飘｜Gone with the Wind

原著作者｜玛格丽特·米切尔

• In the spring of 1861 at Tara plantation in Georgia the American South camellias were in full bloom
• Seventeen year old Scarlett stood on the porch with her gray green eyes as cunning as a cat
• Her waist measured only seventeen inches she was the slimmest girl in the county
• Her father Ocrsley was an upstart who had won the plantation through gambling
• Her mother Ellen was of French noble descent every movement elegant
• Scarlett believed she should be the center of every ball every man in the world should fall at her feet
• Then came the day of the Twelve Oaks barbecue
• Scarlett dressed carefully she was going to confess her love to Ashley
• Ashley had golden hair and blue eyes the most gentle and graceful gentleman in the county
• He accepted Scarlett's embrace in the hallway but when he spoke he said I will marry Melanie
• Scarlett could not believe her ears
• She dragged Ashley into the study demanding why he did not love her
• Ashley said I am attracted by your vitality but I love Melanie
• Scarlett grabbed a vase in anger and threw it at the wall
• At that moment a laugh came from behind the sofa
• Rhett Butler stepped out of the shadows a rogue expelled from West Point
• He had witnessed the entire confession thinking this girl was fascinating
• At least she was not hypocritical
• Before the party ended cannons thundered war between North and South had begun
• Men were wild with excitement to join the army only Rhett sneered the South will lose
• Two months later Scarlett married Charles Melanie's brother
• Newlyweds Charles went to war and died
• Seventeen year old Scarlett became a widow
• She moved to Atlanta to live with Melanie
• At a charity ball for the army Scarlett met Rhett again
• Rhett bid one hundred and fifty dollars to dance with her
• According to custom a widow could not dance
• Scarlett hesitated a second then reached out her hand to Rhett
• She twirled in the dance floor her skirts flying up
• In that moment she declared war on the entire old world
• The flames drew closer Atlanta was surrounded by Union troops
• Melanie was about to give birth all doctors were taken to care for the wounded
• Scarlett was terrified she wanted to return to Tara to find her mother
• But she could not abandon Melanie
• The girl who once complained that a handkerchief was too heavy mustered courage to deliver Melanie's baby
• A baby's cry pierced the night sky
• Scarlett got a broken carriage from Rhett and fled through the burning city
• Halfway Rhett decided to join the army
• He left Scarlett alone on the road
• Scarlett braved the artillery fire to rush back to Tara what awaited her was hell on earth
• Her mother had just died of typhoid
• Her father had gone insane from grief
• Her two sisters were sick in bed
• Only three old servants remained all the slaves had run away
• The once wealthy plantation had been looted clean not a grain of food left
• Scarlett looked at the ruins Irish blood ran through her veins
• She took off her velvet dress put on coarse homespun
• At nineteen she became the sole pillar of the family
• She picked cotton grew vegetables milked cows
• A Yankee deserter broke into the house to steal
• Scarlett grabbed a gun shot him dead
• She calmly looted the body for money
• That delicate Southern belle was dead
• What survived was a tough woman who would do anything to survive
• The war ended the South lost
• The old social order collapsed the rich became poor
• Tara faced massive taxes unable to pay the plantation would be auctioned
• Scarlett went to find Rhett in prison but Rhett was also locked up
• On the road she met Frank her sister's fiancé
• Frank had just opened a store he had some money
• Scarlett without hesitation launched her plan B
• She lied that her sister had lost interest then used her charm to steal Frank away
• She traded marriage for money paid the taxes saved Tara
• After marrying Frank Scarlett started doing business
• She found the lumber business profitable
• She hired convict labor to cut costs did business with Yankees
• She drove her carriage through dangerous slums alone
• All of Atlanta high society despised her
• A woman doing business in that era was scandalous
• But Scarlett knew clearly the old world was dead
• To survive she must adapt to this new world
• And Ashley the man she loved had become completely useless after the war
• Except for reading poetry and reminiscing he could do nothing
• Scarlett often wondered what had she loved all her life
• Then tragedy struck
• Scarlett was attacked while driving through a black neighborhood alone
• Frank joined a cleanup gang to avenge her and was killed
• Scarlett became a widow for the third time
• Then Rhett finally appeared
• He had made a fortune from the war he proposed to Scarlett
• He said we are the same kind of people cold greedy and ruthless
• Only I see your true self and still love you
• Scarlett accepted his proposal
• Their marriage was luxurious and sweet
• Rhett bought Scarlett a big house and the most expensive jewelry
• Their daughter Bonnie was born
• Rhett began doing charity to help Bonnie enter high society
• He started pleasing the old aristocrats he had once despised
• But in Scarlett's heart Ashley always lived
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