Мэнсфилд парк

УДК 
372.8
ББК 
81.2 Англ-93
 
О 76

ISBN 978-5-9925-0699-0

Остин Дж.
О 76 Мэнсфилд-парк: Книга для чтения на англий ском языке. — СПб.: КАРО, 2011. — 448 с. 
(«Classical litera ture»).

ISBN 978-5-9925-0699-0.

Предлагаем вниманию читателей роман замечательной 
английской писательницы Джейн Остин «Мэнсфилд-парк». 
Роман многократно издавался, переведен на многие языки 
мира, по нему снято несколько художественных фильмов и 
телесериалов.
Неадаптированный текст с незначительными сокращениями 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, 2011

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 называли «проказами Джейн», 
но 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», «Доводы рассудка», 
«Нортенгерское аббатство», «Эмма».
Англия начала XIX века… Герои романов Джейн Остин 
живут именно в это время. А что мы знаем о нем, кроме смутного представления об утонченных леди и безукоризненно 
вежливых джентльменах, балах, охоте на лис и идущей гдето в Европе войне с Наполеоном?
Романы Остин можно назвать энциклопедией жизни деревенской Англии. Распорядок дня дворянской семьи, расположение комнат в особняках, зарплата горничной и сельскохозяйственного рабочего, закон о майорате — наследовании по мужской линии, судебная иерархия в Англии — обо 
всем этом писательница если не рассказывает в деталях, то 

упоминает, и все эти подробности интересны отнюдь не меньше, чем перипетии любовных отношений героев.
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 терпения.
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.

***
Роман «Мэнсфилд-парк» причисляют к воспитательным 
романам. Главная героиня Фанни Прайс в двенадцать лет оказалась в поместье своих богатых родственников Бертрамов — 
бедная многодетная мать Фанни отдала ее на воспитание. 
Девушка выросла умной, прилежной и скромной. Ее единственным другом был кузен Эдмунд, остальные же члены семейства относились к ней как к человеку второго сорта. 
Постепенно чувства Фанни к кузену переросли в любовь, но 
Эдмунд познакомился с Мэри Кроуфорд, и между ними возникла взаимная симпатия. При этом к главной героине стал 
проявлять расположение состоятельный брат Мэри Генри, 
который сделал ей предложение. Перед Фанни встал выбор: 
слушать ли ей сердце и ждать ответных чувств от Эдмунда 
или следовать доводам рассудка, соглашаясь на брак с 
Кроуфордом — очень выгодной для нее партией. И Фанни, 
конечно же, сделала правильный выбор — ведь образ девушки создала Джейн Остин, а ее героини наделены не только 
добрым и способным любить сердцем, но и здравым смыслом, помогающим в сложных жизненных ситуациях.

CHAPTER I

About thirty years ago Miss Maria Ward, of Huntingdon, 
with only seven thousand pounds, had the good luck to 
captivate Sir Th omas Bertram, of Mansfi eld Park, in the 
county of Northampton, and to be thereby raised to the 
rank of a baronet’s lady, with all the comforts and 
consequences of an handsome house and large income. All 
Huntingdon exclaimed on the greatness of the match, and 
her uncle, the lawyer himself, allowed her to be at least 
three thousand pounds short of any equitable claim to it. 
She had two sisters to be benefi ted by her elevation; and 
such of their acquaintance as thought Miss Ward and 
Miss Frances quite as handsome as Miss Maria, did not 
scruple to predict their marrying with almost equal 
advantage. But there certainly are not so many men of large 
fortune in the world as there are pretty women to deserve 
them. Miss Ward, at the end of half a dozen years, found 
herself obliged to be attached to the Rev.1 Mr. Norris, a 
friend of her brother-in-law, with scarcely any private 
fortune, and Miss Frances fared yet worse. Miss Ward’s 
match, indeed, when it came to the point, was not 
contemptible: Sir Th omas being happily able to give his 
friend an income in the living of Mansfi eld; and Mr. and 

1 Rev. = Reverend — преподобный (сан священника)

MANSFIELD PARK

6

Mrs. Norris began their career of conjugal felicity with very 
little less than a thousand a year. But Miss Frances married, 
in the common phrase, to disoblige her family, and by fi xing 
on a lieutenant of marines, without education, fortune, or 
connexions, did it very thoroughly. She could hardly have 
made a more untoward choice. Sir Th omas Bertram had 
interest, which, from principle as well as pride — from a 
general wish of doing right, and a desire of seeing all that 
were connected with him in situations of respectability, he 
would have been glad to exert for the advantage of Lady 
Bertram’s sister; but her husband’s profession was such as 
no interest could reach; and before he had time to devise 
any other method of assisting them, an absolute breach 
between the sisters had taken place. It was the natural result 
of the conduct of each party, and such as a very imprudent 
marriage almost always produces. To save herself from 
useless remonstrance, Mrs. Price never wrote to her family 
on the subject till actually married. Lady Bertram, who was 
a woman of very tranquil feelings, and a temper remarkably 
easy and indolent, would have contented herself with merely 
giving up her sister, and thinking no more of the matter; 
but Mrs. Norris had a spirit of activity, which could not be 
satisfi ed till she had written a long and angry letter to Fanny, 
to point out the folly of her conduct, and threaten her with 
all its possible ill consequences. Mrs. Price, in her turn, was 
injured and angry; and an answer, which comprehended 
each sister in its bitterness, and bestowed such very disrespectful refl ections on the pride of Sir Th omas as Mrs. Norris could not possibly keep to herself, put an end to all 
intercourse between them for a considerable period.
Th eir homes were so distant, and the circles in which 
they moved so distinct, as almost to preclude the means of 
ever hearing of each other’s existence during the eleven 
following years, or, at least, to make it very wonderful to 
Sir Th omas that Mrs. Norris should ever have it in her power 

CHAPTER I

7

to tell them, as she now and then did, in an angry voice, 
that Fanny had got another child. By the end of eleven years, 
however, Mrs. Price could no longer aff ord to cherish pride 
or resentment, or to lose one connexion that might possibly 
assist her. A large and still increasing family, and husband 
disabled for active service, but not the less equal to company 
and good liquor, and a very small income to supply their 
wants, made her eager to regain the friends she had so 
carelessly sacrifi ced; and she addressed Lady Bertram in a 
letter which spoke so much contrition and despondence, 
such a superfl uity of children, and such a want of almost 
everything else, as could not but dispose them all to a 
reconciliation. She was preparing for her ninth lying-in; 
and aft er bewailing the circumstance, and imploring their 
countenance as sponsors to the expected child, she could 
not conceal how important she felt they might be to the 
future maintenance of the eight already in being. Her eldest 
was a boy of ten years old, a fi ne-spirited fellow, who longed 
to be out in the world; but what could she do? Was there 
any chance of his being hereaft er useful to Sir Th omas in 
the concerns of his West-Indian property? No situation 
would be beneath him; or what did Sir Th omas think of 
Woolwich? or how could a boy be sent out to the East?
Th e letter was not unproductive. It re-established peace 
and kindness. Sir Thomas sent friendly advice and 
professions, Lady Bertram dispatched money and babylinen, and Mrs. Norris wrote the letters.
Such were its immediate eff ects, and within a twelvemonth a more important advantage to Mrs. Price resulted 
from it. Mrs. Norris was oft en observing to the others that 
she could not get her poor sister and her family out of her 
head, and that, much as they had all done for her, she 
seemed to be wanting to do more; and at length she could 
not but own it to be her wish that poor Mrs. Price should 

MANSFIELD PARK

8

be relieved from the charge and expense of one child entirely 
out of her great number. “What if they were among them 
to undertake the care of her eldest daughter1, a girl now 
nine years old, of an age to require more attention than her 
poor mother could possibly give? Th e trouble and expense 
of it to them would be nothing, compared with the 
benevolence of the action.” Lady Bertram agreed with her 
instantly. “I think we cannot do better,” said she, “let us send 
for the child.”
Sir Thomas could not give so instantaneous and 
unqualifi ed a consent. He debated and hesitated, — it was 
a serious charge — a girl so brought up must be adequately 
provided for, or there would be cruelty instead of kindness 
in taking her from her family. He thought of his own four 
children, of his two sons, of cousins in love, etc.; but no 
sooner had he deliberately begun to state his objections, 
than Mrs. Norris interrupted him with a reply to them all, 
whether stated or not. <…>
Sir Th omas no longer made any objection, and a more 
respectable, though less economical rendezvous being 
accordingly substituted, everything was considered as 
settled, and the pleasures of so benevolent a scheme were 
already enjoyed. Th e division of gratifying sensations ought 
not, in strict justice, to have been equal; for Sir Th omas was 
fully resolved to be the real and consistent patron of the 
selected child, and Mrs. Norris had not the least intention 
of being at any expense whatever in her maintenance. As 
far as walking, talking, and contriving reached, she was 
thoroughly benevolent, and nobody knew better how to 
dictate liberality to others; but her love of money was equal 

1 What if they were among them to undertake the care of 
her eldest daughter — А не взять ли нам себе на попечение 
ее старшую дочь 

CHAPTER I

9

to her love of directing, and she knew quite as well how to 
save her own as to spend that of her friends. Having married 
on a narrower income than she had been used to look 
forward to, she had from the fi rst fancied a very strict line 
of economy necessary; and what was begun as a matter of 
prudence, soon grew into a matter of choice, as an object 
of that needful solicitude which there were no children to 
supply. Had there been a family to provide for, Mrs. Norris 
might never have saved her money; but having no care of 
that kind, there was nothing to impede her frugality, or 
lessen the comfort of making a yearly addition to an income 
which they had never lived up to. Under this infatuating 
principle, counteracted by no real aff ection for her sister, it 
was impossible for her to aim at more than the credit of 
projecting and arranging so expensive a charity; though 
perhaps she might so little know herself as to walk home 
to the Parsonage, aft er this conversation, in the happy belief 
of being the most liberal-minded sister and aunt in the 
world.
When the subject was brought forward again, her views 
were more fully explained; and, in reply to Lady Bertram’s 
calm inquiry of “Where shall the child come to fi rst, sister, 
to you or to us?” Sir Th omas heard with some surprise that 
it would be totally out of Mrs. Norris’s power to take any 
share in the personal charge of her. He had been considering 
her as a particularly welcome addition at the Parsonage, as 
a desirable companion to an aunt who had no children of 
her own; but he found himself wholly mistaken. Mrs. Norris 
was sorry to say that the little girl’s staying with them, at 
least as things then were, was quite out of the question. Poor 
Mr. Norris’s indiff erent state of health made it an impossibility: he could no more bear the noise of a child than he 
could fl y; if, indeed, he should ever get well of his gouty 
complaints, it would be a diff erent matter: she should then 

MANSFIELD PARK

10

be glad to take her turn, and think nothing of the inconvenience; but just now, poor Mr. Norris took up every 
moment of her time, and the very mention of such a thing 
she was sure would distract him.
“Th en she had better come to us,” said Lady Bertram, 
with the utmost composure. Aft er a short pause Sir Th omas 
added with dignity, “Yes, let her home be in this house. We 
will endeavour to do our duty by her, and she will, at least, 
have the advantage of companions of her own age, and of 
a regular instructress.” <…>
 “Th ere will be some diffi  culty in our way, Mrs. Norris,” 
observed Sir Th omas, “as to the distinction proper to be 
made between the girls as they grow up: how to preserve 
in the minds of my daughters the consciousness of what 
they are, without making them think too lowly of their 
cousin; and how, without depressing her spirits too far, to 
make her remember that she is not a Miss Bertram. I should 
wish to see them very good friends, and would, on no 
account, authorise in my girls the smallest degree of 
arrogance towards their relation; but still they cannot be 
equals. Th eir rank, fortune, rights, and expectations will 
always be diff erent. It is a point of great delicacy, and you 
must assist us in our endeavours to choose exactly the right 
line of conduct.”
Mrs. Norris was quite at his service; and though she 
perfectly agreed with him as to its being a most diffi  cult 
thing, encouraged him to hope that between them it would 
be easily managed.
It will be readily believed that Mrs. Norris did not write 
to her sister in vain.1 Mrs. Price seemed rather surprised 

1 It will be readily believed that Mrs. Norris did not write 
to her sister in vain. — Несложно предположить, что миссис 
Норрис написала сестре не напрасно.