Author：Charlotte Brontë（April 21，1816-M arch 31，1855） was one of the greatest English novelists in the 19th century whose novels have become enduring classics of English literature.Charlotte Brontë was born at Haworth in Yorkshire，England，the third of six children.Her father is a clergyman.Her mother died early.She is the eldest of the three Brontë sisters.Her two younger sisters，Emily Brontë and Ann Brontë，are also famous w riters.The three of them are called the three Brontë sisters in the history of English literature.
夏洛蒂·勃朗特（1816年4月21日—1855年3月31日）是英国19世纪最伟大的小说家之一。她的作品是英国文学史上经久不衰的经典名著。夏洛蒂·勃朗特出生于英国北部约克郡的哈沃斯，在家里6个孩子中排行老三。父亲是一位牧师，母亲早逝。夏洛蒂·勃朗特在“勃朗特三姐妹”中排行老大。她的两个妹妹，即艾米莉·勃朗特和安妮·勃朗特，也是著名作家，三人在英国文学史上有“勃朗特三姐妹”之称。
Charlotte was sent with three of her sisters to a boarding school in Lancashire，the Clergy Daughters' School.（which she would describe as Lowood School in Jane Eyre）.Its poor conditions affected her health and physical development，and hastened the deaths of her two elder sisters who died of tuberculosis soon after they were removed from the school.As a result，Charlotte and her sister Emily returned to their home town.
夏洛蒂和她的三个姐妹被送进兰开夏郡一所寄宿学校，这所学校专为牧师女儿开设（此校就是《简·爱》中洛伍德学校的原型）。那里生活条件极其恶劣，严重地影响了她的健康与身体发育。她的两个姐姐因染上肺病，在离开学校不久后便相继离世。于是夏洛蒂和妹妹艾米莉回到家乡。
At home in Haworth，Charlotte and the other surviving children—Branwell，Emily，and Anne —were influenced by their father's library of Walter Scott，Byron，and The Arabian Nights.They began to create stories of their own.Though their stories were not popular at first，it prepared them for their literary vocations in adulthood.
在哈沃斯的家中，夏洛蒂和其他三个幸存的孩子——布兰韦尔、艾米莉以及安妮阅读了父亲的大量藏书，深受著名作家瓦特·司各特、诗人拜伦的作品以及天方夜谭等神话故事的影响。不久他们便开始自己的创作。虽然他们的故事一开始并不受欢迎，但却为他们成年后从事文学创作生涯奠定了基础。
In May 1846，Charlotte，Emily，and Anne published a joint collection of poetry under the assumed names of Currer，Ellis，and Acton Bell.Charlotte continued to use the name Currer Bell when she published her first two novels，including Jane Eyre whose life experiences is actually a reflection of her own，a girl of humble origin who struggles to find a foothold in society.The story is great success and moved millions of readers at that time.
1846年5月，夏洛蒂、艾米莉和安妮分别以笔名柯勒·贝尔、安丽丝·贝尔和安克苔·贝尔合作出版了她们的第一部诗集。随后，夏洛蒂继续沿用柯勒这个笔名出版了她的前两部小说。其中她的第二部小说《简·爱》，实际上是她的生平写照，讲述了一个出身寒微的年轻女子努力奋斗，在社会中立足的故事。小说取得了巨大的成功，深深打动了当时无数读者的心。
Plot：Jane Eyre ranks as one of the greatest and most popular works of English fiction.It is w ritten by the famous British w riter Charlotte Bronte.The story happened in the countryside of the 19th century.Jane Eyre，the heroine of the story，is an orphan.A lthough she is outwardly of plain appearance，she possesses an indomitable spirit，a sharp wit and great courage.(www.xing528.com)
故事梗概：《简·爱》是世界上最伟大、最受欢迎的小说之一，它由英国著名女作家夏洛蒂·勃朗特创作而成。故事发生在19世纪的英国乡村。主人公简·爱是一个孤儿。虽然她长相平平，却拥有不屈不挠的意志、聪慧的头脑和巨大的勇气。
When the novel begins，she is an isolated，powerless ten-year-old living with an aunt and cousins who dislike her.Later in the boarding school Lowood，she again was subjected to unfair treatment and humiliation.A ll these sufferings，however，did not make her surrender.Instead she grew stronger in will and show great rebellion.
故事一开始，简·爱刚刚10岁，孤独、无助、寄人篱下，受尽舅妈和堂兄妹的白眼。后来在洛伍德寄宿学校，她再次遭遇不平与羞辱。然而在所有这些苦难面前，她并没有屈服，反而变得意志坚强，充满反抗精神。
Longing to live a free and independent life，she advertised and offered to be a governess at Thornfield，where she learns of the pleasures and pains oflove through her relationship with Edward Rochester，the owner of the house who is twenty years older than her.By the end of the novel，she has grown into a powerful，independent woman，blissfully married to the man she loves，Rochester.
为了追求独立、自由的生活，她自登广告应聘到桑菲尔德庄园当家庭教师。庄园主爱德华·罗切斯特比简大20岁，简在与他的感情纠葛中经历了欢乐与痛苦。小说结尾时，她成长为一位坚强、独立的女性，并与其所热恋的罗切斯特终成眷属。
Comment：The success of Jane Eyre lies in not only its authenticity and the sympathy it aroused among the readers，but also its depiction of a woman who is independent，forward-going and doesn't surrender easily.The idea conveyed in the novel that women should not be content with their designated social positions and that they should be treated equally both in jobs and marriages is a great shock in British literature.At the end of the novel，after acquiring a fortune，Jane Eyre came back to Rochester，who is nowlonely，blind and powerless.A lthough the end is not so convincing，it reflects the ideal of the author—women's independence in finance and social position and their loyalty to love.
评论：《简·爱》的成功之处不仅在于小说的真实性和强烈的感染力，也在于小说塑造了一个不屈从于世俗压力，独立自主、积极进取的女性形象。小说传达的思想，即妇女不应屈从于给定的社会地位，在工作和婚姻中应得到平等的对待，这些思想震惊英国文坛。小说的结尾，简·爱获得一笔遗产，回到双目失明、孤独无助的罗切斯特身边。这一结尾虽然不太令人信服，但是它反映了作者的理想——女性在经济、社会地位上的独立以及对爱情的忠贞不渝。
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