雀起乡到烛镇

素 以篇幅精致、风格优雅为卖点的英国古典剧是不少剧迷的心头好。本期所选的《雀起乡到烛镇》就是一部英伦味儿十足的英国古典剧，第一季于2008年在BBC首播，2011年播出第四季也是最后一季。剧集受到观众的热捧，好评如潮，英剧控可不要错过哦！

故事发生在19世纪末的牛津郡小村庄雀起乡和富裕的邻镇烛镇。16岁的雀起乡少女劳拉·提敏斯（Laura Timmins）离开本乡到邻近的烛镇投奔她的堂姨——精干而热心肠的烛镇邮政局长朵克思·雷恩小姐（Dorcas Lane），开始了一段新的生活。聪颖敏锐、热爱生活的劳拉把日常的所见所感都记录在她的日记中，整个故事都是通过劳拉的视角来讲述的。一幅维多利亚时期的英国乡镇画卷就此缓缓展开，各色人物在这小小的一乡一镇中演绎着属于他们的小故事，其中既有温馨浪漫的亲情爱情，也有睿智幽默的生活小品。整部剧集以一种平实的基调娓娓讲述着恬淡的乡村生活，也是那一时期英格兰乡村生活的缩影。诗情画意的田园风光，温暖亲切的生活故事，不仅给人视觉上的享受，也给人心灵上的启迪。

本剧改编自英国女作家弗洛拉·汤普森（Flora Thompson，1876-1947）所著的半自传体作品《Lark Rise To Candleford》。弗洛拉出生于牛津郡，自幼生活在乡村，对于那里的生活十分眷恋。这部作品事实上也是作者根据自己少年时期在牛津郡的生活回忆而著。

（Mr. Rushton， the Post Office inspector， is on a surprise visit to the Candleford Post Office. He overhears a local saying “passing a morning hour” in the Post Office.）

Mr. Rushton： How did you come to be Postmistress here， Miss Lane？

Miss Lane： Do you mean how did a woman come to be in charge？

Mr. Rushton： It is rather...unexpected.

Miss Lane： That very much depends upon your expectations. I inherited from my father. I seemed to have a natural instinct for it.

Mr. Rushton： Im not sure that what Ive witnessed here is a 1）well-oiled business. We are not highly trained in order to waste valuable time， “passing a morning hour.”

Miss Lane： A Post Office is more than the 2）dispensing of stamps and postal orders. It is the soul of the community. You may want to write in the bottom of your report that I love my work. Do you suppose there will be room in your report for love， Mr. Rushton？

（Mr. Rushton discovers that Miss Lane allows some Irish labourers to post things at night after the Post Office is closed.）

Mr. Rushton： And you are trading outside of licensed hours. You realise what this means， Miss Lane？

Miss Lane： I know too well. It means that good men who work every hour of daylight are able to send home a little something for their loved ones.

Mr. Rushton： It is a 3）flagrant disregard of the 4）statutes of your office. You have 5）forfeited your right to practise. Miss Lane： I think it is rather 6）undignified for a man to threaten a woman in such a 7）brutish fashion.

Mr. Rushton： I have watched you. I know you. You think because you dress so fine and you talk so fine， because you are born to it， that you are above Post Office regulations， above everything and everyone. I am here to show you that you are nothing compared to the rule of Post Office command and decree！

Miss Lane： If I have given the impression of being 8）aloof， I apologise. I promise you， I have no such intention. I merely consider it my duty to be a human being before a servant to my office.

（邮局检查员拉什顿先生在对烛镇邮局进行突击检查。他听到一个镇民说要在邮局“打发一点上午的时光”。）

拉什顿先生：雷恩小姐，你是怎么成为邮政局长的？

雷恩小姐：你是说一个女人如何能掌管邮局吗？

拉什顿先生：有点……意想不到。

雷恩小姐：那可要看你是怎么想的。我从我父亲那接管了邮局，我似乎对此很有天赋。

拉什顿先生：我不确定你的邮局是否运转良好，经过专业训练的我们不是来这浪费时间的，“打发一点上午的时光”。

雷恩小姐：邮局不仅仅是卖一下邮票和汇票而已，它是整个社区的灵魂。你可以在你的报告末尾写上我热爱我的工作。你认为你的报告中有爱存在的空间吗，拉什顿先生？

（拉什顿先生发现雷恩小姐在夜晚邮局关门之后还允许几个爱尔兰劳工寄东西。）

拉什顿先生：你居然在营业时间外执业！你知道这意味着什么吗，雷恩小姐？

雷恩小姐：我非常清楚，这意味着白天忙着劳作的人们能够有机会给心爱的家人寄去一点点东西。

拉什顿先生：这是公然违背邮局的规定，你已经失去了掌管邮局的权力。

雷恩小姐：我认为一个男人以这样一种残酷的方式来威吓一个女人有失体面。

拉什顿先生：我观察过你，我了解你，你以为因为你穿着好，谈吐好，因为你生来就拥有这一切，你就可以无视邮局规章，无视其他人和其他所有事情。我来这里是要告诉你，和邮局法规比起来，你什么都不是！

雷恩小姐：如果我给你留下高傲的印象，我道歉。我保证我从来没有这样想过。我只是更重视人之常情，而不是一味地对邮局效忠。

（Laura is sitting on a log drawing the beautiful view of Lark Rise， when Fisher Bloom， a young clockmaker， comes to her.）

Fisher： （Clearing his throat） You have my spot.

Laura： Ill have you know that Ive been coming to this spot for many years. My whole life. And Ive drawn this view a hundred times and more.

Fisher： Why here？ Why this spot？

Laura： There are pathways that Ive trodden daily. Bushes and wildflowers I know better than my own hands. The pond where the yellow brandy bull water lilies grow. Little birch 9）thickets where the long-tailed 10）tits 11）congregate. Ive seen these fields in the blackest thunderstorms， and in more sunshine than we have a right to deserve.

（劳拉正坐在一段木头上画着雀起乡的美景，这时年轻的钟表匠费瑟·布鲁姆来到了她身边。）

费瑟：（清了清嗓子）你占了我的地方。劳拉：那我告诉你，这个地方我已经来了好多年了，从小到大都会来。这片风景我已经画过不下百遍了。

费瑟：为什么是这里？为什么选这个地方？劳拉：这里有我每天经过的小路。我对这些灌木、野花，比对自己的手还要熟悉。这里有黄色睡莲盛开的池塘，也有长尾山雀聚集的桦树林。我见过这片田野被狂风暴雨洗礼，也见过其沐浴在不似人间应有的明媚阳光中。

（Mrs. Arless buys beer from an Oxford brewer， but constantly delays paying the bill and thus is taken to court. Sir Timothy， the local squire， is in charge of the hearing.）

Sir Timothy： Mrs. Arless， why did you buy the beer if you knew you could not afford to pay for it？

Mrs. Arless： I was brought up to respect my betters， Sir. And this gentle fellow here is a clever Oxford man with an expensive suit of clothes. Now if a man with all his schooling in numbers and such tells a simple 12）gal like me， Sir， that I can afford his beer， well， who am I to tell him hes wrong？

Sir Timothy： Having taken the beer， you made no attempt to pay the money that you owed.

Mrs. Arless： That...thats cos they made it so tasty， Your Lordship， Sir. The deliciousness of it had me coming back for more. And the more I drank， the more I forgot my worries...Beer does that for you， Sir. I only wish they hadnt made it so enjoyable， and then I mightve paid for it！

Sir Timothy： Did you not think it irresponsible， Mrs. Arless， for a mother of so many children to spend your money on 13）ale？

Mrs. Arless： Thats why I didnt pay for it， Sir. If my children see me worrying， that has them worrying. And no good mother would want that， would she， Sir？ So， see， if the beer makes me happy， that makes them happy， to see me happy. What would you rather my children had， Sir， a downhearted mother， or a merry one？

Sir Timothy： I would rather they had a mother at liberty to take care of them and not locked up for bad debts.

（阿莱斯太太从一个牛津的啤酒商那里买啤酒喝，却一直赖着不给钱，因此被告上了法庭。当地乡绅蒂莫西爵士负责审理此案。）

蒂莫西爵士：阿莱斯太太，既然知道自己花费不起，你为什么还要买啤酒？

阿莱斯太太：我自小就被教育要尊敬胜于己者，先生。这位文雅的绅士是个聪明的牛津毕业生，穿着一身昂贵的西装。要是这样一位受过教育、精通数学的人对一个像我这般普通的姑娘说，我买得起他的啤酒，我又有什么资格说他是错的呢？

蒂莫西爵士：但你喝了啤酒，却不打算还清欠下的债。

阿莱斯太太：那……那是因为他们把酒酿得太好喝了，大人。如此美味令我留恋难舍。几杯下肚，我便忘却担忧。啤酒就是如此神奇，先生。我宁愿他们没把酒酿得如此美味可口，那兴许我早就付账了！

蒂莫西爵士：你难道不觉得自己缺乏责任感吗，阿莱斯太太？拖儿带女，却把钱花在啤酒上？

阿莱斯太太：这就是我没付账的原因，先生。要是孩子们看到我在担心，他们也会跟着担心，好母亲不会这么做的，是吧，先生？所以，你看，啤酒使我快乐，看到我快乐，他们也就开心啦。你希望孩子们有哪种母亲呢，先生？闷闷不乐的，还是兴高采烈的？

蒂莫西爵士：我倒宁愿选个能够照顾他们而不会因欠债被关起来的母亲。

（Robert Timmins and his wife Emma had a falling-out. Later that night， Emma talks to Robert.）

Emma： Im always the one to fix things between us. Why？ Because Im a woman， thats why. But not this time. No. I shall let you 14）sulk and boil all you like. You are the one who can turn the mere slip of the tongue into a quarrel. You are the one puffs out your chest like you know you are always in the right. You are the one insists that everyone e l s e l i v e b y y o u r principles. Have you any idea...what its like living with a man like Robert Timmins？ I am human. I make mistakes. But by God in heaven， Robert Timmins， I dont make half as many as you do！ Im done apologising to you. Im done living my life to make you feel good about yourself.

Robert： Youre right. Perhaps a little unfair about puffing out my chest...but I do know what its like to live with Robert Timmins. Ive had to put up with him all my life.

Emma： Oh， Robert...

Robert： Ive always wanted children， a wife， a home. How can a man get trapped into something he longs for more than anything else in this world？

Emma： It was cruel of me to say such a thing. A woman rules the house.

Robert： I thought you were all done apologising？

Emma： Dont you pick at everything I do and dont say！（Both of them laughing）

（罗伯特·提敏斯和妻子艾玛大吵了一架。当晚，艾玛和罗伯特谈话。）

艾玛：我们俩之间，总是我做出让步。为什么？因为我是个女人，这就是原因。但是这次不会了，不会了。你想怎么生气，怎么愤怒都行。把无心之言升级为大吵大闹的是你，得意洋洋、永远觉得自己有道理的也是你，让别人都按你的原则生活的还是你。你有没有想过……跟罗伯特·提敏斯这样的男人生活是什么感觉？我是个人，我会犯错，但是老天作证，罗伯特·提敏斯，我犯的错绝对不到你的一半！我已经受够了跟你道歉，我受够了只为让你自我感觉良好而活着。

罗伯特：你是对的。也许说我得意洋洋有点不公平……但我知道跟罗伯特·提敏斯一起生活是什么感觉，我这一辈子都得忍受他。

艾玛：哦，罗伯特……

罗伯特：我一直想要孩子、妻子，想要一个家，一个男人得到了这世上他最渴望的东西，怎能说是上当受骗了呢？

艾玛：我是太过分了，说了那种话，说家里掌权的是女人。

罗伯特：你不是受够了道歉吗？

艾玛：你就不能别老是对我的话吹毛求疵么？

（两人大笑起来）

（Mr. James Dowland from London opens a grand hotel in Candleford. Pearl and Ruby Pratt， the snobbish owners of the drapery store， hasten to pay him a visit.）

Pearl： Pearl and Ruby Pratt of The Stores.

R u b y ： We a r e s o p l e a s e d ， i n d e e d ， gratified， to see that you are bringing such London sophistication and refinement to

Candleford.

Pearl： Oak panelling！ We have been trying our best to introduce London standards.

Ruby： Were quite a lonely outpost of cosmopolitalia.

Pearl： When we heard you were from London， I said to my sister， “Ruby， at last！ A 16）boulevardier， who can take this town by the horns.”

Ruby： It is our intention to expand. The Pratts of London， Paris and Candleford.

Pearl： May we offer you a small piece of advice， Mr....？

Ruby： Mr. JD.

Pearl： You may want to hang a sign on your front door.

Ruby： “Only Refined Custom.”

Pearl： There are， shall we say， lower orders， who pass along the street， and may wander in out of curiosity！

Ruby： Hardly likely theyve ever seen a 17）chandelier.

Pearl： They are to be actively discouraged.

Mr. Dowland： Yes， ladies， I am well aware of the 18）impertinent ways of the lower orders.

（Mr. Dowland turns the Pratts out of the door.）

（来自伦敦的詹姆斯·道兰德先生在烛镇开了家豪华的酒店。经营服装店的佩尔和露比·布拉特姐妹俩迫不及待地过去拜访。）

佩尔：我们是服装店的佩尔和露比·布拉特

姐妹。

露比：我们很乐意，实际上是欣悦无比，看到你把伦敦的精致典雅带到烛镇来。

佩尔：橡木镶板！我们一直在努力引进伦敦的潮流。

露比：站在时尚前沿真是高处不胜寒啊。

佩尔：听说你来自伦敦，我对我妹妹说：“露比，总算来了个潮男，勇敢地引领烛镇风潮。”

露比：我们有意扩张生意，成为伦敦、巴黎、烛镇的布拉特姐妹。

佩尔：容我们提个小建

议吧，先生贵姓？

露比：JD先生。

佩尔：你也许该在大门贴个告示。

露比：“衣冠不整恕不接待。”

佩尔：会有些，怎么说呢，下等人经过这里，可能会出于好奇进来晃荡。

露比：他们肯定连枝形吊灯都没见过。

佩尔：可得把他们拦在门外啊。

道兰德先生：是的，女士们，我很了解下等人的无礼行为。

（道兰德先生把布拉特姐妹推出门外。）

（Miss Lane tells Sir Timothy not to attend her maid Zillars birthday party.）

Miss Lane： There will always be reasons why you and I should be in one anothers company， and I feel that we have to be strong in our resistance.

Sir Timothy： Yes. I understand. But then Ive always understood we must do things exactly at your bidding.

Miss Lane： I will explain to Zillah that you were unable to join us.

Sir Timothy： It was at your bidding that we live like this.

Miss Lane： Timothy， please...

Sir Timothy： Tell me why， Dorcas. Weve been like this for years. We meet and we chat and we smile and...Were on our guard to be decent and polite. We never say anything that matters.

Miss Lane： Timothy， this is all past and gone and we should leave it well alone.

Sir Timothy： I dont believe what you told me then， that you dont love me. I live my life bound by duty and obligation. I didnt want any of this. All I ever really wanted was you. Tell me why you refused me. Tell me the truth.

Miss Lane： It was my father. He told me it could never work. “Love never crosses the great divide of social class.”Those were his words.

Sir Timothy： Then your father was a 19）bigoted， smallminded fool of a man.

（Miss Lane slaps Sir Timothy.）

Sir Timothy： Thank you. At last something real between us.

（雷恩小姐让蒂莫西爵士不要参加她的女仆紫拉的生日宴会。）

雷恩小姐：总有理由让我们待在一起，但我觉得我们得坚定地抵挡这些理由。

蒂莫西爵士：是的，我明白，但我也一直明白任何事情都得按照你的吩咐做。

雷恩小姐：我会向紫拉解释你不能到场。

蒂莫西爵士：就是按照你的意愿我们才会这样。

雷恩小姐：蒂莫西，拜托了……

蒂莫西爵士：朵克思，告诉我为什么。我们这样已经很多年了，我们见面，聊天，微笑……我们小心翼翼，礼貌得体，从不谈论真正重要的事情。

雷恩小姐：蒂莫西，都过去了，别再想了。

蒂莫西爵士：我不相信你当时说的，说你不爱我。我的生活被责任和义务所束缚，这些我都不想要，我真正想要的只有你。告诉我你为什么拒绝我，告诉我真相。

雷恩小姐：是因为我爸爸，他告诉我这不可能，“爱情永远无法逾越等级的鸿沟”，这是他的话。

蒂莫西爵士：那你父亲就是一个固执己见、眼光狭隘的蠢人。

（雷恩小姐打了蒂莫西爵士一个耳光。）

蒂莫西爵士：谢谢，我们之间终于真正发生了点什么。