English

ED: Bleak House DVD9

Code : W000562

Bleak House is one of Dicken’s longest and most complex novels. It contains many different and divergent storylines that intertwine as characters meet by chance or fate. In that sense it is impossible to summarise, though key themes run through it: the foremost of these being the absurdity of legal proceedings that seem to have no purpose but to line the pockets of lawyers. The case of ‘Jardyce and Jarndyce’ is the key example here. The wards of court in the case are the children Richard Carstone and Ada Clare who live with their relative, the philanthropic John Jarndyce. Initially the novel concerns their love for each other. The novel’s heroine is Esther Summerson, an orphan, who also goes to live with Jarndyce, and narrates much of the novel. Other strands of the book concern Sir Leicester Dedlock and his beautiful wife who hides a shocking secret about an illegitimate child and a long lost love. The machinations of her search for the latter bring her to the penniless and illiterate Jo and a grave where she will later die in terrible circumstances brought about by the pursuit of her old lover. The mystery of the death of old lawyer Tulkinghorn brings us another strand with the detective Bucket intervening in one of the novel’s many highlights. Esther and John Jarndyce’s relationship is at the heart of the later stages of the book, and his finally act of generosity in giving her up to the young doctor Woodcourt who she loves. In between there are numerous interesting or plain hilarious minor characters such as the ridiculous Mrs Jellyby whose endless philanthropy have left her utterly unconcerned about her family and Harold Skimpole who is a lazy and selfish man looked after by others’ generosity and his mimicry of childish irresponsibility. In its time the novel was seen as poorly constructed despite its host of interesting characters although later critics have generally seen it as one of his very finest works despite its occasional verbosity. 埃丝特是个善良的姑娘，虽然她因为照顾贫穷的流浪儿照顾贫穷的小女仆感染上伤寒出天花，毁了容貌，但，正如文中最后一句所说，远比以前更美丽。从一出场，埃丝特就扮演了一个虽然孤苦但心地纯洁的角色，大概她是文中唯一的亮点，另一个，就是荒凉山庄的主人，老约翰，也是唯一一个因为正直无私不被遗产所动不被官司所动纯然的老好人形象。 有两个人印象最深，波尔桑与查理。老约翰的朋友老波尔桑，不过是描写数笔的小角色，一个自私狂妄的老头儿，也是一个丑角儿，自称小孩儿，于是四处迫人自愿帮助还债，不错，既是“迫人”，又偏是“自愿”，因为他是“小孩儿”，他晓得大家照顾小孩儿是责无旁贷的。他是一个丝毫不懂得责任心不懂得金钱的小孩儿，他可以因为贪幕侦探的金币而出卖被荒凉山庄好心收留的患了伤寒的可怜流浪儿乔，因为他是“小孩儿”他可以丝毫没有顾忌没有负担，他只晓得自己的私欲，他不晓得那枚金币的分量，他同样不晓得让查理帮助还债对别人而言负担加重，他同样不晓得怂恿查理放弃心愿放弃希望一门心思好好儿学习好好儿做人好好儿生活是一种罪恶，于是查理愈发散漫。 查理是个怎样的人？不过是一个被社会吞噬的好青年。他绝没有贪婪和私心，但是他散漫。散漫可以毁掉一个人的一生。他可以对医生这个职业感兴趣，可是不等他学到一点儿医理他觉得参军可以赚钱，他“本该知道自己是喜欢从军的”，于是他参军拿到应得的钱，但是他挥霍，他没有做人的准则，他知道当他本该买某样东西而没有买的时候，他省下了这笔钱，于是他就有了凭空多出来的钱，于是他用“多”来的钱来挥霍买另外的奢侈，他却说那不是挥霍，那是“省”出来的快乐，多荒唐的逻辑。没等兵役服完，他觉得他本该是名很好的律师，于是他换行做律师，他要知晓家族遗产风波，一天又一天，他“本该做的更好的”，直到他吐出最后一口血，躺在爱人的怀里，他终于明白，他荒废了一生。 查理这个人，在生活中可以找的见更多，他正直，善良，但他没有目标，他只晓得每日里晃荡，他对恋人有最忠贞的爱情，但他没有远见，他不懂得塌塌实实的工作与生活，他会觉得自己是最好的，本该可以做的更好，可是回回不见他学会回回又变了理想，他搭了太多的空中楼阁，懒散的个性害了他。其实他本该会有好结局，因为有婀达的爱情，有埃丝特的关爱，也有老约翰父亲般的慈祥。 然而，到底敌不过现实的冷酷。 在生活里，是不是有很多的三心二意无法做到脚踏实地的人呢。