Jane Austen: Her 12 Best Characters

Jane Austen: Her 12 Best Characters

From spoilt but adorable Emma Woodhouse, to chalk and cheese1chalk and cheese相差甚遠，天壤之別。sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood,to dashing romantic hero Mr Collins(okay, scratch that last description), here are the 12 of the most memorable characters from the six major novels of Jane Austen:Northanger Abbey,Sense and Sensibility,Mans fi eld Park,Emma,Pride and PrejudiceandPersuasion.

Emma Woodhouse—Emma

When Austen began writingEmma,she said, “I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” That proved to be prescient.Emma’s meddling in other people’s love lives throughout the eponymous2eponymous（書、電影或戲劇中的角色）與作品同名的。novel—she fancies herself as a master matchmaker, but invariably for much of the book her schemes lead to disaster—can be utterly infuriating.She’s nosy, smug, and even jealous of other people’s achievements. And yet, there’s something winning about E m m a’s p e r s o n a l i t y a n d h e r s e n s e o f d e t e r m i n a t i o n a n d i d e a l i s m, a n d a g a i n s t a l l r e a s o n y o u f i n d y o u r s e l f r o o t i n g f o r h e r, a n d h e r o w n r o m a n t i c s u c c e s s,b y t h e n o v e l’s e n d. I t’s t e s t a m e n t t o A u s t e n’s g e n i u s t h a t E m m a i s s o r e a l, s o a n n o y i n g, a n d s o d a m n l i k e a b l e d e s p i t e i t a l l.

從嬌生慣養但又討人喜愛的愛瑪·伍德豪斯，到性格迥異的埃莉諾和瑪麗安娜·達什伍德姐妹，再到自信的浪漫男主角柯林斯先生（好吧，浪漫就算了），我們從簡·奧斯丁的6部重要小說，即《諾桑覺寺》《理智與情感》《曼斯菲爾德莊園》《愛瑪》《傲慢與偏見》和《勸導》中精心挑選出了12位最令人難忘的人物，在此為您一一道來。

《愛瑪》中的愛瑪·伍德豪斯

奧斯丁曾在執筆開始寫《愛瑪》時說道：“我塑造的女主角可能除了我，沒人會太喜歡。”果不其然，在這部以女主角命名的小說中，愛瑪插手他人的感情生活，她幻想自己是一位資深媒婆，但幾乎每次她的計劃都以失敗告終，令人氣憤至極。她愛管閑事，自命不凡，甚至見到他人的成績便心生嫉妒。但愛瑪個性鮮明，行動果斷，富有理想主義精神，這些都是討人喜歡的。讀到最后，你會發現你居然站在她那邊，滿心希望她的愛情修成正果。這彰顯了奧斯丁的神來之筆，塑造了如此真誠樸實、如此招人厭煩，卻又賊討人喜歡的愛瑪。

Elizabeth Bennet—Pride and Prejudice

The heroine ofPride and Prejudiceis one of Jane Austen’s most famous and best loved characters. The second eldest of five daughters, with passions for reading and walking in the countryside as well as dancing and laughing, Lizzy3Lizzy西方女子教名，伊麗莎白的昵稱。伊麗莎白·貝內特的朋友或家人經常稱呼她為“莉齊”，下同。Bennett is wise,witty, fun-loving, beautiful and kind.She is also determined to marry for love, and initially disgusted by the sneering attitude of one Mr Darcy, new to the parish, and his unpleasant attitude towards her relatives. We all know by now what happens next between the two, but Lizzy’s journey through her own pride and prejudice towards the realisation that she truly loves Darcy is one of the greatest love stories in all of literature.

《傲慢與偏見》中的伊麗莎白·貝內特

伊麗莎白·貝內特是《傲慢與偏見》的女主角，是簡·奧斯丁所刻畫的最享有盛名、最受喜愛的人物形象之一。她在家里五個姐妹中排行老二，熱愛閱讀，喜歡在鄉間漫步，也喜歡跳舞和說笑，莉齊·貝內特聰慧、機敏、風趣、貌美、心善。她也堅定為愛而婚。剛到教區的達西冷嘲熱諷，對她的親戚傲慢無禮，這些行為最初都令她憎惡不已。我們現在都知道他們倆之后的故事，莉齊從一開始的傲慢與偏見，到最后的真愛覺醒，可謂文學作品中愛情故事的佳話。

Elinor Dashwood—Sense and Sensibility

The thing that makes the character so likable, as opposed to just plain virtuous and cold, is that, through Austen’s writing, we are able to vicariously4vicariously產生共鳴的。feel every sting, slight and soul-crushing blow she endures.When the obnoxious5obnoxious令人討厭的。, inferior Lucy Steele confesses to Elinor that she is secretly engaged to Edward Ferrars,the love of Elinor’s life, we feel our heroine’s pain with fierce intensity—and simultaneously understand her need to keep her own desires secret. Only at the very end of the novel, when she discovers that Edward is miraculously free, does Elinor finally lose control,unable to believe her own happiness.

Mr Darcy—Pride and Prejudice

Mr Darcy is not just the greatest romantic hero in all of Austen, but among the greatest in all literature. Mr Darcy begins the novel as a haughty6haughty傲慢的。,cold, sneering gentleman who finds little to tempt his eye in the countryside around Netherfield Park, which his friend Mr Bingley has rented. But in spite of himself, he fi nds himself falling in love with the quick-witted and beautiful Lizzy Bennet, even if their journey towards being together is beset by obstacles largely placed in the way by their families. Darcy’s transformation from proud and prejudiced to generous,loving and humble through his love for Lizzy is redemptive and heartwarming.He is also extremely rich, which helps.

《理智與情感》中的埃莉諾·達什伍德

奧斯丁筆下的這位人物之所以受人喜愛，而不僅僅是一個為人正直或處事冷靜的角色，在于我們能深切感受到她內心深處所忍受的每一絲痛楚、每一次冷眼相待以及撕心裂肺的遭遇。當令人討厭、地位卑賤的露西·斯蒂爾向埃莉諾坦白她已和埃莉諾的摯愛——愛德華·弗拉斯——私定終身時，我們能感到女主角強烈的痛楚，也同時理解她想極力克制住自己的感情。直到小說臨近結束，發現愛德華奇跡般重回單身，埃莉諾終于情不自禁，不敢相信她眼前的幸福。

《傲慢與偏見》中的達西先生

達西先生不僅僅是奧斯丁筆下最偉大的浪漫男主角，更是所有文學作品中最偉大的浪漫男主角之一。小說伊始，達西先生自恃清高，冷酷無情，傲世輕物。朋友賓利租下的內瑟菲爾德莊園一帶的鄉間都入不了他的法眼。但他卻偏偏情不自禁地愛上了機智美麗的莉齊·貝內特，不顧雙方家庭的萬般阻撓，歷經重重困難后，兩人終成眷屬。達西從一開始的傲慢自大、懷有偏見，到后來愛上莉齊·貝內特后變得寬宏大量、宅心仁厚、虛懷若谷，可謂一次心靈的救贖，令人感動。當然，他的萬貫身家也促成了這段姻緣。

Captain Wentworth—Persuasion

Captain Frederick Wentworth is a very modern gentleman7弗雷德里克·溫特沃斯和傳統靠家族繼承的紳士不同，他是19世紀新一代靠自己努力而成功的紳士。in the world of Jane Austen, a commander in the British navy and a self-made man in the midst of the Napoleonic wars.Although his pride is initially hurt by Anne Elliot’s decision to break off their engagement in their youth, he continues to carry a torch for8carry a torch for暗戀某人。her across the years. A decent man and a dashing naval of fi cer: what more could you ask for in a romantic hero? Effectively, he is Mr Darcy but without quite so much brooding.

Mr Bennet—Pride and Prejudice

Rather bewildered by living in a household of five young women, Mr Bennet quietly gets on with making the social invitations and interactions that decency requires, and then retreats to his study away from all the action. Film adaptations invariably treat him as a kindly old soul, but he is sharper, more teasing and less tolerant of his wife’s machinations9machination陰謀策劃。此處指貝內特太太處心積慮想把五個女兒嫁給有錢人，而不管她們的婚姻是否幸福。in the book.

《勸導》中的溫特沃斯艦長

艦長弗雷德里克·溫特沃斯在奧斯丁筆下是一位現代紳士，他是英國海軍上校，在拿破侖戰爭中白手起家。盡管當初安妮·埃利奧特和他解除婚約，令他自尊心受挫，但多年來他依然對她戀戀不舍。如此英姿颯爽、風度翩翩的海軍軍官，難道還算不上浪漫男主角？實際上，他和達西先生很像，不過沒有達西那樣沉默憂思。

《傲慢與偏見》中的貝內特先生

家中有五個女兒，貝內特先生真是處處為難。一方面礙于禮數，他要默默地張羅各種邀請和迎來往送，另一方面活動一開始他就躲進書房置身度外。《傲慢與偏見》的各個電影改編版總將他刻畫為忠厚的老頭兒，但實際上在小說中，他更有鋒芒，喜歡挖苦人，不滿意妻子的處心積慮。

Mary Crawford—Mans fi eld Park

Mary Crawford is a classic Austen antiheroine: lively, funny, worldly, and independent of mind, but antagonistic to plenty of people around her. “Nothing ever fatigues me but doing what I do not like”, she says at one point, and it’s hard to argue with that. She ends up serving more of a purpose as a foil10foil襯托。to Fanny than as a hero in her own right,and the book fi nds her morally de fi cient on account of her personal pride and her indulgence of her brother’s bad behaviour11瑪麗·克勞福德縱容她哥哥亨利·克勞福德和范妮調情。.

Catherine Morland—Northanger Abbey

The naive protagonist ofNorthanger Abbeyis a likable character, whose burgeoning romance with the really quite lovely Henry Tilney—and desire to escape pushy unwanted suitor John Thorpe—make her easy to root for. It’s also impossible not to feel outraged at her treatment at the hands of Henry’s snobbish, controlling father, General Tilney.

Mr Collins—Pride and Prejudice

Oh, poor Mr Collins. Conceited,pompous12pompous浮華的，虛夸的。and entirely ridiculous,he’s the “eligible” bachelor that no one in their right minds would want to marry—part from poor, sad Charlotte Lucas, who feels compelled to do so due to her lack of prospects. Plus, who could forget Mr Bennet’s immortal to his daughter Elizabeth, after her mother insists that he make her marry Collins: “An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr Collins, and I will never see you again if you do.”

《曼斯菲爾德莊園》中的瑪麗·克勞福德

瑪麗·克勞福德是奧斯丁筆下經典的反面女主角，她活潑開朗，深諳世故，人格獨立，但卻和周遭許多人作對。她曾說：“只要是我喜歡做的事，我都樂此不疲。”這話倒是真的。與其說奧斯丁把她當主角來塑造，倒不如說她其實是襯托了范妮。瑪麗·克勞福德個性傲嬌，縱容她哥哥做出一些不正當的行為，在《曼斯菲爾德莊園》中是個存在品格缺陷的人物形象。

《諾桑覺寺》中的凱瑟琳·莫蘭

《諾桑覺寺》中這位天真爛漫的正面人物頗受讀者喜愛，她與俊秀的亨利·蒂爾尼日久生情，加之她對咄咄逼人的約翰·索普沒有感覺，想避而遠之，這些都使人容易喜歡上凱瑟琳。此外，亨利那趨炎附勢、霸道蠻橫的父親蒂爾尼將軍曾將凱瑟琳逐出諾桑覺寺，人們對凱瑟琳的遭遇無不憤憤不平。

《傲慢與偏見》中的柯林斯先生

唉！可憐的柯林斯先生，他高傲自大，浮夸自負，荒誕可笑。他是“適合做丈夫”的單身漢，但頭腦清醒的人是不會選擇嫁給他的。不過家境貧寒、郁郁寡歡的夏洛特·盧卡斯因自己前途未卜，被迫選擇了柯林斯。此外，在伊麗莎白的母親強烈要求貝內特先生促成伊麗莎白和柯林斯的這段婚姻時，貝內特先生對她女兒說的那段話始終令人記憶猶新：“伊麗莎白，這將是一個艱難的抉擇。從今天開始，你將和我或你母親形同陌路，如果你不嫁給柯林斯先生，你的母親將永遠不再見你；而如果你嫁給了柯林斯先生，我將永遠不再見你。”

Mrs Bennet—Pride and Prejudice

The brilliantly ridiculous, utterly irrational Mrs Bennet, with her nearmanic obsession with marrying off all of her five daughters, and her embarrassingly obvious machinations,is one of Austen’s greatest comic creations—but behind her silliness,there’s always an all-too-plausible desperation. Having fi ve daughters, and an estate saddled with an entail13entail〈律〉（不動產的）限嗣繼承。當時英國法律規定，男子有繼承權，而女子沒有。, is a great trial.

《傲慢與偏見》中的貝內特太太

貝內特太太荒誕可笑，不可理喻，是奧斯丁筆下最經典的喜劇人物之一：她費盡心機想把五個女兒嫁出去，近乎瘋狂。她處心積慮的一面暴露無遺，令人難堪。但在她愚昧無知的背后，又總是顯得絕望無助，這完全無可厚非。她有五個女兒，而其地產只能限定繼承，這讓她傷透了腦筋。

Lady Catherine de Bourgh—Pride and Prejudice

Where wouldPride and Prejudicebe without Lady Catherine? One of the haughtiest and most magnificently awful aristocrats in all of literature,believing she can tell everybody around her what to do and how to behave,Lady Catherine is one of Austen’s most vibrant and formidable female characters.

George Knightley—Emma

InEmma, Mr Knightley is the hero Jane Austen most wanted to marry.He is the epitome of kindness, an underestimated heroic quality14簡·奧斯丁終身未婚，通過塑造奈特利這一人物形象，奧斯丁可以從中找到歸宿。. He takes care of a vulnerable woman like Miss Bates, and steps in to dance with lowly Harriet Smith when he sees that she has been snubbed15snub冷落，怠慢。by the awful Mr and Mrs Elton. He represents the perfect English gentleman and sets himself firmly against French affectation. He refuses to play the conventional hero and talk the language of love: “I cannot make speeches,Emma. If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.” Perfect!

《傲慢與偏見》中的凱瑟琳·德布爾夫人

《傲慢與偏見》怎能沒有凱瑟琳夫人？她是所有文學作品中最盛氣凌人、最令人可憎的貴族之一，她認為自己可以對周圍所有人指手畫腳。凱瑟琳夫人是奧斯丁筆下最為精力充沛、最令人生畏的女性角色。

《愛瑪》中的喬治·奈特利

奈特利先生是《愛瑪》中的男主角，簡·奧斯丁心中的白馬王子。他心地善良，堪稱典范，然而他的這一優秀品質往往不

為人們所重視。他對像貝茨那樣弱勢的婦女關愛有加；當卑下的哈麗雅特·史密斯遭到令人討厭的埃爾頓夫婦冷眼相待時，他前去與她共舞。他是完美的英國紳士形象，堅決反對法國式的矯揉造作。他不喜歡逞英雄，也不愿意用言語表達愛意：“愛瑪，我不善言辭。如果我不怎么愛你，也許我還能多說一些。”絕了！

簡·奧斯丁筆下的十二大經典人物

譯/錢家駿審訂/肖維青

（譯者單位：上海外國語大學英語學院）