The wicked wit of Jane Austen - Iseult Gillespie

Translator: Elda Indria Sari Reviewer: Reno Kanti Riananda

Whether she’s describing bickering families,

Entah itu menggambarkan keluarga yang tengah bercekcok,

quiet declarations of love,

pernyataan cinta nan lembut,

or juicy gossip,

atau gosip panas,

Jane Austen’s writing often feels as though it was written just for you.

tulisan Jane Austen sering kali terasa ditulis seolah-olah hanya untukmu.

Her dry wit and cheeky playfulness informs her heroines,

Leluconnya yang datar dan kejenakaan mengilhami para tokoh utamanya,

whose conversational tone welcomes readers with a conspiratorial wink.

dengan gaya percakapan yang menyapa pembaca dengan kedipan konspiratif.

It’s even been said that some readers feel like the author’s secret confidante,

Beberapa pembaca bahkan merasa bagai wanita kepercayaan sang penulis,

trading letters with their delightfully wicked friend Jane.

saling bertukar surat dengan teman mereka yang cantik dan nakal, Jane.

But this unique brand of tongue-in-cheek humor

Namun humor sarkastik yang unik ini

is just one of the many feats found in her sly satires

hanyalah satu dari sekian petualangan yang ada dalam satire nakalnya

of society, civility, and sweeping romance.

mengenai masyarakat, sopan-santun, dan percintaan yang memesona.

Written in the early nineteenth century,

Ditulis di awal abad ke-19,

Austen's novels decode the sheltered lives

novel Austen menguraikan kehidupan tersembunyi

of the upper classes in rural England.

para kelas atas di pedesaan Inggris.

From resentment couched in pleasantries

Dari dendam yang dibingkai kelakar

to arguing that masks attraction,

hingga rasa terpikat tersamar pertengkaran,

her work explores the bewildering collision of emotions and etiquette.

karyanya menyelami konflik emosi dan etiket yang membingungkan.

But while romance is a common thread in her work,

Walau percintaan menjadi benang merah karya-karyanya,

Austen dismissed the sentimental style of writing so popular at the time.

Austen tidak menulis dalam gaya sentimental yang populer kala itu.

Instead of lofty love stories,

Alih-alih kisah percintaan luhur,

her characters act naturally, and often awkwardly.

karakter-karakternya bertingkah wajar, bahkan canggung.

They trade pragmatic advice, friendly jokes

Mereka bertukar saran praktis, lelucon ramah

and not-so-friendly barbs about their arrogant peers.

dan ejekan jahat tentang teman-teman mereka yang arogan.

As they grapple with the endless rules of their society,

Saat bergulat dengan aturan masyarakat yang tak ada habisnya,

Austen’s characters can usually find humor

karakter Austen mampu menemukan sisi jenaka

in all the hypocrisy, propriety, and small talk.

dalam kemunafikan, kesopanan, dan basa-basi.

As Mr. Bennet jokes to his favorite daughter,

Ketika Mr. Bennet bergurau dengan putri kesayangannya,

“For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors

"Untuk apa kita hidup, selain mengolok-olok tetangga kita

and laugh at them in our turn?”

dan menertawakan mereka?"

And though her heroines might ridicule senseless social mores,

Walau tokoh utamanya mencemooh adat istiadat sosial,

Austen fully understood the practical importance of maintaining appearances.

Austen memahami pentingnya menjaga penampilan.

At the time she was writing,

Di masa dia menulis,

a wealthy marriage was a financial necessity for most young women,

pernikahan demi harta adalah keharusan bagi sebagian besar wanita muda,

and she often explores the tension between the mythical quest for love,

dia kerap menelusuri tekanan antara pencarian cinta yang menakjubkan,

and the economic benefits of making a match.

dengan manfaat ekonomi perjodohan.

The savvy socialite Mary Crawford sums this up in "Mansfield Park;"

Sosialita cerdas, Mary Crawford, merangkumnya di "Mansfield Park;"

“I would have everybody marry if they can do it properly:

"Aku ingin semua orang menikah jika dilakukan semestinya:

I do not like to have people throw themselves away.”

aku tak suka melihat seseorang menyia-nyiakan dirinya."

Unsurprisingly, these themes were also present in Austen’s personal life.

Tidak heran, tema ini juga hadir dalam kehidupan pribadi Austen.

Born in 1775,

Terlahir di tahun 1775,

she lived in the social circles found in her novels.

ia hidup dalam lingkaran sosial yang ada dalam novel-novelnya.

Jane's parents supported her education,

Orang tua Jane mendukung pendidikannya,

and provided space for her to write and publish her work anonymously.

dan memberinya ruang untuk menulis dan menerbitkan karyanya tanpa nama.

But writing was hardly lucrative work.

Namun menulis bukan pekerjaan yang menguntungkan.

And although she had sparks of chemistry,

Walau sempat merasakan percintaan,

she never married.

dia tak pernah menikah.

Elements of her circumstances can be found in many of her characters;

Penggalan kisah hidupnya bisa ditemui di banyak karakternya;

often intelligent women with witty, pragmatic personalities,

sering kali wanita cerdas dengan kepribadian jenaka dan pragmatis,

and rich inner lives.

serta kehidupan batin yang kaya.

These headstrong heroines provide an entertaining anchor

Para tokoh utama keras kepala ini menyajikan pesona menghibur

for their tumultuous romantic narratives.

lewat kisah percintaan mereka yang riuh.

Like the irreverent Elizabeth Bennet of "Pride and Prejudice,"

Seperti si kasar Elizabeth Bennet di "Pride and Prejudice,"

whose devotion to her sisters’ love lives blinds her to a clumsy suitor.

yang pengabdian pada saudari-saudarinya mempertemukannya dengan peminang kikuk.

Or the iron-willed Anne Elliot of "Persuasion,"

Atau si keras kepala Anne Elliot dari "Persuasion,"

who chooses to remain unmarried after the disappearance of her first love.

yang memilih membujang setelah cinta pertamanya menghilang.

And Elinor Dashwood,

Lalu Elinor Dashwood,

who fiercely protects her family at the cost of her own desires

yang dengan gigih melindungi keluarga walau mengorbankan hasratnya

in "Sense and Sensibility."

dalam "Sense and Sensibility."

These women all encounter difficult choices

Semua wanita ini menghadapi pilihan sulit

about romantic, filial, and financial stability,

tentang cinta, bakti, dan stabilitas keuangan,

and they resolve them without sacrificing their values–

yang mereka pecahkan tanpa mengorbankan nilai-nilai mereka–

or their sense of humor.

atau rasa humor.

Of course, these characters are far from perfect.

Tentu karakter-karakter ini jauh dari sempurna.

They often think they have all the answers.

Mereka sering berpikir tahu segalanya.

And by telling the story from their perspective,

Dengan berkisah lewat perspektif mereka,

Austen tricks the viewer into believing their heroine knows best–

Austen mengelabui pembaca agar percaya si tokoh utama tahu yang terbaik–

only to pull the rug out from under the protagonist and the reader.

hanya untuk mengkhianatinya dan pembaca.

In "Emma," the titular character feels surrounded by dull neighbors,

Dalam "Emma," karakternya yang tituler merasa terkungkung tetangga menjemukan,

and friends who can’t hope to match her wit.

dan teman-teman yang tak bisa menandingi akalnya.

As her guests prattle on and on about nothing,

Saat tamu-tamunya terus mengoceh,

the reader begins to agree–

pembaca mulai setuju–

Emma is the only exciting character in this quiet neighborhood.

Emma adalah satu-satunya karakter menarik di lingkungan tenang tersebut.

Yet despite her swelling ego,

Namun meski egonya besar,

Emma may not be as in control as she thinks – in life or love.

mungkin Emma tak seteratur seperti yang dia kira – dalam hidup atau cinta.

And Austen’s intimate use of perspective

Penggunaan perspektif Austen yang intim

makes these revelations doubly surprising,

membuat pengungkapan ini lebih mengejutkan,

blindsiding both Emma and her audience.

mengagetkan Emma dan pembacanya.

But rather than diminishing her host of heroines,

Namun alih-alih melemahkan para tokoh utamanya,

these flaws only confirm “the inconsistency of all human characters.”

kekurangan ini justru menegaskan "inkonsistensi sifat manusia."

Their complexity has kept Austen prominent on stage and screen,

Kompleksitas mereka menonjolkan Austen baik di panggung atau layar,

and made her work easily adaptable for modern sensibilities.

dan membuat karyanya mudah diadaptasi untuk kepekaan modern.

So hopefully,

Jadi mudah-mudahan,

new readers will continue to find a friend in Ms. Austen

pembaca baru akan tetap berteman dengan Ms. Austen

for many years to come.

untuk waktu yang lama.