World classic, retold in simple Mandarin
Pride and Prejudice
傲慢与偏见
Pride and Prejudice (傲慢与偏见, Àomàn yǔ piānjiàn) is a classic by Jane Austen, retold in simple Mandarin as an 8-chapter story with audio for learners at about HSK 4 (Upper intermediate).
Retold from Jane Austen's 1813 novel: a proud rich man, a quick-witted young woman, a charming soldier with a secret, and five sisters who need husbands. Can two people who misjudge each other ever find love?
Meet the voices
- Narrator · 旁白 — The calm storyteller who sets the scene.
- Elizabeth Bennet · 伊丽莎白 — The witty, quick-tongued second Bennet daughter who trusts her first impressions.
- Mr. Darcy · 达西 — A rich, proud, shy gentleman who learns to say what he feels.
- Jane Bennet · 简 — Elizabeth's gentle eldest sister who always sees the good in people.
- Mr. Bingley · 宾利 — A cheerful, easily led rich young man who rents Netherfield.
- Mr. Bennet · 班纳特先生 — The dry-humored father who prefers his books to his wife's worries.
- Mrs. Bennet · 班纳特太太 — The loud, excitable mother who wants all five daughters married.
- Mr. Wickham · 威克姆 — A charming militia officer with a sad story that is not what it seems.
- Mr. Collins · 柯林斯 — A pompous clergyman cousin who loves long speeches and his rich patroness.
- Lydia Bennet · 莉迪亚 — The youngest Bennet, giggly and headstrong.
- Charlotte Lucas · 夏洛特 — Elizabeth's sensible friend who wants a safe home of her own.
- Mrs. Gardiner · 加德纳太太 — Elizabeth's kind and clever aunt from London.
- Mrs. Reynolds · 雷诺兹太太 — Pemberley's proud old housekeeper who has known Darcy since he was a boy.
- Miss Bingley · 宾利小姐 — Mr. Bingley's snobbish sister.
8 chapters, one journey
Chapter 1: A Rich Young Man
有钱的年轻人
A mother dreams of rich husbands for her five daughters, and a village ball brings a friendly newcomer and his proud friend, who says something Elizabeth was never meant to hear.
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Chapter 2: Mud and Bright Eyes
一裙子的泥
Mrs. Bennet sends Jane out in the rain on purpose, and Elizabeth marches three muddy miles to nurse her. At Netherfield, Mr. Darcy cannot stop looking at her.
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Chapter 3: The Cousin and the Soldier
表哥和军官
A pompous cousin arrives to find a wife, and a charming officer tells Elizabeth a sad story about Mr. Darcy. Is he telling the truth?
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Chapter 4: No, Mr. Collins
不，柯林斯先生
A dance with Mr. Darcy ends in sharp words, and a very pompous proposal ends in a very firm no. Then Jane opens a letter that breaks her heart.
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Chapter 5: The Proposal in Kent
肯特的求婚
Elizabeth visits her friend Charlotte in Kent, and a stormy evening brings the last visitor she expects: Mr. Darcy, with words she will never forget.
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Chapter 6: The Letter
那封信
A thick letter from Mr. Darcy turns everything Elizabeth believed upside down. Months later, a summer trip with her aunt heads toward a very famous house.
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Chapter 7: Pemberley
彭伯利
At the grand house of Pemberley, Elizabeth meets a Mr. Darcy she never knew. Then a letter arrives from home, and everything falls apart.
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Chapter 8: Two Weddings
两场婚礼
A slip of the tongue reveals Mr. Darcy's secret kindness. Then two men ask the two eldest Bennet sisters the question that will change their lives.
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Key words in Pride and Prejudice
Behind the story
Pride and Prejudice was written by the English author Jane Austen and published in 1813. It follows the Bennet family, five sisters in a country village whose parents worry about their future, because in that time and place a family house often passed to a male relative and daughters had to marry well. Austen tells this serious problem with warmth and a great deal of humor.
Chinese readers know the book as 《傲慢与偏见》, one of the English novels most often read in Chinese translation. Its title names the two faults at the heart of the story: 傲慢 (pride), which Darcy has, and 偏见 (prejudice), which Elizabeth has. Both learn to see more clearly and to say sorry.
Did you know?
- Jane Austen first published the novel without her name on it. The title page only said it was by the author of an earlier book.
- Austen's early draft was called “First Impressions”, which fits a story about people who judge each other too fast.
- Elizabeth's first reaction to Darcy is to laugh at him. Wit and good conversation matter as much as love in this book, which is why so many readers still enjoy her sharp answers.