来看一封世界上最绝的分手信——也就是小说《Sense and Sensibility》
中的 Willoughby威罗比給女主角Marianne玛丽安娜的那封冷血的分手信。
当扭伤了脚踝被威罗比送回家后，玛丽安娜立即爱上了这个年轻英俊的小
伙子。于是两人陷入热恋。未曾想威罗比为人不正，根本没有把玛丽安娜
的感情真正放在心上。玛丽安娜在伦敦遭遇了威罗比的冷淡后，一封无情
的信破灭了她心中的最后一丝希望。威罗比由于金钱而背弃了和玛丽安娜
之间的爱，而娶了富家小姐为妻。
那封绝情分手信是这样写的：
My Dear Madam,
I have just had the honour of receiving your letter, for which I beg to return my
sincere acknowledgements. I am much concerned to find there was anything in
my behaviour last night that did not meet your approbation; and though I am
quite at a loss to discover in what point I could be so unfortunate as to offend you,
I entreat your forgiveness [...]. My esteem for your whole family is very sincere;
but if I have been so unfortunate as to give rise to a belief of more than I felt, or
meant to express, I shall reproach myself for not having been more guarded in
my professions of that esteem. [...] It is with great regret that I obey your commands
of returning the letters, with which I have been honoured from you, and the lock of
hair, which you so obligingly bestowed on me.
I am, dear Madam, Your most obedient humble Servant,
John Willoughby.
信的大意是：我跟你从来没有什么关系，是你自作多情了。最要命的是信中的措辞。
信中用字极度谦卑有理，却同时冷酷得叫人不寒而栗。这些字句，好像是写给陌生
人的公函，而非旧爱：
had the honour of receiving your letter
beg to return my sincere acknowledgements
anything in my behaviour... that did not meet your approbation
at a loss to discover in what point I could be so unfortunate as to offend you
负心男更把责任都推在了自作多情的女主角身上，这些仍通过委婉的言辞道出：
if I have been so unfortunate as to give rise to a belief of more than I felt, I shall
reproach myself for not having been more guarded in my professions of that esteem.
（大意是：假如我对你表现得太有善而引起误会，我深感遗憾。）
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