为了提升自己的英语水平，我通过阅读英文小说来实现这个目标。我最近读了毛姆的《月亮和六便士》，还有玛格丽特·米切尔的《飘》。结果就是，我虽然感受到了它们的用词精美，表达精妙，但我实际上没学会多少英文表达，倒是情绪跟着小说的情节起起伏伏。尤其是角色的成长和转变，都让我十分揪心。我在这分享一下里面的片段——关于小女孩突然长大的描述。

《月亮和六便士》的男主角 Strickland 突然放弃稳定生活，抛妻弃子，决定“不羁放荡爱自由”。他在漂泊到大溪地之后遇到了 Ata。她是当地的女孩，矮小瘦弱，但是忠诚勤劳，一直任劳任怨地照顾着 Strickland。在 Strikland 感染了麻风病行将就木时，他决定离开 Ata 到山里去。在这里，Ata 停止了哭泣。

Then Ata stood up and faced him (Strickland).

"Let the others go if they choose, but I will not leave thee. Thou art my man and I am thy woman. If thou leavest me I shall hand myself on the tree that is behind the house. I swear it by God."

There was something immensely forcible in the way she spoke. She was no longer the meek, soft native girl, but a determined woman. She was extraordinarily transformed.

也许是爱情，也许是责任，Ata 在 Strickland 这个“渣男”面前，一下子成长了起来。

如果说 Ata 是因为爱情而转变，那么《飘》中女主角 Scarlett 的转变则要复杂很多。

《飘》是玛格丽特·米切尔在世时出版的唯一一部作品；它的背景是美国内战。

女主角 Scarlett 在美国内战前是集万千宠爱于一身的“矫情”女孩，但是在经历了战火纷飞，以及战后重建家园，她成为了一名坚强的女性，挑起整个家庭的担子。

在亚特兰大遭到炮火袭击的那个夜晚，好友 Melanie 遭遇了早产。Scarlett 不得不带着她连夜逃回老家 Tara，在路上她甚至不知道家还在不在：

Was Tara still standing? Or was Tara also gone with the wind which had swept through Georgia?

这已经是书的第24章了，这是我第一次知道它的标题 Gone with the Wind 的来历。

回到家乡后，她们发现塔拉已被洗劫一空，且 Scarlett 的母亲已死去多时，父亲也因此精神失常。Scarlett 外出寻找食物，晕倒在外面。她躺在地上想着过去的种种，当她终于恢复过来时：

When she arose at last and saw again the black ruins of Twelve Oaks, her head was raised high and something that was youth and beauty and potential tenderness had gone out of her face forever. What was past was past. Those who were dead were dead. The lazy luxury of the old days was gone, never to return. And, as Scarlett settled the heavy basket across her arm, she had settled her own mind and her own life.

再也没有退路了，Scarlett不得不向前走，此刻她大声叫出：

As God is my witness, as God is my witness they're not going to lick me. I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again.

之后 Scarlett一肩扛起全家重担，努力种植棉花，甚至和 Melanie 一起枪杀了一名进入偷窃的北方军人。后来 Scarlet 经历了二婚，并经营起一家锯木工厂，此刻的 Scarlett 已经不是以前盘桓在帅小伙之中的女孩了。

She was a handsome woman, to be sure, but all that pretty, sweet softness had gone from her face and that flattering way of looking up at a man, like he knew more than God Almighty, had utterly vanished.

总体来说《飘》的男女主角让人又爱又恨，但是 Scarlett 的转变却让人唏嘘不已。