英国女作家找到“达西先生”的人物原型

It is a truth universally acknowledged that every woman is in search of her own Mr Darcy, but one author claims to have unearthed the original man who inspired Jane Austen's romantic hero.

这是一个举世公认的真理：每个女人都在寻找属于她们的达西先生。但是有位作家表示，她已经找到了那个激发简·奥斯汀构思这位浪漫男主角的人物原型。

Dr Susan Law says she has uncovered documents and letters which prove that the character of Fitzwilliam Darcy was inspired by John Parker, the 1st Earl of Morley.

苏珊·劳博士表示，她已经发现了一些文件书信，可以证明菲兹威廉·达西这个人物源于第一位莫雷伯爵——约翰·帕克。

Like Mr Darcy, Parker was 'tall, dark and brooding' and also became embroiled in a sex scandal after it was discovered that his first wife had been unfaithful to him.

与达西先生一样，帕克也是“高大，黑发，性情忧郁。同样地，第一任妻子出轨后，帕克深陷一桩性丑闻事件。

Dr Law says the new evidence shows that that Austen stayed at the Earl's country home Saltram House in Plymouth, Devon, in the early 1800s when Pride and Prejudice was written.

劳博士说，这些新证据证明，在19世纪早期奥斯汀创作《傲慢与偏见》的时候，她正待在位于德文郡普利茅斯的萨尔特伦宅邸，也就是这位伯爵的乡村住宅。

A series of letters also show that Austen was also good friends with Parker's second wife, Frances Talbot, who was herself a known author, and that the two often exchanged writing.

一系列的信件表明，奥斯汀还是帕克第二任妻子弗朗西斯·泰尔波特的好朋友。弗朗西斯本人是一位知名作家，她和奥斯汀经常互通书信。

In fact, shortly after Pride and Prejudice first appeared anonymously, Dr Law says it was believed that Frances was the author, as the character of Mr Darcy fit her husband's profile so closely.

劳博士说，事实上，《傲慢与偏见》首次以匿名的形式出版不久，外界一度认为作者是弗朗西斯，因为达西先生这个角色长得非常像她的丈夫。

Dr Law, 52, an author and historian from Knielworth, Warwickshire, said: 'The physical similarities in them are obvious but there is also so much evidence to suggest the Earl was Mr Darcy.

劳博士来自(英国)沃里克郡涅尔沃斯，是一位作家兼历史学家，现年52岁。她说，他们两人的外貌显然很相似，而且不仅如此，还有很多证据能证明帕克伯爵就是达西先生。

'When Jane Austin published her two novels Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, she did so anonymously.

“当年简·奥斯汀是匿名出版的《傲慢与偏见》和《理智与情感》这两本小说。

'The Earl's second wife Francis, who was well known in literally circles, was widely thought to be the author of those novels.

“伯爵的第二任妻子弗朗西斯在文学领域享有盛名，当时各界广泛认为她是这两部小说的作者。

'The Earl was tall, dark, handsome and slightly brooding. There is a picture of him in 1805 image in his militia uniform and another in the library. He looks very intense.'

“伯爵身材高大，头发乌黑，长相英俊，还有一丝忧郁气质。有一张他1805年穿军装的照片，还有一张在图书馆的。(照片中的)他看起来非常多愁善感。

The Earl himself became mired in scandal after it was revealed that he had fathered three illegitimate children with his married mistress, leading his first wife, Lady Augusta Fane, to elope with a family friend before the two divorced in 1809.

在那起丑闻中，伯爵本人也是被指责的对象，因为据透露，他与已婚情妇有三个私生子，这才导致他的第一任妻子奥古斯塔·费恩夫人跟一位家庭朋友私奔了。伯爵与夫人后来于1809年离的婚。

It was already thought that the Earl's messy love-life likely provided the inspiration for Mansfield Park, but Dr Law now believes he likely inspired Mr Darcy as well.

已有的观点认为，伯爵糜烂的私生活很可能是《曼斯菲尔德庄园》的素材来源，但劳博士现在认为，伯爵可能也是达西先生的原型。

Dr Law says she spent five years travelling the country unearthing old newspaper cuttings, diary entries, letters and other documents to prove Parker was Austen's inspiration.

劳博士说，她花了五年时间在英国各地旅行，寻找旧剪报、日记、信件以及其他可能证明帕克是奥斯汀灵感来源的资料。

She added: 'We don't have the concrete evidence but I have discovered there were a lot of rumours about at the time and it is a convincing argument.

她补充道：“虽然我们没有确凿的证据，但当时就有大量相关传闻，这也是一个有说服力的依据。

'There is a massive intriguing web around it. It is clear that Jane Austen had very close links with the family. She sent Francis one of the first editions of Emma - when she only had 12 printed.

“关于此事虽然众说纷纭，让人好奇心大增，但可以明确的是，简·奥斯汀与这家人关系密切。她首印《艾玛》时只印了12本，其中一本就给了弗朗西斯。

'Jane Austin's brother Henry was also a university friend of the Earl of Morley. They were contemporaries and he then become a banker to his regiment and later the domestic chaplain to the Earl of Morley's family.

“简·奥斯汀的兄弟亨利还是莫雷伯爵上大学时的朋友。他们是同龄人，亨利随后在伯爵所在的机构从事财务工作，后来又到莫雷伯爵家当家庭牧师。

'We know how close Jane Austen and Francis were. She never came out and said 'your husband was Mr Darcy' - so we can not say that 100 per cent.

“我们都知道简·奥斯汀与弗朗西斯的关系很亲密。奥斯汀从来没有公开说过‘你的丈夫就是达西先生’，所以我们不能完全确定那么说。

'It can be very frustrating and it is like trying to piece together a jigsaw. It has been fascinating and I have been longing to find that cast iron bit of evidence.

“这会令人非常沮丧，就像在拼图。但这同时也是迷人的，促使我一直渴望找到确凿的证据。

'But after spending so long on it, I am pretty convinced.'

“但经过这么长时间的研究，我很确信他就是达西了。

Vocabulary:

mire：陷于泥坑;陷入困境

intriguing：有趣的

contemporaries：同龄，同辈人

cast iron：铸铁