每日英语 · 2026-10-17
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
Jane Austen · Pride and Prejudice · 1813 · 小说第一卷第一章的开篇第一句，英国文学里最有名的开头之一，带着奥斯汀式的反讽。
译文
有一条举世公认的真理：凡是有钱的单身汉，总想娶位太太。
语法
- 形式主语 it：句子主干是 It is a truth（这是一条真理），it 只是占位的形式主语，真正的主语是后面的 that 从句“a single man ... must be in want of a wife”。因为真正的主语太长，英语习惯先用 it 撑住，把长内容放到句尾，读起来更平衡。现代写法一般不在 that 前加逗号，这里的逗号是 18、19 世纪的标点习惯。
- 过去分词短语作后置定语：universally acknowledged 修饰 a truth，相当于 a truth that is universally acknowledged（一条被普遍承认的真理），表被动。同理，in possession of a good fortune 是介词短语后置修饰 a single man，相当于 who is in possession of a good fortune。
- must 表推测：must be in want of 不是“必须需要”，而是“肯定需要、一定缺”，表示说话人很有把握的推断。反讽就在这里：其实是周围的人一厢情愿地认定有钱单身汉“一定”想娶妻。
词汇
-
universally /ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsəli/ adv.
普遍地；全世界都
搭配：universally accepted / universally recognized / universally acknowledged
English is not universally spoken, but it is widely used in tech.
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acknowledge /əkˈnɒlɪdʒ/ v.
承认；公认
搭配：acknowledge a mistake / acknowledge that... / be widely acknowledged as
He acknowledged that the bug was in his driver code.
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in possession of /ɪn pəˈzeʃn əv/ phr.
拥有；持有（比 have 正式）
搭配：be in possession of the facts / take possession of
Make sure you are in possession of all the data before you decide.
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fortune /ˈfɔːtʃuːn/ n.
财富，大笔钱财（句中义）；也指运气
搭配：make a fortune / cost a fortune / good fortune
That new oscilloscope cost me a fortune.
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in want of /ɪn wɒnt əv/ phr.
需要；缺少（较正式、偏书面）
搭配：be in want of help / in want of attention
The old firmware is badly in want of a rewrite.
笔记
小练习：仿照“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that...”造一句工程师版，比如 It is a truth universally acknowledged that a program without tests must be in want of a bug. 试着写一句你自己的吧。