达什伍德家在苏塞克斯定居，可有些年代了。家里置下一个偌大的田庄，府第就设在田庄中心的诺兰庄园。祖祖辈辈以来，一家人一直过着体面日子，赢得了四近乡邻的交口称誉。已故庄园主是个单身汉，活到很大年纪。在世时，妹妹长年陪伴他，替他管管家务。不想妹妹早他十年去世。使府上发生了巨变。为了填补妹妹的空缺。他将侄儿亨利·达什伍德一家接到府上。亨利·达什伍德先生是诺兰田庄的法定继承人，老达什伍德打算把家业传给他。这位老绅士有侄儿、侄媳及其子女作伴．日子过得倒也舒心。他越来越喜爱他们。亨利·达什伍德夫妇不仅出自利害关系，而且由于心地善良，对他总是百般照应，使他晚年享尽了天伦之乐。而那些天真烂漫的孩子也给他的生活增添了乐趣。
亨利·达什伍德先生同前妻生下一个儿子。同现在的太太生了三个女儿。儿子是个踏实体面的青年。当年他母亲留下一大笔遗产，到他成年时有一半交给了他，为他奠定了厚实的家底。此后不久，他成了亲，又增添了一笔财产。
所以，对他说来，父亲是不是继承诺兰田庄，远不像对他几个妹妹那样至关紧要。这几个妹妹假若不依赖父亲继承这笔家业可能给她们带来的进益。她们的财产便将微乎其微。她们的母亲一无所有。父亲仅仅掌管着七干镑，而对前妻另一半遗产的所有权只在生前有效，他一去世，这一半财产也归儿子承袭。
老绅士死了，开读遗嘱，发现跟其他遗嘱一样．叫人既高兴，也失望。他并非那样偏颇无情，还是把田庄传给了侄儿。但是，附有条件，这份遗产必须遗传给他的儿子。而这个孩子本身已经拥有很多财产了。本来，达什伍德先生想要这笔财产，只是颜念妻子和女儿，而不是为自己和儿子着想。而现在他没有办法给他的妻子和女儿们更多的财产。而他们才是达什伍德先生最亲近的人，也是迫切需要财产的人。
不过，老人也不想太苛刻，为了表示他对三个姑娘的一片心意，好歹分给了每人一千镑。达什伍德先生起初极为失望。他性情开朗，满以为自己能多活些年，凭着这么大的一个田庄，只要马上改善经营，省吃俭用，就能从收入中攒下一大笔钱．然而，这笔迟迟到手的财产在他名下只持续了一年工夫，因为叔父死后不久，他也一命归天，给他的遗孀和女儿们留下的财产，包括叔父的遗产在内．总共不过一万镑。
约翰·达什伍德先生不像家里其他人那样多愁善感。可是，此时此刻受到这般嘱托，他也深为感动。答应尽力让她们母女生活得舒舒适适的。父亲听到这番许诺，便也放宽心了。一时间，约翰．达什伍德先生算计起来，若是精打细算，他到底能为她们尽多大力。
The family of Dashwood had long been settled in the
largeSussex, and their residence was at Norland Park, in the centre oftheir property, where, for many generations, they had lived in sorespectable a manner as to engage the general good opinion of theirsurrounding acquaintances. The late owner of this estate was a sin-gle man, who lived to a very advanced age, and who for many yearsof his life, had a constant companion and housekeeper in his sister.But her death, which happened ten years before his own, produceda great alteration in his home; for to supply her loss, he invitedand received into his house the family of his nephew, Mr. HenryDashwood, the legal inheritor of the Norland estate, and the personto whom he intended to give all his fortune and property to. In thesociety of his nephew and niece, and their children, the old Gentle-mans days were comfortably spent.
By a former marriage, Mr. Henry Dashwood had one son: byhis present lady, three daughters. The son, a steady respectableyoung man, was amply provided for by the fortune of his mother,which had been large. By his own marriage, likewise, he added tohis wealth.
To him therefore the succession to the Norland estate was notso really important as to his sisters; for their fortune, independentof what might arise to them from their father s inheriting that prop-erty, could be but small. Their mother had nothing, and their fatheronly seven thousand pounds in his own disposal; for the remainderof his first wifes fortune was also secured to her child, and he hadonly a life-interest in it.
The old gentleman died: his will was read, and like almost ev-ery other will, gave as much disappointment as pleasure. He wasneither unjust or ungrateful to his nephew, Mr. Henry Dashwood,but left him the property with specific instructions that it must bepassed down to his son, who had already a great fortune. Dashwoodhad wished for it more for the sake of his wife and daughters thanfor himself or his son. He now had no way to provide for his wifeand daughters, those who were most dear to him, and who weredesperately in need of a fortune.
The old gentleman meant not to be unkind, however, and, as amark of his affection for the three girls, he left them a thousandpounds a-piece. Mr. Dashwoods disappointment was, at first, se-vere; but his temper was cheerful and hopeful he would somehowbe able to provide his daughters with some fortune. Unexpectedly,however, he died less than a year after the old gentleman; and tenthousand pounds, including the late legacies, was all that remainedfor his widow and daughters.
Mr. John Dashwood, his son, had not the strong feelings of therest of the family; but he was affected by a recommendation madeby his father to care for his fathers wife and daughters, promisingto do every thing in his power to make them comfortable. His fatherwas rendered easy by such an assurance, and. Mr. John Dashwoodhad then leisure to consider how much there might prudently be inhis power to do for them.
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英语界名人、名家论阅读。
光学几句干巴巴的英文不行，……不要总是把阅读的目的放在提高英文上，阅读首先是吸收知识，吸收知识的过程中自然而然就吸收了语言。
——许国璋
用英文思维是许多英语学习者都希望达到的一种境界，因为这是用英语流畅地表达思想的基础。对于一个生活在非英语环境中的中国学生来说，要做到部分或全部用英文来思考确有很大难度，但也不是可望而不可及。从自己学习英语的经历中，我体会到坚持大量阅读是实现这一目标最有效的途径之一。
——何其莘（北京外国语大学副校长 博士生导师）
对于初、中级英语学习者我特别推荐英语简易读物，读的材料要浅易，故事性要强，读的速度尽可能快一些，读得越多越好。这是学英语屡试不爽的好方法。
——胡文仲（北京外国语大学教授）