Emma 爱玛 - Chapter 33

Emma was not required, by any subsequent discovery, to retract ¹ her ill opinion of Mrs. Elton. Her observation had been pretty correct. Such as Mrs. Elton appeared to her on this second interview, such she appeared whenever they met again,--self-important, presuming, familiar, ignorant, and ill-bred. She had a little beauty and a little accomplishment ², but so little judgment ³ that she thought herself coming with superior knowledge of the world, to enliven and improve a country neighbourhood; and conceived Miss Hawkins to have held such a place in society as Mrs. Elton's consequence only could surpass.,There was no reason to suppose Mr. Elton thought at all differently from his wife. He seemed not merely happy with her, but proud. He had the air of congratulating himself on having brought such a woman to Highbury, as not even Miss Woodhouse could equal; and the greater part of her new acquaintance, disposed to commend, or not in the habit of judging, following the lead of Miss Bates's good-will, or taking it for granted that the bride must be as clever and as agreeable as she professed ⁴ herself, were very well satisfied; so that Mrs. Elton's praise passed from one mouth to another as it ought to do, unimpeded by Miss Woodhouse, who readily continued her first contribution and talked with a good grace of her being "very pleasant and very elegantly dressed.",In one respect Mrs. Elton grew even worse than she had appeared at first. Her feelings altered towards Emma.--Offended, probably, by the little encouragement which her proposals of intimacy ⁵ met with, she drew back in her turn and gradually became much more cold and distant; and though the effect was agreeable, the ill-will which produced it was necessarily increasing Emma's dislike. Her manners, too--and Mr. Elton's, were unpleasant towards Harriet. They were sneering ⁶ and negligent ⁷. Emma hoped it must rapidly work Harriet's cure; but the sensations which could prompt such behaviour sunk them both very much.--It was not to be doubted that poor Harriet's attachment ⁸ had been an offering to conjugal ⁹ unreserve, and her own share in the story, under a colouring the least favourable ¹⁰ to her and the most soothing ¹¹ to him, had in all likelihood been given also. She was, of course, the object of their joint ¹² dislike.-- When they had nothing else to say, it must be always easy to begin abusing Miss Woodhouse; and the enmity which they dared not shew in open disrespect to her, found a broader vent ¹³ in contemptuous treatment of Harriet., ,Mrs. Elton took a great fancy to Jane Fairfax; and from the first. Not merely when a state of warfare ¹⁴ with one young lady might be supposed to recommend the other, but from the very first; and she was not satisfied with expressing a natural and reasonable admiration ¹⁵-- but without solicitation ¹⁶, or plea, or privilege, she must be wanting to assist and befriend her.--Before Emma had forfeited ¹⁷ her confidence, and about the third time of their meeting, she heard all Mrs. Elton's knight-errantry on the subject.--, , ,`Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, `And waste its fragrance ²⁰ on the desert air.', ,We must not allow them to be verified in sweet Jane Fairfax.", ,I don't want to speak rashly now and later have to retract my statements.我不想现在说些轻率的话，然后又要收回自己说过的话。,The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就 。