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1、CranfordbyElizabethCleghornGaskellCHAPTERI-OURSOCIETYINthefirstplace,CranfordisinpossessionoftheAmazons;alltheholdersofhousesaboveacertainrentarewomen.Ifamarriedcouplecometosettleinthetown,somehowthegentlemandisappears;heiseitherfairlyfrightenedtodeathbybeingtheonlymanintheCranfordevenin
2、gparties,orheisaccountedforbybeingwithhisregiment,hisship,orcloselyengagedinbusinessalltheweekinthegreatneighbouringcommercialtownofDrumble,distantonlytwentymilesonarailroad.Inshort,whateverdoesbecomeofthegentlemen,theyarenotatCranford.Whatcouldtheydoiftheywerethere?Thesurgeonhashisround
3、ofthirtymiles,andsleepsatCranford;buteverymancannotbeasurgeon.Forkeepingthetrimgardensfullofchoiceflowerswithoutaweedtospeckthem;forfrighteningawaylittleboyswholookwistfullyatthesaidflowersthroughtherailings;forrushingoutatthegeesethatoccasionallyventureintothegardensifthegatesareleftope
4、n;fordecidingallquestionsofliteratureandpoliticswithouttroublingthemselveswithunnecessaryreasonsorarguments;forobtainingclearandcorrectknowledgeofeverybody'saffairsintheparish;forkeepingtheirneatmaid-servantsinadmirableorder;forkindness(somewhatdictatorial)tothepoor,andrealtendergoodoffi
5、cestoeachotherwhenevertheyareindistress,theladiesofCranfordarequitesufficient."Aman,"asoneofthemobservedtomeonce,"isSOinthewayinthehouse!"AlthoughtheladiesofCranfordknowalleachother'sproceedings,theyareexceedinglyindifferenttoeachother'sopinions.Indeed,aseachhasherownindividuality,nottos
6、ayeccentricity,prettystronglydeveloped,nothingissoeasyasverbalretaliation;but,somehow,good-willreignsamongthemtoaconsiderabledegree.TheCranfordladieshaveonlyanoccasionallittlequarrel,spiritedoutinafewpepperywordsandangryjerksofthehead;justenoughtopreventtheeventenoroftheirlivesfrombecomi
7、ngtooflat.Theirdressisveryindependentoffashion;astheyobserve,"WhatdoesitsignifyhowwedresshereatCranford,whereeverybodyknowsus?"Andiftheygofromhome,theirreasonisequallycogent,"Whatdoesitsignifyhowwedresshere,wherenobodyknowsus?"Thematerialsoftheirclothesare,ingeneral,gooda
