艾琳娜和瑪麗安是一對性格迥異的姐妹，前者理性，后者感性，兩人對愛情也是如此，但彼此都不贊成對方對待愛情的態(tài)度。艾琳娜愛上了想做牧師的愛德華?，旣惏矂t喜歡上英俊多情的衛(wèi)樂比，但兩人的愛情都遇上了波折。

Marianne: How long have you known?

Eleanor: Since the night Mrs. Jennings offered to take us to London.

Marianne: Why did you not tell me?

Eleanor: Lucy told me in the strictest confidence.I could not break my word.

Marianne: But Edward loves you.

Eleanor: He made me no promises. He tried to tell me about Lucy.

Marianne: He cannot marry her.

Eleanor: Would you have him treat her even worse than Willoughby has treated you?

Marianne: No. But not would I have him marry whom he does not love.

Eleanor: Edward made his promise a long time ago long before he met me. Though he may harbor some regret. I believe that he will be happy in the knowledge that he did his duty and kept his word. After all...after all, that is bewitching in the idea of ones happiness entirely depending on one person...it is not always possible,we must accept. Edward will marry Lucy...and you and I will go home.

Marianne: Always resignation and acceptance. Always prudence and honor and duty. Eleanor,where is your heart?

Eleanor: What do you know of my heart? What do you know of anything but me without being at liberty to speak of it to a single creature. It was forced on me by the very person whose prior claims ruined all my hope. I have endured her exaltation again and again whilst knowing myself go be divided from Edward forever. Believe me,Marianne, had I not been bound to silence I could have produced proof enough of a broken heart even for you.

下面這段對白的背景是（在得知愛德華即將與露西舉行婚禮消息后，瑪麗安驚訝地望著艾琳娜。）瑪麗安遭到衛(wèi)樂比的背叛之后，得知姐姐所愛的愛德華已與露西訂婚并要結婚了，非常震驚。艾琳娜早從露西嘴里知道這個消息，一直壓抑著自己的痛苦。在瑪麗安憤憤不平的追問下，艾琳娜表現(xiàn)出自己豁達無私、信守承諾的品德，然而她對愛德華的愛讓她在妹妹面前難以掩飾自己的極度痛苦。兩姐妹同時遭到失戀的打擊，心靠得更近了。

瑪麗安：這件事情你知道多久？

艾琳娜：自從詹寧斯夫人請我們來倫敦那晚。

瑪麗安：你為什么不告訴我？

艾琳娜：露西叫我一定不要說出去，我不能食言。

瑪麗安：可是，愛德華愛你！

艾琳娜：他沒有給我任何承諾。他曾試著要告訴我有關露西的事情。

瑪麗安：他不能娶她！

艾琳娜：你要他對待露西比衛(wèi)樂比對待你還要糟糕嗎？

瑪麗安：不。可是我也不能讓他娶自己不愛的人啊!

艾琳娜：早在愛德華遇見我之前，他就做出了那個承諾。他或許有些后悔，但我相信他會很高興擔負起自己的責任，信守承諾，畢竟……畢竟，當某個人的幸福完全掌握在你一個人手中的時候，那種感覺還是很迷人的。這種情況并不是總會發(fā)生，我們必須接受下來。愛德華會娶露西……而你和我就回家去吧。

瑪麗安：總是放棄，總是聽天由命，總是有百般顧忌，總是為了榮譽，總是為了責任。艾琳娜，你的心在哪里？

艾琳娜：你怎會了解我的心？除了你自己的痛苦，你還知道什么？這幾個星期來，瑪麗安，這件事一直壓迫著我，我不能跟任何人說，而告訴我的人，就是那個憑著以前的承諾奪走我所有希望的人。我一再忍受她的得意洋洋，自知和愛德華永無結果?，旣惏?，相信我，如果我能說的話，我會把自己的傷痛表現(xiàn)得比你還厲害。