财产继承制度

英国古老的土地法要到了《傲慢与偏见》出版半个多世纪 后才发生了变化。19世纪中叶英国法律经历了一个重大变 革时代，1866年正式宣布废除了名义上的土地的国王所有 制，私人占有的土地获得了完整的所有权，很多封建义务 得以被废除。即使是限定继承地产也逐渐允许经过一定程 序后自由继承。不过在法律上完全废除这些古老的分类， 却是要到1925年的财产法律改革，地产全部改为一般可继 承地产，取消限嗣继承地产、终生地产等分类，地产进行 统一登记，这样《傲慢与偏见》里别扭的财产继承现象才 从英国社会完全消失。
英国财产继承制度
西欧的财产继承以诸子中一人继承为主，主要是长子继承，如果没有男嗣的话， 根据限嗣继承法，由其他男性继承。这也是为什么班内特家的财产要由柯林斯 继承的缘故。这种一人继承是基于土地财产的不可分割，而动产和现金则可以 分割继承（甚至均分）。这也是为什么Miss Bingley，Miss Darcy都继承了相当 数量的财产，而Bennet家的几个姐妹在父亲死后每人可以分得一千英镑财产的 缘故。 但是Mrs Bennet几近疯狂的举止也是可以理解的。毕竟她的五个女儿今 后的生活除了一小部分现金和动产外，基本上后半生的生活没有任何保障。 在十八世纪末十九世纪初的英国乡村，封建保守势力还是相当强大。婚姻很要 求门当户对。达西和伊丽莎白虽然财产相差悬殊，但毕竟属于同一阶层，这一 点连凯瑟琳夫人也不能否认，这也是他们最终能结合在一起的重要原因之一。 在当时的年代，妇女只能在其所生长的阶层的圈子中生活，社会习俗禁止她们 在社会的任何其他领域里活动。一般妇女除了当老处女和家庭教师外，惟一出 路就是嫁人。嫁一户有钱有地位的体面人家，就成了一个年轻小姐得到并保持 可靠社会与经济地位的理想途径。尤其是那些“一般财产不多、教养有素的青 年女子，都是把结婚当作惟一一条未雨绸缪的体面出路，不管如何心中无数， 幸福难卜，结婚成家都是她们最可心合意的避风港，以防她们以后不致缺衣少 食。”因此，要赢得一位理想的丈夫似乎就是这些年轻小姐们的人生惟一目标。
In 1817,not long after Pride and Prejudice was published, Jane got sick. At first ,Jane paid little attention to her illness devoted herself in her new work Persuasion. Unfortunately, her health got much worse . So she had to move to Manchester to get better treatment. Suffering from unbearable pains, Jane still remained optimistic. And she wrote a farewell letter in secret. Two months later, she died with serious sickness. By then ,she was only 41 . Later she was buried in Winchester Cathedral.
由于很多土地都附带着封建义务，即使到了小说写作的19 世纪初叶，仍然如此。其他的封建义务都逐渐可以使用现 金来代替，可是被规定了出服役人的地产就无法用金钱替 代，尽管实际上这种服役早已废除。班纳特家的那块地产， 就是被限定承担出一个服役男子义务的土地，因此只能由 男子来继承。这被称之为限定继承地产，或者叫“限嗣继 承地产”，确实是英国当时非常普遍的现象。 在小说的第十三章里，班纳特先生对柯林斯所言：“唉， 先生，我的确是说到这方面。你得承认，这对于我可怜的 女儿们真是件不幸的事。我并不想怪你，因为我也知道， 世界上这一类的事完全靠命运。一个人的产业一旦要限定 继承人，那你就无从知道它会落到谁的手里去。”显然班 纳特先生自己是完全清楚这个法律的，也是心里的一个永 远的疙瘩。
Introduction
Pride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. The story follows the main character Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education, and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England. Elizabeth is the second of five daughters of a country gentleman. Though the story is set at the turn of the 19th century, it retains a fascination for modern readers, continuing near the top of lists of 'most loved books' such as The Big Read. It has become one of the most popular novels in English literature and receives considerable attention from literary scholars. Modern interest in the book has resulted in a number of dramatic adaptations and an abundance of novels and stories imitating Austen's memorable characters or themes. To date, the book has sold some 20 million copies worldwide.
那个时候英国人民的财产分为动产和不动产。不动产 即房产、地产等遵循长子继承法，所以贝内特一家的 女人不能继承朗伯恩的家产，而动产即现金等为教会 法继承，分为三份，配偶、女儿和教会各一份。 摄政时期的贵族和乡绅采用长子继承制. 爵位, 财产和 土地都传给长子, 为了防止封地和财产实力因后代的分 割, 导致变小变弱. 而大多都将其财产和土地 Entail下三 代, 每一位新的继承人继承时, 又重新签署一份Entail下 三代的承诺. Entail 的财产不能出售, 转赠, 划分, 或用(新的)遗嘱改变 继承权, 必须完整地传到下一位指定的继承人. 如果家 中没有儿子，指定继承人将是亲属中, 最近亲最年长的 男性. 如果这家族有额外的收入 (土地租金等)，女儿们结婚 时会有丰厚的嫁妆(如乔治亚娜), 婚后嫁妆一般都归丈 夫所有. 一般只有从商的家庭, 或暴发户, 因为物业财产尚未 entail, 在没有儿子的情况下, 可以自由让女儿继承. entail 限定继承权
Jane Austen’s first love ended up in forcing two families. However, this experience was a key to her understanding of how love works and how she became the writer we know and love today. After that , Jane chose to put all of her energy and feelings into the creation of literature. Through Jane’s life , she had 6 works. They are Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, Emma and Persuasion. Almost all of her works were modified by herself again and again. Although she had only six works, she was spoken highly of because of her unique description by many masters in history, such as Scott Walter , lady Browning and so on. Austen’s works are warm welcomed ,especially by female readers.
Jane Austen
• Jane Austen was born in a pastor family. Her family was not rich, but she lived a very peaceful life in her teen age. She had 7 sisters and brothers and she ranked 6. She had never entered any formal schools to get education. But she once went to her sister’s school to accompany her. Her sister Cassandra was her best friend in her whole life. Jane’s family were always happy, but money remained a big problem. So they had to drop from school when Jane was 11 years old. However, at home, Jane received the best education. Fra Baidu biblioteker father was her first tutor and she taught her a lot of knowledge. Jane was keen on reading and writing.