《劝导》开篇：英文原著带中文翻译

Elliot of Kellynch Hall. “Walter Elliot, born March 1, 1760, married, July 15, 1784, Elizabeth, daughter of James Stevenson, Esq. of South Park, in the county of Gloucester, by which lady (who died 1800) he has issue Elizabeth, born June 1, 1785; Anne, born August 9, 1787; a stillborn son, November 5, 1789; Mary, born November 20, 1791.”

《凯林奇府的艾略特》。「沃尔特艾略特，生于一七六〇年三月一日，一七八四年七月十五日娶格洛斯特郡南园的詹姆斯史蒂文森先生之女伊丽莎白为妻，此女于一八〇〇年去世，生有子女：伊丽莎白，生于一七八五年六月一日；安妮，生于一七八七年八月九日；一死产男婴，一七八九年十一月五日；玛丽，生于一七九一年十一月二十日。」

Precisely such had the paragraph originally stood from the printer’s hands; but Sir Walter had improved it by adding, for the information of himself and his family, these words, after the date of Mary’s birth —“Married, December 16, 1810, Charles, son and heir of Charles Musgrove, Esq. of Uppercross, in the county of Somerset,” and by inserting most accurately the day of the month on which he had lost his wife.

这段文字从印刷工手中出来时原本正是这样，但沃尔特爵士为了自己和家人的方便，加以润色，在玛丽的出生日期之后添了这几个字：「一八一〇年十二月十六日嫁萨默塞特郡厄珀克罗斯的查尔斯马斯格罗夫先生之子及继承人查尔斯」，又极精确地补入了他失去妻子的那个月的日子。

Then followed the history and rise of the ancient and respectable family, in the usual terms; how it had been first settled in Cheshire; how mentioned in Dugdale, serving the office of high sheriff, representing a borough in three successive parliaments, exertions of loyalty, and dignity of baronet, in the first year of Charles II, with all the Marys and Elizabeths they had married; forming altogether two handsome duodecimo pages, and concluding with the arms and motto: —“Principal seat, Kellynch Hall, in the county of Somerset,” and Sir Walter’s handwriting again in this finale: —

接着便是这个古老而体面家族的历史和兴起，用的是通常的措辞：最初如何定居柴郡；如何在达格代尔书中被提及，担任郡守之职，连续三届议会代表一个选区，效忠的表现，以及在查理二世第一年获得的从男爵尊荣，连同他们娶过的所有玛丽和伊丽莎白；合起来构成漂亮的两页十二开本，最后以纹章和铭言作结：「主要宅邸，萨默塞特郡凯林奇府」，而在这结尾处又是沃尔特爵士的笔迹：

“Heir presumptive, William Walter Elliot, Esq., great grandson of the second Sir Walter.”

「假定继承人，威廉沃尔特艾略特先生，第二代沃尔特爵士的曾孙。」

Vanity was the beginning and the end of Sir Walter Elliot’s character; vanity of person and of situation. He had been remarkably handsome in his youth; and, at fifty-four, was still a very fine man. Few women could think more of their personal appearance than he did, nor could the valet of any new made lord be more delighted with the place he held in society. He considered the blessing of beauty as inferior only to the blessing of a baronetcy; and the Sir Walter Elliot, who united these gifts, was the constant object of his warmest respect and devotion.

虚荣是沃尔特艾略特爵士性格的起点和终点；对容貌的虚荣和对地位的虚荣。他年轻时极为英俊；到了五十四岁，仍是个非常漂亮的男人。很少有女人比他更看重自己的外表，任何新封勋爵的贴身男仆也不会比他更得意于自己在社会上的地位。他认为美貌之福仅次于从男爵爵位之福；而集这两项恩赐于一身的沃尔特艾略特爵士，便是他始终最热烈敬重和崇拜的对象。

His good looks and his rank had one fair claim on his attachment; since to them he must have owed a wife of very superior character to anything deserved by his own. Lady Elliot had been an excellent woman, sensible and amiable; whose judgement and conduct, if they might be pardoned the youthful infatuation which made her Lady Elliot, had never required indulgence afterwards. She had humoured, or softened, or concealed his failings, and promoted his real respectability for seventeen years; and though not the very happiest being in the world herself, had found enough in her duties, her friends, and her children, to attach her to life, and make it no matter of indifference to her when she was called on to quit them. Three girls, the two eldest sixteen and fourteen, was an awful legacy for a mother to bequeath, an awful charge rather, to confide to the authority and guidance of a conceited, silly father. She had, however, one very intimate friend, a sensible, deserving woman, who had been brought, by strong attachment to herself, to settle close by her, in the village of Kellynch; and on her kindness and advice, Lady Elliot mainly relied for the best help and maintenance of the good principles and instruction which she had been anxiously giving her daughters.

他的美貌和地位对他的眷恋有一项正当的理由；因为多亏它们，他才娶到一位品格远胜于他自身所配得的妻子。艾略特夫人一直是个极好的女人，明理而可亲；她的判断力和品行，如果说可以宽恕她当年使自己做艾略特夫人的青春迷恋，那么此后就再不需要任何宽容了。十七年来，她迁就、缓和或掩饰他的缺点，提升他真正受人尊敬的程度；她自己虽然并非世上最幸福的人，却在责任、朋友和子女中找到了足够的东西，使她眷恋人生，也使她在被召唤离开他们时并非无动于衷。三个女儿，最大的两个十六岁和十四岁，是母亲留下的一份可怕的遗产，更确切地说，是一份可怕的托付，要交给一个自负而愚蠢的父亲的权威和指导。不过，她有一位非常亲密的朋友，一个明理而值得敬重的女人，因对她怀有深厚情谊，来到凯林奇村紧邻她住下；艾略特夫人主要依靠这位朋友的善意和忠告，来最好地帮助和维持她一直忧心忡忡地给予女儿们的良好原则和教导。

This friend, and Sir Walter, did not marry, whatever might have been anticipated on that head by their acquaintance. Thirteen years had passed away since Lady Elliot’s death, and they were still near neighbours and intimate friends, and one remained a widower, the other a widow.

这位朋友和沃尔特爵士并没有结婚，尽管他们的熟人对此或许早有预料。艾略特夫人去世已经十三年，他们仍然是近邻和密友，一个仍是鳏夫，另一个仍是寡妇。