Middlemarch

中文简介《米德尔马契》是英国女作家乔治·艾略特的第七部长篇小说。该书于1862年开始动笔，但不久由于ThorntonLewes的患病而搁置。次年艾略特重新开始写作，并把一些分散的情节结合成一个整体，1871-1872年完成。单卷本于1874年出版，销量颇为理想。小说的题目米德尔马契是作者虚构的英国省城。省城附近的庄园住着布鲁克先生的侄女西莉亚和多萝西亚。多萝西亚希望找到学者型丈夫，于是不顾众人反对，和比她年长27岁的牧师卡苏朋订了婚，并预见卡苏朋的侄儿威尔·拉迪斯拉夫。与此同时，27岁的利德盖特来到米德尔马契，创立新医院，倡导医疗改革。改革触动了当地医生的利益，利德盖特被迫娶了米德尔马契市长之女罗莎蒙德为妻，被她套取大量钱财。婚后的多萝西亚十分孤独，威尔与她谈得投机，爱上了她，结果被卡苏朋禁止踏入家门。布鲁克要参加选举，要拉威尔办报造势。詹姆士爵士同西莉亚结婚生子。后卡苏朋突然逝世，威尔留在米德尔马契。最后多萝西亚放弃财产与威尔结合，利德盖特则因无法实现抱负，50岁去世。英文简介DorotheaandCeliaaretwoMiddlemarchsisterofmarriageableage.DorotheachoosesCasaubon,adried-upoldscholar,forherhusband,muchtoeveryone'sdismay.Celia,moresensible,choosesSirJamesChettam,alocalnoblemanwhowantedtomarryDorothea,beforesheturnedhimdown.CeliaandMr.Brooke,Dorothea'suncle,trytocounselheragainstmarryingCasaubon,thoughshewillnotlisten.Dorothealikeshimbecauseheiseducated,andshewantstolearn,thoughthemarriageisatotalmistake.DorotheaandCasaubongetmarried;Casaubonhopesforsomeonetocomfortandservehim,andDorotheawantstobeofuseinhiswork.TheygoonhoneymooninRome,andtheretheymeetWillLadislaw,Casaubon'syoungcousin,whomCasaubonBackgroundMiddlemarchwasfirstpublishedin1871and1872,asaserialnovelineightparts,whichcameouteverytwomonths.ThiswasEliot'smostcomprehensiveandsweepingnoveltodate,andwasintendedasastudyofprovincialBritishlife.Eliotworkedonseveraldifferentstories,startingwithLydgateandhistrialsasayoungdoctor;thensheworkedonDorothea'sstory,writingthefirsttenchaptersastheyappearinthefinishedbookwithonlythischaracterandherworldinmind.Eliotthendecidedtobuildaworldaroundthesetwocharacters,andcreateamoresweepingportraitofanentiretownanditsvariousinhabitants;LydgateandDorotheaactedessentiallyasthecoreofthenovel,astwosomewhatsimilarfigureswhowerethesoulofthenovel.Botharealikeintheirunhappymarriages,theirsocialaspirations,andthewayinwhichtheyreacttosocietalpressure.Thenovel,whenitfirstappeared,wasahugesuccess,bothwithcriticsandreaders;itmadeEliot'snameasoneofthegreatestnovelistsinBritain,andherfamespread.Herintentionwiththenovelwastoanalyzerecentpolitical,social,andeconomicthreadsthroughaseriesofpersonalaccounts.Thecharactersandstoriestoldwithinthenovelaremeanttoshowhowpeopleareaffectedbyhistoricalchangewhileithappens,andhowprogresshappensinpeople'slives.EliotmanagestoweaveintheCatholicemancipation,thedeathofGeorgeIV,thedissolutionofParliamentin1831,theoutbreakofcholerain1832,andthepassageoftheReformBilllaterthatyear.Eliotmanagestoweavethesethingsintotheconcernsofthecharactersandthenarrative;theyarenotthefocusofthenovel,butarebalancedwiththenovel'sliteraryconcerns.Oneofthemostwidespreadconcernsinthenovelischange,andhowpeoplereacttoit.Allthehistoricalconcernsinthenovelareinvolvedinthis,asarepeople'sreactionsunderstress,andtoprogressintheirsociety.Eliotisabletoshowpeopleactingnaturallyinclosedetail,andpresentcriticismonthem,whilestillallowingthereaderstoformtheirownopinionofthem.Overall,everycharacterinthisnovelarehuman;eachofthemcanbelikedordislikedaccordingtotheirpersonalfoiblesandflaws.ButEliot'spointisthatwe,likethey,arehuman;wecanonlyjudgethemaswejudgeourselves.Sheisnottotallyimpartialinthenarrative,whichwouldbeimpossibleinmakingcriticisms;butthereisstillplentyofroomforpeopletomakeuptheirownminds,andinterpretthecharactersintheirownway.Eliot'sstatedgoalwithwritingthisnovel,alongwithherothers,wastogiveherreadersaclearerconceptionandamoreactiveadmirationofthosevitalelementswhichbindmentogetherandgiveahigherworthinesstotheirexistence,accordingtoaletterof1868thatshewrote.Thenovel,especiallythecharactersofDorotheaandFarebrother,areverymuchinfluencedbyEliot'spersonalbeliefinthereligionofhumanity.Herviewsofmarriagearealsointerjectedintothenovel;Eliotwasnotfavorableaboutsociety'sideasofgenderrolesandmarriage,henceherdepictionsofRosamondandLydgate'smaritaltroubles.Thenovelisverymuchconcernedwithwomen'sroles,women'slives,andhowtheyshouldbechanged.However,italsoexposesEliot'sambivalenceonthesubject.Althoughshehadnochildrenandlivedwithherlover,GeorgeLewes,withoutbeingmarried,atthesametimeshebelievedthatwomenshouldbemarried,andhadobligationstotheirhusbandsandchildren.Thenoveladvocateschangeinwomen'sroles,andintheirspheresofinfluence;but,atthesametime,nowomanishappywhoisn'tmarried,andinasolidpartnershipwithherhusband.ThistensioninEliot'spersonalviewsformsthestrugglesthatRosamond,Dorothea,andCeliaface,anddeterminestheoutcomeoftheirunionsaccordingtotheircharacterandeffectiveness.IfthereisonemetaphorthatservestosumupthewaypeopleandsocietyworkinMiddlemarch,itisaweb.JustasRosamondandLydgatespintheirownwebandgetcaughtinit,everycharacterisboundinahugeweb,andifonepullsonewayoranother,thewebshifts,andsomeoneisaffected.Thingsandpeopleareinextricableconnectedandanevent,likeFeatherstone'sfuneral,canhaveaverypalpablemeaningtosomeonewhohasnoinvolvement,likeDorothea.Middlemarchisaverycarefullywovenworkofsocialcommentaryandhumananalysis,withmanyliving,breathingcharacterswhoareasrealasthehistoricaltimeperiodtheyinhabit.MajorThemesResponsibilityStubbornnessPrejudiceConformityLoveUnityofMiddlemarchSocietalExpectationsRe