Whether she’s describing bickering families, quiet declarations of love, or juicy gossip,

不論是在描述鬥嘴的家人、愛的沉默宣言或精彩的八卦，

Jane Austen’s writing often feels as though it was written just for you.

珍・奧斯丁的作品通常都會讓你覺得它根本是為你而寫的。

Her dry wit and cheeky playfulness informs her heroines, whose conversational tone welcomes readers with a conspiratorial wink.

她不形於色的機智和調皮的童心形塑了她故事中的女主角們，她們的聊天室的語氣像是用會心的眨眼歡迎讀者。

It’s even been said that some readers feel like the author’s secret confidante, trading letters with their delightfully wicked friend Jane.

有些讀者甚至覺得自己像是作者的秘密知己，和擁有討喜頑皮個性的朋友珍交換信件。

But this unique brand of tongue-in-cheek humor is just one of the many feats found in her sly satires of society, civility, and sweeping romance.

但是玩笑式幽默的這個招牌形象，也只是她諸多關於社會、禮儀以及旋風式戀情等詭祕諷刺著作的壯舉之一而已。

Written in the early 19th century, Austen's novels decode the sheltered lives of the upper classes in rural England.

撰寫於 19 世紀早期，奧斯丁的小說解讀了英國鄉村上層階級人士備受呵護的生活。

From resentment couched in pleasantries to arguing that masks attraction,

從客套言詞中隱藏的怨恨到掩飾吸引力的爭執，

her work explores the bewildering collision of emotions and etiquette.

她的作品探討令人困惑的情緒和禮節抵觸。

But while romance is a common thread in her work, Austen dismissed the sentimental style of writing so popular at the time.

雖然浪漫愛情是她作品中常見的故事線，奧斯丁屏棄了當時廣為流行的多愁善感式寫作風格。

Instead of lofty love stories, her characters act naturally and often awkwardly.

與其建構高尚的愛情故事，她的角色通常表現自然，通常也很憋扭。

They trade pragmatic advice, friendly jokes, and not-so-friendly barbs about their arrogant peers.

他們會交換務實的建議、 友善的笑話，並用不太友善的帶刺言詞討論自大的同儕。

As they grapple with the endless rules of their society,

當這些角色盡力解決社會中無止盡的規則時，

Austen’s characters can usually find humor in all the hypocrisy, propriety, and small talk.

奧斯丁的角色通常都能夠在各種偽善、禮節和閒聊中找到幽默感。

As Mr. Bennet jokes to his favorite daughter,

如同班奈特先生開玩笑地對他最愛的女兒所說：（譯註：班納特先生是《傲慢與偏見》書中女主角的父親）

"For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors and laugh at them in our turn?"

「我們活著的目的不就是捉弄我們的鄰居，然後再反過來嘲笑他們嗎？」

And though her heroines might ridicule senseless social mores, Austen fully understood the practical importance of maintaining appearances.

雖然她的女主角可能會揶揄無理的社會習俗，但奧斯丁完全了解維持表象的實際重要性。

At the time she was writing, a wealthy marriage was a financial necessity for most young women,

她在寫作的時期，對於多數年輕女子來說，富裕的婚姻在財務上是必須的，

and she often explores the tension between the mythical quest for love and the economic benefits of making a match.

她也常探討追求夢幻愛情和考量經濟利益而結合之間的緊張關係。

The savvy socialite Mary Crawford sums this up in "Mansfield Park".

在《曼斯菲爾德莊園》中，精明的社會名流瑪麗·克勞福特這樣總結：

"I would have everybody marry if they can do it properly; I do not like to have people throw themselves away."

「如果能夠好好去做，我樂見每個人結婚，我不喜歡人們隨意丟棄自己。」

Unsurprisingly, these themes were also present in Austen’s personal life.

不意外地，這些主題也存在於奧斯丁的個人生活。

Born in 1775, she lived in the social circles found in her novels.

生於 1775 年的她，生長在小說中能看到的那種社交圈。

Jane's parents supported her education, and provided space for her to write and publish her work anonymously.

珍的父母資助她的教育，並給她寫作以及匿名出版作品的空間。

But writing was hardly lucrative work.

但寫作算不上是高利潤的工作。

And although she had sparks of chemistry, she never married.

雖然她曾經歷過愛情的火花，但她從未結婚。

Elements of her circumstances can be found in many of her characters, often intelligent women with witty, pragmatic personalities and rich inner lives.

她許多角色身上都可以找到她真實生活各種情境元素，這些角色通常是聰穎的女性，有著機智、務實的個性以及充實的內在生活。

These headstrong heroines provide an entertaining anchor for their tumultuous romantic narratives.

這些固執的女主角為她們混亂的浪漫愛情故事提供了娛樂支柱。

Like the irreverent Elizabeth Bennet of "Pride and Prejudice", whose devotion to her sisters’ love lives blinds her to a clumsy suitor.

就像《傲慢與偏見》中無禮的伊麗莎白・班奈特，她對姐妹們愛情生活的過度投入，讓她沒察覺一位笨拙的追求者。

Or the iron-willed Anne Elliot of "Persuasion", who chooses to remain unmarried after the disappearance of her first love.

或是《勸導》中意志堅強的安妮·艾略特，在她的初戀對象消失之後，選擇不婚。

And Elinor Dashwood, who fiercely protects her family at the cost of her own desires in "Sense and Sensibility".

還有在《理性與感性》中，不惜犧牲自己的欲望以竭力保護家人的愛蓮娜·達斯伍。

These women all encounter difficult choices about romantic, filial, and financial stability,

這些女人都遭遇了關於愛情、孝道以及財務穩定等困難的選擇，

and they resolve them without sacrificing their values or their sense of humor.

而她們都在不犧牲自己的價值或幽默感的前提下解決了它們。

Of course, these characters are far from perfect.

當然，這些角色稱不上完美。

They often think they have all the answers.

她們通常認為自己擁有所有的答案。

And by telling the story from their perspective, Austen tricks the viewer into believing their heroine knows best,

透過由她們的角度說故事，奧斯丁得以欺騙讀者，讓他們相信書中女主角們什麼都知道，

only to pull the rug out from under the protagonist and the reader.

最後卻突然給主角以及讀者製造一些難題。

In "Emma", the titular character feels surrounded by dull neighbors and friends who can’t hope to match her wit.

在《愛瑪》中，女主角覺得自己身邊都是無趣的鄰居以及機智水平遠比不上她的朋友。

As her guests prattle on and on about nothing, the reader begins to agree:

當她的客人閒扯半天又吐不出象牙時，讀者就會開始認同：

Emma is the only exciting character in this quiet neighborhood.

愛瑪是這安靜的鄰里中唯一能讓人興奮的角色。

Yet, despite her swelling ego, Emma may not be as in control as she thinks⏤in life or love.

然而，儘管愛瑪膨脹得厲害的自負心，她可能沒有自己想像得那樣有掌控權，不論是人生或愛情。

And Austen’s intimate use of perspective makes these revelations doubly surprising, blindsiding both Emma and her audience.

而奧斯丁對於視角的諳熟採用讓這些真相被揭露時更讓人吃驚，出其不意地打擊愛瑪及她的讀者。

But rather than diminishing her host of heroines, these flaws only confirm "the inconsistency of all human characters".

但這些瑕疵並沒有貶損她的女主角們，反而只是確認了「所有人類個性的不一致性」。（譯註：取自《傲慢與偏見》）

Their complexity has kept Austen prominent on stage and screen, and made her work easily adaptable for modern sensibilities.

這些角色的錯綜複雜讓奧斯丁在舞台和銀幕上都很搶眼，並讓她的作品很容易改編成符合現代感情的作品。

So, hopefully, new readers will continue to find a friend in Ms. Austen for many years to come.

所以希望在接下來的無數年中，新一代讀者會繼續是奧斯丁女士為他們的摯友。

If you're a fan of Jane Austen, check out this lesson on another British literary giant.

如果你是珍・奧斯丁的書迷，看看這堂關於另一位英國文學巨臂的影片。

Writing 100 years later, Virginia Woolf had a complicated, ever-evolving admiration for Austen.

在 100 年之後寫作的維吉尼亞·吳爾芙對於奧斯丁有著複雜、不斷演變的仰慕。

And she might just be the author you need to read next.

而她可能正是你需要拜讀的下一位作者。