余 功
英國「大閱讀一百」(Big Read 100),入圍百大作品的作家中,佔5本的有狄更斯(Charles Dickens)和普萊契(Terry Pratchett),佔4本的有威爾森(Jacqueline Wilson)、達爾(Roald Dahl)和羅琳(JK Rowling),這5人因而位居前五位。有3本作品入圍的只有1位作家,她順利排行第六。一些文學評論家認為她是英國有史以來最佳小說家,身兼文學評論者的英國作家卻斯特頓(GK Chesterton)則這樣揶揄她:She knew what she knew, like a sound dogmatist(她知道自己知道甚麼,像個徹頭徹尾的武斷者);she did not know what she did not - like a sound agnostic(她不知道自己不知道甚麼-像個徹頭徹尾的無知者)。
3作品列百大
各位可以猜到她是誰嗎?是奧斯汀(Jane Austen,1775-1817)。即使只讀過她少許作品,都不難感到題材大多圍繞求愛與婚姻。她強調女性在愛情中的自主,因而可算是個女性主義者。
入圍的3部名著是--第2位:Pride and Prejudice(《傲慢與偏見》),第38位:Persuasion(《勸導》)和第40位:Emma(《愛瑪》)。三部作品中,《傲》大概最家喻戶曉;《愛》的篇幅最長,有人認為是最佳的;《勸》則在她死後翌年才出版。
明著句子舉隅
以下6個句子,每部作品有兩句,各位可以分辨出來嗎?有些含有小說名稱中的一字,有的則提及主角名字,各位動動腦、查查書吧。
1. If I was wrong in yielding to persuasion once, remember that it was to persuasion exerted on the side of safety, not of risk(我曾經屈服於他人的勸導,假若我做錯了,別忘記那勸導是為了安全起見,而非為了冒險)。
2. Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence(愛瑪.伍德豪斯,健美、聰慧並富有,家境寬裕、性情樂天;人生至福,看來她一人獨擁不少)。
3. "That is very true," replied Elizabeth, "and I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine."(「說得很對,」Elizabeth答道,「而假若他沒有羞辱我的驕傲,我不難諒解他的驕傲。」)
4. It darted through her with the speed of an arrow that Mr. Knightley must marry no one but herself(箭也似的,她突然感到:除她以外,奈特利先生不能他娶)!
5. Anne, with an elegance of mind and sweetness of character, which must have placed her high with any people of real understanding, was nobody with either father or sister(安妮心思優雅兼性格可愛,任何通情達理的人都會對她讚譽有加,但她在父親或姊姊心目中卻無足輕重)。
6. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife(一個單身男子,坐擁萬貫家財,自然欲求妻室,此道理普世公認)。
答案是:1.《勸》,2.《愛》,3.《傲》,4.《愛》,5.《勸》,6.《傲》。
|