英文原著《傲慢与偏见》欧文版学习笔记:Chatpter 01

VOLUME ONE:Chapter 01 (第1卷第1章)
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.
欧文点评:读者开始以为奥斯汀将郑重其事地向读者宣告一个举世公认的真理,然而读到最后一个词却出乎预料地发现所谓“举世公认”的真理,只不过是市侩的庸俗意识而已。作者独具匠心,用庄重高雅的形式把读者的期待引向高峰(Climax),而最后一个词所代表的庸俗内容,却又将读者的期待值降到谷底(Anticlimax)。在这句耐人寻味的话中,通过庄重的结构表达粗俗的思想,通过这种强烈的对比来取得戏剧性的讽刺效果。
光凭这一点别出心裁,要想登顶文坛圣殿是不够的,这段话里面还有第二层反讽:“明明在那个年代是女人对有钱的单身汉趋之若鹜,而奥斯汀的叙事视角给人的感觉好像是:有钱的单身汉比女人更着急。”,而这个话还真说得过去:
关于《傲慢与偏见》的开篇论断:(摘自油管的一段评论)
Marriage not only gave a man the opportunity to support his dynasty, but it gave him gravitas [‘ɡrævɪtɑːs] in society. Single men, until the 1950’s, did not have the full status of a man in society. That changed in the mid-20th century to celebrate a sort of open-ended adolescence in bachelorhood. Rather a cult of James Bond-like flitting; Adventure, women -lots and varied–booze [buːz (豪饮、狂饮)], and parties. So, the opening line would have been more true than not for decades.
婚姻不仅赋予男性巩固家族传承的机会,更使其在社会中获得庄重地位。直至二十世纪五十年代前,单身男性始终未能获得完整的社会人格认同。这一现象在世纪中叶发生嬗变,社会开始推崇独身主义下无限延长的青春期:—种类似詹姆斯·邦德式的风流崇拜逐渐成型:充满着冒险刺激、各色佳丽、琼浆玉液与狂欢派对的生活形态。因此,开篇论断在长达数十年的历史维度中,始终具有深刻的社会真实性。
其三:通过自由间接引语模糊视角,让读者搞不清这开篇第一句话到底是在反讽当时整个大英帝国的社会风尚,还是Meryton群众的意识,又或是在阐明作者自身的观点?总之,作者成功地给出了一个广角镜头,随后将其挪到Meryton,最后清晰地定格在班纳特一家。这样的手法,我们在《绝望的主妇》里屡见不鲜,但奥斯汀可以毫不夸张地用一个词来形容:臻于化境。
关于“Some one or other”的模糊指向:
译文版本对比:
王科一:凡是有财产的单身汉,必定需要娶位太太,这已经成了一条举世公认的真理。这样的单身汉,每逢新搬到一个地方,四邻八舍虽然完全不了解他的性情如何,见解如何,可是,既然这样的一条真理早已在人们心目中根深蒂固,因此人们总是把他看作自己某一个女儿理所应得的一笔财产。
李继宏:有个道理从所周知:家财万贯的单身男子,肯定是需要一位太太的。这个道理极度深入人心,所以每当这样的单身男子乔迁新居,邻居们哪怕对其思想感情一无所知,也会把他当作自家这个或那个女儿应得的财产。
孙致礼:有钱的单身汉总要娶位太太,这是一条举世公认的真理。这条真理还真够深入人心的,每逢这样的单身汉新搬到一个地方,四邻八舍的人家尽管对他的心思想法一无所知,却把他视为自己某一个女儿的合法财产。
The construction “some … or other” (and its variants) is frequently employed in English literature to convey casual indifference, contempt, or the reduction of individuals to mere types. Below are three authoritative examples that support the reading of Austen’s usage as pointedly satirical. (“some … or other”及其变体在英语文学中常被用来表达随意的漠视、轻蔑,或将个体简化为单纯的类型。以下三个权威例证可佐证奥斯汀此处的用法确实带有明确的讽刺意图。)
1. Charles Dickens, Bleak House (1853) 【查尔斯·狄更斯,《荒凉山庄》】
- “Some wretched lodgings or other he had, in Leicester Square, it seemed to me.” 【参考翻译:“他似乎住在莱斯特广场附近某个什么破烂的寄宿处。”】
欧文点评:此处“some wretched lodgings or other”传递出的不仅是不确定性,更是叙述者对住处的不屑——因其微不足道,具体是哪里根本不重要。这种表达兼具模糊性与轻蔑意味。
2. William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair (1848) 【威廉·梅克皮斯·萨克雷,《名利场》】
- “She was always talking about ‘some Mr. Binney or other’ who was to leave her a fortune.” 【参考翻译:“她总在念叨某个什么宾尼先生,说那人会留给她一笔财产。”】
欧文点评:萨克雷用此短语来揶揄塞德利太太轻信的期盼。“某个什么宾尼先生”将一个本该具体的人降格为模糊的、近乎传说般的存在——此人究竟是谁无关紧要,重要的是那笔虚构的财产。这与奥斯汀的用法如出一辙:单身汉的性情如何无关紧要,他仅仅是“理应属于”某家的财产。
3. George Eliot, Middlemarch (1871) 【乔治·艾略特,《米德尔马契》】
- “He had picked up some notion or other from a book, and was determined to put it into practice.” 【参考翻译:“他从书里捡了某个什么说法,就执意要付诸实践。”】
欧文点评:艾略特用此结构轻蔑地暗示,这个说法不过是随手捡来、或许只是一知半解。该短语抹去了这一说法的来源与合理性,突出的是人物固执己见的行为,而非观点本身。
E.G.1:Your data profile will match you with some one or other of these targeted ads.
参考译文:你的数据画像终将使你成为精准广告的猎物。
(刷半小时短视频,算法总有一款消费主义话术能套住你 —— 批判技术霸权下个体选择的虚幻自由)E.G.2:The leaked memo will be blamed on some one or other of the interns, as usual.
参考译文:泄密备忘录照例会让某个实习生背锅。
三位译者都倾向于将这个短语在语义上“坐实”为“某一个”或“这个或那个”,但都忽略了该短语在修辞上的“贬值”功能。在英语中,“some…or other”是一个典型的“模糊限制语”,带有极强的轻慢和不值一提的口语色彩。然而,三位译者在处理时,都将其置于了一个相对正式、通顺的书面语句式中,导致这个短语所携带的“市井闲言碎语”般的质感被抹平了。若从“讽刺文体”的还原度来看,三者均有所欠缺;若从“可读性与流畅性”来看,王科一与孙致礼仍是典范,而李继宏的译本在这一开篇的定调上,显得过于轻快,缺乏经典译本应有的厚重与机锋。
群体压力具象化
通过”some one or other”的模糊指代,暗示社区中每个有女儿的家庭都认为该单身汉”理应”属于自家女儿,体现社会共识的荒谬性。若简化为”one of their daughters”,则失去群体性争夺的暗流。
反讽性物化
“property”(财产)与”some one or other”(随机分配)形成双重物化:男性被物化为可争夺的”财产”;女性被简化为待分配的”随机选项”。
新古典主义修辞
这种迂回表达(periphrasis [pə’rɪfrəsɪs])是18世纪绅士文学的典型特征,奥斯汀借此模仿当时上流社会虚伪的委婉措辞。翻译时应保留:”必然性+模糊性”双重语义。
欧文说:中文可用”总有个把/别…”对应该结构,如:”直播里间人多了,总会有那么一、二个键盘侠想搞点事情。”(In any live stream with a sizable audience, there’s always some keyboard warrior or other looking to stir up trouble.),在创意写作中用”some corner or other of the city”(城市的某个角落)营造神秘感;比如:
E.G.1: He followed her for three nights, but she always vanished into some corner or other of the city before he could catch the name of the street.
参考翻译:他尾随了她三个夜晚,可她总在他来得及看清街名之前,就消失在城市的某个角落里。
E.G.2:The old map showed no address—only a cryptic mark that seemed to point toward some corner or other of the city where the light of day never quite reached.
参考翻译:那张旧地图上没有地址,只有一个神秘的标记,似乎指向城市的某个角落——一个终日不见天光的地方。
He is to take possession before Michaelmas. (不定式与一般将来时作比较)
| 对比维度 | 句子1:”He is to…” | 句子2:”He is going to…” |
| 语法结构 | be + to-infinitive | be going to + 动词原形 |
| 语气 | 正式、权威、可能带有被安排/义务的含义 | 口语、自然,强调个人意图或明显趋势 |
| 含义 | 已被安排/规定要在某个时间前完成 | 打算或有迹象表明将要做某事 |
| 使用场合 | 法律、公告、公文、新闻等正式场合 | 日常对话、非正式交流 |
E.G.1:No one is to enter the building without authorization.
参考翻译: 未经许可,任何人不得进入该建筑。
E.G.2:If she was to marry him, it would not be for love.
参考翻译:若她终要嫁他,那也绝非出于爱。
E.G.3:If she is to be the only quiet one in the house, she had better not be married at all.
参考翻译:如果她注定是家中唯一安分的人,那她还不如干脆别嫁了。
E.G.4:They are to be married as soon as the ceremony can be decently got over.
参考翻译:他们将在一切礼节得体安排妥当后尽快成婚。
傲慢与偏见1995版示例:
1、And this is to be your last invitation…on this visit, at least.
Elizabeth 与 Maria、Collins 准备离开 Rosings,科林斯说了此话。科林斯 看似随意声明,实则以“be to be”结构制造出一种阶级既定事实:你这次赴会之后,将不再被邀请。 “at least” 作为典型余地,用在这里形成讽刺模糊:表面上保留余地,实际上暗示“别抱希望”。
2、“But of course you are…to be going away yourself.”
Lady Catherine 对 Elizabeth 说:“当然了,你自己也要走了嘛”,这里的“ be to do”结构 = 已安排之事,强调“你注定是要走的”。 加上“going away”进行时,有一种“正在临近”的意味。 “yourself” 用得微妙: 表面强调 Elizabeth 自己走, 实则轻描淡写地掩盖了驱逐成分,好像是 Elizabeth 自己的选择。
美剧《纸牌屋》S01E03:
Allow me? Let’s get one thing straight, Meacham. You are never to dictate what I can and cannot do.
(在一次公众活动前,Frank 要走进人群安慰一对失去孩子的父母。保镖 Meacham 担心安全,坚持要陪同他一起进入。Frank 把危险视为机会,展现了他冷酷的政治算计,他与 Meacham 的对话强化了权力关系——Frank 掌控一切,别人只能服从。
You must know that I’m thinking of his marrying one of them.
E.G.1:Mom keeps talking about my studying abroad, but I haven’t decided yet.
参考翻译:妈妈总在谈论我出国留学的事,但我还没决定
E.G.2:We appreciate your submitting the report early; it helped the team immensely.
参考翻译:感谢您提前提交报告,这对团队帮助很大。
为什么不用”him marrying”,而是“his marrying“?
《牛津英语用法指南》(Oxford Guide to English Grammar):
“A gerund is often preceded by a possessive form (my, your, his, etc.).”
(动名词前通常用所有格形式)
《剑桥英语语法》(Cambridge Grammar of English):
“The possessive with gerunds is the formally correct pattern in standard written English.”
(所有格 + 动名词是标准书面英语的正式正确形式)
→ 核心思想是思考 “他与其中一人结婚这件事”(事件),而非 “他这个人”(执行者)。当动名词(Gerund) 带有自己的逻辑主语时,该主语需用所有格形式(Possessive Case)
Mrs. Bennet: When a woman has five grown up daughter, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty.
Mr. Bennet: In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of.
王科一:一个女人家有了五个成年的女儿,就不该想到自己的美貌啦。这样看来,一个女人家并没有多少时候好想到自己的美貌喽。
孙致礼:一个女人家有了五个成年的女儿,就不该对自己的美貌再转什么念头了。这么说来,女人家对自己的美貌也转不了多久的念头啦。
李继宏:一般女人如果有了五个成年的女儿,就不应该幻想自己还有多美。那是一般女人,怎么能和你相提并论呢?
欧文:
太太:一个女人有了五个成年的女儿,就该不再想着自己还漂亮不漂亮了。
先生:在这种情况下,女人通常也没什么好自恋的美貌可想。(像这种情况,一个女人通常也没有多少美貌值得再挂在心上了/可供自己留恋了。)
如果放回整段,我会这样处理:
Mrs. Bennet:亲爱的,你太会奉承我了。我当然也曾有过几分姿色,只是现在可不敢说自己还有什么特别出众的地方了。一个女人有了五个成年的女儿,也该不再想着自己的美貌了。
Mr. Bennet:像这种情形,一个女人通常也没有多少美貌值得再挂在心上了。
这里有一个很重要的效果:Mrs. Bennet说:我年轻时有美貌。Mr. Bennet回答:是啊,不过现在那个东西已经不值得你再挂念了。
原文真正讽刺的是:一个女人到了Mrs. Bennet这个人生阶段,美貌已经从“身份资本”变成了“过往资产”。这就是夫妻之间的毒舌式幽默。
Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined to go, merely on that account.
参考翻译:卢卡斯爵士夫妇决定去,完全是因为那个缘故。
“On that account” means “for that reason” or “because of that specific circumstance.” It refers back to a previously mentioned fact or situation that directly motivates an action.
You’re so silly. Pretending not to like him on my account. (你真是蠢,就因为我在场就假装不喜欢Mike.)
Establishment [ɪ’stæblɪʃmənt]:a secure and socially respectable arrangement in life, particularly marriage, along with the economic and domestic setup that comes with it—such as a home, financial support, and social position. (体面的、靠谱的、有格调的安置、归宿)
在《傲慢与偏见》中,“establishment” 这个词指的是一种稳定且体面的生活安排,尤其是指婚姻上的好归宿,包括丈夫的财富、住所、社会地位等。这是当时社会中对女性“成家”或“嫁得好”的一种委婉说法,尤其强调经济和社会保障。
E.G.1:Her family pushed for the match, seeing it as a brilliant establishment for a girl with no fortune of her own.
参考翻译:她的家人极力促成这桩婚事,认为对一个没有嫁妆的女孩而言,这是极好的归宿。
E.G.2:In her mother’s eyes, a wealthy estate and a decent surname outweighed affection in the pursuit of a good establishment.
参考翻译:在母亲看来,在追求好姻缘时,富有的产业和体面的姓氏远比爱情重要。
Scrupulous [‘skruːpjələs]:excessively concerned with what is proper, correct, or morally right — especially regarding social conventions or etiquette. (对社交礼节或道德规范过于讲究,小心翼翼、拘谨,生怕越过了界限或犯了不妥之处。)
E.G.1:He was so scrupulous about social decorum that he refused to call on the new neighbors without an invitation.
参考翻译:他对社交礼仪非常讲究,没有接到邀请就拒绝拜访新邻居。
E.G.2:Her scrupulous honesty often made others uncomfortable, as she never told a polite lie.
参考翻译:她过于诚实,从不说违心的场面话,这常让人感到不自在。
Gives someone the preference:To prioritize or choose someone over others, often based on favoritism, merit, or special regard. It implies actively granting advantage, priority, or special treatment to one person in a group. (优先选择某人——指在多人或多项选择中,基于偏爱、能力或特殊考量而给予某人优先权或优待。)
E.G.1:At the dance, he gave her the preference by inviting her for the first waltz.
参考翻译:在舞会上,他优先邀请她跳第一支华尔兹。
E.G.2:Though both were qualified, she gave him the preference because of his dedication.
参考翻译:尽管两人都合格,但因他的敬业精神,她优先选择了他。
Quick parts:约翰逊博士《英语词典》(1755)定义: “Parts: Intellectual faculties; powers of mind.“
American Heritage Dictionary: Individual endowment or ability; talent. Often used in the plural. (才思敏锐、足智多谋)
Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice that the experience of three and-twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character.
王科一:班纳特先生真是个古怪人,他一方面喜欢插科打诨,爱挖苦人,同时又不苟言笑,变幻莫测。真使他那位太太积二十三年之经验,还摸不透他的性格。
孔致礼:贝内特先生是个古怪人,一方面乖觉诙谐,好挖苦人,另一方面又不苟言笑,变幻莫测。他太太积二十三年之经验,还摸不透他的性格。
李继宏:本尼特先生这人有点古里古怪,他才思敏捷、性格内敛,城府很深,又喜欢正话反说。所以他妻子虽然和他同床共枕二十三年,却依然不是很了解他的性格。
我们学习高级语法的目的不是为了让你的文字繁杂或能以捉摸;相反,是为了让你的文字更加高效、简洁和流畅。
The purpose of learning advanced grammar is not to complicate or obscure our intelligence, but rather to make it more effective, concise, and fluent.
Develop: To disentangle; to clear from complication; to unravel. (解开、使简化、阐明)


