The wicked wit of Jane Austen - Iseult Gillespie

翻译人员: Heze Ma 校对人员: Tianji (Homer) Li

Whether she’s describing bickering families,

不论是在描述争吵的家人、

quiet declarations of love,

爱的沉默宣言，

or juicy gossip,

或是生动有趣的八卦，

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

简奥斯汀的作品通常都会让你 感觉到它根本是为你个人写的。

Her dry wit and cheeky playfulness informs her heroines,

她冷静的机智和大胆的玩笑， 让她的女主角很有特色，

whose conversational tone welcomes readers with a conspiratorial wink.

女主角的对谈语调，似乎在用 心有灵犀的方式来欢迎读者。

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

甚至有人说，有些读者觉得 自己像是作者的秘密女知己，

trading letters with their delightfully wicked friend Jane.

会和她们顽皮的朋友交换信件。

But this unique brand of tongue-in-cheek humor

但是这种独特的招牌， 也就是玩笑式的幽默，

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

仅是她众多狡猾讽刺的技术之一，

of society, civility, and sweeping romance.

她会讽刺社会、礼仪， 以及彻底的浪漫。

Written in the early nineteenth century,

奥斯汀写小说的时期是十九世纪初，

Austen's novels decode the sheltered lives

她的小说译解了英国乡村

of the upper classes in rural England.

上层阶级中不为人知的生活。

From resentment couched in pleasantries

从客套中隐藏的怨恨，

to arguing that masks attraction,

到掩饰吸引力的争执，

her work explores the bewildering collision of emotions and etiquette.

她的作品探讨了情绪和礼节 抵触时，那让人困惑的冲突。

But while romance is a common thread in her work,

但是虽然在她的作品中 浪漫爱情是常见的故事线，

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

奥斯汀完全不考虑采用当时 很流行的多愁善感式写作风格。

Instead of lofty love stories,

她不写高尚的爱情故事，

her characters act naturally, and often awkwardly.

她的角色行为 都很自然，甚至笨拙。

They trade pragmatic advice, friendly jokes

他们会交换务实的建议、友善的玩笑，

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

在谈论自大的同伙时， 也会用上不太友善地讽刺言语。

As they grapple with the endless rules of their society,

当奥斯汀的角色在努力解决 他们社会中没完没了的规则时，

Austen’s characters can usually find humor

他们通常都可以找到幽默，

in all the hypocrisy, propriety, and small talk.

在各种伪善、得体举止， 和闲聊中都有着幽默。

As Mr. Bennet jokes to his favorite daughter,

如同班奈特先生对他最爱的 女儿开玩笑时所说的：

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

“我们人生的目的是什么？ 不就是捉弄我们的邻居，

and laugh at them in our turn?”

轮到我们时就嘲笑他们吗？”

And though her heroines might ridicule senseless social mores,

虽然她的女主角可能会 揶揄无力的社会习俗，

Austen fully understood the practical importance of maintaining appearances.

但奥斯汀完全了解 维持外表的实际重要性。

At the time she was writing,

当她在写作的时期，

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

在财务面来说，多数年轻女性 仍然觉得嫁个有钱人是必要的，

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

她也常探讨追求梦幻爱情

and the economic benefits of making a match.

和考量经济利益而在一起 这两种选择之间的紧张关系。

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

在《曼斯菲尔德庄园》中，精明的 社会名流玛丽克劳佛这样总结：

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

“我会让每个人都能妥当地结婚的话， 我很乐见：

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

我不喜欢让人们把自己浪费掉。”

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

不意外，这些主题也出现在 奥斯汀自己的人生中。

Born in 1775,

她生于1775年，

she lived in the social circles found in her novels.

在她的小说中能看到 她所生活的社交圈。

Jane's parents supported her education,

简的父母资助她的教育，

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

给她空间写作， 让她能匿名出版她的作品。

But writing was hardly lucrative work.

但写作实在算不上是会赚大钱的工作。

And although she had sparks of chemistry,

虽然她曾经有过恋爱的火花， 但她从来没有结婚。

she never married.

在她的许多角色身上都可以找到 她真实生活情景中的元素：

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

often intelligent women with witty, pragmatic personalities,

通常这些角色是睿智的女性， 有着机智、务实的个性，

and rich inner lives.

以及充实的内在生活。

These headstrong heroines provide an entertaining anchor

这些任性的女主角 很有娱乐性，可以撑起

她们那混乱又浪漫的故事。

for their tumultuous romantic narratives.

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

就像《傲慢与偏见》中 无理的伊丽莎白·班奈特，

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

她太过投入她姐妹的爱情生活，

让她看不见一位笨拙的追求者。

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

或是《劝导》中意志坚强的 安妮·埃利奥特，

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

在她的初恋对象消失之后， 她选择不要结婚。

And Elinor Dashwood,

还有非常保护家人的埃利诺·道施伍德，

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

在《理性与感性》中， 付出的代价是她自己的欲望。

in "Sense and Sensibility."

These women all encounter difficult choices

这些女性都遇到了困难的选择，

about romantic, filial, and financial stability,

关于爱情、孝道， 以及财务稳定的选择，

and they resolve them without sacrificing their values–

且在解决时，她们也没有 牺牲自己的价值观——

or their sense of humor.

或自己的幽默感。

Of course, these characters are far from perfect.

当然，这些角色一点也不完美。

They often think they have all the answers.

她们通常都认为 自己有所有的答案。

And by telling the story from their perspective,

奥斯汀会从她们的角度来说故事，

Austen tricks the viewer into believing their heroine knows best–

这样就能欺骗读者， 相信这些女主角是最懂的人——

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

之后再釜底抽薪， 拆了主角和读者的台。

在《爱玛》中的爱玛觉得 自己身边都是无趣的邻居，

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

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

以及机智水平远比不上她的朋友。

当她的客人闲扯半天 又吐不出象牙时，

As her guests prattle on and on about nothing,

the reader begins to agree–

读者就会开始认同——

Emma is the only exciting character in this quiet neighborhood.

在这安静的邻里中， 爱玛时唯一能让人兴奋的角色。

Yet despite her swelling ego,

但是尽管爱玛自我膨胀的很厉害，

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

她可能没有自己想象的那么能掌控——

不论是在人生还是爱情上。

And Austen’s intimate use of perspective

奥斯汀采用很亲近的视角，

makes these revelations doubly surprising,

让这些真相被揭露时更让人吃惊，

blindsiding both Emma and her audience.

攻到爱玛以及读者的不备之处。

But rather than diminishing her host of heroines,

但是这些瑕疵并没有 贬损她的女主角们，

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

反而只是确认了 “所有人类角色的不一致性”。

Their complexity has kept Austen prominent on stage and screen,

这些角色的复杂度，让奥斯汀 在舞台上和银幕上都很抢眼，

and made her work easily adaptable for modern sensibilities.

让她的作品和现代感情也很相符。

So hopefully,

所以希望，

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

在接下来的年代，新读者会持续

for many years to come.

将奥斯汀女士视为他们的朋友。