Pride and Prejudice女性意识探究.doc

傲慢与偏见女性意识探究奥斯丁在这部小说中通过班纳特五个女儿对待终身大事的不同处理，表现出乡镇中产阶级家庭出身的少女对婚姻爱情问题的不同态度，从而反映了作者本人的婚姻观：为了财产、金钱和地位而结婚是错误的；而结婚不考虑上述因素也是愚蠢的。因此，她既反对为金钱而结婚，也反对把婚姻当儿戏。她强调理想婚姻的重要性，并把男女双方感情作为缔结理想婚姻的基石。Elizabeth (Lizzy) 小说的女主角，Elizabeth在五姐妹中排行老二，大姐Jane是远近闻名的淑女，她虽没有简那么姣好的面容，却也出落的婷婷玉立，Elizabeth聪敏机智、有胆识、观察力很强，且具有很强的自尊心，并善于思考问题，勇敢的用知识和见识充实了自己的心灵，冲破了财产与地位和世俗眼光，在一个充满了虚伪和浮华的社会，找到了自我和珍爱。 在18世纪末到19世纪初处于保守和闭塞状态下的英国的社会背景下，大多数人都陷入精神的困顿，专署女性的光辉早已被虚无的社会的现实掩盖，Elizabeth却如出污泥而不染的白荷有着丰富的内涵与个性的型内心。她伶牙俐齿却不咄咄逼人，她用心灵看世界，看到当时社会上以财产和社会地位来谈婚论嫁的风气，没有真正的爱情，这使她陷进自身的渴望与迷茫交织的矛盾之中，但她并没有被这样的矛盾压倒，而是选择继续勇敢地追寻自己的渴望，书中将这种渴望具体化为爱情。在与地位高贵的Lady Catherine谈话中，Elizabeth说了许多对女性的看法，她并没有女性一定要保守、琴棋书画样样精通的传统思想，而且对无礼的长辈她并不敷衍苟同,敢于去同她争论。（But really, I think it would be very hard upon younger sisters, that they should not have their share of society and amusement because the elder may not have the means or inclination to marry early. The last born has as good a right to the pleasures of youth, as the first. And to be kept back on such a motive! I think it would not be very likely to promote sisterly affection or delicacy of mind.要是因为姐姐们无法早嫁，或是不想早嫁，做妹妹的就不能有社交和娱乐，那实在太苦了她们。最小的和最大的同样有消受青春的权利。怎么能为了这样的原由，就叫她们死守在家里！我以为那样做就不可能促进姐妹之间的情感，也不可能养成温柔的性格。Allow me to say, Lady Catherine, that the arguments with which you have supported this extraordinary application have been as frivolous as the application was ill-judged. You have widely mistaken my character, if you think I can be worked on by such persuasions as these. How far your nephew might approve of your interference in his affairs, I cannot tell; but you have certainly no right to concern yourself in mine. I must beg, therefore, to be importuned no farther on the subject.说句你别见怪的话，Lady Catherine，你这种异想天开的要求真是不近情理，你说的许多话又是浅薄无聊。要是你以为你这些话能够说得我屈服，那你未免太看错人啦。你侄子会让你把他的事干涉到什么地步，我不知道，可是你无论如何没有权利干涉我的事。因此我请求你不要再为这件事来勉强我了。）在友情方面，她对朋友非常的重视，除了姐姐Jane，她最好的朋友便是Charlotte，然而，当她知道她的朋友要嫁给Mr. Collins时，她第一句话就是不可能，之后便克制自己，为她祝福，可她心里却是非常难受的。（And to the pang of a friend disgracing herself and sunk in her esteem, was added the distressing conviction that it was impossible for that friend to be tolerably happy in the lot she had chosen.她不仅为这样一个朋友的自取其辱、自贬身份而感到难受，而且她还十分痛心地断定，她朋友的这一个选择，决不会给她自己带来多大的幸福。）她是个很有胆识的人，在第一次到Lady Catherine的家中时，她就敢和一个地位高人一等的女士毫无顾忌地回答问题。（In spite of having been at St. Jamess, Sir William was so completely awed by the grandeur surrounding him, that he had but just courage enough to make a very low bow, and take his seat without saying a word; and his daughter, frightened almost out of her senses, sat on the edge of her chair, not knowing which way to look. Elizabeth found herself quite equal to the scene, and could observe the three ladies before her composedly.Sir William虽说当年也曾进宫觐见过国王，可是看到四周围这般的富贵气派，也不禁完全给吓住了，只得弯腰一躬，一声不响，坐了下来；再说他的女儿，简直吓得丧魂失魄一般，兀自坐在椅子边上，眼睛也不知道往哪里看才好。Elizabeth倒是完全安然自若，而且从容不迫地细细瞧着那三位女主人。）Elizabeth的性格缺陷中，主要是偏见，刚开始看见Mr. Darcy对人的态度时被对他产生了反感，以至在许多事情走向了与事实相反的方向。不过值得肯定的是，在她知道真相后立即对自己反思，把性格中的“偏见”改正。（How despicably have I acted! she cried. I, who have prided myself on my discernment! I, who have valued myself on my abilities! who have often disdained the generous candour of my sister, and gratified my vanity, in useless or blameable distrust. How humiliating is this discovery! Yet, how just a humiliation! Had I been in love, I could not have been more wretchedly blind. But vanity, not love, has been my folly. Pleased with the preference of one, and offended by the neglect of the other, on the very beginning of our acquaintance, I have courted prepossession and ignorance, and driven reason away, where either were concerned. Till this moment, I never knew myself.我做得多么卑鄙！我一向自负有知人之明！我一向自以为有本领！一向看不起姐姐那种宽大的胸襟！为了满足我自己的虚荣心，我待人老是不着边际地猜忌多端，而且还要做得使我自己无懈可击。这是我多么可耻的地方！可是，这种耻辱又是多么活该！即使我真的爱上了人家，也不会盲目到这样该死的地步。然而我的愚蠢，并不是在恋爱方面，而是有虚荣心方面。开头刚刚认识他们两位的时候，一个喜欢我，我很高兴，一个怠慢我，我就生气，因此造成了我的偏见和无知，遇到与他们有关的事情，我就不能明辨是非。我到现在才算不了自知之明。）Jane Elizabeth的姐姐，家中最大的女儿。她是小说中最完美的形象，生性非常善良，思想丝毫不受母亲的影响，对任何事物都往好的方面想，即使是自己受到伤害也要为伤害她的人找理由。然而，这样的性格也只能生存于小说中，如果她生活在这个弱肉强食的社会，势必会被淘汰。（Elizabeth said: You never see a fault in any body. All the world are good and agreeable in your eyes. I never heard you speak ill of a human being in my life. Elizabeth说：“你从来看不出人家的短处。在你眼睛里看来，天下都是好人，你都看得顺眼。我生平从来没听见你说人家的坏话。” And Jane, who had only been with held by the fear of giving alarm or inconvenience, from expressing in her note how much she longed for such a visit.原来她为了不愿意让家里人着急和麻烦，所以信里并没有说明她极其盼望有个亲人来看看她。）虽说感情不暴露并不是一件不好的事，但Jane的这种性格却为难她了，正是因为Mr.Darcy看不出她对Mr. Bingley表现出特别的感情，才使得她和Mr. Bingley原本一路顺风的爱情遭到了不小的挫折，如果不是妹妹和Mr. Darcy的和解，也许一对美满的婚姻就因结束。（Elizabeth considered with pleasure that it was not likely to be discovered by the world in general, since Jane united with great strength of feeling a composure of temper and a uniform cheerfulness of manner, which would guard her from the suspicions of the impertinent. Elizabeth高兴地想道，Jane虽说感情丰富，好在性格很镇定，外表上仍然保持着正常的和颜悦色，那就不会引起那些卤莽人的怀疑，因此她对Mr. Bingley的心意也就不会给人察觉了。As for Jane, her anxiety under this suspense was, of course, more painful than Elizabeths; but whatever she felt she was desirous of concealing.至于Jane,她在这种动荡不安的情况下，自然比Elizabeth更加感到焦虑，可是她总不愿意把自己的心事暴露出来。）Lydia 家中最小的女儿。从作者的描述和Elizabeth的对话和思想中就可以看出，Lydia的性格实在是有够放荡,感情不一，类似于现代社会中的盲目崇拜偶像又不专一的追星族，这是作者最为讽刺的一类性格。（Lydia was a stout, well-grown girl of fifteen, with a fine complexion and good-humoured countenance; a favourite with her mother, whose affection had brought her into public at an early age. She had high animal spirits, and a sort of natural self-consequence, which the attentions of the officers, to whom her uncles good dinners and her own easy manners recommended her, had increased into assurance. Lydia是个胖胖的、长得很好的姑娘，今年才十五岁，细皮白肉，笑颜常开，她是母亲的掌上明珠，由于娇纵过度，她很小就进入了社交界。她生性好动，天生有些不知分寸，加上她的姨父一次次以美酒嘉肴宴请那些军官们，军官们又见她颇有几分浪荡的风情，便对她发生了相当好感，于是她更加肆无忌惮了。Elizabeth said：Her character will be fixed, and she will, at sixteen, be the most determined flirt that ever made herself and her family ridiculous. A flirt, too, in the worst and meanest degree of flirtation; without any attraction beyond youth and a tolerable person; and from the ignorance and emptiness of her mind, wholly unable to ward off any portion of that universal contempt which her rage for admiration will excite. Elizabeth对父亲说：“一旦她的性格定型以后，就难得改过来。她才不过十六岁，就成了一个十足的浪荡女子，弄得她自己和家庭都惹人笑话，而且她还轻佻浪荡到极端下贱无耻的地步。她只不过年纪还轻，略有几分姿色，此外就一无可取。她愚昧无知，头脑糊涂，只知道搏得别人爱慕，结果到处叫人看不起。”But Elizabeth was convinced that Lydia had wanted only encouragement to attach herself to any body. Sometimes one officer, sometimes another had been her favourite, as their attentions raised them in her opinion. Her affections had been continually fluctuating, but never without an object. The mischief of neglect and mistaken indulgence towards such a girl.可是Elizabeth深深认识到Lydia只要随便哪个人勾引一下就会上钩。她今天喜欢这个军官，明天又喜欢那个军官，只要你对她献殷勤，她就看得中你。她平常的情感极不专一，可是从来没有缺少过谈情说爱的对象。这只怪一向没有家教，对她任意纵容，结果使这样的一个姑娘落得这般下场。）从夫妻方面，其实她还勉强可以算一个合格的妻子，至少她有意识去为丈夫的事业尽自己的一分力量，不管途径如何，这是可以肯定的。在这封她写给姐姐Elizabeth的信中还可以看出，尽管她在男人堆中肆无忌惮地敢卖弄风骚，然而对她姐姐还是要面子的，不行也不会厚脸皮的苦苦哀求。（I wish you joy. If you love Mr. Darcy half as well as I do my dear Wickham, you must be very happy. It is a great comfort to have you so rich, and when you have nothing else to do, I hope you will think of us. I am sure Wickham would like a place at court very much, and I do not think we shall have quite money enough to live upon without some help. Any place would do, of about three or four hundred a year; but however, do not speak to Mr. Darcy about it, if you had rather not.祝你愉快。要是你爱Mr. Darcy抵得上我爱Wickham的一半，那你一定会非常幸福了。你能这样富有，真叫人十分快慰；当你闲来无事的时候，希望你会想到我们。我相信Wickham极其希望在宫廷里找份差事做做。要是再没有别人帮帮忙，我们便很难维持生计了。随便什么差使都行，只要每年有三四百镑的收入。不过，要是你不愿意跟Darcy讲，那就不必提起。）Mrs. Bennet 五个女儿的母亲。对于Mrs. Bennet性格，作者在在第一章里就来了个总结，而且至到三个女儿结婚前一直没有变过，她天天想着嫁女儿，不仅在智商方面，在礼仪上也大成问题，说话很没水准。成为小说中每个人都受不了的一个角色。（Her mind was less difficult to develope. She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented, she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.太太的脑子是很容易加以分析的。她是个智力贫乏、不学无术、喜怒无常的女人，只要碰到不称心的事，她就以为神经衰弱。她生平的大事就是嫁女儿；她生平的安慰就是访友拜客和打听新闻。）Mrs. Bennet喜欢抱怨，不管内容什么，只顾自己发泄心中的不满，也不考虑别人的感受。而且还自视甚高，从来都只会怪别人，也不知道自我反思。（Jane said: that my dear mother had more command over herself; she can have no idea of the pain she gives me by her continual reflections on him. Jane对Elizabeth说：“但愿妈妈多控制她自己一些吧！她没晓得她这样时时刻刻提起他，叫我多么痛苦。”Invectives against the villainous conduct of Wickham, and complaints of her own sufferings and ill usage; blaming every body but the person to whose ill-judging indulgence the errors of her daughter must be principally owing.她先把Wickham的卑劣行为痛骂了一顿，又为自己的病痛和委屈抱怨了一番，她几乎把每个人都骂到了，只有一个人没骂到，而那个人却正是盲目溺爱女儿，使女儿铸成大错的主要原因。)环境的影响是非常大的，Jane和Elizabeth的生活最后竟然使她们母亲的性格与先前完全相反，头脑清楚、和蔼可亲这才是一个好母亲。(Make her a sensible, amiable, well-informed woman for the rest of her life; though perhaps it was lucky for her husband, who might not have relished domestic felicity in so unusual a form, that she still was occasionally nervous and invariably silly.她后半辈子竟因此变成了一个头脑清楚、和蔼可亲、颇有见识的女人；不过她有时候还是神经衰弱，经常都是痴头怪脑，这也许倒是她丈夫的幸运，否则他就无从享受这种稀奇古怪的家庭幸福了。)Mary Mr. Bennet的三女儿，书呆子一个，长相不是很好，有些高傲，很想在人们面前展现自我，但时常适得其反。(in consequence of being the only plain one in the family, worked hard for knowledge and accomplishments, was always impatient for display.在她们几个姐妹之间，就只有Mary长得不好看，因此她发愤钻研学问，讲究才艺，老是急着要卖弄卖弄自己的本领。Mary had neither genius nor taste; and though vanity had given her application, it had given her likewise a pedantic air and conceited manner, which would have injured a higher degree of excellence than she had reached. Mary既没有天才，格调也不高，虽说虚荣心促使她刻苦用功，但是同样也造成了她一脸的女才子气派和自高自大的态度。有了这种气派和态度，即使她的修养再好些也无补于事，何况她不过如此而已。)Catherine (Kitty) 家中排行第四，性格和Lydia几乎没什么差别，一样天天想着和别的军官鬼混。但她最终的性格却和母亲一样，发生了完全相反的变化。(Catherine, weak-spirited, irritable, and completely under Lydias guidance, had been always affronted by their adviceCatherine意志薄弱，容易气恼，她完全听凭Lydia指挥，一听到Jane和Elizabeth的规劝就要生气。Kitty, to her very material advantage, spent the chief of her time with her two elder sisters. In society so superior to what she had generally known, her improvement was great. She was not of so ungovernable a temper as Lydia; and, removed from the influence of Lydias example, she became, by proper attention and management, less irritable, less ignorant, and less insipid.Kitty最受实惠，大部分时间都消磨在两位姐姐那儿。从此她所交的人物都比往常高尚，她本身当然也就大有长进。她本来不像Lydia那样放纵，现在既没有Lydia来影响她，又有人对她加以妥善的注意和照管，她便不像以前那样轻狂无知和麻木不仁了。)Charlotte Lucas Elizabeth的邻居和好朋友。虽然她对爱情有向往，但年龄和相貌却使得她不得不把婚姻和金钱联系在一起，她和Mr. Collins的婚姻正是作者批判的那类肮脏的婚姻。(Miss Lucas, who accepted him solely from the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment, cared not how soon that establishment were gained.Miss Lucas所以愿意答应他，完全是为了财产打算，至于那笔财产何年何月可以拿到手，她倒不在乎。Mr. Collins to be sure was neither sensible nor agreeable; his society was irksome, and his attachment to her must be imaginary. But still, he would be her husband. Without thinking highly either of men or of matrimony, marriage had always been her object; it was the only honourable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative from want. This preservative she had now obtained; and at the age of twenty-seven, without having ever been handsome, she felt all the good luck of it.Mr. Collins固然既不通情达理，又不讨人喜爱，同他相处实在是件讨厌的事，他对她的爱也一定是空中楼阁，不过她还是要他做丈夫。虽然她对于婚姻和夫妇生活，估价都不甚高，可是，结婚到底是她一贯的目标，大凡家境不好而又受过相当教育的青年女子，总是把结婚当作仅有的一条体面的退路。尽管结婚并不一定会叫人幸福，但总算为她自己安排了一个最可靠的储藏室日后可以不致挨冻受饥。她现在就获得这样一个储藏室了。她今年二十七岁，人长得又不标致，这个储藏室当然会使她觉得无限幸运。)在婚姻中，Charlotte的作法不值得提倡，但她对朋友的感情却是可赞的，在她知道自己这个决定会给朋友带来埋怨时，她感到难受，觉得得亲自向她说明心中才过得去（The least agreeable circumstance in the business was the surprise it must occasion to Elizabeth Bennet, whose friendship she valued beyond that of any other person. Elizabeth would wonder, and probably would blame her; and though her resolution was not to be shaken, her feelings must be hurt by such disapprobation.那就是说，Elizabeth准会对这门闲事感到惊奇，而她又是一向把Elizabeth的交情看得比什么人的交情都重要。Elizabeth一定会诧异，说不定还要埋怨她。虽说她一经下定决心便不会动摇，然而人家非难起来一定会使她难受。）Charlotte和Mr. Collins婚后他们过着异常舒适的物质生活，但他们之间没有爱情，只是同床异梦，这种婚姻实际上是掩盖在华丽外衣下的社会悲剧。Caroline Bingley and Mrs. Hurst她们是小说中最虚伪且非常傲慢的人物，因为处于上流社会，所以表面上礼貌十足，但在人后却和Mrs. Bennet一样爱说闲话，看不起没有财产的人，并且以貌取人，对同一家的姐妹中就只喜欢Jane，对并不漂亮并我行我素的Elizabeth分外讨厌。（They were in fact very fine ladies, not deficient in good humour when they were pleased, nor in the power of being agreeable where they chose it; but proud and conceited. They were rather handsome, had been educated in one of the first private seminaries in town, had a fortune of twenty thousand pounds, were in the habit of spending more than they ought, and of associating with people of rank; and were therefore in every respect entitled to think well of themselves, and meanly of others. They were of a respectable family in the north of England; a circumstance more deeply impressed on their memories than that their brothers fortune and their own had been acquired by trade.事实上她们都是些非常好的小姐；她们并不是不会谈笑风生，问题是在要碰到她们高兴的时候；她们也不是不会待人和颜悦色，问题在于她们是否乐意这样做。可惜的是，她们一味骄傲自大。她们都长得很漂亮，曾经在一个上流的专科学校里受过教育，有两万镑的财产，花起钱来总是挥霍无度，爱结交有身价地位的人，因此才造成了她们在各方面都自视甚高，不把别人放在眼里。她们出生于英格兰北部的一个体面家族。她们对自己的出身记得很牢，可是却几乎忘了她们兄弟的财产以及她们自己的财产都是做生意赚来的。）Catherine de Bourgh 男主角Mr. Darcy的，封建思想非常重，身份高贵且自以为是，看不起身份低下的人，把婚姻看成金钱交易，硬要侄子和自己的女儿服从长辈的指腹为婚，可是他们之内并不存在爱情(Miss Bennet, do you know who I am? I have not been accustomed to such language as this. I am almost the nearest relation he has in the world, and am entitled to know all his dearest concerns.Miss Bennet，你知道我是谁吗？你这种话真讲得不成体统。我差不多是他最亲近的长辈，我有权利过问他一切的终身大事。You are to understand, Miss Bennet, that I came here with the determined resolution of carrying my purpose; nor will I be dissuaded from it. I have not been used to submit to any persons whims. I have not been in the habit of brooking disappointment.你应该明白，Miss Bennet，我既然上这儿来了，就非达到目的不可；谁也阻不住我。任何人玩什么花巧，我都不会屈服。我从来不肯让我自己失望。I will not be interrupted. Hear me in silence. My daughter and my nephew are formed for each other. They are descended, on the maternal side, from the same noble line; and, on the fathers, from respectable, honourable, and ancient though untitled families. Their fortune on both sides is splendid. They are destined for each other by the voice of every member of their respective houses; and what is to divide them? The upstart pretensions of a young wom