世上最絕的分手信 – 英文由F字學起 – 蕭愷一 – Yahoo! BLOG.

What am I to imagine, Willoughby, by your behaviour last night? I demand an explanation of it.

末段更表示「如果你不愛我了，請交還我給你的那束頭髮」：

If your sentiments are no longer what they were, you will return my notes, and the lock of my hair which is in your posession.

幾天後，苦命的女主角收到這樣的回信：

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 oblingingly bestowed on me.

I am, dear Madam, Your most obedient humble Servant,

John Willoughby.

整篇意思大約是：「我跟你從來沒有甚麼關係，是你自作多情了。」

最要命的是信中措詞。信中用字極度謙卑有禮，卻同時冷酷得教人不寒而慄。這些字句，像寫給陌生人的公函多於像寫給舊愛的信：

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

措詞愈有禮，愈教人心寒。

賤男更把責任都推在「自作多情」的女主角身上，這同樣以委婉的言詞道出：

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：「假如我對你表現得太友善而引起誤會，我深感遺憾。」

siu82english, 網摘, 英文