Bedside Lamp English Learning Reader IV (Emma) (English-Chinese Contrastive)

Author: Wang Ruoping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: The story of Emma is as follows: Emma Woodhouse comes from a wealthy family and is both intelligent and beautiful. It is natural for someone in such an environment to be somewhat spoiled and self-important. She has just attended the wedding of her friend, companion, and former governess, Miss Taylor, who married the widower Mr. Weston next door. Although the marriage is a good one, Emma still sighs inwardly over the loss of her dear friend. Now, Hartfield is left with only her and her father. Mr. Woodhouse is elderly and prone to fretting over trivial matters, so he cannot provide companionship for his daughter. The Woodhouses are a prominent family in Highbury. In their small social circle, there are many middle-aged and elderly women who play cards with Mr. Woodhouse, but no young lady serves as Emma's friend and confidante. The lovely Miss Taylor is now Mrs. Weston, and Emma feels deeply lonely, so she takes Harriet Smith under her protection. Harriet is a student at a nearby boarding school, living with the headmaster. She is seventeen years old, beautiful, though of humble origins, but her manners are pleasing and unpretentious, and she is accustomed to looking up to Emma as a role model, so she is quite agreeable. Harriet is an illegitimate child, and the identity of her father remains a mystery. Emma believes this girl may come from a distinguished family and does her best to convince her that her previous acquaintances are not good enough for her. Emma advises Harriet to break off contact with the Martins. The Martins are respectable farmers, though they have some property, they do not belong to high society. Emma thinks Robert Martin is unworthy of Harriet and encourages the girl to pursue the young clergyman, Mr. Elton. Emma judges from Mr. Elton's demeanor that he has begun to love Harriet and believes her arrangement for their marriage will certainly succeed. Mr. Knightley is the brother-in-law of Emma's sister, who is a lawyer in London. Few people can see Emma's faults, and he is one of them. Emma's close relationship with Harriet makes him uneasy. He warns Emma that this relationship is no good for Harriet or for herself. When Mr. Knightley learns that Harriet has rejected Robert Martin's proposal at Emma's urging, he becomes even more concerned. Emma, on the other hand, is quite content, for she is sure Mr. Elton is deeply in love with Harriet, and Harriet—urged on by Emma—feels the same way about him. Mr. Elton privately proposes to Emma, which shocks her into realization. She suddenly realizes that Mr. Elton's attentions to Harriet are really directed at her, and that her encouragement for Mr. Elton to pursue her friend has been misinterpreted as encouragement for him to propose to her. Mr. Elton's arrogance is already irritating enough, but how to break this news to Harriet is even more distressing. Another disappointing event occurs in Emma's social circle. Frank Churchill has been promising to visit his father and new stepmother for several months but has postponed his visit yet again. Churchill is the son of Mr. Weston's first wife, who uses his mother's surname. Mr. Knightley believes this young man now feels superior to his father's status. Emma argues with him, but inwardly she agrees with his view. Although Hartfield's social circle is deprived of Churchill's presence, it gains a new addition: Jane Fairfax. Jane is the niece of Miss Bates, who is always chattering, and she is beautiful and accomplished, rivaling Emma in both looks and talent. Mr. Knightley hints that this is one of the reasons Emma has never been able to get along with Jane. Emma, however, attributes their cold relationship to Jane's aloofness. Shortly after Jane arrives, Mr. and Mrs. Weston receive a letter from Churchill, rescheduling his visit. This time he actually comes. Emma finds him to be a handsome and well-mannered young man. He becomes a frequent visitor to the Woodhouses and also visits Miss Bates' home frequently, as he knows Jane Fairfax. But the girl he pays his attentions to is not Jane but Emma. Emma realizes the Westons hope this ardent young man will find happiness. Around this time, Jane receives a generous gift—a piano, from an anonymous donor. It is rumored the gift comes from Jane's wealthy friends. Jane is an orphan and has been living with them. However, when faced with the gift, Jane is awkward and silent. After Mrs. Weston tells Emma that Mr. Knightley seems to like and care for Jane, Emma suspects the donor is Mr. Knightley. Emma cannot bear the thought of Mr. Knightley and Jane being married. But after observing them together, she concludes to her satisfaction that Mr. Knightley's actions stem from friendship, not love. Frank Churchill must leave. He looks reluctant. On his last visit to Hartfield, he seems eager to tell Emma something serious; but Emma, though she suspects Churchill wants to confess his love, does not encourage him to reveal his thoughts. In her imagination, she always rejects Churchill's proposals and attributes their relationship to a calm friendship. Mr. Elton returns to Highbury, bringing back a new wife whom he hastily married after an impulsive courtship. This woman has some property but is extremely vulgar and pretentious. Harriet had fallen in love with her at Emma's urging, and it is no easy task to persuade her to break free from her infatuation. But what Emma cannot achieve, Mr. Elton's marriage accomplishes for her. Harriet finally begins to awaken. Mr. Elton's rude behavior toward her at a ball further accelerates her realization. Mr. Elton refuses to dance with Harriet, but Mr. Knightley, who rarely dances, takes the initiative to ask her to be his partner. Thus, in Harriet's heart, Mr. Elton's place begins to be taken by Mr. Knightley. Emma is unaware of this. Emma herself begins to consider Frank Churchill as a potential husband for Harriet. However, she decides not to meddle in this match. Due to a series of misunderstandings, Emma believes Harriet is praising Churchill, when in fact Harriet is praising Mr. Knightley. Mrs. Weston still believes Mr. Knightley is in love with Jane Fairfax, making the already tangled love affairs even more complex. Meanwhile, Mr. Knightley notices a secret understanding between Jane and Churchill. Mr. Knightley's suspicion is later confirmed: Churchill admits to Mr. and Mrs. Weston that he and Jane have been secretly engaged since October. The Westons immediately think of Emma. They worry that Churchill's attentions to Emma may have made her fall in love with him. But Emma tells Mrs. Weston that she once had a brief liking for Churchill, but that feeling has long passed. Emma now has two main concerns. First, she once said some unkind things about Jane to Churchill, and if she had known they were engaged, she would never have done so. Second, she believes she has once again encouraged Harriet into a love that cannot succeed. However, when Emma gently reveals this news to Harriet, she finds Harriet is not upset by it. Their conversations never quite align, and eventually, Emma learns that Harriet is now infatuated with Mr. Knightley, not Churchill. When Harriet tells Emma she has reason to believe Mr. Knightley loves her as much as she loves him, Emma suddenly realizes her own secret: she too loves Mr. Knightley. Now she truly wishes she had never met Harriet Smith. Besides wanting to marry Mr. Knightley, she also realizes that if Mr. Knightley marries Harriet, it would not only be an unsuitable match but also unlikely to bring happiness. Emma's worries about this matter soon end: Mr. Knightley proposes to her. But her happiness has a bittersweet note. She knows her marriage will disappoint her father, for the old man is unwilling to change his way of life at all. And she has unknowingly subjected Harriet to another disappointment. Emma and Mr. Knightley decide to live at Hartfield and stay with her father until his old age. This solves the problem. As for Harriet, Mr. Knightley's attention to her stems from his genuine desire to understand whether she still has feelings for her young tenant, Robert Martin. As a result, Mr. Knightley announces one morning that Robert Martin has again proposed to Harriet, and she has accepted. Harriet's future is now settled, and Emma is naturally delighted. Emma can look back on her past with satisfaction, for all those around her have married well, which is the true measure of their happiness.