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读书笔记:艾米莉•勃朗特 - 《呼啸山庄》10

沪江英语 2012-11-11 15:00
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内容简介:

《呼啸山庄》是英国女作家勃朗特姐妹之一艾米莉·勃朗特的作品。小说描写吉卜赛弃儿希斯克利夫被山庄老主人收养后,因受辱和恋爱不遂,外出致富,回来后对与其女友凯瑟琳结婚的地主林顿及其子女进行报复的故事。全篇充满强烈的反压迫、争幸福的斗争精神,又始终笼罩着离奇、紧张的浪漫气氛。它开始曾被人看做是年青女作家脱离现实的天真幻想,但结合其所描写地区激烈的阶级斗争和英国的社会现象,它不久便被评论界高度肯定,并受到读者的热烈欢迎。根据这部小说改编的影视作品至今久演不衰。

作者简介:

艾米莉·勃朗特(1818-1848),19世纪英国小说家、诗人,英国文学史上著名的“勃朗特三姐妹”之一。这位女作家在世界上仅仅度过了三十年便默默无闻地离开了人间,然而她唯一的一部小说《呼啸山庄》却奠定了她在英国文学史以及世界文学史上的地位。此外,她还创作了193首诗,被认为是英国一位天才型的女作家。

她生性独立、豁达、纯真、刚毅、热情而又内向,颇有男儿气概,酷爱自己生长其间的荒原,平素在离群索居中,除去手足情谊,最喜与大自然为友,从她的诗和一生行为,都可见她天人合一宇宙观与人生观的表现,有人因此而将她视为神秘主义者。其实人与自然的关系,从来就是人类文明史上重要的命题,艾米莉不过是步历代哲人、隐者、科学家、艺术家后尘,通过生活和创作,身体力行地探寻人与自然的关系。

Chapter Four. Part 1

(1)

What vain weather-cocks we are! I, who had determined to hold myself independent of all social intercourse, and thanked my stars that, at length, I had lighted on a spot where it was next to impracticable--I, weak wretch, after maintaining till dusk a struggle with low spirits and solitude, was finally compelled to strike my colours; and, under pretence of gaining information concerning the necessities of my establishment, I desired Mrs Dean, when she brought in supper, to sit down while I ate it; hoping sincerely she would prove a regular gossip, and either rouse me to animation or lull me to sleep by her talk.

【译文】

我们是些多么没用的三心二意的人啊!我本来下决心抛开所有世俗的来往。这得归功于命运,终于来到了一个几乎无法通行的地方——我,一个软弱的可怜虫,与消沉和孤独苦斗直到黄昏,最后还是不得不放弃这个计划。当迪安太太送晚饭来时,我装着打听关于我住所的必要情况,请她坐下来,真诚地希望她是一个地道的爱唠叨的人,希望她的话要么使我兴高采烈,要么也能催我入眠。

【单词笔记】

 weather-cock:见风使舵的人,随风倒的人 n.

a person or thing that changes readily or often

【例】A weathercock and an artful person, he spoke a lot of beautiful words to please people.
他这个人, 见风使舵, 八面玲珑,说了不少使大家高兴的话。

 stars :福星 n.

 impracticable:不能实行的 adj.

impossible to put into practice; not practicable

【例】It is impracticable for some parents to exact obedience of their children.
有些父母强令其子女服从是不现实的。

 strike my colours:降旗投降,认输。这里指不得不找人来说说话。

 solitude: 孤单; 独居 n.

(state or quality of) being alone without companions; solitary state

【例】 She enjoys the solitude of her own flat.
她喜欢独自在自己的公寓里。 

 animation :生气,活泼 n.

energy and enthusiasm in the way you look, behave or speak

【例】A quick animation lit her face.
突来的兴奋情绪令她容光焕发。

 lull:使(人或动物)安静, 活动减弱; 抚慰某人; 缓和某事物 v.

make (a person or an animal) quiet or less active; soothe sb/sth 

【例】It was the lull before the storm.
这是暴风雨前的寂静。

(2)

'He must have had some ups and downs in life to make him such a churl. Do you know anything of his history?'

'It's a cuckoo's, sir--I know all about it: except where he was born, and who were his parents, and how he got his money, at first. And Hareton has been cast out like an unfledged dunnock! The unfortunate lad is the only one in all this parish that does not guess how he has been cheated.'

'Well, Mrs Dean, it will be a charitable deed to tell me something of my neighbours: I feel I shall not rest, if I go to bed; so be good enough to sit and chat an hour.'

【译文】

“他一生一定经历过一些坎坷,才使他变成这么一个粗暴的人吧,你知道一点他的经历吗?”

“就像一只布谷鸟的一生似的,先生,除了他生在哪儿,他的父母是谁,还有他当初怎么发财的之外,别的我全知道,哈里顿就像个羽毛还没长好的篱雀似的给驱逐出去!这个可怜的小伙子是这整个教区里唯一料想布道自己被欺骗了的人。”

“啊,迪安太太,如果你能告诉我一些关于我邻居的事情就真是太好了。我觉得我爬上床去也睡不着觉,所以不如坐在这儿跟你聊上一个小时。”

【单词笔记】

 ups and downs盛衰,沉浮;起伏 n. 

【例】The ups and downs of the rival parties furnished subjects for two excellent cartoons.
敌对两党之盛衰给两幅最优秀的漫画提供了题材。

  churl:举止或脾气不佳的人; 粗暴的人 n.

act of prickingbad-mannered or bad-tempered person 

【例】The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.
愚顽人不再称为高明、吝啬人不再称为大方。

adj. churlish 

【例】 It seems churlish to refuse such a generous offer.
拒绝这样慷慨的建议未免有些失礼。

 cuckoo:杜鹃,暗喻希斯克利夫为弃婴。杜鹃不会筑巢,生产之后像抛弃私生子一样,把卵产在别的鸟类的巢中,而让别的鸟抚育自己的孩子。

 unfledged 未成熟的,羽毛未丰的,未充分发达的 adj.

(of birds) not yet having developed feathers

【例】A small unfledged sparrow on the window sill.
窗台上有一只羽毛未丰的小麻雀。

 dunnock:篱雀之类的鸟 n.

small brownish European songbird

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