經(jīng)典名著裝幀向《暮光之城》看齊

To Lure ‘Twilight’ Teenagers, Classic Books Get Bold Looks

經(jīng)典名著裝幀向《暮光之城》看齊

Teenagers are still reading the classics. They just don’t want them to look so, well, classic.

青少年仍然在閱讀經(jīng)典文學(xué)名著。他們只是不希望這些名著看起來(lái)，嗯，太過(guò)經(jīng)典。

That is the theory of publishers who are wrapping books like “Emma” and “Jane Eyre” in new covers: provocative, modern jackets in bold shades of scarlet and lime green that are explicitly aimed at teenagers raised on “Twilight” and “The Hunger Games.”

這也是出版商的理論，他們正把《愛(ài)瑪》(Emma)、《簡(jiǎn)愛(ài)》(Jane Eyre)等名著重新設(shè)計(jì)換上嶄新封面：富有挑逗性、具有現(xiàn)代氣質(zhì)的封面使用大膽的緋紅色和石灰綠色等深淺變幻的色調(diào)，其目的很明確，就是要吸引閱讀《暮光之城》(Twilight)、《饑餓游戲》(The Hunger Games)等這一類(lèi)青春文學(xué)長(zhǎng)大的一代。

The new versions are cutting edge replacements for the traditional (read: stuffy, boring) covers that have been a trademark of the classics for decades, those familiar, dour depictions of women wearing frilly clothing. In their place are images like the one of Romeo in stubble and a tight white tank top on a new Penguin edition of “Romeo and Juliet.”

重新設(shè)計(jì)的經(jīng)典文學(xué)名著時(shí)尚潮流，代替了傳統(tǒng)(也可解讀為：古板、無(wú)趣)經(jīng)典書(shū)籍封面幾十年不變的風(fēng)格，封面上那些穿著鑲褶邊衣服的女人們，再讓人熟悉不過(guò)了。現(xiàn)在新版本的封面則是另一番調(diào)調(diào)：羅密歐一臉胡茬兒，穿著緊身無(wú)袖背心出現(xiàn)在企鵝出版社最新版《羅密歐與朱麗葉》(Romeo and Juliet)的封皮上。

The covers are intended to tap into the soaring popularity of the young-adult genre, the most robustly growing category in publishing. In the last decade, publishers have poured energy and resources into books for teenagers, releasing more titles each year. Bookstores have followed suit, creating and expanding spe-cial sections devoted to them.

這樣的封面設(shè)計(jì)意在開(kāi)發(fā)人氣不斷飆升且不斷增長(zhǎng)的青春文學(xué)出版市場(chǎng)。近十年來(lái)，出版公司不斷向青少年圖書(shū)市場(chǎng)投入更多精力及資源，每年出版更多讀物。書(shū)店也紛紛仿效，開(kāi)辟并擴(kuò)大以青少年讀者為對(duì)象的圖書(shū)專(zhuān)區(qū)。

After the “Twilight” books by Stephenie Meyer became a sensation, paranormal romances boomed. In the last several years, the “Hunger Games” trilogy has inspired dozens of dystopian novels.

作家斯蒂芬妮·梅爾(Stephenie Meyer)的《暮光之城》系列小說(shuō)轟動(dòng)一時(shí)，隨即超自然浪漫愛(ài)情小說(shuō)開(kāi)始大行其道。最近幾年，《饑餓游戲》三部曲的成功促使幾十種反烏托邦類(lèi)型小說(shuō)出版。

Some of the redesigned jackets are clearly inspired by the “Twilight” series. HarperCollins released a cover for “Wuthering Heights” with a stark black background, a close-up of a red rose and an inscription that reads, “Bella & Edward’s favorite book.” (Critics sneered that it was a “Twilight” rip-off.)

重新包裝設(shè)計(jì)的經(jīng)典文學(xué)作品封面顯然受到《暮光之城》系列的啟發(fā)。同樣，哈珀·柯林斯(Harper Collins)出版集團(tuán)也發(fā)行了新版《呼嘯山莊》(Wuthering Heights)，封面以單調(diào)的黑色為背景，放上一只鮮紅玫瑰花的特寫(xiě)，并賦上一行題字：“貝拉和愛(ài)德華最?lèi)?ài)的書(shū)”。批評(píng)者們嘲笑這樣的設(shè)計(jì)完全山寨《暮光之城》。(貝拉和愛(ài)德華是《暮光之城》系列的主人公——譯注。)

In a new series published by Puffin Books, an imprint of Penguin Group USA, a cover of the Gothic vampire novel “Dracula” by Bram Stoker features a ghostly woman floating in the center, her platinum hair flying in the air. The title and author are scrawled in cursive over a large pool of blood, rivulets of red dripping down the page.

布拉姆·斯托克(Bram Stoker)的哥特式吸血鬼小說(shuō)《德拉庫(kù)拉》(Dracula)由美國(guó)企鵝旗下海雀圖書(shū)(Puffin Books)重新出版。小說(shuō)封面中央飄浮著一個(gè)鬼氣森森的女人，銀灰色的頭發(fā)在空中飛舞著。書(shū)名和作者名潦草地印在一大片血泊上，一道道紅色血水滴了下來(lái)。

“We didn’t want to go with a muted approach,” said Eileen Kreit, the president and publisher of Puffin. “We had that Urban Outfitters customer in mind. We wanted to appeal to that teenager and give a fresh look to these stories that have been around a very long time.”

“我們不想守株待兔，”海雀圖書(shū)董事長(zhǎng)兼出版人愛(ài)琳·科瑞特(Eileen Kreit)說(shuō)道：“我們時(shí)刻想著那些時(shí)髦的年輕讀者。我們希望能吸引更多青少年讀者，當(dāng)他們把這些書(shū)拿在手里時(shí)，會(huì)眼前一亮，重新認(rèn)識(shí)這些老故事。”

Sales of some young-adult versions have been strong. The HarperCollins edition of “Wuthering Heights” has sold 125,000 copies since it was released in 2009, an extraordinary number that sent the book back to the best-seller lists.

這些年，青春版文學(xué)系列銷(xiāo)售強(qiáng)勁?？铝炙拱姹镜摹逗魢[山莊》自從2009年發(fā)行以來(lái)一共售出12.5萬(wàn)冊(cè)，這個(gè)銷(xiāo)售數(shù)字斐然，使它一躍進(jìn)入了暢銷(xiāo)書(shū)排行榜。

Because titles like “Pride and Prejudice” and “Persuasion” are in the public domain, any publisher can release a version, leaving the text inside the books untouched while redesigning the cover. And for the young-adult reader, publishers are scooping up all the material they can find.

《傲慢與編見(jiàn)》(Pride and Prejudice)和《勸導(dǎo)》(Persuasion)這類(lèi)書(shū)屬于公有領(lǐng)域圖書(shū)，可以由任何一家出版公司再版發(fā)行，書(shū)籍內(nèi)容不能變，封面可以隨意設(shè)計(jì)。出版公司為了吸引青少年讀者，想盡辦法到處搜羅這種類(lèi)型的公版圖書(shū)。

Now the new versions of the classics are fighting for space on the young-adult shelves of bookstores. In a Barnes & Noble in Manhattan last week, a display featured four new editions of novels by Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters alongside more contemporary offerings of paranormal romances. (Upstairs in the adult-fiction section, more traditional versions of the classics were lined up on the shelves.)

現(xiàn)在出版商正在努力，希望新版經(jīng)典文學(xué)能在青少年讀者的書(shū)架上爭(zhēng)得一席之地。上周，曼哈頓一家巴諾(Barnes & Noble)書(shū)店里，在同一個(gè)展臺(tái)上既能看到四部新版的簡(jiǎn)·奧斯丁和勃朗特姐妹經(jīng)典著作，也能看到更多的當(dāng)代超自然愛(ài)情小說(shuō)。(樓上成人區(qū)的書(shū)架上擺放著更多傳統(tǒng)版本圖書(shū)。)

At the Book Revue bookstore in Huntington, N.Y., new versions of the classics have sold briskly, surprising the store’s owner, Julie Klein.

在紐約亨廷頓的Book Revue 書(shū)店里，新版經(jīng)典文學(xué)銷(xiāo)售極旺，這讓店主茱麗·克萊因(Julie Klein)感到很驚訝。

“I wasn’t sure they would sell at all, to be honest,” she said. “As a bookseller, I appreciate the classics and I love when I can sell them to a new generation. Anything that gets kids to look at them.”

“說(shuō)實(shí)話(huà)，我對(duì)這些經(jīng)典文學(xué)的銷(xiāo)售真是沒(méi)底，”她說(shuō)：“作為書(shū)商，我非常喜歡這些經(jīng)典書(shū)籍，如果年輕人能買(mǎi)這些書(shū)來(lái)讀，那我更是高興。只要能吸引孩子們看這些書(shū)，我就很欣慰。”

In March, Splinter, an imprint of Sterling Publishing, began releasing its Classic Lines series, paperback editions of classic novels with French flaps and delicate illustrations on the jackets that have the appearance of watercolors. For the artwork, the publisher hired Sara Singh, a Manhattan-based fashion illustrator.

三月份，斯特林出版公司(Sterling Publishing)旗下斯普雷特(Splinter)開(kāi)始發(fā)行其“經(jīng)典臺(tái)詞”(Classic Lines)系列讀本。這套平裝經(jīng)典文學(xué)系列使用法式勒口封面設(shè)計(jì)，封面上繪有精美水彩插圖，公司特別請(qǐng)來(lái)曼哈頓時(shí)裝插圖畫(huà)家莎拉·辛格(Sara Singh)來(lái)做封面插圖。

“My challenge was to make something that’s classic look appealing to tweens,” she said. Referring to the covers, she added, “We wanted to make them fashionable and beautiful, with bright colors and handwritten text.”

辛格說(shuō)，“我面臨的最大挑戰(zhàn)是如何吸引更多青少年閱讀這些經(jīng)典文學(xué)”。談到她的設(shè)計(jì)時(shí)，她說(shuō)：“我們希望讓封面看起來(lái)更時(shí)尚、更漂亮、顏色亮麗，配上手寫(xiě)字體。”

Alli Brydon, the editor of the series, dismissed more traditional covers as too “Victorian” and “old-fashioned” for teenagers. On the jacket of a classic edition of “Jane Eyre” in Barnes & Noble, for instance, a woman is staring mournfully into the distance, her skin nearly the same yellowish hue as the wall behind her, a black coat hiding her neck.

此套從書(shū)的編輯阿萊·布蘭登(Alli Brydon)不希望在以青少年讀者為對(duì)象的封面中，使用太傳統(tǒng)的“維多利亞”或“古典”式設(shè)計(jì)。就如巴諾公司出版的《簡(jiǎn)·愛(ài)》，封面上，一個(gè)女人悲慟地望著遠(yuǎn)方，她的皮膚調(diào)子微黃，幾乎和她身后墻壁的顏色一模一樣，黑色的大衣將她的頸部遮了起來(lái)。

“It doesn’t show her brazen qualities, and it doesn’t show her bravery,” said Ms. Brydon, who oversaw a Classic Lines cover for the novel featuring a bright purple sketch of the book’s heroine with her chin held up jauntily. “A lot of the old covers don’t convey some of the feminist ideas that the books hold.”

“這種設(shè)計(jì)沒(méi)有表現(xiàn)簡(jiǎn)的堅(jiān)毅和勇敢，”負(fù)責(zé)“經(jīng)典臺(tái)詞”系列叢書(shū)的布蘭登說(shuō)。這個(gè)系列推出的新版《簡(jiǎn)·愛(ài)》，小說(shuō)封面是用素描繪制的一位紫衣少女，主人公抬著下巴，看起來(lái)非?；顫姟?ldquo;很多舊式封面并沒(méi)有傳遞書(shū)中所要表達(dá)的女權(quán)主義思想。”

The traditional covers also make young protagonists look much older than their true age, while the newer ones portray characters like Elizabeth Bennet in “Pride and Prejudice” as the young adults they actually are, making them more appealing to young readers.

在傳統(tǒng)封面上，女主角看起來(lái)比實(shí)際年齡要大很多，而在新版封面更能準(zhǔn)確反映女主角的真實(shí)年齡，如《傲慢與偏見(jiàn)》(Pride and Prejudice)中的伊麗莎白·班納特(Elizabeth Bennet)就被描繪為一位與目標(biāo)讀者同齡的少女，這樣對(duì)年輕讀者更有吸引力。

Nevertheless, some teenagers have rejected the new editions. At Book Passage, a store with two outlets in the San Francisco Bay Area, a display of repackaged classics did not sell well, said the store’s owner, Elaine Petrocelli.

然而，還是有一些小讀者不喜歡新版經(jīng)典名著。在舊金山港灣區(qū)擁有兩家直銷(xiāo)店的Book Passage書(shū)城里，據(jù)店主伊萊恩·帕特西里(Elaine Petrocelli)介紹，重新設(shè)計(jì)的經(jīng)典圖書(shū)銷(xiāo)售并不好。

“If kids want to read ‘Emma,’ they want to buy it in the adult section, not the teen section,” she said. “Kids don’t want to feel like they’re being manipulated.”

“想閱讀《愛(ài)瑪》的孩子們會(huì)到成年區(qū)買(mǎi)書(shū)，”她說(shuō)：“孩子們不想感覺(jué)自己被人操縱了。”

Tess Jagger-Wells, a 15-year-old high school sophomore from San Rafael, Calif., said she counted “Jane Eyre” among her favorite books, a story she loved for its old-fashioned, “charming” moments that “you had to wait for — they weren’t just handed to you.”

15歲的苔絲·賈格爾·威爾(Tess Jagger-Wells)住在加州圣拉非爾，現(xiàn)在讀高一，她說(shuō)，《簡(jiǎn)·愛(ài)》是她最喜歡的小說(shuō)之一，她喜歡書(shū)中“迷人的”老時(shí)光——“幸福不是唾手可得，需要你耐心等待。”

For classics like that and “Pride and Prejudice,” Tess said she preferred her hardcover editions with their flowery covers to the more modern versions.

對(duì)于《傲慢與偏見(jiàn)》這類(lèi)經(jīng)典文學(xué)，苔絲說(shuō)她不喜歡現(xiàn)代版裝幀風(fēng)格，她寧愿選擇封面設(shè)計(jì)繁復(fù)、華麗的精裝版。