The wicked wit of Jane Austen - Iseult Gillespie

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

Whether she’s describing bickering families,

不論是在描述鬥嘴的家人、

quiet declarations of love,

愛的沉默宣言，

or juicy gossip,

或生動有趣的八卦，

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

珍奧斯汀的作品通常都會讓你 感覺到它根本是為你個人寫的。

Her dry wit and cheeky playfulness informs her heroines,

她冷靜的機智和大膽的玩笑， 讓她的女主角很有特色，

whose conversational tone welcomes readers with a conspiratorial wink.

女主角的對談語調，似乎在用 心有靈犀的方式來歡迎讀者。

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

甚至有人說，有些讀者覺得 自己像是作者的秘密知己，

trading letters with their delightfully wicked friend Jane.

會和頑皮的朋友珍交換信件。

But this unique brand of tongue-in-cheek humor

但，這種獨特的招牌， 也就是玩笑式的幽默，

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

僅是她眾多狡猾諷刺的技藝之一，

of society, civility, and sweeping romance.

她會諷刺社會、禮儀， 以及徹底的浪漫。

Written in the early nineteenth century,

奧斯汀寫小說的時期 是十九世紀初，

Austen's novels decode the sheltered lives

她的小說譯解了英國鄉村

of the upper classes in rural England.

上層階級中的不為人知的生活。

From resentment couched in pleasantries

從客套中隱藏的怨恨，

to arguing that masks attraction,

到掩飾吸引力的爭執，

her work explores the bewildering collision of emotions and etiquette.

她的作品探討情緒和禮節抵觸時， 那讓人困惑的衝突。

But while romance is a common thread in her work,

雖然在她的作品中 浪漫愛情是常見的故事線，

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

奧斯汀完全不考慮採用當時 很流行的多愁善感式寫作風格。

Instead of lofty love stories,

她不寫高尚的愛情故事，

her characters act naturally, and often awkwardly.

她的角色行為很自然，甚至笨拙。

They trade pragmatic advice, friendly jokes

他們會交換務實的建議、 友善的笑話，

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

在談論自大的同儕時， 也會用上不太友善的譏刺言語。

As they grapple with the endless rules of their society,

當奧斯汀的角色在努力解決 社會中沒完沒了的規則時，

Austen’s characters can usually find humor

通常都找得到幽默，

in all the hypocrisy, propriety, and small talk.

在各種偽善、得體舉止， 和閒聊中都有著幽默。

As Mr. Bennet jokes to his favorite daughter,

如同班奈特先生對他最愛的 女兒開玩笑時所說的：

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

「我們人生的目的是什麼？ 不就是捉弄我們的鄰居，

and laugh at them in our turn?”

輪到我們時就嘲笑他們嗎？」

And though her heroines might ridicule senseless social mores,

雖然她的女主角可能會 揶揄無理的社會習俗，

Austen fully understood the practical importance of maintaining appearances.

但奧斯汀完全了解 維持外表的實際重要性。

At the time she was writing,

當她在寫作的時期，

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

在財務面來說，多數年輕女性 仍然覺得嫁個有錢人是必要的，

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

她也常探討追求夢幻愛情

and the economic benefits of making a match.

和考量經濟利益而在一起， 這兩種選擇之間的緊張關係。

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

在《曼斯菲爾德莊園》中，精明的 社會名流瑪莉克勞佛這樣總結：

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

「我樂見每個人都能妥當地結婚；

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

我不喜歡人們把自己浪費掉。」

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

不意外，這些主題也出現在 奧斯汀自己的人生中。

Born in 1775,

她生於 1775 年，

she lived in the social circles found in her novels.

在她的小說中能看到 她所生活的社交圈。

Jane's parents supported her education,

珍的父母資助她的教育，

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

給她空間寫作， 讓她能匿名出版她的作品。

But writing was hardly lucrative work.

但寫作實在算不上是 會賺大錢的工作。

And although she had sparks of chemistry,

雖然她曾經歷過 感情的火花，但從未結婚。

she never married.

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

在她的許多角色身上都可以找到 她真實生活情境中的元素：

often intelligent women with witty, pragmatic personalities,

通常這些角色是睿智的女性， 有著機智、務實的個性，

and rich inner lives.

以及充實的內在生活。

These headstrong heroines provide an entertaining anchor

這些任性的女主角 很有娛樂性，可以撐起

for their tumultuous romantic narratives.

她們那混亂又浪漫的故事。

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

就像《傲慢與偏見》中 無禮的伊麗莎白班奈特，

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

她太過投入她姐妹的愛情生活，

讓她看不見一位笨拙的追求者。

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

或是《勸導》中 意志堅強的安妮埃利奧特，

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

在她的初戀對象消失之後， 她選擇不要結婚。

And Elinor Dashwood,

還有非常保護家人的 埃利諾道施伍德，

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

在《理性與感性》中， 付出的代價是她自己的慾望。

in "Sense and Sensibility."

These women all encounter difficult choices

這些女性都遇到了困難的選擇，

about romantic, filial, and financial stability,

關於愛情、孝道， 以及財務穩定的選擇，

and they resolve them without sacrificing their values–

且在解決時，她們並沒有 犧牲自己的價值觀——

or their sense of humor.

或自己的幽默感。

Of course, these characters are far from perfect.

當然，這些角色一點也不完美。

They often think they have all the answers.

她們通常認為自己有所有的答案。

And by telling the story from their perspective,

奧斯汀會從她們的角度來說故事，

Austen tricks the viewer into believing their heroine knows best–

這樣就能欺騙讀者， 相信這些女主角是最懂的人——

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

之後再釜底抽薪， 拆了主要角色和讀者的台。

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

在《愛瑪》中的愛瑪覺得 自己身邊都是無趣的鄰居，

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

以及機智水平遠比不上她的朋友。

As her guests prattle on and on about nothing,

當她的客人閒扯半天 又吐不出象牙時，

the reader begins to agree–

讀者就會開始認同——

Emma is the only exciting character in this quiet neighborhood.

在這安靜的鄰里中， 艾瑪是唯一能讓人興奮的角色。

Yet despite her swelling ego,

但，儘管艾瑪自我膨脹得很厲害，

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

她可能沒有自己 想像的那麼能掌控——

不論是在人生上或愛情上。

And Austen’s intimate use of perspective

奧斯汀採用很親近的視角，

makes these revelations doubly surprising,

讓這些真相被揭露時更讓人吃驚，

blindsiding both Emma and her audience.

攻到艾瑪及其讀者的不備之處。

But rather than diminishing her host of heroines,

但，這些瑕疵並沒有 貶損她的女主角們，

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

反而只是確認了 「所有人類角色的不一致性」。

Their complexity has kept Austen prominent on stage and screen,

這些角色的複雜度，讓奧斯汀 在舞台上和銀幕上都很搶眼，

and made her work easily adaptable for modern sensibilities.

讓她的作品和現代感情也很相符。

So hopefully,

所以，希望，

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

在接下來的年代，新讀者會持續

for many years to come.

將奧斯汀女士視為他們的朋友。