幸運的是今天接生部不旺嬰孩,竟然意料之外地能夠偷閒看畢 “Miss Potter” 的小說版;可惜的是即使明知這是個有喜有悲的故事,依然像化身主角般為了後半段的情節不住流淚。
簡單點說,這是有關一個活在自己純真世界裡的獨身女子首次嚐到愛情滋味的故事。三十多歲仍雲英未嫁的女主角,不喜歡交際,只喜愛與自己筆下的動物談天,一次偶然機會讓她的作品得以交予以三兄弟為主的出版商發行,因而結識了其中的幼弟並暗生情愫。只可惜女方的父母嫌棄商家,後來即使已私訂終身也因男主角急病而亡而無法開花結果。
愈來愈發現最動人的情話其實可能只是最普通的句子,例如 Norman Warne 與 Beatrix Potter 初相識時有這樣的一段:
Norman turned to her. ‘Your book has been very important in my life,’ he said fervently. ‘You have been…very important…in my life.’
(Trailer 裡 Ewan McGregor 飾演 Norman Warne 時是有說過這段的)
然後當他向 Beatrix 求婚時則說:
‘I know you have decided not to marry. All my life, I ahve been confident I would not marry either. But something has happened that has caused me to change my mind. I have begun to wonder if anything similar has caused you to change yours.’
很簡單的沒有修飾的句子也可以令人感動不已,也就想起 P&P 裡最讓我為之動容的也是 Mr. Darcy 再次表白的那一段。
‘You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever.’
雖說這是個切實的愛情故事,還是有一些位置是讓我會心微笑的,例如 Norman 的姊姊 Amelia 和 Beatrix 談及兩個獨身女子不如去瑞士滑雪時:
Beatrix laughed, ‘I can see the headline in the Times: SPINSTERS KILL THEMSELVES IN FALL OFF MATTERHORN! That would be entertaining.’
雖然早已知道故事內容,可是我仍然期待看到 “Miss Potter” 在電影院裡上映的,有 Renee Zellweger 和 Ewan McGregor 啊!(可惜真的不知道要等到何年何月了--還是直接等待 DVD?)