理智与情感（英文版）

    《世界文学经典读本:理智与情感(英文版)》揭示了当时英国社会中以婚配作为女子寻求经济保障和提高社会地位的陋习，鞭挞了当时择偶重门第而不重女子感情和权利的恶习。小说中的两位女主角都向往和追求与男子进行思想感情的平等交流和沟通，渴望平等的社会地位和权利，坚持拥有独立观察、分析和择偶的自由。整部小说的写作风格活泼而又不失成熟，其中嘲讽的色彩随处可见，不仅表现在对人物喜剧性格的刻画和对情节的戏剧处理，还表现在故事的整个构思当中，从而使整个故事结局既出人意料又合乎情理。

　　《世界文学经典读本：理智与情感（英文版）》的故事是围绕着达什伍德家两姊妹的情感经历展开的，姐姐艾莲娜个性沉稳、不善于表达，代表“理智”；妹妹玛丽安则富于浪漫气质，象征“情感”。奥斯丁虽说在写作中有些犹豫，但*终还是赋予了象征“情感”的玛丽安一切吸引人的特质：聪颖、坦诚，、感情丰富，且具有音乐天赋。这也许正是男女爱情的迷人之处。
　　奥斯丁在这部作品中初步展示了她那种不露声色的讽刺才华，对米德尔顿、帕尔默一家，詹宁斯太太等人的描写均带有浓厚的喜剧色彩，文笔清新，思致隽永。凡此种种，都在她后来的《傲慢与偏见》、《爱玛》等著作中得到进一步发挥，从而使她成为英国文学史上少数几个与莎士比亚比肩而立的经典作家之一。

(英国)奥斯丁 (Austen.J.)

Such violence of affliction indeed could not be supported for ever; it sunk within a few days into a calmer melancholy;but these employments， to which she daily recurred，her solitary walks and silent meditations， still produced occasional effusions of sorrow as lively as ever. No letter from Willoughby came; and none seemed expected by Marianne. Her mother was surprised， and Elinor again became uneasy. But Mrs. Dashwood could find explanations whenever she wanted them， which at least satisfied herself.
“Remember， Elinor，” said she， “how very often Sir John fetches our letters himself from the post， and carries them　to it. We have already agreed that secrecy may be necessary， and we must acknowledge that it could not be maintained if　their correspondence were to pass through Sir John‘s hands.” Elinor could not deny the truth of this， and she tried to find in it a motive sufficient for their silence. But there was one method so direct， so simple， and in her opinion so eligible of knowing the real state of the affair， and of instantly removing all mystery， that she could not help suggesting it to her mother.
“Why do you not ask Marianne at once，” said she， “whether　she is or she is not engaged to Willoughby? From you， her mother， and so kind， so indulgent a mother， the question　could not give offence. It would be the natural result of your affection for her. She used to be all unreserve， and to you more especially.”