Доводы рассудка

УДК 
372.8
ББК 
81.2 Англ-93
 
О 76

ISBN 978-5-9925-0768-3

Остин Дж.
О 76 Доводы рассудка: Книга для чтения на англий ском языке. — СПб.: КАРО, 2012. — 384 с. 
(«Classical litera ture»).

ISBN 978-5-9925-0768-3.

Предлагаем вниманию читателей роман английской писательницы Джейн Остин «Доводы рассудка». Роман многократно издавался, переведен на многие языки мира, по нему 
снято несколько художественных фильмов и телесериалов.
Неадаптированный текст на языке оригинала снабжен 
постраничным комментарием и словарем. Книга адресована 
студентам языковых вузов и всем любителям английской литературы.

УДК 372.8
ББК 81.2 Англ-93

© КАРО, 2012

ОБ АВТОРЕ

Замечательная английская писательница Джейн 
Остин (1775–1817), основоположница «дамского 
романа» в лучшем его смысле, родилась в семье 
провинциального священника, который, впрочем, 
сильно отличался от многих своих коллег — имел 
ученую степень в Оксфордском университете и в 
течение некоторого времени был членом ученой 
корпорации одного из его колледжей. Это был 
умный, эрудированный человек с широким кругозором. Джордж Остин и его жена Анна, урожденная Ли, принадлежали к старинным дворянским 
фамилиям. Несмотря на то что они никогда не кичились своим происхождением, принадлежность семьи к родовитому дворянству обусловила круг знакомств и связей, открывая перед Остинами двери 
так называемых «лучших» домов графства.
Пробовать перо Джейн начала в возрасте пятнадцати лет. Сначала писала остроумные пародии 
на современный плохой роман, которые ее близкие 

ОБ АВТОРЕ

называли «проказами Джейн», но тем не менее все 
они с интересом эти «проказы» слушали.
Свой первый роман Джейн написала в 1796–
1797 годах. Это были «Первые впечатления», увидевшие свет лишь спустя шестнадцать лет под названием «Гордость и предубеждение». Потом были «Разум 
и чувства», «Эмма», «Мэнсфилд-парк», «Доводы рассудка», «Нортенгерское аббатство».
Личная жизнь писательницы не сложилась, замуж она, в отличие от своих героинь, так и не вышла, 
хотя получила по крайней мере одно предложение 
руки и сердца. Умерла она от неизвестной болезни, 
в муках и молитвах о том, чтобы Бог послал ей и ее 
близким терпение.
Надо сказать, что современники Остин были не 
слишком высокого мнения о ее талантах и очень 
удивились бы, узнав, что произведения писательницы читают и два века спустя. Диккенс не подозревал о существовании Джейн Остин, высказывания 
о ней Шарлотты Бронте были весьма негативны. 
Но романы «несравненной Джейн», как назвал ее 
Вальтер Скотт, пользуются популярностью и в 
XXI веке, по ним снимаются фильмы и телесериалы с участием знаменитых актеров, и новые поколения читательниц живо интересуются судьбами 
прелестных барышень и блестящих кавалеров.

Chapter 1

Sir Walter Elliot, of Kellynch Hall, in Somersetshire, 
was a man who, for his own amusement, never took up 
any book but the Baronetage1; there he found occupation 
for an idle hour2, and consolation in a distressed one; 
there his faculties were roused into admiration and 
respect, by contemplating the limited remnant of the 
earliest patents; there any unwelcome sensations, arising from domestic aff airs changed naturally into pity 
and contempt as he turned over the almost endless 
creations of the last century; and there, if every other 
leaf were powerless, he could read his own history with 
an interest which never failed3. Th is was the page at 
which the favourite volume always opened:
“ELLIOT OF KELLYNCH HALL.
“Walter Elliot, born March 1, 1760, married, July 
15, 1784, Elizabeth, daughter of James Stevenson, Esq.4 

1 Baronetage — «Книга баронетов»
2 for an idle hour — (разг.) в свободное время
3 an interest which never failed — (разг.) с неослабевающим интересом
4 Esq — сокр. от Esquire, эсквайр (устар.) писалось вместо мистер в официальных документах

PERSUASION

6

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 still-born son, 
November 5, 1789; Mary, born November 20, 1791.”
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, aft er 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.
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 II1, with all the Marys and Eliza beths 
they had married; forming altogether two hand some 
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: — “Heir presumptive, William 
Walter Elliot, Esq., great-grandson of the second Sir 
Walter.”

1 Charles II — Карл II (1630–1685), король Англии, Шотландии и Ирландии

CHAPTER 1

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 
fi ft y-four, was still a very fi ne 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 gift s, was the constant object of his warmest 
respect and devotion.
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 indulgence1 
aft erwards. She had humoured, or soft ened, or concealed 
his failings, and promoted his real respect ability 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 indiff erence to her when she was 
called on to quit them. Th ree girls, the two eldest sixteen 
and fourteen, was an awful legacy for a mother to 

1 had never required indulgence — (устар.) никогда 
не нуждалась в оправданиях

PERSUASION

8

bequeath, an awful charge rather, to confi de 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.
Th is friend, and Sir Walter, did not marry, whatever 
might have been anticipated on that head by their 
acquaintance. Th irteen 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.
Th at Lady Russell, of steady age and character, and 
extremely well provided for1, should have no thought 
of a second marriage, needs no apology to the public, 
which is rather apt to be unreasonably discontented 
when a woman does marry again, than when she does 
not; but Sir Walter’s continuing in singleness requires 
explanation. Be it known then, that Sir Walter, like a 
good father (having met with one or two private disappointments in very unreasonable applications), 
prided himself on remaining single for his dear daughters’ sake. For one daughter, his eldest, he would really 

1 extremely well provided for — (разг.) очень хорошо 
обеспеченная

CHAPTER 1

9

have given up any thing, which he had not been very 
much tempted to do. Elizabeth had succeeded, at 
sixteen, to all that was possible, of her mother’s rights 
and consequence; and being very handsome, and very 
like himself, her infl uence had always been great, and 
they had gone on together most happily. His two other 
children were of very inferior value. Mary had acquired 
a little artifi cial importance, by becoming Mrs Charles 
Musgrove; but Anne, with an elegance of mind and 
sweetness of character, which must have placed her high 
with any people of real understanding, was nobody with 
either father or sister; her word had no weight, her 
convenience was always to give way — she was only 
Anne.
To Lady Russell, indeed, she was a most dear and 
highly valued god-daughter, favourite, and friend. Lady 
Russell loved them all; but it was only in Anne that she 
could fancy the mother to revive again.
A few years before, Anne Elliot had been a very 
pretty girl, but her bloom had vanished early; and as 
even in its height, her father had found little to admire 
in her (so totally diff erent were her delicate features and 
mild dark eyes from his own), there could be nothing 
in them, now that she was faded and thin, to excite 
his esteem. He had never indulged much hope, he had 
now none, of ever reading her name in any other page 
of his favourite work. All equality of alliance must rest 
with Elizabeth, for Mary had merely connected herself 
with an old country family of respectability and large 

PERSUASION

10

fortune, and had therefore given all the honour and 
received none: Elizabeth would, one day or other, marry 
suitably1.
It sometimes happens that a woman is handsomer 
at twenty-nine than she was ten years before; and, 
generally speaking, if there has been neither ill health 
nor anxiety, it is a time of life at which scarcely any 
charm is lost. It was so with Elizabeth, still the same 
handsome Miss Elliot that she had begun to be thirteen 
years ago, and Sir Walter might be excused, therefore, 
in forgetting her age, or, at least, be deemed only half a 
fool, for thinking himself and Elizabeth as blooming as 
ever, amidst the wreck of the good looks of everybody 
else; for he could plainly see how old all the rest of his 
family and acquaintance were growing. Anne haggard, 
Mary coarse, every face in the neighbourhood worsting, 
and the rapid increase of the crow’s foot2 about Lady 
Russell’s temples had long been a distress to him.
Elizabeth did not quite equal her father in personal 
contentment. Th irteen years had seen her mistress of 
Kellynch Hall, presiding and directing with a selfposses sion and decision which could never have given 
the idea of her being younger than she was. For thirteen 
years had she been doing the honours, and laying down 

1 marry suitably — (разг.) удачно выйдет замуж; найдет 
себе подходящего мужа
2 the crow’s foot — (разг.) мелкие морщинки вокруг 
глаз