Jane Eyre 《简·爱》

周文敏

Jane Eyre is an orphan[1]. She spends her child

hood with her uncles family at Gateshead， where she is abused[2] by her aunt. At the age of ten， she is sent to Lowood School. Unfortunately，

the headmaster of the school is extremely selfish and cruel. As a result， Jane is still abused mentally and physically in the school. Even worse， her best friend Helen dies of consumption because of the poor living conditions. However， Jane finishes her schooling with a strong will and becomes a good teacher. She works in Lowood School for two years but finds it difficult to endure[3] the atmosphere of

Lowood. So she decides to leave and becomes a governess of Thornfield Hall.

Mr. Rochester， the master of Thornfield Hall， is a gloomy[4] and moody man. And his attitude

towards Jane varies. Yet， the two gradually fall in love with each other. Mr. Rochester proposes to Jane and she accepts it. But during the wedding ceremony， Jane is surprised to find that Mr. Rochester has married already and his wife is a psychopath because of mental wounds[5]. Therefore， she

leaves Thornfield Hall with a broken heart.

Jane has spent all her savings， begging along the way and finally faints before St. Johns house. She is saved and helped by St. John and his two sisters. Later， Jane learns the death of her uncle and inherits a fortune from him. Meanwhile， she finds St. John is her cousin. St. John， a passionate[6] clergyman， plans to do missionary work in India. He asks Jane to marry him and goes to India with him. But Jane refuses and decides to go back to Mr. Rochester.

When Jane returns to Thornfield Hall， it has all been ruined. The mad woman sets fire to the house. And Mr. Rochester loses his eyesight and one of his hands in order to save his wife. He is miserable[7] and lonely. Eventually， Jane

marries Mr. Rochester and gives birth to a son. And Mr. Rochester also recovers the sight of one eye. They live happily ever after.

简·爱是个孤女，从小被寄养在盖茨海德庄园的舅舅家里，在那里她受尽舅母的虐待。十岁那年她被被送进了罗伍德孤儿院，不幸的是院长极度自私和残忍。所以简在孤儿院继续受到身心的摧残。更糟的是，由于生活条件的恶劣，她最好的朋友海伦也因身染肺病而过世了。但她靠着坚强的意志完成了学业，成为一名优秀的教师，并在这所学校任教两年。但她实在受不了那里的氛围，于是决定离开，后来成为桑费尔德庄园的一名家庭教师。

庄园的主人罗彻斯特是个性格阴郁而又喜怒无常的人，对简的态度也时好时坏，但两人却逐渐暗生情愫。罗彻斯特向她求婚，她便答应了。但是在婚礼上简却惊讶地发现罗彻斯特已经有了合法妻子，而且他的妻子受过精神创伤，是一个精神病患者。所以简伤心地离开了桑费尔德庄园。

她花光了所有积蓄，沿途乞讨，最后晕倒在牧师圣·约翰家门前，被圣·约翰和他的两个妹妹救醒，并得到他们的帮助。不久，简得知叔父去世并给她留下一笔遗产，同时还发现圣·约翰是她的表兄。圣·约翰是个狂热的教徒，打算去印度传教。他请求简嫁给他并和他同去印度。但简拒绝了他，决定回到罗切斯特身边。

简回到桑费尔德庄园时，整个庄园已是一片废墟。那个疯女人放火烧房，罗彻斯特为了救妻子，被烧瞎了双眼并失去了一只手，现在过着孤苦无依的生活。最终简跟罗彻斯特结婚并且生了一个男孩，而罗彻斯特的一只眼睛也恢复了视力。两人从此幸福地生活在一起。

In terms of the plot， Jane Eyre is just another Cinderella story. The little plain orphan falls in love with and marries a rich man of noble birth. While Jane is not a true Cinderella in the traditional sense. Because she is independent and brave. She dares to break out of the limits of class and social status to pursue[8] her love. And she is neither arrogant nor servile[9]. She maintains that both men and women are equal in love and refuses to be an adjunct to men. Jane always pursues her perfection of morality and personal independence even when it is in conflict with love.

Jane Eyre sets up an example for our new women that we should seek for equal love and marriage. Just as Jane says， even though Im poor and plain you cannot treat me so disrespectfully for we are equal spiritually.

从情节上来说《简·爱》可算是另一个灰姑娘的故事：孤儿出身、身材矮小、其貌不扬的简·爱与出身名门、家财万贯的罗彻斯特相爱并结婚。 但是简·爱却并非真正传统意义上的灰姑娘。因为她独立大胆，敢于突破阶级和社会地位的局限去追求自己的爱情。她不卑不亢，不愿做男性的附庸，坚信在爱情中男女双方是平等的。简始终在追求道德上的完善，坚持着个人的独立，纵使在爱情与此发生冲突的时候也是如此。

简·爱给我们新时代的女性树立了一个榜样，即要追求平等的爱情与婚姻。正如简·爱所说， 就算我贫穷、平凡，你也不能这样不尊重我，因为在灵魂面前我们是平等的。

[1] orphan n. 孤儿

[2] abuse v. 虐待

[3] endure v. 忍耐

[4] gloomy v. 阴郁的

[5] wound v. 创伤

[6] passionate adj. 热情的

[7] miserable adj. 悲惨的

[8] pursue v. 追求

[9] servile adj. 过分屈从的