Original subtitles

Jane Austen is Britain's most celebrated female novelist.

简·奥斯汀是英国最受推崇的女性小说家

She left behind timeless masterpieces, including Pride and Prejudice,

她为世人留下了不朽的经典

Sense and Sensibility and Emma,

包括《傲慢与偏见》《理智与情感》和《爱玛》

revealing the inner lives of men and women in a way that still speaks to us today.

深刻揭示了男女内心世界 时至今日仍能让人共鸣

But getting into her own mind isn't easy.

但要了解她的内心世界却并非易事

In her lifetime, Austen wrote thousands of letters

奥斯汀曾给她的姐姐卡桑德拉写过数千封书信

to her beloved sister, Cassandra, sharing her innermost thoughts.

倾诉着自己内心最深处的想法

But after Jane's death, at the age of just 41,

然而简年仅41岁去世后

her sister burned them. We had to ask ourselves, why?

姐姐将这些书信付之一炬 我们不禁要问为什么

What was at risk there? In the letters,

这其中隐藏着什么秘密 在那些书信里

She could be so funny and wicked and outrageous.

她时而滑稽搞笑 时而行为大胆无所顾忌

But some of them are so offensive.

但有些内容让人感到很冒犯

Cassandra knew they would cause a lot of upset.

卡桑德拉知道这些会带来轩然大波

But a handful of letters survived.

不过 少数信件幸存至今

Now, with the help of writers, experts and actors, we can piece

如今有作家 专家和演员的帮助

her extraordinary life back together.

我们得以重现 她那非凡的一生

Jane Austen was a writer teeming with new ideas

简·奥斯丁是一位富有新意的作家

who revealed profound truths about the world she lived in.

她揭示了那个时代世界的深刻真相

There is writing before Austen and there is writing after Austen.

文学写作分为奥斯丁之前和之后两个时代

That achievement is enormous.

这是一项了不起的成就

Jane Austen is the greatest

简·奥斯汀是最伟大的

comic novelist we have ever produced.

喜剧小说家 前无古人后无来者

At a time when women were supposed to know their place,

在那个女性应当安分守己的年代

Jane ripped up the rulebook. She's not just writing about romance.

简打破了条条框框 她写的不仅仅是爱情故事

We should see her as a political novelist.

我们应该把她看作一位政治小说家

She's telling young women, I see you and I hear you,

她在对年轻女性说：我看见你们 我听见你们

which I think is such a modern thing.

我觉得这真是太超前了

Austen's life is a tale of ambition, struggle and tragedy.

奥斯汀的一生充满了雄心 艰苦奋斗和悲剧色彩

A genius cut down in her prime.

一位英年早逝的天才

She's really good at the light, the ironic, the beautifully observed.

她最擅长轻松幽默 讽刺辛辣 观察入微的风格

And then life drives a truck into that.

然后现实就像卡车一样狠狠撞了过来

This is the story of how a self-taught country girl

这是一个自学成才的乡村女孩的故事

from a Hampshire village defied the conventions of her day

她来自一个小村庄 却敢于违抗传统

to become one of the greatest novelists who ever lived.

最终成为史上最伟大的小说家之一

Her voice is so strong and funny and perceptive

她的文字如此有力 风趣且富有洞察力

and her work is still being copied and stolen by people like me.

她的作品至今仍被像我这样的人模仿和借鉴

She did what she wanted to do and it makes me feel

她做自己想做的事 这让我觉得

like I can always do what I want to do.

我也能一直做自己想做的事

1793. King George III is on the throne.

1793年 国王乔治三世在位

It's an age of trade, slavery and empire

这是一个充满贸易 奴隶制和殖民扩张的时代

where vast fortunes are being made.

那里正在积累巨额财富

It's also a time of danger with the risk

这也是一个危险的时代 充满着

of destitution and the poorhouse.

贫困潦倒和进入救济院的风险

Where your position at birth dictates the shape of your life.

在那里 你出生时的社会地位决定了你的命运

But that world is starting to change.

但那个世界正在发生变化

Ideas of progress and equality are breaking down old assumptions.

进步和平等的理念正在冲击传统观念

And for those who take the risk, opportunities are there to be had.

对于敢于冒险的人来说 机遇就在眼前

Jane Austen is 17 years old.

简·奥斯汀今年17岁

She's grown up in the village of Steventon in Hampshire

她在汉普郡的史蒂文顿村长大

with six brothers and one older sister, Cassandra.

家中有六个兄弟和一个姐姐卡桑德拉

Jane is in a sort of perfect Petri dish for a writer

简身处一个为作家量身定制的完美温床

in that she's got a lot of siblings, a lot of brothers.

因为她有众多兄弟姐妹 特别是好几个兄弟

There's a huge amount of tension between her and her family

她与家人之间既有不少矛盾冲突

and a huge amount of stimulation and fun.

又有无穷的刺激和欢乐

Lots of things to talk about, things to see,

有说不完的话题 看不尽的风景

things to watch going on. And her siblings

观察不完的生活百态 而她的兄弟姐妹们

will become her first fully realised characters.

将成为她笔下最初那些鲜活饱满的人物

Her father George is the clergyman of the village.

她的父亲乔治是村里的牧师

The job doesn't pay well, but it does come with a home.

这份工作收入微薄 但好在包住宿

They don't own the place they live in.

他们住的房子并不属于自己

Nonetheless, as a rector, he has social status.

不过身为校长 他还是有一定社会地位的

Doesn't have any money, though.

但是呢 就是没什么钱

And he is using multiple jobs to try to make ends meet.

所以他只能身兼数职 勉强糊口

They have just enough money,

他们的收入勉强够用

but there's always the risk that they could sink downwards.

但随时都有可能陷入更困难的境地

This is the worry that hangs over the heads of the Austens.

这种担忧一直笼罩着奥斯汀一家

The Austen family may not be rich,

奥斯汀家虽然不算富裕

but they do have something of value.

但他们确实有些珍贵的财富

It's a modest home, but most importantly, it's got a library.

家里布置简朴 但这里有个图书室

It contains some 500 books.

里面收藏了大约500本书

This is unusual, it's remarkable for a family with limited finances

对于经济拮据的家庭来说 实在令人惊叹

to have this many books.

竟能拥有如此多的藏书

And the library is full of these ideas.

整个书房都充满了这些思想精髓

You've got the great classics of the time, history,

这里有那个时代的经典名著 史学著作

this world of literature, this world of politics.

文学的殿堂 政治的天地

It's at her fingertips.

这一切都触手可及

And there's an inspiring new kind of book on her father's shelves.

书架上还有一种激动人心的新兴文体

The novel. A form of writing which takes the reader

小说——一种引领读者

into the worlds of vivid fictional characters.

走进栩栩如生的虚构人物世界的书籍

Of course, all of this is fuel for her future genius.

这一切为她日后的天赋提供了丰富的养分

This is where she's made, in this library.

她就是在这个图书馆里成长起来的

From childhood, Jane's love of reading fuels an obsession

小时候简就酷爱读书 这种热爱让她痴迷于

with writing stories of her own.

创作属于自己的故事

We know that from a very young age,

我们都知道 简从很小的时候就

Jane is writing these exuberant, energetic, satirical little skits.

开始创作生动活泼 充满讽刺意味的小剧本

She's very funny, she's very witty.

她既风趣幽默 又机智过人

They're full of people falling down dead drunk, especially women.

作品里总有人喝得烂醉如泥 尤其是女性

They're just about what women should get up to

这些作品探讨的是女性应该做什么

or not get up to.

以及不应该做什么

One of Austen's earliest known stories is titled The Beautiful Cassandra.

早期的作品之一叫做《美丽的卡桑德拉》

Jane hero-worships her sister.

简对她姐姐崇拜得五体投地

Famously, her mother said if Cassandra was going to have her head cut off,

有传言说 母亲曾说如果卡桑德拉要被砍头

Jane would have her head cut off too.

简也会跟随去送命

She's obsessed with Cassandra.

她对卡桑德拉简直着了迷

The heroine is a mischievous adventurer who storms around London, causing trouble.

女主角是个调皮冒险家 在伦敦闯祸惹事

When Cassandra had attained her 16th year, she was lovely and amiable.

卡桑德拉16岁时 既可爱又温柔善良

She then proceeded to a pastry cook's where she devoured six ices,

她跑到糕点店里 一口气吃了六个冰淇淋

refused to pay for them, knocked down the pastry cook and walked away.

吃完拒绝付账 还把糕点师打了一顿扬长而去

For Jane to have girls punching pastry chefs

简居然让笔下的女孩子去暴打糕点师

and watching people falling over drunk,

还让她们看别人喝得烂醉如泥

You can see that she is being playful,

你能看出她很俏皮

but also it's that rebellious streak running through Jane Austen.

但同时这也体现了简·奥斯汀骨子里的叛逆精神

What distinguishes her teenage writing is its mastery of form

她青少年时期写作的突出特点是对文体形式

and its mastery of parody.

以及对戏仿手法的娴熟运用

I think if you've got five older brothers and an older sister,

我觉得如果你有五个哥哥和一个姐姐

you do quite a lot of listening, don't you?

你肯定会经常倾听别人说话 对吧

She's obviously got a great ear,

她显然很善于倾听

and that's a great thing for a writer.

这对一个作家来说是非常宝贵的天赋

By the age of 17, her stories have only been read

到17岁的时候 她的作品只有

and enjoyed by family and friends.

家人朋友读过并且喜爱

Jane Austen wants more.

简·奥斯汀渴望得到更多

We know from the letters that she is ambitious.

从她的书信中我们可以看出 她很有抱负

She knows herself. She wants to be a writer.

她很清楚自己的内心 她想成为一名作家

But as a young woman in Georgian Britain,

然而 作为乔治王朝时代的一位年轻女子

Austen's options are limited.

奥斯汀能做的选择十分有限

Women in the 1790s have no rights.

18世纪90年代的女性毫无权利可言

What little education has afforded them is really just training for being a wife.

仅有的一点教育是教你如何做一名合格的妻子

Girls are expected to live a life of domestic obedience as wives and mothers.

人们期望女孩子们乖乖听话地过日子

And so Jane finds herself a chess piece

简发现自己就像一颗棋子

to be moved around the board to support other family members,

任由别人在棋盘上摆布

to help with births, marriages and deaths,

协助家人办理生老病死的各种事务

as is convenient to the family.

一切以奉献家庭为准

16th of December, 1793.

1793年12月16日

Jane has been sent to Southampton.

简被送到了南安普敦

Southampton is a very busy port.

南安普敦是个繁华的港口城市

It has that kind of rough and ready vibe.

这里有种粗犷豪放的气息

You're seeing all sorts of different nationalities,

你能看到来自五湖四海的人们

people of colour, men and women.

各种肤色的男男女女

Sailors, soldiers, mercenaries.

水手 士兵 雇佣兵

All different classes mingling in these hustling, bustling spaces.

各个阶层的人汇聚一堂

As a young woman and as a writer,

身为年轻女性和作家

this is incredibly exciting and she's storing up

这让她无比兴奋 她正在积累

these experiences like any creative person.

这些经历 就像所有创作者一样

It's Jane's 18th birthday.

今天是简的18岁生日

But she is not here to celebrate.

但她来这里不是为了庆祝

She is here to help her cousin Elizabeth,

她是来帮助表妹伊丽莎白的

who is going into labour.

她要生孩子了

To be dispatched to support the birth

被派去帮助接生

of a family member, with no experience,

家人的孩子 毫无经验

no real understanding of what's going on.

对眼前发生的一切一无所知

I mean, talk about being chucked into the deep end.

我是说 这真是被推入了困境

The reality of giving birth in Georgian England

乔治王朝时期英格兰分娩的残酷现实

is messy, it's bloody, it's dangerous.

既混乱又血腥 更是危险至极

A woman can die and the baby can die.

产妇和婴儿都可能丧命

Four of Jane's relatives die in childbirth.

简有四个亲戚死于难产

To see that at 18 must have been mind-blowing.

18岁就目睹这些 一定让人震撼不已

She would not have discounted the fact

她绝不会忽视这样的事实

that this was going to be her fate too.

这也将是她的宿命

Jane Austen is probably looking at this woman

简·奥斯汀或许正凝视着这个女人

and thinking about her own life,

思考着自己的人生

thinking, is this what I want?

想想,这就是我想要的吗?

We know that Jane Austen can be

我们都知道简·奥斯汀可能是

very, very savage, very, very brutal.

极其尖刻,极其残酷

There's an excruciating moment in one of the letters

在她的一封信中有个令人难堪的片段

where there's a searingly cruel comment

其中有句极其刻薄的话

by a woman who has a miscarriage.

说的是一个流产的女子

Jane Austen commented that the woman miscarried

简·奥斯汀说那个女子流产

because her husband was so ugly

是因为她丈夫长得太丑

she took one look at him and aborted.

看了他一眼就被吓得流产了

I mean, that's horrible.

这话真是太恶毒了

You know, these are the kind of awful things

这些都是姐妹之间会私底下说的难听话

that sisters would say to each other in confidence.

简不想只是成为结婚生子的附庸

Jane wants to be more than just marriage and childbirth material.

后来在1794年 她遇见了

Then, in 1794, she encounters

一个全新的人生楷模

a new kind of role model.

表姐伊丽莎的到来轰动一时

The arrival of Cousin Eliza is big news.

她就是这样一个迷人的尤物 优雅地

She's just this fabulous creature that swans

飘然而至史蒂芬森 带来了

into Stephenson, bringing with her

一个充满异域风情 神秘莫测的

a whole hinterland of exotic, mysterious,

奇妙而充满异国情调的精彩世界

fabulous and foreign excitement.

奇妙而充满异国情调的精彩世界

Eliza had been married to a nobleman.

伊丽莎曾嫁给一位贵族

During the French Revolution, he'd been

法国大革命时 他被

arrested and thrown into jail.

逮捕并关进了监狱

But worse followed.

但更糟糕的还在后头

Her husband had been guillotined.

她丈夫被送上了断头台

And she relates this to Jane Austen.

她向简·奥斯汀诉说了这一切

It's one thing to know that the French Revolution's

知道法国大革命的发生是一回事

taken place and that it's tipped over into bloodshed and chaos.

知道它演变成了血腥暴乱和混乱

It's quite another to have that presence,

但亲身感受到那种恐怖氛围完全是另一回事

that bloodshed, walk right through your door.

血腥暴力就这样闯进了你的家门

and tell it to your face.

而且还当着你的面说

Your cousin's husband is beheaded.

你表姐夫被砍头了

This is not reading about it in the newspaper.

这可不是从报纸上看来的消息

Can you imagine being told this news while Eliza's there?

你能想象当着伊丽莎的面听到是什么感受吗

This causes her so much fear,

这让她感到极度恐惧

it sort of seeps into her subconscious.

这种恐惧慢慢渗透到了她的潜意识里

As well as these tales of horror,

除了这些可怕的经历

Eliza brings radical new ideas.

伊丽莎还带来了激进的新理念

Eliza gives Jane Austen books.

伊丽莎给简·奥斯汀带来了各种书籍

She said, women will not be put down any longer.

她说 女性再也不会被压迫了

Statements that would have been such a huge influence

这些言论对简的女性观念产生了深刻影响

on how Jane Austen perceived women's rights.

影响着简·奥斯汀对女性权利的看法

And this is catnip for Jane Austen.

这让简·奥斯汀欲罢不能

I mean, like any teenage girl,

就像所有少女一样

when a cooler, slightly older woman

当一位更有魅力 稍年长的女性

walks into the room, that's kind of electrifying.

走进房间时 那种感觉令人心潮澎湃

The unfortunate death of her husband

丈夫的不幸离世

leads to some interesting possibilities.

带来了一些有趣的可能性

Jane sees a widow as someone

在简看来 寡妇是这样一种人

with a certain amount of freedom.

拥有相当自由度的人

You are your own woman,

你是个独立自主的女人

with your own means and resources,

有着自己的能力和财力

and you are able to do what you would like to do with those.

能够自由地做自己想做的事

And if that means you want to sleep with other men, you do it.

如果你想和别的男人发生关系 那就去做

It gives women of the time a certain amount of freedom

这给了那个时代的女性相当大的自由

that maybe Jane had never witnessed before or never thought existed.

这种自由也许简从未见过 或者也从未想过

I think we can't underestimate the excitement

我觉得我们不能小看这种激动之情

to her fizzing, curious mind

对她那充满活力 好奇的心灵而言

of this astonishing figure that's travelled around,

这个游历四方的非凡人物

that's been in a revolution.

这个经历过革命洗礼的人

She's had sex, she's got money.

她有过性经历 也有钱财

You know, could this be the beginnings of a character

你知道 这或许就是一个人物形象的雏形

that she might want to explore?

她想要深入挖掘的

Inspired by the presence of cousin Eliza,

在表姐伊丽莎的启发下

Jane Austen writes her first long-form work.

简·奥斯汀创作了她的第一部长篇作品

Lady Susan tells the story of a recently widowed seductress

《苏珊夫人》讲述了新近丧夫的魅惑女子的故事

who is looking for a new husband.

她正在物色新的丈夫

Lady Susan is beautiful, she's clever,

苏珊夫人既美丽又聪慧

she's manipulative, and she knows how to get what she wants.

她擅长操控他人 也深知如何得偿所愿

She is a force of nature,

她就像一股不可阻挡的力量

and she is just doing what she needs to do to survive.

她只是在做生存所必需的事情

Lady Susan. Lady Susan Verner.

苏珊夫人 苏珊·维纳夫人

How dare you address me, sir? Lady Susan. Be gone, sir,

你竟敢对我说话 先生 苏珊夫人 给我走开

or I will have you whipped.

否则我就命人鞭打你

Outrageous. Have you never met him?

简直无礼至极 你从未见过他

No, I know him well.

不 我很熟悉他

I would never speak to a stranger like that.

我绝不会对陌生人那么说话

Lady Susan has a problem.

苏珊夫人遇到了麻烦

A teenage daughter who she needs to marry off.

她有个十几岁的女儿需要嫁出去

She arranges for a wealthy but dim suitor

她安排了一个富有但愚钝的追求者

to visit them at Churchill Manor.

去丘吉尔庄园拜访他们

Churchill. That's how you say it.

丘吉尔 就是这样念的

All together like that. Churchill.

连起来读就是这样 丘吉尔

Well, that explains a lot.

嗯 这就说得通了

You see, I'd heard church and hill, but couldn't find either.

你看 我听成了'教堂'和'山丘' 但哪个都找不着

All I could see was this big house.

结果只看见这栋大房子

I played Sir James Martin.

我演的是詹姆斯·马丁爵士

He's a fucking idiot, but he's a likeable fucking idiot.

他是个蠢蛋 但是个讨人喜欢的蠢蛋

He walks through life with his gold shoes on, going, isn't this marvellous?

就像穿着金鞋走人生路 一路说着'这不是很棒吗 '

How jolly.

多开心啊

Tiny green balls.

绿色的小豆豆

Mmm, yes. Good tasting.

嗯 对 很好吃

Quite sweet. What are they called?

挺甜的 这叫什么

Peas. Oh, yes. No, I knew that.

豌豆 哦 对 不对 我知道的

To honour means, among other things,

孝敬父母意味着 除了别的

to listen with respect to a parent's sincere counsel.

要恭敬地听从父母的真心劝告

When her daughter tries to reject Sir James,

当女儿想要拒绝詹姆斯爵士时

Lady Susan callously ignores her feelings

苏珊夫人冷漠地无视女儿的感受

and piles on the pressure.

还对她施压

An offer as splendid as Sir James's

詹姆斯爵士这样的优秀求婚

is not likely to come around again.

不会再有这样的机会了

He has offered you the one thing

他已经把唯一珍贵的东西

he has of value to give. His income.

献给了你 那就是他的财富

It's very funny, because her attitude to her daughter is just so awful,

真是讽刺 她对自己女儿的态度竟然这么恶劣

and she is the world's worst mother.

简直是天底下最差劲的母亲

The destitute. Is that what you want?

穷困潦倒 这就是你想要的生活吗

No.

不是的

I can see Sir James is a kind man,

我看得出詹姆斯爵士是个好心人

and if it weren't a matter of marriage,

如果不是涉及到婚姻的话

I'm sure I could like him.

我相信我会喜欢他的

But marriage is for one's whole life. Not in my experience.

可是婚姻是终身大事啊 我的经历可不是这样

Lady Susan is the hand grenade

苏珊夫人就像一颗手榴弹

that Jane Austen is lobbing into Georgian society.

被简·奥斯汀投向乔治王朝社会的

Women are meant to present in a certain way,

女性应该有固定的形象和举止

and she did away with all of that,

而她打破了所有这些束缚

and she created complex, three-dimensional characters

她塑造了复杂多面 立体丰满的人物

who had massive flaws, massive contradictions,

这些人物有着重大缺陷和深刻矛盾

and this was written by a teenage girl.

而这竟然出自一个十几岁少女之手

It's unfathomable.

这简直不可思议

Lady Susan's plan fails, and she shows her true nature

苏珊夫人的计划败露了 她暴露了真实本性

as she rails against her own daughter.

当她对自己的女儿大发雷霆时

My daughter were not the greatest simpleton on earth.

我女儿要不是个十足的蠢货

She would be engaged to him now. What?

现在早就和他订婚了 什么

She refused him.

她拒绝了他

A baronet with 10,000 a year.

一个年收入一万英镑的男爵

It's all so provocative. This is your daughter.

真是太气人了 这可是你女儿啊

It's one of the moments where we go, oh, no, she isn't.

这就是我们会说'哦不 她不是这样的'的时刻

No, she is a nasty piece of work, actually, isn't she?

不对 她其实就是个坏女人 不是吗

In the end, Lady Susan marries her daughter off happily to another aristocrat.

最终 苏珊夫人让女儿嫁给了另一位贵族

And she takes the rich fool for herself.

而她自己则嫁给了那个有钱的傻子

What is truly remarkable is that a young girl

真正令人惊叹的是 一个年轻的姑娘

could understand the ways of the world so intricately.

竟能如此深刻地洞察世事人情

To create a monster, a creature like Lady Susan,

要塑造出苏珊夫人这样一个复杂的角色

precocious talent is not the word for it.

仅用'早熟的天才'这个词远远不够

She is a rebellious, modern spirit.

她具有叛逆而现代的精神

She's just standing up for women as human beings

她只是在为女性作为独立个体而抗争

and refusing to bow to the oppressive stereotypes.

拒绝屈服于那些压迫女性的陈腐观念

It will be years before Lady Susan reaches a reading public.

《苏珊夫人》要与读者见面还需要很多年

For now, Jane's only audience is her family.

目前 简的作品只能在家人面前展示

Girls like her aren't expected to have careers.

像她这样的女孩子是不被指望能有什么事业的

Unlike her brothers.

不像她的兄弟们

War brings opportunities for the Austen boys.

战争为奥斯汀家的男孩们带来了机遇

Henry joins the militia, while Frank and Charles serve in the Navy.

亨利加入民兵 而弗兰克和查尔斯则在海军服役

The Navy, of course, supported you and made all your provisions.

海军当然为你提供了生计保障和一切所需

The other great joy of the Navy was it opens people's horizons.

海军生活的另一大乐趣在于能开拓人的视野

And as a young officer, you were part of it.

而作为年轻军官 你就是其中一员

The Royal Navy at that stage was charting the world.

当时的皇家海军正在绘制世界版图

We were leading the scientific research.

我们在科学研究方面处于领先地位

But even better than that, if you were lucky and competent,

更棒的是 如果你既幸运又有能力

you could make an immense amount of money.

你就能赚到大笔财富

Jane Austen, of course, was privy to all of this life at sea

简·奥斯汀当然对这些海上生活了如指掌

because of the letters from her brothers.

这都得益于她兄弟们寄来的书信

This was like a window, a ray of light,

这就像是一扇窗户 一缕光芒

showing her what was going on in all these places.

让她看到了那些遥远地方发生的种种故事

And being as bright as she was,

以她的聪慧过人

she absorbed this and understood it and learnt about it.

她将这些见闻融会贯通 深入理解并加以学习

And I think she used it in what she wrote.

我觉得她把这些都融入到了自己的创作中

But it must have been quite frustrating sometimes for Jane Austen.

但这对简·奥斯汀来说 肯定也是相当令人沮丧的

The opportunities available for a genteel, middle-class woman were about zero.

对于一位出身体面的女性而言 机会为零

But Jane has one person who believes in her.

但简有一个人始终相信着她

Her father.

她的父亲

I do think that George Austen recognised

我确实觉得乔治·奥斯汀意识到了

that his daughter was something special.

他的女儿与众不同

She is writing in a different way.

她的写作风格独特

She is thinking in a different way to everybody else.

她的思维方式与众不同

He clearly valued her for who she was and for her intelligence.

他显然很看重她的人格和才智

There is that total acceptance and support for her.

对她完全接纳和支持

To encourage his daughter, on Jane's 19th birthday,

为了鼓励女儿 在简19岁生日那天

he buys her a special gift.

他为她买了一份特别的礼物

He gives her a portable writing desk

他送给她一张便携式写字桌

that he's bought from a cabinet maker in Basingstoke.

这是他从当地一位木工师傅那里订制的

An investment in her talent for writing.

这是对她写作才华的投资

I mean, she's only 19.

要知道 她才19岁啊

It's almost impossible to imagine what this would have meant to her.

这对她而言的意义 简直难以想象

He gives her permission to be an author.

他给了她当作家的许可

That's what he gives her.

这就是他给她的珍贵礼物

Despite her father's approval, with no family money to fall back on,

尽管得到了父亲的支持 但家境贫寒

Jane is still expected to find a husband to support her.

简仍然得嫁个好人家才能有依靠

And a traditional place for meeting a man is the ballroom.

而舞厅是结识男士的传统社交场所

The Georgian marriage market is a very ruthless place.

乔治王朝时代的婚姻市场可谓残酷无情

It was important for people to like one another in a marriage,

对于结婚的人来说 相互喜欢很重要

but more important was their social standing.

但更重要的是他们的社会地位

And courtship will be watched eagle-eyed by both families.

而且求爱过程会被双方家庭密切关注

I think the pressure was enormous.

我觉得压力特别大

Balls aren't just for husband hunting.

舞会可不只是为了寻找丈夫

They are also an opportunity for young people to let loose.

也是年轻人尽情玩乐的好机会

The party goes on until the candles burn out.

聚会一直持续到蜡烛燃尽

Sometimes until 6am.

有时候一直到凌晨6点

The dancing can be so relentless,

跳舞如此疯狂激烈

guests bleed through their shoes.

客人都能把鞋底磨破 脚都出血了

Ladies use their fans as cheat sheets,

贵妇们将扇子作为舞步秘籍

concealing the latest dance moves.

暗藏最新的舞步

To get ready for one of these balls is a real deal.

为参加这样的舞会做准备可是件大事

You've got to wear corsets,

你得穿上紧身胸衣

you've got to have your hair done in a certain way.

你得按特定的款式梳头

You are there to be seen.

你去那里就是为了展示自己

If you even look at their dresses,

你只要看看她们的裙子

there was a really low cut with heaving bosoms.

都是超低领口 波涛汹涌

And the dancers, obviously no one was grinding or twerking,

至于舞者们 没人会贴身热舞或扭臀摆胯

but they were very sexual.

但她们的舞蹈很有魅惑力

Jane wants to be a writer,

简想成为作家

but she also loves going to balls.

但她也热爱参加舞会

And she is a wonderful dancer.

而且她舞技高超

Men want to dance with her.

男士们都想邀请她共舞

She's just excited and happy,

她既兴奋又快乐

so she's having the time of her life.

正享受着人生最美好的时光

In December 1795, at the Hampshire County Christmas Ball,

1795年12月 在汉普郡的圣诞舞会上

Jane locks eyes with a handsome Irishman.

简与一位英俊的爱尔兰绅士目光相遇

His name is Tom Lefroy.

他叫汤姆·勒弗罗伊

He's connected to one of her best friends, Madame Lefroy.

他与她的好友勒弗罗伊夫人有亲戚关系

So he's not a stranger, completely,

所以他并不是个完全陌生的人

but he's strange enough for her to be excited and thrilled.

但又足够神秘 足以让她心动不已

And I think she really genuinely has a big crush on him,

我觉得她是真的对他一见钟情了

and he has a crush on her.

他对她也是心有所属

Austen writes about her feelings to her sister, Cassandra,

书信中向姐姐卡桑德拉倾诉了自己的心声

in her earliest surviving letter.

这是她留存至今最早的信件

This is a really exciting moment.

这真是个激动人心的时刻

We hear her voice, we're inside her head for the first time.

我们第一次听到了她的心声

It's such an intimate conversation she's having.

这是一场如此私密的心灵对话

My dear Cassandra, I'm almost afraid to tell you how I behaved.

亲爱的卡桑德拉 我几乎不敢告诉你我的表现

Imagine to yourself everything most profligate and shocking

想象一下那些最放纵不羁的跳舞和共坐行为

in the way of dancing and sitting down together.

无论是跳舞还是坐在一起的举止

He is a very gentleman-like, good-looking, pleasant young man.

他是个很有绅士风度的帅气小伙子

I think Jane's being very naughty here.

我觉得Jane在这里有点小调皮呢

Sitting with someone for a long time was one thing.

和某人坐很长时间还算正常

Sitting too close with them, holding their hands,

但坐得太近 牵手什么的

touching wasn't done at all.

那种身体接触在当时是绝对不被允许的

So it sounds like it's getting all a little bit heady.

所以听起来局面变得有些暧昧了

She definitely fancies him.

她肯定是对他很有好感

There's just one problem.

只不过有一个问题

The Lefroy family don't think Jane's family come up to scratch.

勒弗罗伊家族觉得简的家世配不上他们

They don't have enough money,

他们家境贫寒

they're not going to make a good match,

这门婚事门不当户不对

and therefore they're forced to part.

所以两人被迫分离

When Tom's family decided this was not a good idea...

当汤姆的家人认定这桩婚事不合适时...

she feels that she's perhaps not good enough.

她觉得自己或许配不上他

She's not even able to say, I reject you.

她甚至连拒绝的话都说不出口

The choice is taken away from her.

她失去了选择的权利

And she has a strong sense of pride.

而她又是个很有自尊的人

She feels the fact that she doesn't have a lot of money, she feels it deeply.

家境贫寒这个现实让她深感痛苦

All sorts of emotions would have been running around her at this particular moment.

此时此刻 她内心一定五味杂陈

Feeling a lack of voice, a lack of autonomy.

感到自己失去了发言权 没有了自主权

That she's powerless in this situation.

在这种境况下 她感到无能为力

She writes this really beautiful letter to Cassandra.

她给卡桑德拉写了一封动人的信

The first thing we see is her amazing sense of tragic irony.

我们看到的是她那种令人惊叹的悲剧讽刺手法

At length, the day has come on which I am to flirt

这一天终于来了 我要在今天

my last with Tom Lefroy.

与汤姆·勒弗罗伊度过最后的浪漫时光

And when you receive this, it will be over.

等你收到这封信的时候 一切都已经结束了

My tears flow as I write at the melancholy idea.

想到这令人忧伤的结局 我提笔时已泪流满面

My tears flow at the melancholy idea.

想到这令人忧伤的结局 我不禁潸然泪下

I love the fact that she's so dry and ironic

我喜欢她那种冷幽默和讽刺的表达方式

in the way she describes her own reactions.

体现在她描述自己反应的方式上

This is typical Jane Austen, sort of expressing something

这就是典型的简·奥斯汀风格 既要表达观点

and then putting it in perspective and slightly laughing at herself.

又要保持客观理性 还要稍微自嘲一番

So we see her here, aping the sentimental heroine who's been let down.

我们看到她在这里模仿那些失恋的感伤女主角

She's mocking herself.

她在自嘲

But I really do believe that behind that,

但我确实认为在这种自嘲背后

there is a genuine sense of hurt and disappointment.

隐藏着真实的痛苦和失望

Bruised by the Tom Lefroy affair,

在与汤姆·勒弗罗伊的恋情挫折中受伤后

Austen channels her frustration into a new novel

奥斯汀将内心的挫败投入到新小说的创作中

that she calls First Impressions.

她称之为《第一印象》

She finishes a draft at the age of just 21.

她在21岁时就完成了一份草稿

Her father George is captivated.

她的父亲乔治被深深吸引了

He decides it's time to approach a publisher.

他决定是时候接触一家出版社了

George Austen is making a great vote of faith

乔治·奥斯汀对女儿抱以最大的信任

in the abilities of his daughter.

在他女儿的能力方面

He's very ambitious for her.

他对她很有野心

He realises that this is a publishable novel.

他意识到这是一部可以出版的小说

He realises that it could be a success.

他意识到这可能会成功

That must have been a huge boost

那一定是一个巨大的推动

because up until that point,

因为在那之前,

she has read to her family,

她都是给家人朗读作品,

they've all listened to these first novels.

全家人都听过她的这些早期小说

But he is the person who actually thinks

但只有他认为

this is something that is professional.

这些作品具有出版价值

George Austen writes a letter offering Jane's work

乔治·奥斯汀写信向出版社推荐女儿的作品

to a top publishing house.

这封信寄给了托马斯·卡德尔,

The letter is sent for the consideration of Thomas Cadell,

他是伦敦的出版商

London publisher of some of the most famous writers in the country.

曾出版过该国最著名作家的作品

In the capital, the publishing industry is taking off.

在首都 出版业正蓬勃发展

New printing techniques and rising literacy rates mean business is booming.

新印刷技术和识字率的提升让出版业生意火爆

To drive profits, books are sold in multiple volumes,

为了增加利润 出版商把书分成多卷来卖

so readers have to pay to read each new instalment.

所以读者得花钱买每一期新内容

And publishers are on the lookout for the next big hit.

出版商们也在寻找下一个爆款作品

Rejection. All writers keep their rejection slips,

被拒稿 所有作家都会保留退稿信

those first knockbacks.

那些最初的打击

It's despicable to be rejected.

被退稿是很丢脸的事

The publisher has sent George Austen's letter back

出版商把乔治·奥斯汀的稿件退了回来

with a line saying, declined by return of post.

还附上一句话：'收到即退'

They haven't even read it.

他们根本没看就退回来了

I think that that's going to be the thing.

我觉得这就是关键点

She feels angry because she knows she's good.

她感到愤怒 因为她深知自己的才华

There is something about knowing that you're good

当你深知自己很优秀时 会产生一种特殊的感受

and the world around you not understanding yet.

但周围的世界却还没有认识到这一点

That is going to drive her.

这种感受将成为她前进的动力

And I think it's critical that they are outsiders.

我觉得他们作为局外人这一点至关重要

They're outsiders to the publishing and cultural elites

他们游离在出版界和文化精英圈之外

and the power that's held by London.

也远离伦敦的权力中心

Although stung by the rejection,

虽然遭受拒绝的打击

Jane has the unfailing support of her sister, Cassandra.

简得到了姐姐卡桑德拉坚定不移的支持

Deemed the pretty sister,

被誉为美丽的姐妹

Cassandra had been engaged to marry a young chaplain.

卡珊德拉已经与一位年轻的牧师订下婚约

But in early 1797, more bad news arrives.

然而到了1797年初 噩耗传来

Cassandra knows that very well when she sees

卡珊德拉一看到就心知肚明

the black seal on the letter,

信件上的黑色火漆印

on the notice of death.

那份死亡通知书上

She knows what that represents.

她明白这意味着什么

Cassandra's fiancé has died on a voyage to the West Indies,

卡珊德拉的未婚夫在前往印度途中不幸去世

his body buried at sea.

遗体海葬

Jane Austen is heartbroken for her sister.

简·奥斯汀为姐姐的遭遇心如刀割

She sees the pain her sister is going through.

她看到了姐姐正在经历的痛苦

And Jane says, I've never seen anybody behave

简说 我从未见过任何人表现得

with such grace and such fortitude and such courage

如此优雅 如此坚强 如此勇敢

in the light of this absolutely heartbreaking news.

面对这个令人心碎的消息

Cassandra resolves from this point on,

从这一刻起 卡桑德拉下定决心

she's not going to find another love

她不会再寻找爱情

and that's it for her.

她的爱情就此结束

Cassandra's vow to remain unmarried will have

卡桑德拉终身不嫁的誓言将会对

a profound impact on the lives of both women.

两姐妹的生活产生深刻影响

I think there is a part of her

我觉得她内心有一部分

that also feels a sense of relief.

内心也涌起一阵解脱感

She's not going to be parted from me,

她不会与我分别

we can be together, we can stay together.

我们能够相伴 能够长相厮守

It's an absolutely pivotal moment

这是一个至关重要的转折点

in the life of Jane Austen.

在简·奥斯汀的人生中

It opens the doorway for Jane Austen

这为简·奥斯汀开启了一扇门

to think about a life in which

让她思考一种人生

she may not get married.

在这种人生中她或许不会步入婚姻

It's almost as if they're in it together now.

仿佛她们现在真正地携手同行了

So she must now be thinking, writing.

于是她现在必然会投入思考 投入写作

How can I be secure and independent

我怎样才能通过写作实现经济保障和独立自主

through my writing? That's her project.

呢 这就是她的目标

And every project needs a great idea.

而每个目标的实现都需要一个绝妙的创意

From her own extensive reading,

凭借她丰富的阅读经验

Jane knows what makes a bestseller.

简深知什么样的作品能够畅销

There was a real fashion for gothic novels

当时哥特小说确实非常风靡

at the time. The racy, gothic novels

这些刺激惊险的哥特小说

with the shivering, shuddering, swooning heroine.

都有着瑟瑟发抖 惊恐万分 动不动就昏倒的女主角

Gothic fiction features beautiful heroines,

哥特小说的特点是美貌的女主角

often trapped in mysterious settings and facing terrifying dangers.

她们往往身陷神秘诡异的环境 面临着危险

For some, these racy page-turners

对于一些人来说 这些情节火爆的畅销小说

are a cause for concern.

引发了担忧

There's lots of quite stiff writers

有许多相当古板的作家

in the 18th century, male writers usually,

在18世纪 主要是男性作家

who are very worried about the influence

他们十分担心这种影响

that these terrible, trashy things

这些糟糕透顶的垃圾读物

are going to have on women's imagination.

会对女性想象力造成的冲击

The idea that a young woman might read this

他们担心年轻女性读了这些书后

and think that all these things

会以为书中的情节

are going to happen to her.

也会在现实中发生在自己身上

Austen comes up with a masterstroke.

奥斯汀想出了一个绝妙的创作手法

She takes the idea of the novel

她抓住了小说这一概念

as a bad influence and runs with it.

将其作为负面影响这一说法充分发挥

In Northanger Abbey, Austen creates

在《诺桑觉寺》里 奥斯汀塑造了

a teenage heroine, Catherine Morland,

一位少女主角凯瑟琳·莫兰

who is obsessed with reading gothic horror.

她沉迷于哥特式恐怖小说

Both Jane and the character of

简和她笔下的凯瑟琳·莫兰 父亲都是教区牧师

Catherine Morland's father were rectors,

你完全能看出简

and you could really see that Jane

把自己的很多特质都融入了这个角色

is putting a lot of herself into this character.

把自己的很多特质都融入了这个角色

She's plain. She comes from a large,

她相貌平平 她出身于一个人口众多

undistinguished family. Her father's not rich.

默默无闻的家庭 她父亲并不富裕

Her mother's sensible, but not particularly anything else.

她母亲明事理 但除此之外也没什么特别的

And yet, she's the one we're going to follow,

然而 她正是我们要追随的那个人

and proudly. Jane is holding a standard

而且要满怀自豪 简正为她树立起一个标杆

for her and says, come with me.

仿佛在说：跟我来

This person's worth watching.

这个人值得我们关注

Austen is subverting the idea of what

奥斯汀正在颠覆我们对于什么

a heroine is, or should be.

是女主人公 或者说女主人公应该是什么样的观念

For when a young lady is to be a heroine...

因为当一位年轻女子要成为女主人公时...

Swept up in her gothic novel obsession,

沉浸在对哥特小说的痴迷中

Catherine is prone to dramatic daydreams.

凯瑟琳总是爱做充满戏剧色彩的白日梦

A tumult of emotions stirred in the bosom of Adeline,

阿德琳心中涌起一阵激烈的情感波澜

and fear gripped her heart, that at any moment

恐惧紧紧攫住她的心 生怕随时会有

ruffians would fly upon the carriage

歹徒会突然袭击马车

and return her to the ignominy of her captive state.

将她重新带回那屈辱的囚禁生活

Thank God, Mrs. Allan!

谢天谢地 艾伦夫人

Back in the real world, Catherine is invited

回到现实中 凯瑟琳受邀前往

to the family home of her suitor, Henry Tilney.

她的追求者亨利·蒂尔尼的家中

Arriving at Northanger Abbey,

来到诺桑觉寺后

A looming gothic pile,

阴森耸立的哥特式古堡

Catherine's imagination runs riot.

凯瑟琳的想象力开始狂野驰骋

Catherine is always looking for the gothic horror.

凯瑟琳总是在寻找哥特恐怖元素

She's looking in the cupboards, in the drawers.

她翻遍了橱柜和抽屉

You know, she wants all the horror of the typical abbey.

她渴望体验传统修道院的所有恐怖氛围

The night was dark, and the rain

夜幕漆黑 雨水

still beat violently against the windows.

依然猛烈地敲打着窗棂

Catherine's heart beat quick,

凯瑟琳心跳如鼓

but her courage did not fail her.

但她的勇气并未消退

With a cheek flushed by hope,

脸颊因希望而泛红

And an eye straining with curiosity,

带着强烈好奇心专注地凝视着

Her fingers grasped the handle of a drawer and drew it forth.

她握住抽屉把手 缓缓将其拉开

It was entirely empty.

抽屉里空空如也

Stylistically, this is the high gothic style.

从风格上看 这是典型的哥特式风格

I think what makes me laugh about this

让我觉得有趣的是

Is the sort of main character energy

是那种主角光环的既视感

That Catherine stars in the film of her own life.

凯瑟琳仿佛是在主演自己人生的电影

You know, everything she does has significance.

要知道 她的一举一动都充满深意

You can hear the soundtrack.

你甚至都能听到背景音乐

And then when the drawer is empty, is that meaningful?

然而当抽屉空空如也时 这又有什么深意呢

Or is that a disappointment?

还是说这让人失望

It's dramatic. Whatever it is, it's dramatic.

很有戏剧性 不管怎么说 都很有戏剧性

To

要想

marry Henry Tilney,

嫁给亨利·蒂尔尼

Catherine must win the approval of his sinister father,

凯瑟琳必须获得他那阴险父亲的认可

General Tilney.

蒂尔尼将军

Miss Moreland, welcome to Northanger Abbey.

莫兰小姐 欢迎来到诺桑觉寺

When she finds out the General's wife died,

当她得知将军的妻子去世后

she concludes he murdered her.

她断定是他杀了妻子

Catherine's imagination is running absolutely wild here.

凯瑟琳的想象力在这里完全失控了

She says to Henry Tilney,

她对亨利·蒂尔尼说

he is a murderer.

他是个杀人凶手

I cannot help believing it.

我忍不住相信这件事

There's always this monstrous, barren figure in these romances.

这类传奇小说里总有这种可怕又冷漠的角色

And she thinks that General Tilney has murdered his wife.

她觉得蒂尔尼将军谋害了自己的妻子

And there'll be corpses hanging up in his bedroom.

他的卧室里肯定挂着尸体

But actually what he does is much more monstrous.

但实际上他做的事更加恶劣

My father insists on your leaving immediately.

我父亲要求你马上离开

As soon as you can make yourself ready.

你能收拾多快就多快

The carriage will take you to meet the public stagecoach.

马车会送你去坐公共马车

No servant will accompany you.

不会有仆人陪你同行

I'm to travel all night, alone.

我要独自一人连夜赶路

General Tilney had believed Catherine was rich.

蒂尔尼将军原以为凯瑟琳家境富裕

When he learns she's a penniless clergyman's daughter,

当他得知她只是个穷牧师的女儿时

he ruthlessly casts her out of the abbey.

他残酷地将她逐出了修道院

That's it, she's out.

就这样 她被扫地出门了

She has no money, she has no means of getting home.

她身无分文 也没有回家的办法

She's completely betrayed by what should have been his duty of care.

本该保护她的人却彻底背叛了她

So it turns out it is a book full of monsters, but actually, you know,

所以这本书确实充满了怪物 但说实话

they live amongst us.

这些怪物就生活在我们身边

In Northanger Abbey,

在《诺桑觉寺》中

Austen uses the Gothic fantasy

奥斯汀运用了哥特式幻想

to expose an uncomfortable truth about society.

揭露社会令人不安的真相

She's played with a very popular literary movement,

她参与了一个非常流行的文学运动

and she's looked behind the spooky velvet curtain of shivery horrors,

她已经掀开了那令人毛骨悚然的天鹅绒帷幕

and she's shown us a real monster,

她向我们展示了一个真正的怪物

which is the kind of man

什么样的男人

that would treat women that way.

那样对待女性

Austen gives her heroine a fairytale ending.

奥斯汀给了她的女主人公一个童话般的结局

Catherine and Henry Tilney marry

凯瑟琳和亨利·蒂尔尼结婚

and live happily ever after.

从此过上幸福快乐的生活

But her own future is far from settled.

但她自己的未来却充满变数

And in the winter of 1800,

1800年冬天

her world is turned upside down.

她的世界天翻地覆

Jane's father is growing old.

简的父亲年事已高

He has decided to give up his position as the village clergyman.

他决定辞去乡村牧师的职务

She comes back from staying with a friend,

她从朋友家做客归来

and she walks into her home,

走进家门

and her mother blurts out that they're going to leave.

母亲脱口而出说他们要搬家了

She's turfed out of the family home,

她被迫离开了祖屋

And it's such an overpowering shock.

这简直是晴天霹雳

Her father passes the living at Steventon

她父亲要把史蒂文顿的牧师职位

to his eldest son, James.

传给长子詹姆斯

The rectory will now be his home.

牧师住宅现在归他了

She's being uprooted,

她要被迫离开故土

and Jane cannot conceal her resentment about this.

简无法掩饰心中的愤懑

She writes, the whole world is a conspiracy

她写道 这世界简直就是个阴谋

to enrich one part of our family

让我们家族的一部分人得益

at the expense of another.

却要牺牲另一部分人

This is about the unfairness of male inheritance.

这说的是男性继承制的不公

But her elder brother, James, gets the house.

但她哥哥詹姆斯却继承了这栋房子

It's just this wonderfully succinct, angry comment.

这就是一句简洁有力 满含愤怒的话

She feels at this moment that sense of powerlessness.

此时此刻 她深深感受到了无助和无力

Does nobody ever consult my feelings?

难道就没人在乎过我的感受吗

Am I important,

我到底重要不重要

or am I just dispensable?

还是说我根本就是可有可无的

It's a move by the family

这是家里人做出的决定

that really doesn't consider her needs at all,

完全没有顾及她的需要

and it screws her up.

这把她给整崩溃了

Worse, to pay for the move and help fund her father's retirement,

更要命的是 为了筹集搬家费用和父亲的养老金

The library is sold.

图书馆被卖掉了

I just can't begin to imagine what that represented for her.

我根本无法想象这对她意味着什么

The pain of not being able to have those books around you,

失去身边这些书籍的痛苦

not being able to find that refuge that she's always had.

再也找不到她一直以来的精神家园

It's like it's one body blow after another.

真是一波未平一波又起的打击

She has to pack up and move on.

她不得不收拾行囊 重新开始

Jane and her sister are forced to move with their parents to Bath.

简和姐姐被迫跟随父母搬到了巴斯

It is hoped here the two girls will find husbands.

希望两姐妹能在那里找到如意郎君

At this point she's 25, which seems very young to us,

此时她25岁 在我们看来还很年轻

but at that time she's getting to the end of marriageable age.

但在那个年代 她已快过了嫁人的黄金年龄

It's sort of a bit like the 30s panic in Richard Jones.

这有点像理查德·琼斯30多岁时的那种恐慌感

That's not an easy time for her.

对她而言 这段日子并不好过

It's potentially humiliating.

这很可能让人颜面尽失

It's a daily occurrence in Bath, going to a visitation,

在巴斯 这是家常便饭——去做客

attending things in public, with a very strong sense of urgency

参加各种公共活动 心情十分急迫

about finding a marriage match.

只为寻找合适的结婚对象

Jane writes about the social engagements she's made to attend.

简在信中写到了她必须参加的各种社交活动

Another stupid party last night.

昨晚又是一个无聊的聚会

Perhaps if larger they might be less intolerable.

也许人多一些的话 就不会那么难熬了

I cannot anyhow continue to find people agreeable.

我实在无法继续觉得这些人有趣

She's starting to have difficulty in crowds in general.

她开始在人多的场合感到不自在

This is too much.

这让她承受不了

She's shy, she's introverted.

她性格害羞内向

Having to make conversation with a few people in intense ways

需要和几个人深入交流

really tires her out and her situation becomes intolerable.

这让她筋疲力尽 处境变得难以忍受

We associate Jane Austen with Bath, but the fact is she hates it.

人们总将简和巴斯联系起来 实际上她很讨厌那里

In the summer of 1801, Jane manages to escape to the seaside.

1801年夏天 简总算来到了海边

Invited by family friends, she spends several weeks in Sidmouth.

应朋友家人的邀请 她在锡德茅斯待了好几周

Sidmouth is this beautiful, genteel, Georgian beach town.

锡德茅斯是一个美丽优雅的乔治王时代风格海滨小镇

It's just gorgeous. It was known as the English Riviera.

这里美得令人惊叹 被誉为'英国里维埃拉'

So it's a great place to go and she's really happy to be there.

所以这是个绝佳的地方 她在那里过得非常开心

And she meets a man.

在那里 她遇到了一个男人

And she falls in love.

她坠入了爱河

We know he was a clergyman.

我们知道他是位牧师

It's pretty serious and he makes his intentions pretty clear.

两人的感情很认真 他也很明确地表达了自己的心意

What's infuriating for us is we just don't know anything about him.

最让人抓狂的是 我们对他一无所知

We don't know what his name was.

我们连他叫什么都不知道

He's very shadowy.

他的身份很神秘

The only source of information about the romance

关于这段恋情的唯一信息来源

is from Austen's sister, Cassandra.

是奥斯汀的姐姐卡珊德拉

Cassandra tells us later this might have been the love of her life.

卡桑德拉后来说 这个人可能就是她一生的真爱

She said he had the charm of person, mind and manners

她说他具备了人品 才智和风度方面的魅力

that made him worthy to possess her sister's love.

这让他有资格赢得她姐姐的芳心

We think that this could lead to a proposal.

我们觉得这很可能会发展到求婚这一步

To meet someone she falls for at that point in her life is huge.

在她人生的那个节骨眼上遇到心仪的人 意义重大

I imagine she would think, yes, it's all going to be alright after all.

我想她当时会觉得 是啊 一切都会好起来的

The pair agree to meet again.

两人约定再次相见

In the meantime, Jane returns to Bath.

就在这时 简回到了巴斯

Something awful has happened.

不幸的事情发生了

The love of her life has died.

她的真爱离开了人世

It's probably making her think that she's lost all her chances now.

这很可能让她觉得自己已经错失了所有的机会

This could have been the last one.

这也许就是最后一次机会了

It's clearly huge for her.

这对她来说显然是个巨大的打击

But the sense of pain that she must feel,

但她内心必然承受的那种痛苦

that's the sort of fuel that a writer needs.

正是作家创作所需要的养分

And it channels itself into one of the greatest novels ever written.

这种痛苦最终化为了文学史上最伟大的小说之一

So, the opening line of Pride and Prejudice

因此 《傲慢与偏见》的开篇第一句

is one of the most famous opening lines in literature.

堪称文学史上最著名的开篇名句之一

It is a truth universally acknowledged

有一个举世公认的真理

that a single man in possession of a good fortune

凡是富有的单身汉

must be in want of a wife. That's already funny.

一定急需娶妻 这本身就很好笑

It also is the painful truth behind the whole novel

这也是整部小说背后残酷的现实

that if your family doesn't have any money and you're a woman,

如果你出身贫寒又是女儿身

you have to marry a rich man.

就必须嫁给有钱人

When the wealthy and single Mr Bingley arrives in the neighbourhood,

当富有的单身汉宾利先生搬到附近时

the five Bennet sisters are thrilled.

班纳特家的五姐妹都激动不已

Kitty, what if I told you

凯蒂 要是我告诉你

about listening at the door? Never mind that.

在门口偷听的事 算了 别管那个

Mr Bingley arrived from the North.

宾利先生从北方搬来了

He's 5,000 a year! He's single!

他年收入五千英镑 而且还是单身

Who's single? Mr. Bingley apparently.

谁是单身 看起来是宾利先生

Mr. Bennet owns an estate,

班纳特先生有一座庄园

but when he dies,

但他一旦去世

it will pass down the male line.

庄园会传给男性后代

With no inheritance in sight,

没有继承财产的希望

the Bennet girls face poverty unless they marry well.

班纳特家的女儿们只能面临贫困 除非嫁个好人家

When you die, Mr. Bennet,

班纳特先生 你一旦去世

which may in fact be very soon,

说不定很快就会发生

our girls will be left without a roof over their head,

我们的女儿们就会无家可归

nor a penny to their name.

身无分文

It's ten in the morning.

现在是上午十点

Pride and Prejudice.

《傲慢与偏见》

It's full of an abundance of females

书中到处都是各种女性角色

that no one knows what to do with.

让人不知道该拿她们怎么办

How on earth do you get shot of them all?

你究竟要怎么安排这么多女性角色

I mean, it's almost like a send-up

我是说 这简直就像是在讽刺

of her own life so far.

她自己的人生经历

What do we do with these women?

我们该如何安排这些女性角色

The novel's heroine is the proud

这部小说的女主角是骄傲的

and fiercely independent Elizabeth Bennet,

且性格极其独立的伊丽莎白·贝内特

Another young woman who loves reading.

又是一个热爱读书的年轻女子

I always imagine Elizabeth is the closest

我总是觉得伊丽莎白是最贴近的

to actual Jane of all of her heroines.

真正简·奥斯汀本人的那个女主角

She's funny, she's smart, she's kind,

她风趣幽默 聪慧机敏 善良温和

she's full of spirit, she's modern, she's independent.

充满活力 思想超前 独立自主

And so you're gunning for her from the start.

所以你一开始就会为她加油助威

Now if every man in the room

如果今晚房间里的每个男人

does not end the evening in love with you,

到晚会结束时还没有爱上你

then I am no judge of beauty.

那我就不懂什么是美了

Or men.

也不懂男人

No, they are far too easy to judge.

不 他们实在太容易被人看穿了

They're not all bad.

他们也不全是坏人

Humorous poppycocks, in my limited experience.

有趣的胡说八道 依我浅见

One of these days, Lizzie,

总有一天 莉兹

someone will catch your eye,

会有人让你心动

and then you'll have to watch your tongue.

到那时你就得收敛你的尖刻了

In this particular scene, we see the dance from Elizabeth's perspective.

我们通过伊丽莎白的视角来观看这场舞会

Part of Austen's genius is she slowly brings you in.

奥斯汀的天才之处就在于她能循序渐进地将读者带入故事

A very close study of what somebody sees,

她细致入微地描绘一个人的所见所感

feels, hears, remembers, notices.

所感 所闻 所忆 所察

That you as the reader will slowly be pulled in,

作为读者 你会慢慢被带入其中

in a sort of an immersive way,

以一种身临其境的方式

into that person's consciousness.

走进那个人的内心世界

Now that takes extraordinary skill.

这需要非同凡响的写作技巧

Lizzie is determined to marry for love.

莉齐决心要为爱而嫁

Enter the dangerous Mr. Darcy.

于是危险的达西先生登场了

Darcy is one of her strange, silent types,

达西就是那种神秘沉默的男子

that come from your dreams.

仿佛从你梦中走出来的人

The sense that somehow or other,

给人一种莫名的感觉

there's no reason to speak.

仿佛无需言语

Because the aura that's been given off by this male figure,

因为这个男主角身上散发的气场

is so filled with sort of pungent sexuality,

充满了一种强烈的性感魅力

that it doesn't really matter what he says.

以至于他说什么话都无关紧要了

With his sex appeal, fortune and sprawling ancestral mansion,

凭借着迷人的魅力 巨额财富和宏伟的祖传庄园

Darcy seems to have everything.

达西似乎应有尽有

But he's far from perfect.

但他并非完人

He needs fixing, he's rude, he's arrogant,

他需要改造 既粗鲁又傲慢

and crucially he's rude to her.

更关键的是 他对她态度粗鲁

And they both need to learn some things.

两人都需要成长和学习

So Jane Austen plots the dynamic between Darcy and Elizabeth really precisely,

所以简精心设计了达西和伊丽莎白之间的互动关系

And that's the narrative drive of the book.

这就是这本书的叙事推动力

The arrogant Mr. Darcy and the proud Lizzie

傲慢的达西先生和自负的丽兹

are in denial over their intense mutual attraction.

都在否认彼此间强烈的相互吸引

While they smoulder, an obstacle arrives.

就在两人暗生情愫时 一个阻碍出现了

Mr. Collins at your service.

柯林斯先生为您效劳

Mr. Collins is the male heir to the Bennet estate.

柯林斯先生是班纳特家产业的男性继承人

He shows up at their home,

他来到班纳特家

hoping to choose a wife from one of the Bennet daughters.

希望从班纳特家的几位女儿中选一位做妻子

What a superbly featured room and what excellent boiled potatoes.

真是间精美绝伦的房间 还有这绝佳的水煮土豆

Many years since I've had such an exemplary vegetable.

多年来我都没有品尝过如此上乘的蔬菜了

To which of my fair cousins should I compliment

我该夸赞哪位美丽表妹的

the excellence of the cooking?

精湛厨艺呢

Yeah, Mr. Collins is another one of Austen's idiots.

没错 柯林斯先生是奥斯丁笔下又一个蠢货

But he is not lovable.

但他一点也不可爱

He is a proud, boastful, odious, charmless little toad of a man.

他就是个骄傲自大 爱吹牛 讨人厌 毫无魅力的癞蛤蟆

After dinner, I thought I might read to you all

晚餐后 我想给大家朗读

for an hour or two.

一两个小时

I have with me Fordyce's sermons,

我带了福代斯的布道集

which speak very eloquently on all matters moral.

里面对各种道德问题都有精辟的阐述

Are you familiar with Fordyce's sermons, Miss Bennet?

班奈特小姐 您熟悉福代斯的布道集吗

And you can see what he's trying to do.

你可以看出他想要做什么

He believes, literally, it is his God-given right

他坚信 这就是上帝赋予他的权利

to go round to this house and pick a daughter.

去这家挑选一个女儿

What a prick. Later on, of course, Mr. Collins will ask Lizzie to marry him.

真是个混蛋 当然 柯林斯先生后来会向莉齐求婚的

And now, nothing remains but for me to assure you

现在 我只需要向您保证

in the most animated language of the violence of my affection... Mr. Collins!

用我最激动的言辞表达我感情的强烈...柯林斯先生

And that no reproach on the subject of fortune

在财富问题上不受任何指责

will cross my lips once we're married.

一旦我们结婚 就不会再从我嘴里说出来

You are too hasty, sir. You forget that I have given no answer.

先生 您太急躁了 您忘了我还没有给出答复

Please understand me, I cannot accept you.

请理解我 我无法接受你

Lizzie is affronted by Mr. Collins' proposal

丽兹对柯林斯先生的求婚感到愤慨

and abruptly turns him down.

毫不犹豫地拒绝了他

Then Darcy makes his move.

接着达西出手了

Please do me the honour of accepting my hand.

请赏脸接受我的求婚

He is actually trying to propose to her at this point and Darcy says...

此时他正试图向她求婚 达西说道...

Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your circumstances?

你能指望我为你卑微的出身而欣喜吗

And those are the words of a gentleman.

这就是所谓绅士的话

It's a bit of a cack-handed proposal.

这求婚方式实在笨拙

He is very open about his awareness of her inferiority.

他毫不掩饰地承认她地位卑微

But Lizzie responds with usual fire and wit and defiance.

但丽兹以她一贯的火辣 机智和不屈回击

From the first moment I met you,

从我第一次见到你起

your arrogance and conceit, your selfish disdain for the feelings of others...

你的傲慢自负 你对别人感受的漠视...

made me realise that you were the last man in the world

让我明白你是这世上最不可能

I could ever be prevailed upon to marry.

让我嫁给的男人

You have money, you have class over me,

你有钱有地位

but you can still never be the person that I am.

但你永远成不了我这样的人

Lizzie will never ever be told

没人能告诉丽齐

that she's not as good as anyone else.

她不如别人

She's amazing.

她棒极了

Jane Austen is doing something brilliantly subversive here.

简·奥斯汀在这里巧妙地进行了颠覆

Because she's going against the hierarchical nature of society,

因为她在挑战社会的等级本质

of class, of class divide.

阶级的分化和对立

Jane Austen's project was to make public the idea

简·奥斯汀的使命是要向公众传达这样一个理念

that women's imagination and that women's minds

女性的想象力和女性的心智

were not just subtle and graceful, but sharp.

不只是细腻优雅 更是犀利敏锐的

With enormous integrity and seriousness.

具有极高的品格操守和严谨态度

There were no other images available

当时没有其他的文学形象

of how women thought and felt.

能够展现女性的内心世界和思想感受

It wasn't as though it was happening in opera.

这种情况在歌剧中并没有出现

You know, it wasn't happening in poetry.

要知道 诗歌中也没有这样的描述

But she managed to create an extraordinary sense

但她成功营造出了一种非同寻常的感觉

not only of life in the protagonists,

不仅让主人公们栩栩如生

but also of sharp intelligence, tact, wit, knowledge.

还展现出了敏锐的智慧 机敏 风趣和博学

Despite her defiance, Lizzie seems truly devastated.

尽管伊丽莎白桀骜不驯 但她看起来确实深受打击

As a writer, you always want your characters

作为作家 你总是希望笔下的人物

to be like Lizzie and Darcy in a place

能像伊丽莎白和达西一样陷入困境

where you think we are not coming back from this.

让你觉得他们再也无法挽回了

There is no way. But we always need a journey to go on.

毫无希望 但我们总是需要让故事继续发展下去

In the end, Darcy proves himself worthy of Lizzie's love.

最终 达西证明了自己配得上伊丽莎白的爱

They finally surrender to their feelings.

他们最终向彼此的感情投降了

I would have to tell you. You have bewitched me,

我必须告诉你 你已经让我着了迷

body and soul, and I love, and love, and love you.

从身体到灵魂 我爱你 爱你 爱你

I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.

从今以后 我再也不想与你分开

Well then,

那么

your hands are cold.

你的手好冰

It's a really beautiful ending.

这个结局真的很美

We all have to have someone who sees us and loves us.

我们每个人都需要有人能真正看见我们 爱我们

He is probably the only person that sees Lizzie.

他可能是唯一真正理解莉齐的人

Jane has written for us a character and a story

简为我们创造了这样一个角色和故事

that we need as readers.

这正是我们作为读者所需要的

She's writing the happy ending that she needed.

她正在书写着自己内心渴望的幸福结局

Jane Austen is about to turn 27.

简·奥斯汀快要27岁了

She's still living with her parents.

她还是和父母住在一起

One suitor's family rejected her.

有个求婚者的家人拒绝了她

The man she loved has died.

她心爱的人已经去世了

And nothing she's written has been published.

而且她的作品一部都没有出版过

Then, in December 1802, Jane and her sister

后来在1802年12月 简和姐姐

are invited to stay with some family friends.

受邀到一些世交家中做客

Wealthy members of the landed gentry.

这些都是有钱有地的贵族

During Austen's stay, she does receive an offer of marriage

在做客期间 简确实收到了一份求婚

from the improbably named Mr Big Wither.

来自名字听起来就很不靠谱的大威瑟先生

It's straight out of one of her novels.

这简直就是从她小说里走出来的情节

She doesn't love him and he clearly doesn't love her.

她不爱他 他显然也不爱她

It's hard to have to marry someone you don't love

嫁给一个不爱的人是件痛苦的事

because that's the only way you can survive financially.

因为这是经济上能够生存下去的唯一办法

And she thinks, I'll be rich. How tempting is that?

她想 我会变得富有 这诱惑力多大啊

Why shouldn't she have security and respectability and money?

为什么她不能拥有安全感 社会地位和财富

Jane accepts Big Wither's proposal.

简接受了大威瑟的求婚

And then, that night, she thinks about it.

然后 那天晚上 她仔细思考了这件事

And she must have thought, you know,

她一定在想

What are the ups and downs?

这样做有什么得失呢

Could I still write? And what cost would it come at?

我还能继续写作吗 要为此付出什么代价

This is a real fork in the road for her.

这对她来说是人生的重要抉择时刻

She speaks with her sister.

她和姐姐商量了一下

And she decides, I cannot go through with this.

最后她下定决心：我不能这样做

She just couldn't make herself marry someone

她无法说服自己嫁给一个人

that she did not or could not imagine herself loving.

一个她既不爱 也无法想象会爱上的人

And that is the mantra in the novels.

这正是她小说中一贯的主题

Her heroines say, I will not marry without love.

她笔下的女主角都会说：没有爱情 我绝不结婚

So she's actually living what she's preaching.

所以她是在用自己的行动诠释着作品中的理念

And she's pretty brave to say yes to him and then say no.

她很有勇气 先答应了他的求婚 后来又反悔拒绝了

That's a real independent spirit.

这体现了真正的独立精神

This is a defining moment.

这是一个人生转折点

And it determines the rest of her writing life.

这个决定影响了她此后的整个写作人生

She chooses to take the route of being an independent woman.

她选择走独立女性的道路

To pursue her dream of being a writer.

去追寻她的作家梦

That is the moment when she says,

就在那一刻 她对自己说：

my life's going to be different.

我的人生要走出不一样的路

And I think there was almost a real pledge,

我觉得她内心几乎是在发誓

an internal pledge to the life that I am choosing for myself.

对自己选择的这种生活方式立下内心的誓言

Jane has gambled. She's gambled everything on writing.

简决定孤注一掷 把所有的希望都押在写作上

All of her chips are down.

她已经倾其所有 毫无保留

This is just a whole new chapter in her life.

这是她人生的全新篇章

She's thinking, this is just all going so well for me.

她心想 一切都进展得这么顺利

Then suddenly everything goes wrong.

然而突然间 一切都搞砸了

This is an absolute gut punch.

这简直是晴天霹雳

What was I thinking? Thinking I could be a writer.

我当时是怎么想的 竟然以为自己能当作家

For more information visit bbc.co.uk/Austin Genius

更多信息请访问bbc.co.uk/Austin Genius

and follow the links to The Open University.

点击相关链接访问开放大学