In special period, classic reading has more profound significance.
In the face of disaster, the classic engraves the nobility of human nature;
Against adversity, classics convey courage and strength.
Those words that pass through time and space,
It records similar experiences and similar feelings in human history.
Who is weak and helpless, who is grieving and hasty;
Who do not want to watch their hometown, who do not want to repay kindness;
Who hasn't held the hand to look at each other's tears, who hasn't forgotten to light us up.
The classic is to take dreams as horses to protect faith;
The classic is to be in the ditch and look at the stars.
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Recommendation
Pride and Prejudice
Original works of Jane Austen
Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press
29 yuan
978-7-5446-5668-9
Pride and Prejudice companion
Fan Hao Zhu
Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press
36 yuan
978-7-5446-5669-6
Forum for famous teachers
Fan Hao, a teacher of English Department of Nanjing University, graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. His main research direction is British and American drama. He edited the national planning textbook British and American Drama: script and performance. In addition, translation includes "diary", "literature reading guide" and "Shakespeare's turbulent world", etc., and the Chinese academic translation project of NSFC is under research.
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Apart from Shakespeare and Dickens, Jane Austen is the only writer to make it to the pound. In 2017, in order to commemorate the 200th anniversary of her death, her head was printed with a 10 pound note and the following sentence: "I declare after all there is no pleasure like reading". This is from Pride and prejudice. Interestingly, it's not Darcy or Elizabeth, but Miss Bingley, an upstart who wants to catch a golden turtle and has no interest in reading. As a result, many people question the improper selection of the National Bank of England. To this end, the bank president said, this sentence just reflects the essence of Austin.
Obviously, Mr. President is Austin's iron powder. Austen is good at irony, and the objects of satire are all inclusive: snobs and flatterers will certainly be shown to the public, and it is hard to avoid the righteous people who think they are better than them, who watch jokes nearby, and even the melon eaters. Take pride and prejudice as an example. It is undoubtedly the protagonists and heroines who are most favored by the author, and they are also the most bitter ones to be teased. As the wise Mr. Bennet said, "what's the point of life if it's not for people to make fun of others and turn around and make fun of others?" For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn. It's not a famous saying, not a golden sentence, but a hypocritical word that a hypocrite casually uttered when he boarded the pound with Austin. But this sentence is even more interesting than the famous Golden sentence: you can listen to it directly, you can listen against it; you can encourage it, you can satirize it; you can allude to it, you can laugh at it; you can salute it, you can joke at it. This joke is a bit of Austin.
However, if Austin knew that he had become the hard currency of Britain, he would have to smile bitterly in addition to smiling. All her life she suffered for a living. In her time, it was hard for women to write for a living. Even well-known female writers, the contribution fee is quite meager. Under economic pressure, Austin accepted the proposal of a wealthy landlord, but she went back one day later. She also had a short relationship with Lefroy, who later became chief justice of Ireland, but was forced to break up because of economic reasons. The story was brought to the screen in 2007, starring Hollywood actress Anne Hathaway. Many scholars believe that Lefroy is the prototype of Darcy.
Later, Austin and her sister were never married for life, mainly because they could not find a desirable partner when they were short of money. This was not only a personal worry, but also a common dilemma of many gentry women at that time, that is, the heroine in Austen's works. They have no chance to participate in social activities, and marriage is their workplace. Therefore, for them, marriage is not a purely emotional issue, but a survival competition related to social status. If you choose a mate carelessly, it will not only lead to the parties' life embarrassment, status decline, but also may affect the family. At that time, Britain was in a state of war for a long time, with a high death and injury rate for young men, a sharp decrease in the number of marriageable men, and many single men with good conditions were unwilling to be bound by marriage early. Therefore, once suitable candidates appeared, they would immediately become the object of fierce competition. In Pride and prejudice, the rich bachelor Bingley just rented a house, and his local parents have already rubbed their hands and performed countless funny dramas.
Due to the influence of romantic adaptation, pride and Prejudice is often regarded as pure love novels. In fact, when Austin talks about love and marriage, he never breaks away from the economic foundation. In that era, personal property was a public topic; in order to avoid disputes, the marriage letter described the property status of both men and women in great detail; the marriage announcement in the newspaper even included the number of dowries of the woman. Accordingly, the income figures in Austen's works are so precise that almost everyone knows the property of others. In Pride and prejudice, Bingley and Darcy appear for the first time, and the people in the audience have already inquired about their value; Mr. Collins proposed to Elizabeth, even how much heritage she could share. As the British poet Auden said, Austen "is very frank and clear about the description of the effect of money and the exposure of the foundation of society based on money."
However, Austin's originality is not that she talks about money, but that she can talk about love, taste and interest at the same time. Today, pride and Prejudice has become the classic template of "the bully president falls in love with me", but the real is to the replica, perhaps as Elizabeth is to Miss Bingley. Miss Bingley was the lucky one who followed Austin up to ten pounds.
Into the classic Pride and Prejudice
1. About the writer
Jane Austen (1775-1817) was born on December 16, 1775 in a pastor's family in Steventon, Hampton, England. She spent most of her life living in the quiet countryside, but she also knew a lot about urban life. Of all her works, pride and Prejudice is the most popular and popular. Other works have different styles: witty and delightful in Northanger Abbey, subtle irony in Emma, solemn and sincere in Mansfield Park, and subtle and subtle in persuasion. In addition, she wrote a small number of poems, epistolary novella "Lady Susan" and fragments of two novels.
Although there are not many novels in Austen's life, they are all well constructed. However, before Austen's death and throughout the 19th century, her reputation was far less than that of her contemporaries. In the 19th century, British literature advocated the passionate romanticism, pursuing the grand scale and strong style, such as Scott, Bronte, Thackeray, Dickens, etc. Austen lived in the late 18th century and the early 19th century. She inherited the 18th century tradition of emphasizing moderation and rationality. However, she abandoned the common moral preaching and sentimental sentiment in the 18th century novels, and changed to a calm, light and simple style. She carved the daily life carefully. The reader's eyes were just like tea, dinner, visiting relatives and friends. In the literary context of that time, it was hard to find a confidant for this kind of plain and trivial subject matter, calm plot, restrained emotion and even the subtle irony and interest contained in the lines. Today, after more than 200 years of scouring, Austin has been recognized as a classic writer. Her fame and status have been appraised not only in the literary circle, but also in the popular readers.
2. Sketch of the work
The great thing in Mrs. Bennet's life was to marry off her five daughters. When she heard that the nearby Netherfield estate was rented by rich bachelor Bingley, she was full of joy and urged her husband to visit as soon as possible in order to lead her daughter.
Mr. Bingley's first appearance was at a ball with a handsome rich gentleman named Darcy. Bingley's lively and easy-going nature quickly won people's favor, while Darcy's arrogance caused widespread disgust. At the ball, Bingley fell in love with Jane, the first daughter of the Bennet family, while Elizabeth, the second daughter, was treated coldly by Darcy. Although she was not angry, she had a grudge against him.
In the frequent social activities, Jane and Bingley's feelings developed rapidly. Darcy was gradually attracted by Elizabeth, but because she disliked her family, she could not make up her mind to show her love, and finally left. Elizabeth had no idea of Darcy's affection, and because of other people's provocation, she had a bad feeling for her. But after all kinds of twists and turns, the happy couple finally married. Mrs. Bennet was delighted to have married her daughter.
3. Appreciation of works
Marriage is one of the important themes in Pride and prejudice. As Yang Jiang, a Chinese scholar, said, Austen never writes about love without marriage. She focuses on young men and women's choice of spouse and marriage. There are several different marriages in the novel: Charlotte's and Mr. Collins's real marriage; Lydia's and Wickham's sexual marriage; Elizabeth's and Darcy's, Jane's and Bingley's ideal marriage based on love.
The author's attitude is very clear: marriage is a social behavior, we must consider the social status and economic basis of both sides. The ideal marriage in Pride and Prejudice has a good material basis, while the unhappiness of marriage is often connected with financial imprudence. But what's special about Austen is that she places love on the same important position as matter. Love is not purely sensual attraction, but based on mutual respect and love. The combination of Elizabeth and Darcy is a case in point. The reason why Darcy's proposal is successful is that both men and women have established a real understanding, respect and appreciation. The novel also has a special chapter for two people to review the love process, which confirms that their love is not a simple passion, but a true love that has been tested and gradually determined.
Another important theme of pride and Prejudice is morality. Many researchers define Austen as a moral novelist who admonishes readers to be good. This emphasis on morality originated from the tradition of the 18th century, but different from the predecessors who have long preached the moral meaning, Austin never preached. In Pride and prejudice, the moral education of the protagonists and heroines is achieved through specific events: only when Darcy's proposal is rejected can she learn the importance of humility; only after her self reflection can Elizabeth realize the value of humility and peace.
——Selected from the companion book of pride and Prejudice
By fan Hao
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Classic reading
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Chapter 1
(Excerpt)
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