MR.COLLINS was not left long to the silent contemplation of his successful love;for Mrs. Bennet, having dawdled about in the vestibule to watch for the end ofthe conference, no sooner saw Elizabeth open the door and with quick step passher towards the staircase, than she entered the breakfast room, andcongratulated both him and herself in warm terms on the happy prospect of theirnearer connection. Mr. Collins received and returned these felicitations withequal pleasure, and then proceeded to relate the particulars of theirinterview, with the result of which he trusted he had every reason to besatisfied, since the refusal which his cousin had stedfastly given him wouldnaturally flow from her bashful modesty and the genuine delicacy of hercharacter.
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Thisinformation, however, startled Mrs. Bennet; -- she would have been glad to beequally satisfied that her daughter had meant to encourage him by protestingagainst his proposals, but she dared not to believe it, and could not helpsaying so.
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"Butdepend upon it, Mr. Collins," she added, "that Lizzy shall be broughtto reason. I will speak to her about it myself directly. She is a veryheadstrong foolish girl, and does not know her own interest; but I will makeher know it."
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"pardonme for interrupting you, Madam," cried Mr. Collins; "but if she isreally headstrong and foolish, I know not whether she would altogether be avery desirable wife to a man in my situation, who naturally looks for happinessin the marriage state. If therefore she actually persists in rejecting my suit,perhaps it were better not to force her into accepting me, because if liable tosuch defects of temper, she could not contribute much to my felicity."
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"Sir,you quite misunderstand me," said Mrs. Bennet, alarmed. "Lizzy isonly headstrong in such matters as these. In every thing else she is as goodnatured a girl as ever lived. I will go directly to Mr. Bennet, and we shallvery soon settle it with her, I am sure."
請教老師：
1. nosooner 句首這里為何沒倒裝？應該是 no soonerdid Elizabeth see...吧？
2. 這里的darednot to believe 是實義動詞，為何不是didn't dare to believe呢？
3. 這里用了were,而沒用was，是不是是虛擬語氣？用虛擬語氣were和was，在這里比較含義的不同，如何理解這種差異？
4. 如何理解asever lived 含義？這里是需要省略的主語，那樣ever lived, 就是字面意思是過去存在的意思嗎？
謝謝老師！
你的這個內容是“傲慢與偏見”的第20章。
1.for Mrs. Bennet, , no sooner saw Elizabeth open the door and with quick step pass her towardsthe staircase, than she entered the breakfast-room, and congratulated both himand herself in warm terms on the happy prospect of their nearer connection.
看了解什么是主語問題就好解決了。譬如：
We no sooner sat down in the train than I felt sick.
The poor woman......no sooner looked at the Serjeant, thanshe presently recollected him.
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2.daren’t（dare not）當成情態動詞的使用方法只用在英國英語中（見PEU）：
I daren't go out at night.
I daren't look.
She daren't tell him what she thinks.
你提到的“she dared not believe it”是古老的使用方法，目前基本看不到了：
She dared not to tell herself that such an impulse was love for the man whose honour she had played with.? （English Accidence and Syntax3.
He is asgreat a statesman as ever lived.
He isbrave a man as ever lived.
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