内容简介

《维维安·格雷》是本杰明·迪斯雷利1826年匿名发表的第一部小说，表面上写了一个“上流社会的人”。而在作品中，作者描绘了一个野心勃勃有社会地位的年轻男人的生涯，并且给读者保留了英国会客厅中的真实语调。借由对此笔调的熟知，本杰明以真实迅速的笔法向读者们勾勒出了英国权贵的肖像画廊。作者在姓名上进行了“伪装”，并向我们呈现出了栩栩如生的贵族人物。正是小说中这些权贵们的优雅举止以及显要人物的气势吸引着读者们的眼球，使读者们过目不忘。本次翻译实践节选书中的卷二第十三、十四和第十五章进行翻译。

翻译所选其中的三个章节，主要向读者们展示了主人公维维安·格雷的内心世界以及与贵族之间的对话。通过作者的抒写和描绘，一副描绘贵族人物及生活场景的画卷就被惟妙惟肖地展现了出来。

卷二第十三章是由主人公维维安·格雷与两位贵族的对话引出故事。主人公未准时赴宴，却能成功利用辛西娅爱听好话的特点夺得最佳位置，并在随后的案件中展露才华，成功地博取了众人的信任。本章最后为我们讲述了当时名噪一时的人物——斯坦霍普·托德的故事，为下章的开始埋下伏笔。

第十四章以维维安与斯坦霍普的谈话开始，充分显示出主人公的政治企图。随后他又设法接近“地位高于其他贵族”的米莉翁夫人，并取悦了她，获取了她的信任，继而又结识了很多皇室贵族。

而第十五章具体描写了宫殿大厅中三位贵族间的对话交流，对话内容则显得荒诞可笑。他们表面上对上层阶级阿谀奉承，却暗地里互说坏话，甚至到最后连自己朋友都不放过，这也照应了本章开头所提到的“这就是谄媚者的本质”。

INTRODUCTION

Vivian Grey is Benjamin Disraeli’s first novel, which was published in 1826. Originally it is published anonymously, ostensibly by a so-called“man of fashion”. In Vivian Grey, the author narrates the career of an ambitious young man of rank and in this story the brilliant author has preserved to us the exact tone of the English drawing room, as he so well knew it, sketching a whole portrait gallery of notables with sure and rapid strokes, disguised in name may be, but living characters nevertheless, who charm us with their graceful manners and general air of being people of consequence. In this process, Chapter 13, Chapter 14 and Chapter 15 of BOOK II were chosen to be translated. These three chapters are mainly about the conversations and psychological description of Vivian Grey and some noblemen. Through author’s description and portrait, it represents the reader with a vivid picture of characters and life scenes of nobility.

 In Chapter 13, the story starts by the conversation between Vivian Grey with two noblemen. Vivian hasn’t been for a banquet on time, while he seizes the best position by making use of Cynthia because she enjoys Vivian’s praise and flattery. Afterwards, he shows his talent by undertaking the hard case and wins everybody’s trusts successfully. At the last part of this chapter, the author tells the story of a very famous character—Stanhope Toad, which foreshadows the another section below.

In Chapter 14, there starts by the talk between Vivian Grey with Stanhope Toad, showing the protagonist’s political purposes sufficiently. Then he tries to get close to   Mrs. Million, who has a higher status than others. He manages to please her and win her trust; whereby his acquaintance with Mrs. Million, he has been familiar with a large amount of noblemen. 

Chapter 15 describes the conversations between three noblemen who are in palace hall specifically, while the conversations seem ridiculous. They flatter the upper class superficially but speak ill of others inwardly. They even speak evil of their friends at last, which coordinates the beginning of this chapter “Toadies of all possible natures”.