內(nèi)奧米·戈登 譯/邱槿
When a TV adaptation of one of our most beloved and dog-eared1 novels is a success and almost more beautiful than the book itself, we get to experience the joy of the book and the memories it evokes all over again.
Here are some of the best TV dramas based on some of our favourite books.
Normal People
Sally Rooney’s wondrous adaptation of her acclaimed novel of the same title Normal People follows lovestruck Irish couple Marianne and Connell as they navigate the trials and tribulations of young adulthood. The tender drama has transcended generations with its poignant and moving portrayal of first love and heartache. Newcomers Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal give heartbreaking and utterly compelling performances, and we defy you not to sob your way through the 12-part series.
Queen Sugar
Adapted by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay from Natalie Baszile’s novel of the same title, Queen Sugar tells the story of three estranged siblings who move back to Louisiana following a family tragedy. The trio are forced to put their complicated lives aside so that they can come together to run the clan’s struggling sugar cane farm. The cast includes Scandal’s Tina Lifford, Rutina Wesley, Kofi Siriboe and Omar J. Dorsey.
Oprah Winfrey serves as executive producer.
Sharp Objects
Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson and Little Women’s Eliza Scanlen star in Jean-Marc Vallée’s stylish and brooding adaptation of Gone Girl novelist Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects. Amy plays troubled2 crime reporter Camille Preaker who reluctantly returns to her hometown of Wind Gap, Missouri, to solve the murder of two young girls. As she endures her dysfunctional family and suffocating mother, Amy finally confronts her past and unearths a chilling twist in the process.
Clarkson won a Golden Globe for her performance as chilling matriarch3 Adora.
My Brilliant Friend
Elena Ferrante’s beloved Neapolitan novels My Brilliant Friend and The Story of a New Name have been adapted by HBO into an exquisite and absorbing drama—the network’s first ever in a foreign language. The poignant series captures the intense friendship of two young girls as they dream of escaping their impoverished and oppressive neighbourhood on the outskirts of Naples in 1950s, which is marred4 by violence and complex family hierarchies.
The Secret She Keeps
BBC’s adaptation of Michael Robotham’s The Secret She Keeps may be slightly predictable, but the six-part series about a woman faking her pregnancy makes for compulsive viewing. Downton Abbey’s Laura Carmichael plays Aggie, a woman suffering from trauma who pretends to be pregnant in a bid to steal the newborn of a wealthy blogger she befriends.
Anne with an E
Netflix’s stunning reimagining of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s coming-of-age classic Anne of Green Gables is moving, life-affirming5 and modern with its celebration of feminism, gender equality, diversity and the LGBTQ+6 community.
Set in the late 19th century, the series follows Amybeth McNulty’s Anne as she is adopted by two lonely siblings whose lives she transforms with her indomitable spirit, appetite for knowledge and zeal for life.
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Natalie Dormer stars in BBC’s intoxicating adaptation of Joan Lindsay’s iconic Australian novel that delves into7 the mysterious disappearances of three schoolgirls and their governess in 1900. Their vanishing causes conspiracy theories and paranoia amongst staff and students of Appleyard college as long-held secrets begin to emerge.
Outlander
This hopelessly romantic historical drama—adapted from the novel of the same title by Diana Gabaldon—has acquired a cult following due to the palpable8 on-screen chemistry between the two dynamic leads Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan. The story centres on Caitriona’s Claire Randall, a World War II combat nurse who is suddenly transported back in time to 1743 Scotland where she falls for Sam’s Jamie Fraser.
Big Little Lies
HBO’s adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s novel of the same title, Big Little Lies follows the lives of the infamous Monterey five—aka Hollywood stars Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley and Zoe Kravitz. Set in a city on California’s stunning central coast, the women struggle with strained marriages, infidelity and domestic abuse, before a fatal incident bonds them together for life. Season two introduces Meryl Streep as the mother-in-law from hell9.
Alias Grace
Netflix’s underrated adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s powerful historical novel Alias Grace follows enigmatic Irish immigrant and domestic servant Grace who, in 1843, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal murders of her employer and his housekeeper.
The story is based on actual 19th-century events, but Grace’s perilous journey in a male-dominated era—during which she is subjected to endless abuse from men in power and expected to remain silent—couldn’t have been more timely upon its release in 2017 as the MeToo movement took effect.
Little Fires Everywhere
Based on the best-selling novel of the same title10 by Celeste Ng, Little Fires Everywhere takes place in a placid Ohio suburb and follows Elena (Reese Witherspoon), a local journalist and meticulous rule follower who helps to maintain order in Shaker Heights while trying to keep her family of six happy.
When Mia (Kerry Washington) and her daughter Pearl arrive and become Elena’s tenants, the two women clash while their kids become friends. The show explores the links between the two families, one of which is an intense adoption trial.
Noughts and Crosses
BBC’s adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s novel Noughts & Crosses charts the stories of much-loved protagonists Sephy and Callum who are divided by their colour but united by love.
Sephy is a Cross, a member of the Black ruling class and daughter of a prominent politician. Callum is a Nought, a white member of the underclass. The two have been friends since early childhood but their relationship grows ever more complicated as they come of age. It’s the story of two fam-ilies separated by power and prejudice but forever entwined11 by fate.
當我們最喜愛且翻皺了的小說被改編成一部大獲成功且?guī)缀醣仍瓡实碾娨晞。覀儽愕靡栽俅沃販貢袠啡ひ约八鶈酒鸬姆N種回憶。
以下是一些根據(jù)我們喜愛之書所改編的最佳電視劇。
《正常人》
薩莉·魯尼對其備受贊譽的同名小說《正常人》做了精彩的改編,劇中講述了一對熱戀中的愛爾蘭情侶(瑪麗安娜和康奈爾)克服成年初期的重重考驗和磨難。這部溫馨的電視劇將痛徹心扉的初戀刻畫得凄美動人,因而跨越了年代界限。新人演員黛西·埃德加-瓊斯和保羅·梅斯考爾的表演令人動容,極富感染力,恐怕你在觀看這部12集的電視劇時全程都會感動落淚。
《蔗糖女王》
《蔗糖女王》是由奧斯卡提名電影制作人艾娃·迪韋奈改編自娜塔莉·巴斯基爾的同名小說,講述了原本形同陌路的三兄妹的故事,他們在一場家庭悲劇后遷回路易斯安那州。三人被迫擱置錯綜復雜的生活,以便攜手經(jīng)營舉步維艱的家庭甘蔗農(nóng)場。演員陣容包括:出演《丑聞》的蒂娜·利福德、盧蒂娜·韋斯利、科菲·斯里博伊和奧馬爾·J.多爾西。
奧普拉·溫弗瑞擔任監(jiān)制。
《利器》
讓-馬克·瓦雷對吉莉恩·弗林(《消失的愛人》的作者)的小說《利器》的改編既新潮前衛(wèi)又陰郁沉重,艾米·亞當斯、帕特里夏·克拉克森以及出演《小婦人》的伊麗莎·斯坎倫等人在劇中擔任主演。艾米飾演內(nèi)心困擾的刑事案件記者卡米爾·普里克。為了破解兩名年輕女孩被謀殺的案件真相,她不得已回到家鄉(xiāng)密蘇里州的風口鎮(zhèn)。艾米忍受著不正常的家庭和令人壓抑的母親,她終于直面了自己的過去,并在此期間有了一個令人毛骨悚然的意外發(fā)現(xiàn)。
克拉克森憑借飾演冷漠的母親奧多拉一角斬獲了金球獎。
《我的天才女友》
HBO將埃琳娜·費蘭特備受青睞的“那不勒斯四部曲”中的《我的天才女友》和《新名字的故事》改編成一部精彩絕倫、引人入勝的電視劇——這是HBO有史以來第一部外語作品。這部令人感傷的電視劇刻畫了兩個年輕女孩之間深厚的友誼。20世紀50年代,她們住在那不勒斯郊區(qū)一個貧窮壓抑的街區(qū),那里充斥著暴力,家庭等級關系復雜,她們一直夢想逃離這個環(huán)境。
《她的秘密》
BBC對邁克爾·羅博特姆《她的秘密》進行的改編可能有點欠缺新意,但這部講述一個女人佯裝懷孕的六集電視劇卻引人入勝。出演《唐頓莊園》的勞拉·卡邁克爾在本劇中飾演阿姬,這是一個遭受創(chuàng)傷的女人,她假裝懷孕,企圖偷走結識的一位富裕博主的新生兒。
《小小安妮》
網(wǎng)飛再次改編了露西·莫德·蒙哥馬利經(jīng)典成長小說《綠山墻的安妮》。該劇制作精良,贊頌了女權主義、性別平等、多樣性和“LGBTQ+”群體,感動人心、積極向上且具有現(xiàn)代意義。
該劇以19世紀末為時間背景,講述了艾米貝絲·麥克納爾蒂飾演的安妮被孤獨的兩兄妹收養(yǎng)的故事,安妮以不屈不撓的精神、對知識的渴望以及對生活的熱情改變了他們的生活。
《懸崖上的野餐》
BBC對瓊·林賽經(jīng)典的澳大利亞小說的改編令人陶醉,娜塔莉·多默在劇中擔任主角。這部小說深入探究了1900年三名女學生和她們的家庭女教師的神秘失蹤。她們的失蹤在阿普爾亞德學院的師生中引發(fā)了各種陰謀論和臆想,長久以來的秘密也逐漸浮出水面。
《外鄉(xiāng)人》
這部無比浪漫的歷史劇改編自戴安娜·加瓦爾東的同名小說,因兩位活力四射的主角(凱特里奧娜·巴爾夫和山姆·修漢)在劇中擦出了明顯的火花而備受追捧。故事圍繞凱特里奧娜飾演的克萊爾·蘭德爾展開,她是一名二戰(zhàn)時期的戰(zhàn)地護士,然而她突然穿越回1743年的蘇格蘭,并且愛上了山姆飾演的杰米·弗雷澤。
《大小謊言》
《大小謊言》由HBO改編自莉安·莫里亞蒂同名小說,講述了聲名狼藉的蒙特雷五人組的生活——分別由好萊塢明星瑞茜·威瑟斯彭、妮可·基德曼、勞拉·鄧恩、謝琳·伍德利和佐伊·克拉維茨飾演。故事發(fā)生在加州風景迷人的中部海岸的一座城市,這些女性陷入了婚姻關系緊張、感情不忠和家庭暴力的困境,直至一件致命的事件將她們永遠地聯(lián)系在一起。在第二季中,梅麗爾·斯特里普飾演討人厭的婆婆。
《別名格蕾絲》
網(wǎng)飛這部被低估的電視劇改編自瑪格麗特·阿特伍德極具感染力的歷史小說《別名格蕾絲》,講述了神秘的愛爾蘭移民和家仆格蕾絲的故事。1843年,格蕾絲因殘忍殺害雇主和他的管家被判無期徒刑。
這個故事來源于19世紀的真實事件,但格蕾絲的艱險之旅在2017年MeToo運動方興未艾之時上映卻是恰逢其時——身處男性主導的時代,她遭受男性當權者無休止的虐待并被要求保持沉默。
《星星之火》
《星星之火》改編自伍綺詩的英文同名暢銷小說,以俄亥俄州一個寧靜的郊區(qū)為背景,講述了當?shù)赜浾甙A漳龋ㄈ疖纭ね古盹棧┮唤z不茍地遵守規(guī)則的故事,她一邊協(xié)助維護謝克海茨的秩序,一邊維持六口之家的幸福。
當米婭(克麗·華盛頓飾)和她的女兒珀爾來到埃琳娜家并成為她的房客,這兩個女人發(fā)生了沖突,而她們的孩子卻成為朋友。該劇探討了兩個家庭間的種種關聯(lián),激烈的領養(yǎng)案審理便是其中之一。
《跨愛》
BBC對馬洛里·布萊克曼的小說《跨愛》的改編劇講述了備受青睞的主人公賽菲和卡勒姆的故事,他們因膚色而分隔,卻因相愛而結合。
賽菲來自黑人統(tǒng)治階級Cross,同時也是一位著名政治家的女兒,卡勒姆則來自下層白人階級Nought。二人青梅竹馬,但隨著長大成人,他們的關系也變得愈發(fā)復雜。這個故事講述了兩個家庭,它們因權力和偏見彼此分隔,卻因命運緊密相連。
(譯者為“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎者;單位:廣東外語外貿(mào)大學高級翻譯學院)