A caterpillar(毛毛虫) crawls on a finger in the opening shot of a new adaptation of “Sense and Sensibility”. It is a neat symbol of Jane Austen’s technique. In this and other novels, she describes what, in the sweep of history, are tiny things: stolen looks(偷瞄的眼神), crossed wires(错位的信号；误会), unspoken longings, the heart’s hidden rhythms. Yet she evokes them so exquisitely as to have transfixed generations of readers—and viewers.(然而，她将这些细节刻画得如此精妙，以至于令一代又一代读者——以及观众——为之着迷。)
在新版《理智与情感》的开场镜头中，一只毛毛虫在手指上爬行。这是简·奥斯汀写作手法的巧妙象征。在这部及其他小说中，她描绘的是历史长河中微不足道的小事：偷瞄的眼神、错位的信号、未说出口的渴望、内心隐秘的律动。然而，她将这些细节刻画得如此精妙，以至于令一代又一代读者——以及观众——为之着迷。
“Pride and Prejudice” is up next(接下来). It is a truth universally acknowledged among producers that you are allowed to remake it every decade or so; the latest version is due on Netflix in December.(制片人圈子里有一条举世公认的真理：每隔十年左右就可以重拍一次；最新版本将于12月在Netflix上线。) As you may have noticed, Austen’s are not the only classics currently transferring to the screen. “Wuthering Heights” was a hit; “The Odyssey” was a sensation. Other recent adaptations include “Frankenstein” and “Little House on the Prairie”. Among those impending(即将发生的) are “East of Eden”, “A Tale of Two Cities” and a version of “A Christmas Carol” starring Johnny Depp.
接下来是《傲慢与偏见》。制片人圈子里有一条举世公认的真理：每隔十年左右就可以重拍一次；最新版本将于12月在Netflix上线。你可能已经注意到，目前被搬上银幕的经典作品并不只有奥斯汀的。 《呼啸山庄》大获成功；《奥德赛》引起轰动。其他近期改编作品包括《弗兰肯斯坦》和《草原小屋》。即将上映的还有《伊甸之东》、《双城记》以及约翰尼·德普主演的《圣诞颂歌》。
This shelf-to-screen(从书架到银幕) stampede(狂奔；蜂拥) raises questions about films, tv and books. Why, in a world of apps and AI, is so much airtime(播出时间) devoted to women in bonnet(软帽)s and men in breeches(马裤)? What distinguishes a soaring reprise(腾飞的重新演绎) from a plodding retread(沉闷的旧调重弹)? As for books: if literature is in decline, as it is often said to be, how come the listings resemble a highbrow reading list?(至于书籍：如果文学真如人们常说的那样在衰落，为什么节目单看起来像一份高雅书单？) The underlying question is about the state of culture: is the costume-drama surge a mark of classiness—or of senescence(衰老)?
这场从书架到银幕的狂奔引发了关于电影、电视和书籍的种种疑问。在一个充斥着应用程序和人工智能的世界里，为什么还有这么多播出时间献给戴软帽的女人和穿马裤的男人？是什么让一次腾飞的重新演绎区别于一次沉闷的旧调重弹？至于书籍：如果文学真如人们常说的那样在衰落，为什么节目单看起来像一份高雅书单？根本问题关乎文化的状态：古装剧的激增是品位的标志——还是衰老的标志？