米德尔马契(Middlemarch)

作者： George Eliot

读这本书的5个理由？

  1. Middlemarch is a literary masterpiece. It is considered one of the greatest novels in the English language, and has been praised by writers such as Virginia Woolf and Henry James. The rich characters, complex plot, and beautiful prose make it a must-read for any lover of literature. (Middlemarch 是一部文学杰作。它被认为是英语文学中最伟大的小说之一，并受到弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫和亨利·詹姆斯等作家的赞扬。丰富的人物、复杂的情节和优美的散文使它成为任何文学爱好者必读的作品。)

  2. The characters are vivid and memorable. The novel has a large cast of characters, each with their own distinct personalities, motivations, and struggles. They are so well-drawn that they feel like real people, and you'll find yourself becoming invested in their lives and relationships. (人物生动且难忘。 这本小说有一个庞大的角色阵容，每个角色都有自己独特的个性、动机和挣扎。他们描绘得如此逼真，以至于让人感觉他们就像真实的人物，你会发现自己变得对他们的生活和关系投入了情感。)

  3. It explores universal themes that are still relevant today. Despite being set in 19th century England, Middlemarch deals with issues that are still relevant today, such as love, marriage, class, politics, and the search for meaning in life. The novel's insights into human nature and society are timeless. (它探讨了当前仍然相关的普遍主题。 尽管设置在19世纪的英格兰，但《Middlemarch》处理的问题仍然与今天相关，如爱情、婚姻、阶级、政治和人生意义的探索。小说对人性和社会的洞察是永恒的。)

  4. It is a challenge worth taking on. Middlemarch is a long and dense novel, but it is also rewarding. Reading it requires patience and concentration, but the payoff is a deep understanding of the characters and themes, and a sense of accomplishment at having tackled such a formidable work of literature. (这是值得一试的挑战。 《Middlemarch》是一部长篇而密集的小说，但它也是有回报的。阅读它需要耐心和注意力，但回报是对人物和主题的深刻理解，以及在应对这样一部富有挑战性的文学作品时的成就感。)

  5. It will stay with you long after you finish reading. Middlemarch is the kind of book that stays with you long after you've finished reading it. Its characters and themes will linger in your mind, and you'll find yourself thinking about them and discussing them with others. It is a book that will enrich your life and stay with you for years to come. (它会在你读完后长期陪伴着你。 《Middlemarch》是那种你读完后仍然会陪伴你很久的书。它的人物和主题会在你的脑海中萦绕，你会发现自己思考它们并与他人讨论它们。它是一本会丰富你生活并长期陪伴你的书。)

请列出 15 条这本书值得高亮的段落

  1. "It is always fatal to have music or poetry interrupted."
    这是一种极其致命的行为，将音乐或诗歌打断了。

  2. "What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for each other?"
    如果我们不能为让彼此的生活更加轻松而生活，我们的生命还有什么意义呢？

  3. "For love is always too large to be covered by another's personality."
    因为爱总是太大了，无法被他人的个性所覆盖。

  4. "But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs."
    然而，她对周围人的影响是无法计算的扩散：因为世界的日益进步在一定程度上取决于不被历史所记载的行动；而我们不像可能已经破产的人们那样生活得那么艰难，这在很大程度上归功于那些默默无闻地过着隐秘生活、躺在无人祭拜的坟墓里的人们。

  5. "It is a narrow mind which cannot look at a subject from various points of view."
    不能从各个角度看待一个问题的人，是一个心胸狭隘的人。

  6. "We mortals, men and women, devour many a disappointment between breakfast and dinner-time; keep back the tears and look a little pale about the lips, and in answer to inquiries say, 'Oh, nothing!' Pride helps; and pride is not a bad thing when it only urges us to hide our hurts— not to hurt others."
    我们凡人，男人和女人，在早餐和晚餐之间吞噬了许多失望；憋住眼泪，嘴唇有点苍白，在被问及时回答，“哦，没事！”骄傲有所帮助；当它只促使我们掩盖伤痛，而不是伤害他人时，骄傲不是一件坏事。

  7. "It is a painful thing to look at your own trouble and know that you yourself and no one else has made it."
    看着自己的麻烦，知道是自己而不是别人制造的，这是一件痛苦的事情。

  8. "To be candid, and yet fair; sincere, yet cautious--this is a continual matter of difficulty."
    坦诚而公正；真诚而谨慎——这是一个持续的难题。

  9. "It is an uneasy lot at best, to be what we call highly taught and yet not to enjoy: to be present at this great spectacle of life and never to be liberated from a small hungry shivering self—never to be fully possessed by the glory we behold, never to have our consciousness rapturously transformed into the vividness of a thought, the ardor of a passion, the energy of an action, but always to be scholarly and uninspired, ambitious and timid, scrupulous and dim-sighted."
    即使我们所谓的高度受过教育，却无法享受，这本身就是一种不安。在这个伟大的人生观中存在，却永远无法从小小的饥饿、颤抖的自我中解放出来——永远无法完全拥有我们所看到的荣耀，永远无法将我们的意识狂热地转化为思想的生动性、激情的热情、行动的能量，而总是学者而不受启发，雄心勃勃而胆怯，一丝不苟而目光短浅。

  10. "I'm not afraid of being thought unimportant, I'm not afraid of being laughed at."
    我不怕被认为是无关紧要的，我不怕被嘲笑。

  11. "The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice."
    成长的最强原则在于人类的选择。

  12. "We all of us, grave or light, get our thoughts entangled in metaphors, and act fatally on the strength of them."
    我们所有人，无论严肃或轻松，都会被隐喻所缠绕，而且在它们的力量下，我们的行为是致命的。

  13. "It is a difficult thing to be entirely happy, but to be kind is very easy, and that is the greatest measure of happiness."
    要完全快乐是一件困难的事情，但善良却是非常容易的，这是最大的幸福衡量标准。

  14. "It is a common sentence that knowledge is power; but who hath duly considered or set forth the power of ignorance? Knowledge slowly builds up what ignorance in an hour pulls down."
    知识就是力量，这是一个常见的话语；但有谁曾经充分考虑或阐述无知的力量？知识缓慢地构建，而无知在一小时内拆除。

  15. "We are all humiliated by the sudden discovery of a fact which has existed very comfortably and perhaps been staring at us in private while we have been making up our world entirely without it."
    当我们突然发现一个已经存在了很长时间、可能一直在私下里盯着我们的事实时，我们都会感到羞辱，因为我们在完全没有这个事实的情况下建立了我们的世界。

请用通俗的语言介绍这本书的重点内容

Middlemarch is a novel written by George Eliot, which was first published in 1871-1872. The book is set in the fictional town of Middlemarch, located in the English Midlands. The story follows the lives of several characters, focusing primarily on two young women, Dorothea Brooke and Rosamond Vincy.

中文翻译： **《米德尔马契》**是乔治·艾略特所写的小说，首次出版于1871-1872年。该书设定在英格兰中部的虚构小镇米德尔马契。故事主要讲述了几个角色的生活，主要关注两个年轻女性，多萝西亚·布鲁克和罗莎蒙德·文斯。

Dorothea is a highly intelligent and idealistic young woman who is eager to make a difference in the world. She marries Edward Casaubon, a much older scholar, hoping to assist him in his research and gain knowledge herself. However, she soon realizes that Casaubon is a dry and pedantic man who is more interested in his own reputation than in advancing knowledge. Dorothea becomes disillusioned with her marriage and begins to question her own beliefs and values.

中文翻译：多萝西亚是一个高度聪明和理想主义的年轻女性，渴望在世界上有所作为。她嫁给了一个年纪大得多的学者爱德华·卡索邦，希望帮助他进行研究并获取知识。然而，她很快意识到卡索邦是一个干燥和教条主义的人，他更关心自己的声誉而不是推动知识的发展。多萝西亚对婚姻感到幻灭，并开始质疑自己的信仰和价值观。

Meanwhile, Rosamond Vincy is a beautiful and selfish young woman who is determined to marry well and live a life of luxury. She marries Tertius Lydgate, a young doctor who has ambitious plans for improving the medical field. However, Rosamond's constant demands for money and attention threaten to derail Lydgate's career and their marriage.

中文翻译：与此同时，罗莎蒙德·文斯是一个美丽而自私的年轻女性，决心嫁得好，过着奢华的生活。她嫁给了特提乌斯·李德盖特，一个有雄心壮志改善医学领域的年轻医生。然而，罗莎蒙德对金钱和关注的不断要求威胁着李德盖特的事业和他们的婚姻。

As the story progresses, the lives of these two women become increasingly intertwined with those of other characters in Middlemarch. We see the struggles and triumphs of various individuals as they navigate their way through life in a rapidly changing world.

中文翻译：随着故事的发展，这两个女人的生活与米德尔马契其他角色的生活越来越紧密地联系在一起。我们看到各种人物在快速变化的世界中航行时的挣扎和胜利。

The novel is notable for its complex characters and realistic portrayal of life in Victorian England. George Eliot was known for her detailed descriptions and psychological insights into her characters, and Middlemarch is no exception. The book is also noteworthy for its commentary on social and political issues of the time, including the role of women in society, the changing nature of marriage and relationships, and the challenges of modernization.

中文翻译：这部小说以其复杂的人物和对维多利亚时代英格兰生活的逼真描绘而闻名。乔治·艾略特以她对人物的详细描述和心理洞察力而闻名，而《米德尔马契》也不例外。该书还值得注意的是其对当时社会和政治问题的评论，包括女性在社会中的角色，婚姻和关系的变化以及现代化所面临的挑战。

Overall, Middlemarch is a thought-provoking and engaging novel that offers a rich and nuanced portrayal of life in Victorian England. It is a must-read for anyone interested in classic literature and the social issues of the time.

中文翻译：总的来说，《米德尔马契》是一部发人深省、引人入胜的小说，为维多利亚时代英格兰生活提供了丰富而细致的描绘。对于对经典文学和当时的社会问题感兴趣的人来说，这是必读之作。

适合在读书会上讨论的5个话题？

  1. The Role of Women in Victorian Society

    • This topic could explore the limited opportunities available to women during this time period, and how the female characters in the novel navigate their societal roles.
    • 女性在维多利亚时代的角色
    • 这个话题可以探讨这个时期女性的机会有限，小说中的女性角色如何应对她们的社会角色。

  2. Class and Social Mobility

    • The novel presents a complex look at social class and the difficulties of upward mobility, as well as the relationships between people from different classes.
    • 阶级和社会流动性
    • 这本小说呈现了社会阶级和向上流动的困难的复杂视角，以及不同阶层人之间的关系。

  3. Religion and Spirituality

    • With several characters struggling with faith and spirituality, this topic could delve into the role of religion in Victorian society and how it is portrayed in the novel.
    • 宗教和精神世界
    • 由于几个角色都在挣扎信仰和精神上的问题，这个话题可以深入探讨宗教在维多利亚时代社会中的作用以及它在小说中的表现。

  4. Love and Marriage

    • A major theme in the novel, the topic of love and marriage could explore the different relationships and marriages portrayed in the book, as well as the societal expectations surrounding these topics.
    • 爱情和婚姻
    • 这是小说中的一个主题，这个话题可以探讨书中描绘的不同关系和婚姻，以及围绕这些话题的社会期望。

  5. Politics and Reform

    • Set against the backdrop of political and social change in 1830s England, this topic could examine the political themes and ideas presented in the novel, as well as the reforms that were taking place during the time period.
    • 政治和改革
    • 以1830年代英国政治和社会变革为背景，这个话题可以研究小说中呈现的政治主题和思想，以及当时正在进行的改革。

请提供5本类似的书籍，并简要介绍它们

  1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Set in Georgian England, this classic novel follows the lives of the Bennet sisters and their pursuit of marriage and happiness. The story is a commentary on social norms, gender roles, and the importance of individual agency in one's life. (《傲慢与偏见》 by 简·奥斯汀 - 这部经典小说设定在乔治时代的英格兰，讲述了班纳特姐妹和她们追求婚姻和幸福的生活。故事评论了社会规范、性别角色以及个人生活中的重要性。)

  2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - This novel is a bildungsroman that follows the life of Jane Eyre, an orphan girl who becomes a governess and falls in love with her employer, Mr. Rochester. The story explores themes of social class, gender roles, and the search for identity in a restrictive society. (《简·爱》 by 夏洛蒂·勃朗特 - 这部小说是一部成长小说，讲述了一个孤儿女孩简·爱的生活，她成为了一个家庭教师，并爱上了她的雇主罗切斯特先生。故事探讨了社会阶级、性别角色和在一个限制性社会中寻找身份的主题。)

  3. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens - This novel follows the life of Pip, an orphan boy who rises from poverty to become a gentleman in Victorian England. Along the way, he learns about the dangers of social ambition and the importance of loyalty and love. (《远大前程》 by 查尔斯·狄更斯 - 这部小说讲述了皮普的生活，他是一个孤儿男孩，从贫穷中崛起，成为维多利亚时代的绅士。在这个过程中，他了解了社会野心的危险以及忠诚和爱的重要性。)

  4. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte - This novel is a Gothic romance that tells the story of Catherine Earnshaw and her love for the brooding Heathcliff. The novel explores themes of revenge, obsession, and the destructive nature of love. (《呼啸山庄》 by 埃米莉·勃朗特 - 这部小说是一部哥特式爱情小说，讲述了凯瑟琳·恩肖和她对忧郁的希斯克利夫的爱。小说探讨了复仇、痴迷和爱的毁灭性质的主题。)

  5. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - This novel follows the lives of the four March sisters as they grow up during the American Civil War. The story explores themes of family, sisterhood, and the struggle for women's independence and agency in a patriarchal society. (《小妇人》 by 路易莎·梅·奥尔科特 - 这部小说讲述了四个马奇姐妹在美国内战期间成长的故事。故事探讨了家庭、姐妹情和在一个父权社会中争取女性独立和自主的斗争。)