比如：達西傲慢地拒絕與伊麗莎白跳舞，而伊麗莎白也同時對他產生了偏見。而且達西很早就意識到伊麗莎白的庸俗社會關系會帶來的麻煩：“But it must lessen their chance of marring men of any good consideration in the world.”也許連達西自己也沒有想到會和自己鄙視并嘲笑的女士最終掉入愛河吧。那到底是什么將二人聯系在一起呢？在我們回答這個問題之前，我們應該先聊一聊“教養”。

在英語中“教養”這個單詞包含很多含義：行為，品位，談吐，禮貌和待人接物的方式等等。(Post E.L：16)總的來說，我們可以將其定義為一個人的文化和禮貌行為總和。在簡·奧斯汀生活的社會，教養對一個人的一生都起著非常重要的作用。十八世紀末期的偉大政治家與思想家艾德蒙·勃克曾說過：“Manners is more important than the laws ...they push the morals，produce the morals or even destroy the morals by its own ability.”(Edmond ：150) 在簡·奧斯汀的年代存在著一種“地位小說”，將重點放在了行為與教養上。這類重點從教養角度描述人物。事實上奧斯汀的小說正是屬于這一類范疇。比如說她從來不對小說中的人物作任何的道德評價，而是從他們的行為上做文章。在小說《傲慢與偏見》中“教養”這一個單詞竟出現一百三十次之多。這種高頻率的出現并非偶然，而正是通過教養這一概念將小說中的人物分成了兩種：一類是有良好教養，另一類是沒有的。在小說中很多的細節方面我們都能感受到它們的不同，比如說女士們在窗前不同的行為舉動。當伊麗莎白看見達西帶著他妹妹來拜訪她時，“She retreated from the window fearful of being seen”。我們都知道對于伊麗莎白這樣一個所謂幽雅家庭長大的女兒從敞開的窗戶前向外張望是非常不合禮儀的。但相反的是伊麗莎白的姨媽菲力普太太卻作出了不同行為：“throwing up the parlor window and loudly seconding the invitation”。從這一細節我們可以總結出她是一個缺乏教養的女人，從此我們也明白為什么達西還有賓格萊小姐認為簡和伊麗莎白不能嫁給一個條件優越的男人了。從以下的對話中，我們可以得知：“I have an excessive regard for Jane Bennet，she is really a very sweet girl，and I wish with all my heart she were well settled. But with such a father and mother，and such low connections，I am afraid there is no chance of it.”“I think I have heard you say that their uncle is an attorney in Mercyton.” “Yes；and they have another，who live somewhere near cheap side.” “That is capital，”added her sister，and they both laughed heartily. 作者奧斯汀告知我們行為、禮貌和教養甚至在真實生活中都非常的重要。比如小說中簡曾一度失去賓格萊先生的愛慕，而這正是源于“Jane’s disappointment had in fact been the works of her nearest relations”。我們在小說的第十八章能夠深刻的體會這一點，“her mother (Mrs. Bennetr) was talking to that one person (lady Lucas) freely，openly，and of nothing else but of her expectation that Jane would be soon married to Mr.Bingley，——It was an animating subject，and Mrs.Bennet seemed incapable of fatigue while enumerating the advantages of the match. His being such a charming young man，and so rich，and living but three miles from them，were the first points of self- gratulation；and then it was such a comfort to think how fond the two sisters were of Jane，and to be certain that they must desire the connection as much as she could do. It was，moreover，such a promising thing for that her young daughters，as Jane’s marrying greatly must throw them in the way of rich men；and lastly it was so pleasant at her time of life to be able to consign her single daughter that might not be obliged to go into company more than she liked.”單憑簡的母親到處宣揚她女兒這門親事的好處就足可以讓賓格萊先生對簡退避三舍了。因此從這一細節處我們可以得知正是博耐特太太的不當行為曾一度摧毀了她女兒的幸福。當人們注重他們的行為時就會影響現實的生活。這一點不僅在小說中表露無疑，甚至在作者簡·奧斯汀所生活的年代也起著不可忽視的作用。正是通過對小說的閱讀才讓我們重新回到了那個十八世紀的英國。

“It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in want of a wife.”每個讀者對這句小說開頭的經典句記憶深刻，而在作者簡·奧斯汀現實生活中也確實影響她的一生。作為一個牧師的女兒，簡·奧斯汀深知沒有多少嫁妝的她是沒有辦法在自己的生活圈中找到一個理想的丈夫的。(Helen：2) 在小說《傲慢與偏見》中，達西和伊麗莎白克服了兩人中間的經濟地位差異最終結成眷屬，這其中教養起了非常重要的作用。在下面的闡述中讓我們具體分析在兩人關系發展過程中教養所起的作用。首先，當他們在小說的最開始部分的舞會中見面后，達西拒絕邀請伊麗莎白跳舞，并說道：“she is tolerable；but not handsome enough to tempt me；and I’m in no humor at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men.”同時正是由于這些不合適的話導致伊麗莎白對他產生了偏見。因此教養首先讓兩人彼此產生了傲慢與偏見。其后也正是教養使兩個人重新走到一起。當伊麗莎白和舅舅與舅媽一起出游，她和達西在班博里相遇。也在此時，達西得知她的舅舅嘉丁納先生是倫敦的一位商人，而舅媽亦是有著良好教養的女士。我們可以在以下的段落中得知：Mrs. Gardiner was standing a little behind；and on her passing，and he asked her if she would do him the honor of introducing him to her friends. This was a stroke of caviling for which she was quite unprepared；and she could hardly suppress a smile at his being now seeking the acquaintance of some of those very people against whom his pride had revolted in his offer to herself，“what will be his surprise，”though she，“when he knows who they are! He takes them now for people of fashion.”

The introduction，however，was immediately made；and as she named their relationship to herself，she stole a sly look at him to see how he bore it；and was not without the expectation of his decamping as fast as he could from such disgraceful companions. That he was surprised by the connection was evident；he sustained it however with fortitude，and so far from going away，turned back with them and entered into conversation with Mr. Gardiner. Elizabeth could not but be pleased，could not but triumph. It was consoling that he should know she had some relations for whom there was no need to blush. She listened most attentively to all that passed between them，and glorified in every expression，every sentence of her uncle，which marked his intelligence，his taste or his good manners.從這一細節中我們可以看出伊麗莎白的舅舅和舅媽都很有教養的人，而這點無疑更增加了達西對她的愛慕并且改變了達西對她家人的態度。雖然博耐特太太是一個缺少教養的女人，而且“her mind was less difficult to develop. She was a woman of mean understanding，little information，and uncertain temper，when she was discounted she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married；its solace was visiting and news.”但是達西的姨媽凱瑟琳女士也是非常的自大無理。在小說的第56章中為了盡力阻擋她外甥達西的婚姻，她對伊麗莎白說了很多不禮貌的話語：“Not so hasty，if you please. I have by no means done. To all the objections I have already urged，I have still another to add. I am no stranger to the particulars of your youngest sister’s elopement. I know it all；that the young man’s marrying her was a patched-up business，at the expense of your father and uncles. And is such a girl to be my nephew’s sister? Is her husband；is the son of his late father’s steward，to be his brother? Heaven and earth! -Of what are you thinking? Are the shades of Pemberley to be thus polluted?”而伊麗莎白小妹妹麗迪亞和韋翰私奔的丑聞也等同于達西妹妹喬芝亞曾經差點被同一個人欺騙私奔。因此兩個愛人之間關于他們親屬的教養問題是扯平了。二人之間的障礙被消除，取代的是在班博里建立的新戀愛關系。在小說中我們也可以觀察到達西的變化，因為在他第一次向伊麗莎白求婚被拒絕，他才真正意識到自身的傲慢自大，然而在班博里與伊麗莎白再次相遇時他的禮貌謙和舉止完全和第一次的舞會判若兩人。這也使伊麗莎白興奮不已。同時她也意識到自己與達西有著共同的興趣、思維方式和感情。當她的姐姐簡問她是何時愛上達西的，她回答：“But I believe I must date it from my first seeing his beautiful grounds at Pemberley.”乍一看這句話好象感覺伊麗莎白愛上達西是因為他的豐厚財產和那漂亮莊園，因此她的姐姐簡讓她嚴肅點。實際上這句話是一句雙關句，它既指那個美麗的莊園班博里，又指她在那里看到的一個全新的達西，這句話也就意味著達西已經完全改變了他待人接物的態度并因此贏得了伊麗莎白的芳心。我們可以想象，如果達西從始至終都非常的傲慢自大，那么即使他們之間的誤會解除，也不會有任何的結果。因此從這里我們可以推斷正是“教養”彌補了二人之間的社會地位與經濟地位的差異。畢竟他們都是有著良好教養與道德的人。

我們可以否認簡·奧斯汀在揭露資本主義婚姻本質上做的貢獻嗎？當然不，教養確實在達西與伊麗莎白之間的婚姻上起到了非常大的作用，但是教養本身并不能超越階級。通過以上的闡述，教養包含了一個人的行為、品位和禮貌舉止，但同時它也是一個人社會地位的象征。盡管達西和伊麗莎白在財富上有很大的差距，但是他們從根本上是屬于一個階級的。正如伊麗莎白說的：“In marrying your nephew，I should not consider myself as quitting that sphere. He is a gentleman；I am a gentleman’s daughter；so far as we are equal.”而我們必須注意到這一點：他們的婚姻自由指的是從他們本階級中選擇的自由。

最后我們能夠清晰地理解教養作為一個人社會地位的象征，無論是在十八世紀的現實生活還是在想象中的小說中都發揮著舉足輕重的作用。而教養這個在小說中出現100多次的詞從男女主人公的相識到相愛都推動著情節的一步一步的發展，同時也推動著小說的發展。小說的作者簡本人出生在牧師家庭，她認為一個人應當真誠、無私而且不世故，而這一切道德品質應該由他的教養和品位來衡量。這些信仰一直以來都是她作品的奠基。(Helen：2)所以“教養”在她的作品中占據了重要的地位。在分析她的小說過程中我們應著重于教養所起的作用。

參考文獻：

［1］Edmond Burk. Collection of Edmond Burk’ s essays［M］.London：Oxford press，1928.

［2］Helen Lefroy. Jane Austen［M］.西安：世界圖書出版西安公司，1998.

［3］Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice［M］.上海：上海世界圖書出版社，2003.

［4］Post E.L. Western Manners［M］.北京：三聯書店，1991.