珍奧絲丁的巴斯

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." 這是英國作家珍奧絲丁（Jane Austen, 1775-1817）在她小說「傲慢與偏見（Pride and Prejudice）」的第一段文字，一語道破她廣受世人喜愛的原因，那就是擅於觀察人心描述人類行為。即使作品主題是18世紀的鄉紳的愛情生活，換到現代也毫無違和。我對珍奧絲丁的認識，起源自李安導演的「理性與感性（Sense and Sensibility）」、Gwyneth Paltrow主演的「艾瑪（Emma）」。以及由Keira Knightley飾演Elizabeth Bennet、2005年版的傲慢與偏見。也因為那時的我已經突破讀英文小說的障礙，花了一星期把傲慢與偏見原版小說讀完而無法自拔後，從此成了珍粉一枚，開始找BBC拍的新舊珍奧絲丁影集來看，以及其餘的五部長篇小說來讀。
珍奧絲丁在1801-1806年間，因為擔任牧師的父親退休舉家遷往巴斯定居，而在這座當時可說是時髦溫泉都市渡過六年時間。一家人在巴斯住過1 The Paragon、4 Sydney Place、Green Park Buildings與25 Gay Street這個地方。除了Green Park Buildings已拆除外，珍迷來到巴斯可一一前往這幾處朝聖。而就在她在巴斯最後一個居所的同一條街上，有棟同時期房舍（40 Gay Stree）現被闢為Jane Austen Centre，除了介紹珍奧絲丁生平外，還可讓後人一窺當時的生活方式。
“She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me; and I am in no humor at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men.“ 在大雨中，可憐的JY和在場少數的男性一樣，陪著一群珍迷來到Jane Austen Centre。購票入場後，首先是一位穿著攝政時期服飾的工作人員為我們進行簡短解說，之後就是自由參觀時間。老實說，有點小的Jane Austen Centre可看性不高，牆上掛著幾幅她頭像的複製畫，讓人與這位兩百年前在此生活的作家進行精神交流。其中最貼近真實的，是姊姊Cassandra Austen在1810年為她繪製的素描。
“In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.“ 也許太看透人心，珍與姊姊都終身未嫁。這一幅素描，是Richard Bentley在1870年根據Cassandra的作品而繪。
 
“I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.“ 即使一開始無法以真名出版小說，而以"A Lady"代替，她的前四本小說一推出就廣受英國人歡迎。也許是因為每個人都能從小說投射自身經驗的關係吧？
 
 "You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago." 因為健康不佳，她的最後兩本完稿的長篇小說「諾桑覺寺（Northanger Abbey）」與「勸服（Persuasion）」是在她過世後才出版。在Jane Austen Centre的這幅複製剪影，不知是誰的作品，只知約在1800-1815年間而作。
Jane Austen Centre有趣的一個地方，在於可讓參觀者試穿攝政時期（Regency）的服飾，想像自己是珍筆下的主角（這麼蠢的照片還是不要貼出來傷眼）。也可像珍當年一樣，倚著寫字檯拿著沾水筆寫下觸動心靈的感受。 離Jane Austen Centre不遠，還有建於1771年的Bath Assembly Rooms。讀過珍奧絲丁小說或看過改編電影的朋友一定很熟悉，那個時代男女認識未來另一半的場合，往往是大小舞會。Bath Assembly Rooms，就是當年舉辦舞會的場所。我們當然也要來此體驗一下氣氛。其中最大的，就是掛著豪華水晶吊燈的Ball Room。 "Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant." 一旁，還有紳士與仕女們玩牌的Octagon Room。 "You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine." 舞會不在華人的文化中，所以我不會跳舞，這輩子也只有結婚當天有機會穿上美麗的禮服。 "Yes. We certainly do not forget you as soon as you forget us. It is, perhaps, our fate rather than our merit. We cannot help ourselves. We live at home, quiet, confined, and our feelings prey upon us. You are forced on exertion. You have always a profession, pursuits, business of some sort or other, to take you back into the world immediately, and continual occupation and change soon weaken impressions." 另一個比Ball Room小一點的，是一旁的Tea Room。 常在想，也許在某種程度上舞會有其存在的必要。它訓練即將出社會的年輕男女正式的舉止與穿著，有了這樣的經驗可能較能避免往後在正式場合穿著邋遢的狀況發生呢（想起台灣的大學畢業典禮，一堆穿著短褲拖鞋出席的學生與教授）！ “A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, all the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address, and expressions, or the word will be but half deserved.” 也許因為這樣，傲慢與偏見裡的這段話讓我很嚮往，有意無意往那時代對"accomplished"女性的想法努力。這回來到巴斯，走過珍當年也踏過的街道，不管"accomplished"與否，也算是夢想成「珍」！至少，留了一張印有珍頭像的新發行十英鎊鈔票。一個國家的鈔票不全是政治人物頭像，代表對文化的重視。不過如果印的是Darcy的頭，珍迷們會更瘋狂吧！

難得小旅行上一篇“雨中巴斯漫步訪建築“