第4單元　托馬斯?哈代

Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) （托馬斯·哈代）

1Life（生平）

Thomas Hardy, British novelist and poet, was born in an architect family in Dorset shire, south of Britain. After he returned to his hometown, he became an architect. Several years later, he turned to literature. The most important works of Hardy are what he called “Novels of Character and Environment”. His works show deep sympathy to the poor and miserable life of people and make a profound revelation of industrial civilization and moral and bitterly criticize them. But his works also displays pessimism and fatalism.

托馬斯·哈代，英國小說家、詩人。他出生在英國南部多塞特郡的一個建筑師家庭里。從倫敦回到家鄉當了幾年建筑師后，哈代放棄了建筑這一行業，專門從事文學創作。哈代的作品中最重要的是他自稱的“性格和環境小說”。他所寫作品對人民貧窮不幸的生活充滿同情，對工業文明和道德作了深刻的揭露和批判，但他的作品也帶有一些悲觀情緒和宿命論色彩。

2Major Works（主要作品）

Under The Greenwood Tree (1872) 《綠蔭下》

Far from the Madding Grown Tree (1872) 《遠離塵囂》

The Return of the Native (1878) 《還鄉》

The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886) 《卡斯特橋市長》

Tess of the D’Urbervilles (1891) 《德伯家的苔絲》

Jude the Obscure (1895)《無名的裘德》

Wessex Poems (1898) 《威塞克斯詩集》

The Dynasts (l904-1908 ) 《統治者》

3Selected Work（選讀作品）

◆Tess of the D’Urbervilles《德伯家的苔絲》

A. Main Plot（主要情節）

Tess is a poor woman suffering from many misfortunes. While working outside, she is frequently seduced by Alec D’urbervihe and gets pregnant. After her baby dies, she becomes a milkmaid again. During this time, she falls in love with Angel Clare, a man from a clergy family but determined to become a farmer. In the evening of their marriage, she tells Angel her unfortunate experience. She thinks that she will be understood and forgiven, but instead, selfish Angel changes his mind. After he leaves, Tess is forced to work outside again. She meets Alec and agrees to live with him for Alec’s frequent begs and Angel’s disappearance. However, Angel comes back from a distant place and shows his repentance for his leaving Tess. As Tess still loves Angel, she feels that all her misfortunes are brought by Alec. Out of anger, she kills Alec. And she is sentenced to death for it.

苔絲是一個備遭不幸的貧家女。在外出工作時，她受到紈绔子亞雷·德伯的百般引誘，有了身孕。嬰孩夭折后，她又一次充當擠奶女工。在此期間，她和出身牧師家庭但決心務農的安璣·克萊，兩人之間產生了愛情。結婚之夜，她向安璣吐訴了自己的不幸經歷，以為可以獲得對方的理解與同情。相反，自私的安璣在感情上產生了突變。安璣出走后，苔絲被迫再次出去工作。她又遇上了亞雷。在對方苦苦哀求而安璣又杳無音信的情況下，苔絲與亞雷同居了。然而，安璣卻從遠地返回本鄉，而且對自己的忍心出走表示仟悔。由于苔絲仍真心愛戀安璣，她感到自己的一切不幸皆由亞雷引起，一怒之下，殺死了亞雷，自己也因此被判處死刑。

B. Theme（主題）

This novel reflects the author’s attention and sympathy to the some of the most serious problems at that time. In this book, Hardy displays the impact that the emerging industrialization and urban civilization have on ancient and rustic Wessex region. It reveals the hypocritical moral that restrains mind, emphasizes virginity and oppresses women. The tragedy of Tess is the product of the society at that time and her misery is society’s misery.

《苔絲》反映了作者對當時一些最嚴峻的問題的關切和同情。哈代在書中描繪了新興的工業化和都市文明給古老、鄉土的威塞克斯地區帶來了沖擊，揭露了禁錮眾思想、強調貞潔、壓抑婦女的虛偽道德。苔絲的悲劇是當時社會的產物，因此苔絲的悲劇也是社會的悲劇。

C. Characterization（人物塑造）

Tess is a completely new woman type created by Hardy. She has a double character. On one hand, she has the courage to rebel against traditional moral and hypocritical religion. On the other hand, she cannot get rid of the bondage of traditional moral. The latter has a direct relation with her miserable fate.

苔絲是哈代塑造的一個全新的婦女典型。她有著雙重性格。一方面她敢于反抗傳統道德和虛偽的宗教；另一方面又不能擺脫傳統道德對自身的羈絆。特別是后者與她的悲劇命運直接相關。