The Tale of Peter Rabbit's Author(b)|波特小姐的异想世界

The Tale of Peter Rabbit's Author

by Paul Hines

Beatrix Potter's magical childhood inspired a much-loved series of children's books.

　　Beatrix Potter originally created The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1893, although it wasn't until 1901, when she was 35, that 250 black and white copies were printed for family and friends. This was because every publisher in England had rejected the manuscript. Even after the initial setbacks, Ms. Potter had the vision and tenacity to continue to approach publishers. Eventually, she agreed to use color illustrations and to make several changes to the story, resulting in the first book of the series appearing in bookstores in 1902. It was an immediate success, selling out reprint after reprint. Peter Rabbit books are now published in 36 languages, with sales approaching 50 million copies.

　　Only a year after its astonishing debut, Beatrix Potter had not only sold over 58,000 copies but also created one of the world's first examples of merchandising. Her release of the equally successful Peter Rabbit doll, board game, and wallpaper, created a Peter Rabbit merchandise industry that continues to this very day. There are entire sections of toyshops and department stores that sell everything from Peter Rabbit confectionary and tableware to clothing and stationery. There are also computer games, jigsaw puzzles and garden ornaments.

　　For those who can't get enough of Peter Rabbit, there is the Peter Rabbit Garden, located near Bowness-on-Windermere, the hometown of Beatrix Potter. Fans of the lovable rabbit can immerse themselves in the magical world as imagined by the author. Peter Rabbit's home has been carefully recreated and features every element from all 23 stories. Other attractions include picnic baskets filled with delicious treats and a tearoom serving mouth-watering meals inspired by the stories.

 

波特小姐的异想世界

碧雅翠丝‧波特充满惊奇的童年，激发出深受喜爱的一系列童书。

　　碧雅翠丝‧波特原先于 1893 年创作出《彼得兔的故事》，不过一直到 1901 年，她三十五岁时，才印制了两百五十本附有黑白插图的故事书给亲友。这是因为当时英国每一家出版社都拒绝了她的手稿。即便在一开始受到挫折，波特小姐依然深怀远见且不屈不挠，持续不断地与出版社接触。最后，她同意使用彩色插图且在故事上做一些修改，结果这个系列的首部作品便于 1902 年在书店上架了。这本书一举成功，不断再版后仍然销售一空。彼得兔丛书现今被译成三十六种语言出版，销量逼近五千万册。

　　就在令人惊艷的处女作之后，仅仅一年的时间，碧雅翠丝‧波特不仅销售超过五万八千册，更创下世界推出周边商品的先例之一。她发行同样成功的彼得兔娃娃、棋盘游戏和壁纸，开创了流行至今的彼得兔商品产业。在玩具商店和百货公司里有一整个区块都是贩售所有与彼得兔有关的商品，从彼得兔糖果、餐具到衣服和文具都有。还有计算机游戏、拼图以及园艺装饰品。

　　对于那些拥有再多彼得兔都嫌不够的人来说，有一座位于包纳斯温德密尔附近的彼得兔花园，那里也是碧雅翠丝．波特的故乡。这只可爱兔子的粉丝们可以将自己沉浸在如同作者想象出来的奇幻世界里。彼得兔的家园已被精心改造过，并且以其中二十三个故事的每个要素作为特色。其他吸引人之处包括了许多装满美味点心的野餐篮，还有一间茶屋，里头供应着令人垂涎的餐点，这些全都是受到故事所启发的。