英文小说

英文小说（共11篇）

英文小说 篇1

By now,English novel has already come into being for nearly400 hundred years.The artistic characteristics of English novel are greatly influenced by western mythologies and Romances.As Li Weiping states that"when reviewing the thorough development of English novel,we find that the early English novelists were affected by ancient mythologies and romance in various degrees (2003,p.6)."Among these complex factors,epic and romance play a much more significant role in the birth of early English novel than other literary genres.

1.An introduction to romance

In order to acquire a thorough understanding of the artisticcharacteristics of romance upon early English novel,it is necessary to give a brief account of romance.

A.Definition of romance

Romance is the most prevailing kind of literature form in feudalEngland."It was a long composition in verse,sometimes in prose,describing the life and adventure of a noble hero (Liu,2007,p.8)."As Chen Jia states that"Romances,alliterative and metrical,constitute the bulk of the literary works in England in the three centuries after 1066 (1982,p.33)."Based on these two similar definitions of romance,generally speaking,the central character of romance was the knight,a man of noble birth skilled in the use of weapons.The major theme of loyalty to king and lord was repeatedly emphasized in romance,and usually emphasized the chivalric love of the Middle Ages in Europe.

B.Romance in Middle Ages and Renaissance period

Romance was born in the Middle Ages of Europe and wonpeople’s taste immediately.In the Middle Ages,romance was usually written to the noble men,and has nothing to do with the common people.Most of the early middle Age romances depict an antique story in the guise of poetry.At the very beginning,romance appears in a verse form with obvious features of poetry,but the conversion from verse romance to prose romance has produced a revolutionary effect on the creation of romances,which paves the way for the coming of early English novel.Anyway,the invention of romances is a transitional literature form from narrative poetry to early English novel,and the contribution made by romances to the coming of English novel is,without doubt,very unique (Jiang,2005,p.18).In a word,the Middle Age romances are prelude of English novel,and we could hardly acquire a good understanding of English novel without some knowledge of romance (Gao,2003,p.14).

If we say the Middle Age romances are more like poetry,thenthe romances produced in Renaissance period are actually the infants of early English novel.

During the period of Renaissance of England,English romancesget a considerable progress,and hold a large number of readers.To name some of the best works,we have George Gascoigne's The Adventures of Master F.J.Robert Greene’s Pandosto,Philip Sydney's Arcadia.These works best exemplify the artistic characteristics of romances in the Renaissance period,and further mold the shape of early English novel.

Ⅱ.Artistic characteristics of romance

To some extent,we could state that romances provide us withan artistic model early English novel (Hou,2005,p.22).These general artistic characteristics of romance play a significant role in the formation of early English novel.As Li Weiping states,there are generally five major artistic characteristics of English romances (2003,p.30).They are as following:

Romances are inclined to present chivalric spirit and romanticlove,trying to make a perfect combination of these two.

Romances have a relatively free narrative form,which clearlyreveal the artistic taste and ideas of early writers in the process of exploring the ways of writing narrative essays.

Apparently,romances display artistic traces of poetry left uponthem,and rhetorical devices of poetry were frequently employed in romances which actually were based on narrative essay.

Romances were written from a relatively mature,sensitive,philosophical and civilized point of view,so they were favored by upper class intellectuals.

Early romances have already shown a sense of realism in theircontents.

Besides,there are still other subtle artistic characteristicsreflected in romances.For instance,the real description of natural surroundings,the psychological portrayal of characters,the relatively neat organization of plots,the sense of moral education,and the universal value of goodness,etc.As a matter of fact,the above artistic characteristics of romance paved a way for early English writers to exploit a new form of literature which immediately won the taste among people all over the world,that is,the birth of early English novel.

Ⅲ.Artistic characteristics of early English novel

The influences of romance upon early English novel areapparent to us,because the artistic similarities between romance and early English novel can never be ignored.Actually,early English novels always show traces of these influences clearly or subtly.

Stylistically speaking,romances often describe a hero whoexperienced lots of adventures in a remote past or somewhere unknown to us.This kind of work can easily arouse reader's interest as much as possible.Coincidentally,Early English novels are inclined to place its hero in a remote environment and envelop him in a series of adventures as well.Daniel Defoe is always regarded as the forerunner of English novel,and his work may best show us the races of romances left on early English novel.Defoe's masterpiece Robinson Crusoe tells us a seemingly realistic story in an autobiographic form.But in nature,Defoe uses his vast imagination to create a hero who has survived in a remote island for several years.Defoe uses his imagination to create a romantic story to reveal the spirit of the rising bourgeois class.

Thematically speaking,most of the romances extol for man's right to pursue happiness and deserved rights,which propose a contest against the religious doctrine that regards the pursuit of happiness as a kind of human deterioration.In Defoe's masterpiece,Robinson Crusoe,Robinson was born in a family of an old English gentle man who wants his son Robinson to become a lawyer,yet Robinson has set his mind on becoming a sailor.Here,Robinson's pursuit of happiness and freedom in right overshadow the senior man's order,which is a kind of rebellion against power.

The psychological painting in early English novel comes has itsorigins in romances.Romances depict the psychological world of its characters for the first time (Gao,2003,p.5).This kind writing style affect early English novel greatly.In the work of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,Gawain is painted as a chivalric knight journeyed to meet a sever fighting.Although Gawain is not a real man,the psychological analysis of him is still presented vividly and analyzed as Sir Gawain encounters one strange event after another (Chen,1982,p.38).Well,in Pamela,or,Virtue Rewarded,written by Samuel Richardson and Tom Jones,written by Fielding's,the psychological movements of the characters are frequently presented.

Realistic description in early English novel also has somethingto do with romances.As (Jiang,2005,p.19) States that though romances are more romantic,fictional and chivalric,yet there are still realistic factors rooted in them.In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,Sir Gawain is an imagined hero who experienced various adventures to challenge the Green Knight.Though many scenes in the story are fabricated,yet the elaborate descriptions of the seasons as well as the places and things witnessed by the hero in the course of his adventure are real reflection of nature (Chen,1982,p.38).It is a sort of realistic presentation of environment.

The artistic characteristics of early English novel show itsintimate relationships with romances.But we should bear in mind that romance is still different from novel in many ways,and it is improper to mix these two literature genres.One thing needs our attention is that romance is a Middle Age literary product which opens the door for diverse flourishing of English literature genres,especially English novel.

Conclusion

Romance does lose its popularity among people's readingflavor,but the abundant literary heritages left by romance are definitely a body of legacies for literature.The artistic characteristics of romance merit our focus if we want to get more knowledge about the birth of English novel.

摘要：英文小说的产生包含了各种复杂的因素,诸如古代希腊文,罗马神话,浪漫主义以及其他复杂的社会因素。在这些因素当中,浪漫主义对英文小说的形成有着密不可分的关系,本文旨在分析浪漫主义的艺术特点对早期英文小说的影响。

关键词：浪漫主义,艺术特点,影响,早期的英文小说

参考文献

[1]、陈嘉.英国文学史[M].北京:商务印书馆,1982;33-39.

[2]、高继海.英国小说史[M].北京:中国社会科学出版社, 2003:3-15.

[3]、侯维瑞.李维屏.英国小说史(上)[M].南京:译林出版社, 2005:18-35.

[4]、蒋承勇.英国小说发展史[M].浙江:浙江大学出版社, 2005:18-22.

[5]、李维屏.英国小说艺术史[M].上海:上海外语教育出版社,2003;2-30.

[6]、刘炳善.英国文学简史[M].郑州:河南人民出版社,2007;8-10.

[7]、左金梅.张德玉.英国文学[M].青岛:中国海洋大学出版社,2004;17-20.

[8]、胡琳.欧洲近代长篇小说成型过程中的史诗距离与文体研究[D].上海师范大学,2007;31-35.

英文小说 篇2

经典语句摘录： 1.after all, tomorrow is another day.--scarlett.毕竟，明天又是另外的一天呢。2.a glamour to it--a perfection, a symmetry like grecian art.--ashley 那时它富有魅力，像古希腊艺术那样是圆满的、完整的和匀称的。（艾希礼关于战前生活的阐述）3.i was never one to patiently pick up broken fragments, and new.what is broken--and i’d rather remember it as it was at its best than mend it and see the broken places as long as i lived.—rhett 我从来不是那样的人，不能耐心地拾起一些碎片，把它们黏合在一起，然后对自己说这个修补好了的东西跟新的完全一样。一样东西破碎了就是破碎了--我宁愿记住它最好时的模样，而不想把它修补好，然后终生看着那些破碎了的地方。4.land is the only thing in the world worth working for, worth fighting for, worth dying for.because its the only thing that lasts.土地是世界上唯一值得你去为之工作, 为之战斗, 为之牺牲的东西,因为它是唯一永恒的东西。5.i wish i could be more like you.我要像你一样就好了。7.i think its hard winning a war with words.我认为纸上谈兵没什么作用。8.sir, youre no gentleman.and you miss are no lady.先生,你可真不是个君子,小姐,你也不是什么淑女。9.i never give anything without expecting something in return.i always get paid.我做任何事不过是为了有所回报,我总要得到报酬。10.in spite of you and me and the whole silly world going to pieces around us, i love you.哪怕是世界末日我都会爱着你。11.i love you more than ive ever loved any woman.and ive waited longer for you than ive waited for any woman.我爱你，比我更爱任何女人。我为你等待的时间比我等任何女人都要长。12.if i have to lie, steal, cheat or kill, as god as my witness, ill never be hungry again!即使让我撒谎,去偷,去骗,去杀人,上帝作证,我再也不要挨饿了。13.now i find myself in a world which for me is worse than death.a world in which there is no place for me.现在我发现自己活在一个比死还要痛苦的世界,一个无我容身之处的世界。14.you’re throwing away happiness with both hands.reaching out for something that will never make you happy.你把自己的幸福拱手相让,去追求一些根本不会让你幸福的东西。15.home.ill go home.and ill think of some way to get him back.after all, tomorrow is another day.家,我要回家.我要想办法让他回来.不管怎样,明天又是全新的一天。

感想：

gone with the wind, an american romantic novel written by margaret mitchell is a reflection of the civil war.what impresses us most is the spirit of a rebellious georgia woman named scarlett ohara and her travails with friends, family and lovers in the midst of the antebellum south, the american civil war, and the reconstruction period.it also tells the story of love those blossoms between scarlett ohara and rhett butler.this is really a kind of moving story.someone said that the most classic scene in the novel was that when scarlett returned her ruined home, holding the earth in her hand, she promised that no matter to steal or to rob she would篇二：英文小说读后感之飘

汉语：

21世纪12部最佳英文小说 篇3

NO.12：《中性》（Middlesex，杰弗里·尤金尼德斯，2002年）

“我有两次生命：第一次是作为一个女婴， 1960年1月出生于底特律市，那一天底特律没有雾霾笼罩，是个难得的好天；第二次是1974年8月在密歇根州佩托斯基市附近的一间急诊室里，这次我是个少年。”尤金尼德斯在小说的开场白中写道。卡莉奥佩·斯特凡尼季斯发现自己患有罕见的隐性突变，这使她成了双性人。因为相信自己的大脑是“男性”的，她选择变性，成了卡尔。尤金尼德斯在小说中将意志与命运斗争的问题铺写开来，交织在卡尔的成年故事及其父母（他们也有着自己的基因秘密）在工业社会的奋斗经历中。最后，卡尔的与众不同使他拥有了神奇的天赋——“透视不同性别的视角，以不同性别角色交流，而不是以单性别的视角看问题”。《中性》不仅赢得了普利策小说奖，而且也获得了上百万册销售量的商业成功。

NO.11：《白牙》（White Teeth，查蒂·史密斯，2000年）

23岁的史密斯以处女作《白牙》震惊了文坛，小说显示了作者无与伦比的天分和视野，获得了惠特布莱德奖和《卫报》首作奖。故事的背景设在伦敦，在二战中相识的两位朋友，阿奇·琼斯和萨马尔·伊克巴尔各自安顿下来，建立了自己的家庭。在小说的一开场，阿奇刚刚和第二任妻子离了婚，“在烟雾弥漫的旅行车里，他趴在方向盘上”，选择了在1975年新年的那天自杀。因为车泊在了一个清真肉铺的外面，他被肉铺老板救了下来。小说以各种生动的场景和人物角色描述了后殖民时代多元文化的伦敦，“孩子们的名字里可以看到大迁徙，拥挤的船只和飞机，寒风中抵达，医疗检查等”。

NO.10：《半轮黄日》（Half of a Yellow Sun，奇玛曼达·恩戈齐·阿迪奇埃，2006年）

在她充满大胆想象的第二部小说中，阿迪奇埃汲取了祖先的历史作为写作素材，描述了1967年东尼日利亚的伊博人退出尼日利亚联邦后，给国家和家庭带来极大创伤的持续三年的比夫拉战争（她的祖父在战争中死于难民营）。小说以双胞胎姐妹奥兰娜和凯内内、13岁的家童以及英国侨民理查德的视角展开。奥兰娜的男友赞成伊博族独立，也是书中的一个重要角色。阿迪奇埃描述了后殖民势力的挣扎对个人生活的影响。书评家沃尔顿·穆永巴评价道：“阿迪奇埃的这部小说充满了艺术和智慧，是一部精心之作。同时又是一部严肃的政治小说，生动地描写了战时爱情。”

NO.9：《赎罪》（Atonement，伊恩·麦克尤恩，2001年）

麦克尤恩这部幽情回荡、构思精巧的小说开场于1935年的一个夏日，13岁的布里奥妮正在给母亲看自己写的一部剧本，准备第二天晚上和三个表姐妹一起演出。“布里奥妮还不知道，恐怕此时已经是这部作品的最高成就了。”麦克尤恩写道，“这已经是最大的满足，剩下的都是梦想和挫败。”那天晚上，布里奥妮目睹15岁的表姐洛拉在树林中被强暴。她的指证使得女仆的儿子，也就是姐姐塞西莉亚在剑桥大学的男朋友罗比身陷囹圄。在小说的第二部分，麦克尤恩对1940年的敦刻尔克大撤退进行了全景描述，罗比得救。在小说的第三部分，布里奥妮意识到自己毁掉了塞西莉亚和罗比的生活，渴望赎罪的她在闪电战期间成为一名护士。在麦克尤恩的笔下，这些人物的生活跨越了60年，布里奥妮的救赎之旅也演化为对艺术力量的沉思。

NO.8：《比利·林恩漫长的中场休息》（Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk，本·芳丹，2012年）

这部处女作获得了美国国家书评奖，书评家史蒂文·凯勒曼认为，该作以其“纯粹、睿智的愉悦”而与众不同。美军的一支突击小分队与伊拉克军队交火，一名士兵牺牲，另有一名伤残，剩下的八个人意外地被福克斯新闻台冠以英雄的称号。他们回到美国，进行了为期两周的胜利巡游，最后以在达拉斯牛仔队比赛的中场亮相而结束。芳丹在小说中描写了得克萨斯州的过度开发、美式橄榄球、商业和战争，并以19岁的比利·林恩的口吻，对其内心的欲望、混乱和创伤后应激障碍给予了淋漓尽致的表述。“因为生命中最糟糕的一天而受到嘉奖，这真是一种非常奇怪的感觉。”他对达拉斯牛仔队的啦啦队队长坦诚地说出了自己的心里话。

NO.7：《恶棍来访》（A Visit from the Goon Squad，珍妮弗·伊根，2010年）

伊根对时间、声誉和音乐的普鲁斯特式思考为她赢得了美国国家书评奖和普利策奖。谁是书名中的恶棍呢？“时间就是那鬼鬼祟祟的恶棍，你注意不到它是因为你正在忙于对付面前生活中的恶棍。”伊根这样解释道。伊根的故事围绕着本尼·萨拉查——曾经的朋克摇滚歌手、现在的音乐制作人，其有偷窃习惯的助手莎拉，还有一群效仿者、过气明星和逢迎者展开。《塔帕湾时报》的图书编辑科莱特·班克罗夫特将伊根的这部小说列为其首选，“不仅因为这是一种非常成功的写作尝试，更是因为21世纪正是其写作中心主题。伊根的作品中贯穿着永恒的文学主题，从青春到老年那不可阻挡的旅程，探索了这个迅速变化的世界如何重塑着人类的体验。这部小说充满了预见力、惊奇和智慧，无疑给人带来极大的阅读享受。”

NO.6：《卡瓦列尔和克莱的神奇冒险》（The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier& Clay，迈克尔·沙邦，2000年）

艺术家乔·卡瓦列尔1939年从纳粹控制的布拉格逃走，最后来到纽约。他和居住于布鲁克林区的表亲萨米·克莱一起创造了名为“逃脱侠”的超级英雄形象，开创了漫画书的黄金时代。畅销书榜单资深编辑唐娜·西曼将这部普利策奖获奖小说列为其首选，她评价道：“沙邦的作品气度宏大，层层推进，情节丰富，构思精巧，无论是在情感注入，还是历史背景，抑或道德寓意方面都有丰富的内涵。书中涉及了对第二次世界大战的描写，而漫画书中超级英雄的诞生则体现了新兴技术浪潮所带来的一种大众神话创造的强大的新形式，它架起了20世纪和21世纪之间的桥梁。沙邦的小说极大地影响了21世纪其他杰出小说。但《卡瓦列尔和克莱的神奇冒险》又是对人类的仇恨和战争悲剧倾向的永恒考问，满足了我们对故事的无止境需求和对魔力及超越的持久向往。”

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NO.5：《纠正》（The Corrections，乔纳森·弗兰岑，2001年）

弗兰岑这部尖锐的跨越数代的家世小说获得了美国国家图书奖，精准地捕捉了21世纪头十年的时代精神。在20世纪即将结束时，阿尔弗雷德和伊妮德·兰伯特及三个相距遥远的成年子女聚集在一起过本世纪“最后一个圣诞节”，此时，父亲的帕金森综合征病情在加重，而美国则处在经济崩溃的边缘。“当‘纠正’最终来临的时候，并不是气泡的突然破裂，而是一种更温柔的失望，是来自主要金融市场的长达一年之久的价值漏损。”弗兰岑如是写道。《纽约时报》专栏作家卡梅拉·恰拉鲁评论道：“这令人震惊的第三部小说——一部声音、人物和故事讲述的杰作——既像一部史诗，又给人一种亲切感。”《明尼阿波利斯星坛报》资深图书编辑劳里·赫茨尔认为，“弗兰岑为自己赢得了美国文学大家的地位。这本大部头小说触及了新千年早期一些最重要的主题——经济不稳定，父母与其渐行渐远的中年子女之间的冲突，以及老龄化社会中不可忽视的众多问题。他的故事娓娓动听，富有幽默感。”

NO.4：《基列家书》（Gilead，玛里琳·罗宾逊，2004年）

约翰·艾姆斯是爱荷华州一个小镇上的传教士，他以极富抒情感的语言向儿子讲述了自己的生活和为废奴运动所做的努力。这是罗宾逊小说三部曲中的第一部（另外两部分别是《家》和《莱拉》）。“我想不出还有哪位在世的小说家能够比他更严肃更深刻地探讨宗教信仰了，因为这在当代文学中几乎已经成了一个禁忌话题。”书评家兼作家道恩·拉斐尔将《基列家书》列为他的首选，他认为，“罗宾逊既是一位有思想的作家，又是语言优美的文体家。她探讨了家庭和群体亲密空间内的种种重大问题。她也是极具天赋的故事家。”《克利夫兰平原商报》前图书编辑、安斯菲尔德·沃尔夫图书奖现任负责人凯伦·朗称赞道：“这个跨越了不同代际的故事体现了一种对超越的渴望，为21世纪的精神生活树立了榜样——故事本身就是一个奇迹。《基列家书》会流芳百世。”

NO.3：《狼厅》（Wolf Hall，希拉里·曼特尔，2009年）

曼特尔以托马斯·克伦威尔的视角对16世纪的欧洲传奇故事做了大胆的重新想象，亨利八世在书中是配角。该书获得了布克奖和美国国家书评奖，不仅被搬上舞台，而且被BBC拍成电视迷你剧。书评家凯伦·朗赞道：“曼特尔通过托马斯·克伦威尔的崛起对权力做了深刻剖析，充分显示了其旧事新说的功力。”《西雅图时报》图书编辑和电视栏目《好好读书》主持人玛丽·安·格温承认：“我以前从未有过这种感觉——完全深入一个角色的灵魂，以其之心体味世界，更不用提这个角色来自很久以前的遥远国度。”

NO.2：《已知的世界》（The Known World，爱德华·琼斯，2003年）

故事的背景设在1855年的一个种植园。生为奴隶的主人公亨利·汤森，现在已经成了奴隶主，正面临着死亡的临近。他在思考着其面积达50英亩的弗吉尼亚种植园及奴隶们的未来。他对待这些奴隶的方式正如他曾经的主人也是他现在的人生导师教导的那样。《已知的世界》是一部移情的经典之作，使读者沉浸于复杂的道德时代，而不是做出简单的判断。“在我看来，《已知的世界》是21世纪出版的美国最佳小说——这部惊艳之作生动描述了人类是如何经历美国奴隶制并存活下来的。”书评家沃尔顿·穆永巴如是称赞。在线杂志“百万”的创始人和编辑马克斯·麦基写道：“琼斯的小说有种史诗般的宏伟壮阔，以坚定不移的视角对美国那段不堪的历史做了引人入胜的描述。”

NO.1：《奥斯卡·瓦奥短暂而奇妙的一生》（The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao，朱诺·迪亚斯，2007年）

BBC文化栏目书评家投票结果的最终获胜作品为朱诺·迪亚斯的处女作《奥斯卡·瓦奥短暂而奇妙的一生》。小说讲述了在新泽西州贫民窟长大的书呆子奥斯卡，梦想着能够成为美籍多米尼加人中的托尔金，并且找到真爱。本书被多数书评家列为第一选择。《芝加哥论坛报》的文学编辑伊丽莎白·泰勒评价道：“对我来说，爱上一本充满科幻、想象和睾丸激素的小说极不容易。”书评家及作家里戈伯特·冈萨雷斯认为：“这是拉丁美洲作家第二次获得普利策小说奖，瓦奥再次证实了拉裔美国人与其祖先文化、语言和历史的深厚联系，同时又向我们提出了这些问题：美国人到底是谁？美国经历又是怎样的？”书评家、剧作家格雷格·巴里奥斯赞赏道：“迪亚斯绝妙地将多米尼加历史、漫画、科幻、魔幻现实主义和脚注糅合在一起。书呆子奥斯卡和书中充满男子汉气概的叙述者尤尼奥尔，与罗斯笔下的波特诺伊、厄普代克笔下的兔子、贝娄笔下的奥吉以及图尔笔下的伊格内修斯会产生真正的共鸣。”

美国文学中的哥特小说(英文) 篇4

Gothic fiction has its root in England.The English author Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto (1764) is generally considered to be the first true gothic novel.Thus is born the gothic tradition in literature, not only limited in England, but widespread in continental Europe, such as in France and Germany, and soon it gains popularity in America.Up to 1790s, with the publication of The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) and The Italian (1797) by Ann Radcliffe and Matthew Lewis’The Monk (1796) , gothic fiction has been created in its standard form as an important genre of literature and gradually begins to exert its influence on writings in other countries, especially in Germany and in America.

With its profound historical, cultural and literary sources, gothic fiction flourishes rapidly and develops everlastingly in America.On the one hand, the early immigrants in America Continent often struggle for hunger, cold, plague and death.American history witness them explore and conquer in such a strange and dangerous environment.On the other, American fiction springs up at the very time that gothic fiction is at its peak in England and Europe.Thirdly, realism doesn’t have important effect until 1870s in America, nor does it enjoy supremacy as in England.Therefore, romanticism is prevailing for a long time.Above all, the most significant reason attributes to the Puritanism tradition in American history and culture.Most of the early settlers are puritans who flee to America in order not to be persecuted.Thus puritans are greatly enhanced with the best examples of Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 and the Great Awakening led by Jonathan Edwards between 1703 and 1745.As far as to 19thcentury, Puritanism continues to develop, especially in the South, which, fundamentally accounts for the growth of gothic fiction in America.

The first influential novelist is Charles B.Brown who sets gothic fiction in American surroundings.His best-known work Wieland (1798) , also the fist gothic novel in America, shows“sensational violence, dramatic intensity and intellectual complexity”.Compared to gothic fiction in England of 17thcentury, an obvious difference lies in that people’s inner fear is deeply rooted in their heart rather than out of external horrible things or environment which is often showed in England.Since the very beginning American gothic novel goes on a distinctive way.As it pays more attention to people’s inner and psychological beings after 1830s, in England it turns to be more realistic and socialized.

Washington Irving, the first American author who gains real fame in Europe, creates the scarifying Headless Horseman in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.He is inspired by Sir Walter Scott and German gothic novels, and in turn his works encourage authors such as Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Edgar Allan Poe, a black-feathered literary master of the macabre, reinterprets the Gothic innovatively in his period.With the idea that“terror is not of Germany, but of the soul”, he goes deep into the inner self and searches the individual for himself.In his creepy short stories, such as The Tell-Tale Heart, The Fall of the House Usher, The Premature Burial and Black Cat, he explores the“terrors of the soul”and revisits classic gothic transition of decay, death and madness.The great contribution he has made to the development of gothic fiction is that he associates the exploration of moralities with soul searching.He places characters in certain surroundings he has created, exploits the power of terror to enter into their spiritual mind, and then reveals primitive instinct and basic needs and finally explores the conflict between good and evil from different aspects.

It is the same case with Nathaniel Hawthorne to uncover moral and spiritual conflicts in his works.Descended from Puritans, he appears to be more direct than Poe in reflecting and criticizing Puritanism.Moreover, his feelings about Puritanism are mixed as expressed in those works of gothic flavor, such as Young Goodman Brown, The Minister’s Black Veil, and The House of Seven Gables.As a Puritan, he reveals the evil which does exist universally in human beings.In addition, he also criticizes that humanities are destroyed by Puritanism.

At the end of the 19th century, Ambrose Bierce and Robert W.Chambers are two notable writers in the Gothic tradition.Bierce inherits the horrific and pessimistic tradition of Poe and Chambers indulges himself in decadent style of Wilde and Machen.

The 20th century sees a much more prosperous gothic fiction in America than in England.Writers of different schools, such as William Faulkner, John Hawkes, Thomas Pynchon, Toni Morrison, H.P.Lovecraft, Stephen King, Thomas Harris and Anne Rice all employ gothic tradition or create gothic fiction.A subgenre of the Gothic writing style, Southern Gothic comes into being combining some Gothic sensibilities with the setting and style of the Southern United States.Famous Southern writers include William Faulkner, Harper Lee, and Flannery O’Connor.Tennessee Williams described Southern Gothic as a style that captured"an intuition, of an underlying dreadfulness in modern experience."

One of the most influential writers of the 20thcentury, William Faulkner, focuses his works on his native state of Mississippi to uncover the decline and decay of the aristocratic South.His works, including A Rose for Emily, As I Lay Dying, Sanctuary, Light in August, Absalom, Absalom!and Intruder in the Dust all bears Southern Gothic tones.He ranks the most important one in Southern writers and deeply influences his followers such as Richard Wright, Carson Mc Cullers, Flannery O’Connor, Toni Morris and Anne Rice who further develop the distinctive Southern Gothic.

Besides Faulkner, Southern black writers find gothic style a strong tool to condemn and criticize slavery and racism.For example, Richard Wright’s Native Son, the first book of an AfricanAmerican writer to enjoy widespread success, sees the terrible result of racial inequality and social injustice by using gothic horror.Toni Morris, in her masterpiece Beloved, paints a dark and powerful portrait of the dehumanizing effects of slavery through ghost story, violent scenes and haunted houses.

Modern gothic writer Anne Rice chooses Vampire, the otherworldly beings rather than human to explore sexual and romantic desire and the spiritual world.Her Interview With The Vampire is the best selling vampire novel, in which she observes and expresses the modern world from the vampire’s perspective and then emphasizes that the modern world and the morally degraded people are more horrible than vampires.

Gothic novel is the roots from which modern horror fiction takes.What’s more, it holds a close relationship with science fiction to show people’s fear towards what they have created;it enters into other media as well such as the theatre, the films and the music.In recently years, with the widespread internet, the gothic tradition enjoys a broader stage to continue its exciting, thrilling, weird and grotesque stories.However, whatever the story it may be, the theme is always the same, that is to portrait the confrontation of good and evil and the exploration of morality with soul searching.It always reveals the evil which destroys humanities, threatens or degenerates human beings.Unfortunately, people have become used to it and often turn a blind eye, sometimes even take the evil for the good.Only by the shocking gothic novel can wake them up to be aware of the evil and danger around them.Where there is evil, there is gothic fiction.Its future can be seen not only in American literature, but also in all literatures.

摘要：哥特传统广泛地存在于英美文学中。该文首先探讨了英美文学中哥特小说的起源, 进而分析其在美国文学中发展壮大的原因, 而后梳理出美国文学中哥特式小说的代表作家及其代表作, 最后指出, 哥特小说致力于揭露人类如何去面对善恶以及深刻的道德探索。

关键词：哥特小说,美国文学,恐惧

参考文献

[1]http://www.answers.com/topic/gothic fiction.

[2]金莉, 秦亚青.美国文学[M].北京:外语教学与研究出版社, 1999.

[3]肖明翰.英美文学中的哥特传统[J].外国文学评论, 2001 (2) .

六字英文微小说 篇5

讲述一个感人的故事需要多少文字？六个英语单词！六字微小说，短短六字，却可以讲述一个凄美或辛酸的故事。来看看下面这些，哪篇六字微小说最能触动你？

1.Painfully, he changed “is” to “was.” 可悲的是，他不再说“是”，而是“曾是”。

2.“Wrong number,” says a familiar voice.“你打错了，”一个熟悉的声音说。

3.Automatically finished her text, “…love you.” 自动的在短信结尾写上“……爱你。”

4.First heartbreak.Nineteen years wishing.第一次心碎，十九年怀念。

5.She was lovely.Then things changed.她曾那么可爱。然后一切都变了。6.One candle, unattended.Only ashes remain.一只蜡烛，无人看管，蜡炬成灰。

7.I leave.Dog panics.Furniture sale.我走了。狗狗慌了。家具卖了。

8.Married.Till fatness do us part.结婚了。直到发胖将我们分离。

9.Imagined adulthood.Gained adulthood.Imagination.幻想长大。长大成人。幻想破灭。

10.Cancer.Only three months left.Pregnant.癌症。三个月生命。我怀孕了。

11.New start.New you.Not you.新的开始。新的你。却不是你。

12.Nothing to declare.Much to remember.想说的无话。想记住的太多。

英文小说 篇6

【关键词】交际翻译理论 英文小说翻译 应用方法

翻译是指在准确、通顺的基础上，把一种语言信息转变成另一种语言信息的行为。其也是将一种相对而言较为陌生的表达方式转换成相对熟悉表达方式的过程，包括语言翻译、文字翻译、图形翻译、符号翻译等。随着人类对文化交流的需求越来越高，小说阅读也成为当前人类互相进行习俗、文化、传统、生活方式等相关内容交流的重要方式。英文小说翻译也成为满足中国当前诸多读者了解英国文学的重要途径。

一、交际翻译理论概述

交际翻译理论来源于英国翻译理论家纽马克《翻译问题探讨》一书。上世纪六十年代开始，文学著作翻译盛行，由此也产生了诸多优秀翻译学家。彼得·纽马克正是当时重要的翻译家之一。当时翻译界中对于意译和直译的争论较多，在实际翻译中也存在两派。彼得·纽马克在此基础上对前人的相关翻译理论进行总结和概括，并结合自身翻译经验，于1981年著成《翻译问题探讨》一书，并在其中提出语义翻译理论和交际翻译理论。其中语义翻译理论是指在原文作者的写作中心出发，严格根据作者的写作思想及风格，对原文进行翻译，遵循“忠实性”原则。语义翻译理论也更加注重原文的词语排序及语言表述，需尽可能贴合原著。

而交际翻译理论与语义翻译理论相比，更加注重读者的主观感受，其以读者为中心，更加注重读者的理解状况及心理感受，以求在原著的基础上，为读者呈现原著带给读者的同等阅读效果。在交际翻译理论中，彼得·纽马克认为翻译就是两种语言进行交流的一种方式，其认为翻译中原著精神传达比语义传达更重要。

在上述两种翻译理论提出后，彼得·纽马克又提出了文本类型理论，其主要将文本分为信息型、表达型及呼唤型三类。彼得·纽马克提出不同文本类型需采取不同翻译方法，对于信息型文本和呼唤型文本，其翻译的主要目的是向读者传达文本信息，使读者从信息中获得感染，文本的实际表达内容比表达形式更加重要，因此在实际翻译过程中需更加注重文章内容的表达，可不比过于拘泥形式，引起翻译内容晦涩难懂，影响读者阅读感受。因此，这两类文本在翻译时，可采取交际翻译理论。而对于表达型文本，其大多具有较强的学术性，语言的内容和表达形式、风格等更能体现原著作者的中心思想表达，因此在实际翻译过程中需更加注重原著的思想表达，严格按照原著语序、表达形式等进行翻译，这种文本更适合采取语义翻译理论进行翻译。

二、英文小说的翻译流程

1.译前准备。翻译者在实际英文小说翻译前，需做好英文翻译的译前准备，其主要内容包括了解英语小说原著的特点、了解英语小说翻译的相关要求。

英语小说与中文小说一样均具有一定的文体特点。在英文小说中，其特点主要突出在以下几点：语言形象化、语言个性化、修辞格的运用较为广泛、叙事角度较为多样、句式表达形式较为多变等，在实际翻译过程中需先对原著相关文体特点进行了解，根据原著实际表达方式灵活应变，提高翻译质量。英文小说多注重于对客观生活的描述，通过对日常生活环境、人物生活等相关故事等进行描述，为读者创设生动活泼的画面。英文小说题材较多，形式多变，在实际翻译过程中，除了需加强对小说文体特点的了解，还需了解小说翻译的相关要求，以促进翻译文本展现出原著的风采。其四大要求为：形象化、个性化、通俗化、风格化。

此外，在实际翻译过程中，相关翻译人员还需加强对作者及写作背景的了解，以保证翻译文本的准确性，以通过不同语言再现原著。如当代美国作家Madison Smartt Bell的著作《Soldier's Joy》，其写作背景是为了分析当代人类心理问题与生活问题之间的关系，采取第三人称叙事，以娜娜、娜娜的丈夫及娜娜的前男友作为小说主线展开故事。在翻译前了解著作背景及目的能更好地表达作者思想。

2.翻译。翻译过程是影响整篇著作翻译效果的关键。在小说翻译过程中，相关翻译人员需结合英文小说翻译的要求、文本特点、写作背景等，并结合实际翻译经验进行翻译。翻译的主要步骤包括以下三点：第一，将全文细读，准确了解原著所表达的思想、内涵，作者的写作风格等。此过程需进行反复阅读，以保证理解效果。第二，进行首轮翻译时，需保证在最大程度上将原文信息保存，避免信息流失。在第二轮翻译中，采取交际翻译理论，在原文表意的基础上，对首轮翻译译文进行润色、修改，保证译文逻辑性和流畅性，保证译文符合读者阅读习惯。

3.译后校对。对译文进行校对时首先需对译文进行通读。第一轮校对时，需保证译文与原文之间意思无出入，信息表达、感情表达、写作风格等需与原著相符。第二轮校对时，在第一轮校对的基础上，对译文内容进行校对，保证译文与原文的统一性。翻译结束后，相关翻译人员需加强对翻译中相关问题的总结，并做好记录。

三、英文小说的翻译中交际翻译理论的实际应用方法

彼得·纽马克提出英文小说可分为信息型和呼唤型两种文本，信息型文主要目的是向读者传递信息，在实际翻译过程中，需将信息传递放于首位，以表达简洁作为翻译基础。而呼唤型小说主要目的是向读者传达情感，在实际翻译过程中需将原著的情感表达作为翻译首位，以表达清晰、语言流畅作为翻译基础。以下对翻译中的词汇、句子、对话中交际翻译理论的实际应用方法进行详细叙述。

1.词汇翻译中交际翻译理论的应用。词汇是组成句子的基础，也是表达著者思想的最基础元素。在实际翻译过程中，不同词汇的运用饱含着著者的思想，一个词汇也表达着多种含义；且词汇背后也蕴含着一个国家的历史文化、情感、文化背景等，因此在不同民族、不同国家、不同种族之间也存在较大的理解差异。在实际英文小说翻译中，采取直接翻译的方式将会导致不同读者因文化差异导致难以理解的状况，进而影响原著情感及思想的表达。例如英文中“bear”表示脾气暴躁或饥饿的人，其还有一种含义是熊，而熊在汉语中引申为愚笨的人。英文小说翻译中，对词汇的翻译主要体现在以下两点：选词和词类转译。

在英文和汉语中，一个词存在多种意义的情况较为常见，且在文学作品中，某些词的含义常具有多义性和不固定性，其语义需根据不同语境进行判定。在英文小说翻译中，每次词汇的翻译其含义、情感、意象等均需以语境作为翻译基础，将语境凌驾于一切因素之上，保证词汇翻译的准确性。如在Madison Smartt Bell 《Soldiers Joy》一书中，有如下对话：

“Just in time！”her mother said， hovering above the food， filling three plates，then settling in her customary seat.

“Thanks， Mom，” Nana's father said.

在这段对话中，用到“in time”，该词汇意思为及时、终于，此处根据下文中提到的娜娜的母亲端着三个盛着食物的盘子，可以推断出此时娜娜正好回来，翻译成“来得正好”符合语境。在后文中提到“Mom”，本意是妈妈，但结合后文说话对象为娜娜的父亲，因此，此处翻译时，不能直接翻译为“妈妈”，以免与中国人的表达方式相背离。因此，在实际翻译时，可根据中国人称谓习惯，以交际翻译理论翻译为“孩子他妈”。

由于汉语和英语属于两种不同的语系，其在语法、词汇、表达上也存在较大差异。在英语中名词使用情况较多，汉语中动词较为常见。如在Jesse Lee Kercheval的《Alice in Dairyland》一书写到：“I say to my friend，because I'm afraid if the sniper knows I've been hit， he'll want to finish me off.”这句话中“I'm afraid”中“afraid”为形容词，本意为害怕的。在翻译中若以直译方式，则为：因为我是害怕的，如果……，这种翻译不符合汉语的用词习惯，因此可将其转化为动词：因为我害怕，如果……。通过这种此类转译，更符合汉语阅读习惯。因此，在实际英文小说翻译过程中，需学会变通，学会词类转译，使译文更加通畅、易懂。

2.句子翻译中交际翻译理论的应用。句子是表达著者完整思想感情的基本语言单元，是构成段落的基本单位，也是翻译的基础单位。汉语和英语的语法体系不同，使得两种语言中句子表达形式存在较大差异，汉语中，一个句子中各词汇的逻辑排列组成完整的句子，而在英语中，以连接词来串联各词汇，形成逻辑关系。在句子翻译时，需根据交际翻译理论，以读者的理解能力及心理状态为基础进行翻译，保证语言通顺易懂。其常用的方法包括增译、切分、换序三种。

如：But although Nana's parents were nothing but gracious to him， they were never going to fall under his spell.这句话直译为尽管娜娜的父母对他和善，他们从没有中他的咒语。直译时，对与文章意义的表达欠缺。而根据上下文，娜娜的父母对其丈夫不喜欢的状况，可在翻译中增译为“他们从没有中他的咒语从而对他产生好感”。通过增译能促进句子表达的完整性，也能促进读者理解，更好地了解人物的心理状态。

3.对话翻译中交际翻译理论的应用。小说中，人物对话是表现人物性格、形成文章冲突的重要要素，人物对话直接推动着故事情节的发展，且人物对话也直接体现着人物性格、思想、身份等，因此。在小说对话翻译时，需把握翻译的个性化、鲜明化，注重语意、语气及感情色彩的处理。

如“Can you talk？ Is Anders there？” my mother asked.此句中Can you talk直译为“你能说话吗，安德斯在吗”，直译效果较为生硬，且具有歧义。根据上下文，此对话来由是“我母亲”偷偷给“我”打电话，未防止安德斯听见而出现的询问，采取直译时，其意义不准确，因此可采取语意处理，翻译为“你方便讲话吗，安德斯不在你身边吧”，这样翻译之后，能便于读者理解文章，且更能突出“我母亲”的人物形象及对安德斯的不信任。

四、结束语

汉语和英语语系不同，导致在英语小说翻译过程中，直译效果不佳，易导致读者难以理解的状况发生。在实际英语小说翻译过程中，相关翻译人员在实际翻译中需根据语境状况，综合多种翻译方法和理论，以保证著者思想情感、观点等的准确传达，并能符合汉语的阅读习惯及表达方式，保证翻译效果。

参考文献：

[1]孙英朋.交际翻译法在现代英文小说翻译中的运用[J].剑南文学，2011，（5）：54.

[2]刘彤，陈学斌.交际翻译课堂模式的建构[J].教育与职业，2013， （29）：145-146.

[3]王爱玲.跨文化交际翻译中语言文化信息的增减与重构[J].河南社会科学，2013，21（10）：11-12.

[4]代玥.从纽马克的语义翻译和交际翻译角度看新闻翻译[J].宿州教育学院学报，2015，18（4）：66-67.

[5]徐霞.交际翻译理论在辛克莱·刘易斯小说翻译中的运用——以Go East，Young Man的翻译为例[D].扬州大学，2013.

[6]何鹏程.交际翻译视角下英语小说翻译研究——以短篇小说《Amy Foster》汉译分析为例[J].长春教育学院学报，2013，29 （6）：18-19.

[7]刘彤，陈学斌.交际翻译课堂模式的建构[J].教育与职业，2013， （29）：145-146.

英文小说 篇7

The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a tragedy.The movie was directed by Loran Yoffie in 1995.In the novel Hawthorne adapted multiple perspectives to narrate story.While the director in the movie added voiceover,pearl,to explain some plot and supplemented sensual shots to improve sensual pleasures.such as Hester’bathing,Arthur’swimming nakedly.

In the novel,Hester is a beautiful,slender,comely and ingenious young woman her likeness has the capability to move the heart of all.When she was forced by puritan community to wear a scarlet A on the breast of gown,shel chose to bravely face all sufferings through helping the people in need.Finally,she was accepted by all people around.While in the movie,Hester is still a well-looking girl with special temperament,which make her distinct from other ordinary women,but the character of Hester in the movie is so strong-minded that audiences do not think it is accessible.Besides,the story of this movie mostly involved the love and hate among three characters,as for the Hester’spiritual redemption through her needle works for others,the movie did not give a careful description.

Arthur is a pious pastor and the secret father of Pearl.In the novel,pastor is a handsome,sentimental young man,was struggled with the agony of conscience and inflicted by Roger.In the end,he died in Hester’bosom.while in the movie,Arthur is a charming man He is cute like a pubescent boy when he was too shy to talk to Hester.

Roger Chillingworth,revenges himself on Arthur by calculating assaults on the frail mental state of the consciencestricken pastor.In the novel.Although Roger determines to average,he still has deep emotion to Pearl,when pearl was sick,he cured her with no doubt.While in the movie,Roger is a demon who just wants to kill Arthur and Hester.Roger is portrayed overforcedly.

In the way of presenting subject,the novel mainly discusses the issue over original sin and expiation.Sinner’soul can be sublimed by confessing their crime to the public and atoning for their crime.The novel’subject is related to Hawthorne’puritan background.while in the movie,it tells a story related with love between Hester and Arthur.Comparing to the novel’ending,the movie’ending is that Hester and Arthur riding on a horse went to another palace for a better life.

The reasons of these differences between the novel and the movie

Firstly,the novel The Scarlet Letter was published in1840,while the movie was shown in 1995.With the development of epoch,people’s ideology had been changing.It was been a fantastic trend to pursue something exciting and sensual to watch other than to read.Secondly,two kinds of media can give us different kinds of pleasure to readers or audiences.By reading a novel,readers can appreciate the beauty between the lines.while by watching movie,the audience can not enjoy the beauty of language,so visual enjoyment is essential to consummate a movie.Such as several sexual and naked shots.The novel is more literary,its literary value is the most precious.while the movie put more emphasis on box office.So the director changed the subject to cater for most of audiences.

Conclusion

Movie plays a bright role in human’life.we can claim that movie has been one of the most essential factors that can affect cultural orientation.By movie,more classical novels are known by the public.It is a rewarding thing to promote and develop the classical literature.In the movie,when presenting the main contents of novel,some plots are controlled by director’subjective intention.So it is a certain thing that some plots in the movie may be different from those in the novel.Movie is a kind of artistic creation,adding imagination is available.But imagination should be basis on the original work.Only if loyal to the original work,the adapted movie can be counted successful.

参考文献

[1]Nathaniel Hawthorne.The Scarlet Letter[M].Canada General Publishing Company.

英文小说 篇8

关键词：小说翻译,翻译策略,翻译风格

短篇小说翻译《昔日的岸边》 (Once the Shore) 1摘自《美国最佳短篇小说》, 由美籍韩国作家保罗.尹 (Paul Yoon) 所作, 霍顿·米夫林公司 (Houghton Mifflin Company) 于2006年出版。作者保罗.尹, 韩裔, 1980年出生在纽约, 是英语文坛一张非常年轻的新面孔。《昔日的岸边》是他出版的第一本书, 2010年, 他被美国国家图书基金会选为五位三十五岁以下的新锐作家之一。译者在翻译中体会到, 小说翻译作为文学翻译的一种, 有其独特的特点, 译者在英汉跨文化这项活动中不仅是翻译这门语言, 更是翻译一种不同的文化和艺术, 译者应该努力翻译出小说中的味道和美感。很多译者都有自己翻译的原则, 有一些比较忠实于原文的表达, 尽量保持小说的异国色彩和情调。而有一些译者则比较偏向于目标语言的通顺和语言习惯, 这个问题也正是凡努提施莱艾尔马赫所提到的翻译中有关于同化和异化的问题, 比较多个性化翻译的一个很主要的特征就是“归化”。所谓“归化”, 它的表面现象是用及其自然流畅的译语去表达原著的内容, 但是在深处却程度不等地存在着译语文化“吞并”原著文化的问题。例如严复翻译的《天演论》是有口皆碑的译界精品, 其开卷一段是脍炙人口。然而, 令人“倾倒至矣”的究竟是严译的内容呢还是严复的译笔呢?2所以我认为译文应该尽可能符合小说原有的特点和美感, 原汁原味地呈现在观众面前。

1 保罗尹小说的特点

1.1 悲伤的主调。两个线索的交替, 因相同情感归属而融合

在这个故事中, 一位美国妇人的丈夫在韩国服役时, 称其在一座山洞中刻下了他们名字的首字母, 于是美国妇人来寻找这座山洞的过程中, 与一位孤单的年轻服务员吉姆建立了友谊。吉姆的哥哥是名渔夫, 在一次美国潜水艇浮出水面的事故中不幸遇难, 故事交替叙述了吉姆应对失去哥哥的悲痛和这位遗孀的悲伤。吉姆和这位美国妇人联系在一起是因为他们都感到无助。对这位寡妇, 她过去糟糕的婚姻和她的无能为力, 既不能从中挣脱或者让它变好。吉姆的无助是由于他对他哥哥的死无能为力。他继续他的工作, 假装没事发生一样。也许恰是这种藏在心底不可言说的秘密, 使吉姆与美国妇人之间发展出一段奇妙的友谊, 最后, 吉姆想出一个很浪漫的方式, 帮妇人完成了她此行的心愿。我想他们被这种命中注定的感觉所折磨, 他们走到一起, 到最后寻找出路以寻求一种安慰。情节循序渐进, 环环相扣, 探讨了关于失去家人, 爱人的真实情感以及最终相伴以相同方式寻找出路寻求安慰, 表达了人性美好的感人故事。

1.2 对话少, 注重人物动作情感的细节描写表达

无论凝练的语言、含蓄的情感, 还是高度浓缩的情节, 保罗尹都堪称是一位非常节制的作者, 也因此, 他的每则故事虽然只有短短的三四十页, 却分明具有长篇小说的格局与气势, 换言之, 背后隐藏的多于纸上写出来的。文章中美国寡妇和吉姆的语言非常少, 着重描写了他们各自的动作, 神态和各自的悲伤回忆, 虽然没有言语, 他们之间的沉默和默契让读者感觉到了淡淡的忧伤。

1.3 拟喻

通过对人与自然环境的抗争描写表达人物内心感受。比如文中几次提到的沉船与溺水:船身断裂, 船员们的肢体在深海中毫不费力地摆出舞蹈者最优雅的姿势。以及吉姆溺水的情形。这些情景都是孤独而悲哀的, 与世隔绝, 被什么东西包围住, 令人窒息。作者通过这些细节描写表达了深藏在吉姆内心的呐喊, 虽然他表面刻意压抑自己的情感。

2 英文短篇小说的翻译策略

《昔日的岸边》这篇短篇小说翻译也只是本人在文学翻译中长长的摸索和实践的一小步。这篇短篇小说的时候, 我首先了解了作者的背景, 他的写作方法和小说的故事背景。除此之外, 我认为比较重要的是要了解他写这段故事的目的, 基调和想表达的深层次的感情。

2.1 注意介词的翻译, 结合上下文理解单词短语的意思。

翻译的过程很漫长, 也是很耗时间的一项工作。因为逐字逐句, 每个逗点都要看仔细, 否则差之毫厘, 失之千里。我在开始翻译的时候没有注重细节, 常常漏掉一些小的单词, 而有些看似不太重要的词语却会改变句子的意思。一个英文单词有很多意思, 要注意它在上下文中的意思。也就是说对单词的准确理解和句子的分析是最基本的但也是最重要的。

比如在“when he bathed for me and me alone”里面我最开始没有注意到for这个单词, 结果翻译出来的意思就变成“他给我洗澡”, 与原文的意思“他为了我而洗澡”大相径庭。

还比如文中的:“He was dead now, a few months having passed since his heart stopped just as he awoke and attempted to flip the duvet away from his body.”句子中的“as”和“duvet”的基本意思为“如同”和“羽绒絮”。按照基本意思, 句子大概翻译成“虽然她的丈夫死了, 但还如同活着的时候一样, 做一些她所熟知的掸掉身上的羽绒絮的动作”。而这个翻译出来的句子让人读不懂, 如果把“as”理解为“当…的时候”, 而duvet还有多种意思, 结合上下文可以翻译成“羽绒被”, 所以才有了最后意思正确并且通顺的版本。“已经去世几个月了, 正当他睡醒过来试图把羽绒被轻轻从身上掀开之时他的心脏停止了跳动。”

最后一个例子是“It was morning, and she sat at her usual table closest to the stone ledge, occupied by the distant strokes of a swimmer in the outdoor pool.”里面的“stone ledge”.ledge常用意是壁架, 所以我想当然地认为它是“用石头做的壁架”的意思, 于是理所当然地运用了它的字面意思, 但这样一来后面的句子在意思上就解释不通了。“Stone ledge”在这里根据上下文它是“礁石”的意思, 所以在翻译过程中需要多翻字典来寻找原文作者想要表达的意思, 在译文中结合上下文恰当地描述出来。所以这句话翻译出来是“早晨, 她像往常一样坐在最靠近岸边礁石的桌旁, 一位在这室外泳池里游泳的人所掀起的水浪从远处不断拍打着礁石。”

2.2 比喻句的翻译。

作者在文中不管是在人物描写还是环境的刻画上, 多次用到了生动的比喻。其中有一些比喻是中西方文化中都可以很好地接受, 也很通用, 直接翻译过来也很容易让读者明白。比如文中形容吉姆的笑眼:“A smile as magnificent as a quartermoon.”译为:“笑起来灿烂得像一弯明月。”还有描写吉姆天天都穿着工作服“The snug white jacket they were required to wear kike a second layer of skin.”译为“那件舒适的白色工作外套, 如同他第二层皮肤。”

我们在中文写作里面也经常有以上类似的比喻, 但是还有一些中文中不常用到的, 比如“casting nets the size of mountains.”我最初翻译的是“把网撒得又高又大”, 而mountain除了有高大的特质之外, 作者可能想表达一些别的东西, 如果直接翻译又高又大破坏了其原本的意思, 局限了读者的想象空间。所以翻译成“把网撒得如山一般”。

类似的比喻例子:“Its surface of silver reflection folding over one another like the linking of fingers.”译文:“海面上的银色反射光如手指相联一般互相交迭着。”

另外一句形容美国老妇的行李箱的句子“In her possession was a single piece of luggage, the perfect size, the hotel staff joked, for a head.”译文:“她只带了一件单薄的行李箱, 一个头颅大小的完美尺寸, 酒店的职员开玩笑说。”

行李箱的大小用头的尺寸来衡量;反射光如手指的连接。这些不被大多数读者理解的比喻或是比较, 需要处理成人们熟悉的东西还是保留其青涩的原意, 也是值得思考的问题。或许很有可能, 作者自己也说不清自己想要表达一种什么准确的意思, 因为这只是一种感觉。所以我也采取了使用最原始的直译, 可能让读者难以明白, 但是留给了他们更多的空间去体会和想象, 不希望自己的解读给读者带来歧义或是误解。

文中另外两处形容溺水船员在深海中的身体姿势和出海的船只的比喻:

“Their bodies, once broken, sunk into a dark depth, their limbs positioned, without effort, in the most graceful forms known to any dancer.”

译文:“全体船员不幸遇难, 他们的身体破碎了, 沉入了黑暗的深海中, 他们的肢体, 不费力气地, 摆出舞蹈者熟知的最优雅的姿势。”

“The boat rocking, and then slowing, slower, in their sight a single straight line that divided sky and sea, a line that traced their movements like the unraveling of a ball of string until, gradually, they were still.”

译文:“船身剧烈地晃动着, 转动着, 吉姆紧紧抓住船舷。慢慢地, 船缓了下来。他们看到, 一条直线划开了海与天, 一直追寻着他们的动向就像抽毛线球一样, 直到他们逐渐静止下来。”

2.3 长句子的翻译。

例1:It was, in fact, the manager of the resort—a man who was very fond of Jim—who led him into his office in the middle of dinner and told him that his brother, while catching tuna, as he had been doing for the past few years for their uncle’s company, was killed when a United State submarine divided the Pacific Ocean for a moment as it surfaced, causing a crater of cloudy water to bloom, the nose of this great creature gasping for air while its body collided against what could have easily been a bouy or some type of detritus.

译文:事实上, 是因为度假村的经理告诉了吉姆关于他兄弟的噩耗。这位经理很喜欢他, 在用餐时间把吉姆叫去了办公室, 说他的哥哥, 过去几年一直在他叔叔的公司做捕鱼的工作, 这次在海上捕捉金枪鱼的时候不幸遇难。当一艘美国潜水艇浮出水面的时候划开了太平洋, 在阴沉的海面上炸开了花, 这个庞然大物在海面上用鼻子吸气时身体就触碰到一些很可能是浮漂或碎片的物体。

例2:he heard his brother’s breathing and then he saw, in his periphery, what resembled a fish jump up into the air and bite down on his wrist and all at once that line tilted and he felt the cold and the warmth and he shut his eyes and opened them to see that the sky was now a glowing haze of thick water.

译文:他听到哥哥的呼吸声, 看到周围的水里一支类似鱼鳍的东西窜出水面, 咬在他的手腕上, 顿时他感到眼前海平线扭曲了, 他感到又冷又热, 他闭上了眼睛, 猛睁开的时候发现天空已是阴沉的海散发出的炽热水汽。

英语长句的特点为修饰语多, 联合句子多, 结构复杂但条理清晰。一般要翻译英文长句应该把句子结构整理清楚, 找出主干, 分清主次。一般分为顺译分段法, 拆译法, 倒置法等。

3 结束语

以上的文章特点和翻译例子是我在翻译这篇小说中所总结出来的, 也是我在翻译这篇小说时反复思考的问题。我觉得翻译理论固然重要, 实践更是这门学科的精髓。实践使理解更加深刻。通过对《昔日的岸边》的翻译, 认识到要翻译好一篇小说, 先要认真研究小说作者的写作风格, 分析小说的基调, 目的和背景。从实践中体会前人所总结出来的经验和理论。在以后的翻译道路上不断吸取经验, 在翻译作品中看到自己的进步并且渐渐地运用好翻译策略, 保持文章的风格, 给观众呈现更加原汁原味的外国文学。

参考文献

[1]Paul Yoon.oncetheshore[M].Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.

[2]谢天振.译介学[M].南京:译林出版社, 2013.

英文小说 篇9

Life of Pi是2001年出版的一部描述一名印度男孩Pi在太平洋上与成年孟加拉虎同船而撑过二百二十七天的生存故事, 作者为加拿大作家扬·马特尔 (Yann Martel) 。本书获2002年度英国布克奖, 2012年由李安所执导的同名电影上映。

1 作品简介

1.1 第一部分:成人Pi回忆他的童年

为了纪念一个在法国名为皮辛·墨利多 (Piscine Molitor) 的游泳池, 父母给他取名为皮辛·墨利多·帕帖尔 (Piscine Molitor Patel) 。由于Piscine发音听起来接近英文发音的“尿尿 (Pissing) ”, 他的同学们取笑他, 给他取了一个“尿尿”的绰号。受够了同学取笑的他, 在中学时期改称自己为Pi (即圆周率) 。他的父亲在本地治里 (Pondicherry) 拥有一间动物园, 在童年期间, Pi了解了一些动物行为, 同时父亲也提供给他富裕、舒适的生活。Pi从小在印度宗教中洗涤, 但是在14岁的时候, 因缘巧合之下, 他接触了基督教和伊斯兰教, 他单纯地只想要爱神, 因此开始依附、追随着三种宗教。

1.2 第二部分:太平洋上的漂流

后来, 由于政治上的一些纷扰, Pi的家人决定移民到加拿大。带着一些动物园的动物, 搭着一艘日本货物船, 他们踏上了从印度到加拿大的旅程。但是出海才不到几天, 货船遇到了暴风雨沉船了, 他的家人也在船难中死去。恢复意识后的Pi发现自己跟一只斑点鬣狗、一只受伤的斑马、一只猩猩和一只成年孟加拉虎在一艘小救生艇里。

斑点鬣狗杀死了斑马和猩猩, 名叫理查德·帕克 (Richard Parker) 的孟加拉虎杀死了斑点鬣狗。惊慌的Pi利用了一些能够漂浮的器具, 制造了一个小的漂浮筏, 用绳子把漂浮筏跟小救生艇系在一起, 然后逃到小漂浮筏上。Pi给理查德·帕克捕鱼吃并收集喝的淡水, 也同时尝试各种方法来制约它。后来, 理查德·帕克习惯了Pi的存在, 他们从此在船上共同生存。

之后, Pi发现一个岛屿, 岛屿上住了许多狐獴, 可这座岛是食人岛。Pi很快离开了那里。227天后, 救生艇被冲上了墨西哥海岸, Pi获救, 理查德·帕克头也不回的走入了附近的丛林。

1.3 第三部分:墨西哥托马坦镇医院

两位来自日本交通部的官方人员前来调查沉船原因, 当Pi讲述他与动物共存的故事后, 他们觉得这个故事不可信, 所以Pi告诉了他们另外一个版本──当人在极端环境下失去人性之后的版本──Pi跟另外三个幸存者在救生艇上:轮船的厨师、断了一只腿的船员、和Pi的母亲。厨师杀了船员跟Pi的母亲, 把他们俩切成一块一块来当做食物跟诱饵, 而后Pi杀死了厨师。连接起了两个故事之间的关系──斑点鬣狗是轮船的厨师、受伤的斑马是船员、猩猩是Pi的母亲、而那只名叫理查德·帕克的孟加拉虎则是Pi本人。不寒而栗后, 两位日本官方人员选择了第一个故事。

2 衔接理论的发展历程

语篇衔接理论是现代篇章分析理论所要解决的重要问题之一。Halliday在1962年首次提出了衔接的概念。1976年, Halliday和Hasan出版了Cohesion in English一书, 系统的研究了英语语言系统中可用来建构衔接关系的语料, 形成了完整的理论体系。在此书中, Halliday&Hasan认为, 衔接是一种语义上的概念, 他们把衔接定义为“存在于语篇中并使之成为语篇的意义间的联系” (The concept of cohesion is a semantic one;it refers to relations of meaning that exist within the text, and that define it as a text) 。

Halliday和Hasan区分了五种衔接手段:照应 (reference) 、替代 (substitution) 、省略 (ellipsis) 、连接成分 (conjunction) 和词汇搭配 (lexical cohesion) 。1985年, 在Halliday和Hasan的专著Language, Context and Text (《语言·语境·语篇》) 一书中, Hasan把衔接概念的涵盖范围由非结构衔接扩展到了结构衔接。结构衔接包括平行对称结构、主位述位结构、已知信息—信息结构。非结构衔接又分为成分关系衔接和有机关系衔接。成分关系衔接包括指称、替代、省略和词汇衔接。有机关系包括连接关系、相邻对、延续关系等。

l994年, 胡壮麟出版了《语篇的衔接与连贯》一书, 提出了语篇衔接与连贯的多层次思想, 从而进一步扩大了衔接的范围。从宏观上讲, 语篇内部的衔接机制通过Halliday, Hasan和胡壮麟三位专家的研究已形成了比较完整的系统。张德禄继三位专家之后增加了外指衔接机制, 从情景语境和文化语境中去寻找所指项的显性衔接机制和隐性衔接机制, 从而对语篇内部的衔接机制做了有益的补充。

3 小说Life of Pi中的衔接手段及作用

3.1 照应 (reference)

照应指的是语篇中一个成分作为另一个成分的参照点, 也就是说, 语篇中一个语言成分与另一个可以与之相互解释的成分之间的关系。从语用功能的角度来看, 照应可以分为两种:外指 (exophora) 和内指 (endophora) 。根据Halliday&Hasan (1976) 的划分, 照应可分为人称照应 (personal reference) 、指示照应 (demonstrative reference) 和比较照应 (comparative reference) 。

3.1.1 人称照应

例1) :I never had problems with my fellow scientists.Scientists are a friendly, atheistic, hard-working, beer-drinking lotwhose minds are preoccupied with sex, chess and baseball whenthey are not preoccupied with science.

小说第一章里Pi讲述自己在多伦多上大学主修动物学和宗教学时的经历, 这句话表明他虽然信仰宗教, 但并没有和科学发生任何冲突, 并认为那些科学家们在不工作的时候也和普通人无异。这段话中出现的人称照应有whose、they来回指scientists.避免了重复。

3.1.2 指示照应

用指示代词或相应的限定词以及冠词等所表示的照应关系叫做指示照应。

例2) :“It was a pool the gods would have delighted to swimin.Molitor had the best competitive swimming club in Paris.There were two pools, an indoor and an outdoor.Both were as big assmall oceans.The indoor pool always had two lanes reserved forswimmers who wanted to do lengths.The water was so clean andclear you could have used it to make your morning coffee.”

这段话来自第三章里Pi回忆自己童年时候的往事, 他的名字就来源于一座巴黎最豪华的游泳池的名字, 他父亲的朋友深情的描述了这座无与伦比的游泳池, There来回指这座泳池, Both来回指indoor pool and outdoor pool.这样的指示可以使语篇的意义衔接。

3.2 替代 (substitution)

替代指的是语篇中的某一个成分被替代词所取代。替代词的语义要从所替代的成分中去寻找, 所以替代词只是形式。替代可分为名词性替代、动词性替代和小句性替代。

例3) :But I don't insist.I don't mean to defend zoos.Closethem all down if you want (and let us hope that what wildlife re-mains can survive in what is left of the natural world) .I know zoosare no longer in people's good graces.Religion faces the same problem.Certain illusions about freedom plague them both.

这是小说第四章一段非常精彩的论述, Pi说人们普遍认为把动物关进动物园是不道德的, 但实际上动物们更愿意待在动物园里。最后他表示自己不是为动物园辩护, 他知道动物园已经在人类那里丧失了好感, 而宗教面临着同样的问题。所以本段话中the same problem来替代前面的no longer in people’s good graces来表示强调。

3.3 省略 (ellipsis)

省略是指把语篇中的某个成分去掉, 可避免重复, 突出新信息, 使表达简练、紧凑、清晰的一种语法手段。由于省略的成分往往可以从上下文中去寻找, 因此, 省略具有语篇衔接的功能。

例4) :If you went to a home, kicked down the front door, chased the people who lived there out into the street and said, "Go!You are free!Free as a bird!Go!Go!"—do you think they wouldshout and dance for joy?They wouldn't.Birds are not free.The peo-ple you've just evicted would sputter, "With what right do youthrow us out?This is our home.We own it.We have lived here foryears.We're calling the police, you scoundrel."

这段话是作者打的一个非常幽默而生动精彩的比方, 人也是动物, 如果你把人们从自己的家里赶出去说:走吧!你们自由了, 像小鸟一样自由, 走!走!人们不会载歌载舞、欢呼雀跃, 而是会把你大骂一顿, 并叫来警察。这里的They would n’t后面省略了shout and dance for joy.避免了重复, 使文字简洁。

3.4 连接 (conjunction)

语篇中的连接指相邻句子 (群) 之间的连接关系。通过运用连接性词语表达不同成分之间具有何种逻辑关系的手段, 从而人们可以了解句子之间的语义联系, 甚至可以经前句从逻辑上预见后续句的语义 (胡壮麟, 1994:92) 。

例5) :Really, your story can only be great.But it all adds upto nothing.In spite of the obvious, shining promise of it, therecomes a moment when you realize that the whisper that has beenpestering you all along from the back of your mind is speaking theflat, awful truth:it won't work.An element is missing, that sparkthat brings to life a real story, regardless of whether the history orthe food is right.Your story is emotionally dead, that's the crux of it.

这部小说亦真亦幻, 这段话是作家在写这部小说前的一段心路历程, 他曾经构思了一部小说, 故事发生在葡萄牙, 作家准备了很长时间, 但是到最后却发现缺乏了最重要的东西——灵魂。所以这部小说不会好看。这里的连接词But、In spite of、regardless of来表明作者的失望之情, 使表达简练、紧凑、清晰。

3.5 词汇衔接 (lexical cohesion)

词汇衔接主要是通过重复、同义词或反义词、搭配等词汇手段来体现语篇的语义联系。

3.5.1 重复 (repetition)

重复指的是某个语言成分多次出现的现象。

例6) :There were many seas.The sea roared like a tiger.The sea whispered in your ear like a friend telling you secrets.The sea clinked like small change in a pocket.The sea thundered like ava-lanches.The sea hissed like sandpaper working on wood.The sea sounded like someone vomiting.The sea was dead silent.

这段话出现在第七十八章, Pi和理查德·帕克在海洋上漂流了很多天, 每天看到的除了天空就是大海, 通过细致入微的观察和体验, 大海在他眼里逐渐呈现出不同的面貌, 偶尔狂暴, 偶尔温柔, 偶尔美好, 偶尔恐怖, 这段话不断重复The sea深刻表达了Pi生活的非常单调孤苦, 令读者感同身受。

3.5.2 同义/反义 (synonymy/antonymy)

值得注意的是, 近来西方有些语言学家已经放弃了词性一致这条原则, 认为只要两个词在概念意义上相同或相近, 即使词类不同, 也可视为同义词。

例7) :Richard Parker has stayed with me.I've never forgot-ten him.Dare I say I miss him?I do.I miss him.I still see him in my dreams.

Pi在227天的海上漂流生活中逐渐对理查德·帕克产生了很深的感情, 它最后头也不回的离开对Pi造成的心理伤害很大, 至今都难以释怀。所以这段话里有多个同义的重复来表示Pi难以割舍的心情。I do.I miss him.I still see him in my dreams.就是同义的不断重复。

3.5.3 搭配 (allocation)

搭配即词汇共现也具有联句成篇的作用。例8) :He was eight feet away.His mouth was half open, a fishwing dangling from it.His back became rounder.His rump wriggled.His tail twitched.It was clear:he was in a crouch and he wasmaking to attack me.

小说第八十章, 理查德·帕克为了争夺Pi手里的一条剑鱼而打算攻击他, 这里描述它的肢体语言非常生动, “rump”与“wriggled”, “tail”与“twitched”搭配非常恰当, 表述非常准确, 这些场景形象地展现在读者的头脑中, 使读者产生身临其境的感觉。

4 结束语

通过运用衔接理论对小说中部分段落的分析, 可以得出结论, 衔接理论在英语小说中的应用非常广泛, 如果读者对衔接理论有了充分的了解, 并能够把这个理论应用到所阅读的小说当中, 那么读者将会对小说的内容、结构及其精华部分有更为深刻的理解, 同时也能够提高对文学作品的欣赏水平, 语篇衔接手段在英文原版小说的阅读中起着重要的作用。

参考文献

[1]Halliday M A K, Hasan R.Cohesion in English[M].Beijing:Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2001.

[2]Yann Martel.Life of Pi[M].Mariner Books, 2003.

[3]黄国文.语篇分析的理论与实践——广告语篇研究[M].上海:上海外语教育研究出版社, 2001.

[4]胡壮麟.语篇连贯与衔接理论的发展及应用·序[M].上海:上海外语教育研究出版社, 2003.

[5]胡壮麟, 朱永生, 张德禄.系统功能语法概论[M].长沙:湖南教育出版社, 2003.

[6]张德禄, 刘汝山.语篇连贯与衔接理论的发展及应用[M].上海:上海外语教育研究出版社, 2003.

[7]周永红.衔接与连贯——语篇分析之核心[J].湖南工程学院学报, 2008, 18 (3) .

英文小说 篇10

1. Similarities

1.1 The hero without identity

The character in Kafka’s fi ctions almost is just a symbol;their images are filled with incomprehensible blur.In these figures, the false overcomes the truth, lies outweigh the truth and the strange replaces the sense.While all the things combine with our real world this shows us the absurdity of the modern situation in Kafka’s novels.In common with Kafka, Can Xue creates a large number of symbolic characters in her novel's unique system.

1.2 Indifferent supporting family

Perhaps Kafka and Can Xue have in common with their experience, when they create new characters;they tend to choose the minor character to show the absurdity.Take The Metamorphosis for example;there are a series of supporting roles showing us the family indifferences.The hero Gregor woke up to fi nd himself turn into a big beetle, before that he was a salesman and he caught the train every day, entrusted with the hope of the family, supported the family life and the amiable brother in the eyes of his sister.Unfortunately, he did not get the warmth from the people around him.‘His father squeezed fi st, as if made Gregor go back to his room;his mother would faint when she saw his ugly appearance, while his sister became disgust and hatred, repeatedly offered to get rid of this burden.The author has tried to tell us the absurdity between the men.

In Can Xue’s novels, she demonstrates alienation of affection through a series of secondary characters, and she will show indifference and hatred between people.The characters canno communicate with other people because of human being’s evils;she thinks the people and the world are absurd.

2. Differences

2.1 Kafka—The resistance of the weak

Kafka is the earliest western writer who shows the‘humble weak’;therefore, he has a laudatory name of the‘genius weak’His eyes fi rmly fi x on the human souls.In addition, he uses unique way to explore the human soul;the human heart is full of confusions and crisis.Thus, the social pressure overwhelms them in his works the people cannot control their destiny;Kafka will use the weak person’s views to notice the world and create‘the weak epic’.

In Kafka's world, if there are more resistances and more fi ghts the hero will become weaker and smaller.They come from the fate but people cannot escape from them.The people always run into the outside world and often in a‘defendant’statue, so that it cannot make the outside world understood their trials.The weak person cannot grasp his destiny, no matter how hard they try to do.This is perhaps Kafka's most real experience.

2.2 Can xue—The unity of the opposition

Can-Xue thinks that pain is a kind of enlightenment.In The Brother, this book shows that the hero looks for her brother;I own a new understanding of my nature.This in her later novels is particularly conspicuous.Can Xue’s opposite consciousness is also obviously in her later creative works.It shows that the hero and the absurd group are opposition.

For example, ‘I’was against the world, while I regarded my bother as the center in my life.‘I’looked for my brother, but my bother hid and refused to appear.My brother's friends and neighbors done everything possible to hide the ideas, which‘I’wanted to fi nd my brother.However, ‘I’did not give up and continually explore the opposing world.Firstly, ‘I’asked a pair of man and woman to inquire about my brother’s destination, and then I asked an old woman.Soon a man entered into my visual field, but I canno remember who he is.We would quickly have no barriers to exchange our information.My brother was a senior offi cer in The Castle and The Law, ‘I’am‘K’, in order to meet my brother, and I kep searching.‘I’attempted to break through this enigmatic world and hoped to seek the communication in the opposition.

Conclusion

Although Kafka and Can Xue live in different time and space and they experience the different cultural tradition and social reality Their works mainly show that the world and the human beings are absurd, and the reality is terrible.Therefore, we can see many incredible things in their novels.The life cannot hide the insidious and cruel side;it is certainly that literature shows the ideal.

摘要：卡夫卡和残雪分别是西方现代主义的先驱和中国新时期先锋作家, 尽管他们生活在不同的社会历史背景下, 有着不同的生活经历, 但两位作家在他们的作品中都表现出了浓厚的荒诞意识。本文试图以比较文学平行研究的方法, 分析卡夫卡与残雪小说中荒诞意识的异同。

英文小说 篇11

2 Characteristics of Metaphysical Detective Fiction

What is metaphysical detective fiction?According to Merivale, a metaphysical detective story is a text that parodies or subverts traditional detective-story conventions.[1]Therefore, there are quite different characteristics between traditional detective stories and metaphysical detective ones.Firstly, most traditional detective stories must evolve around“a dead body”, while metaphysical detective stories usually begin with“a missing person”.Secondly, in a classical detective story, the detectives are determined to solve any mystery.So classical detective stories are closed texts with the conclusions arranged by writers.Readers just passively read them.However, in metaphysical detective fiction, the detectives usually fail to solve any mystery, which is left to readers to interpret.So it does not provide readers a satisfying ending but several endings or merely a closure.Thirdly, classical detective fiction is to solve such problems as“what has happened?”, “why did it happen?”and“who did it?”, while metaphysical detective fiction is a kind o self-conscious fiction which answers such questions as“what i the world like?”and“how does a man live in the world?”or“wha kind of roles does a man play in the world?”.So the metaphysica genre is also named“ontological detective story”by some literar critics.Or in other words, metaphysical detective stories are selfreflective.

To sum up, the distinctive characteristics of metaphysical de tective fiction comprise an unsuccessful detective, a non-conclu sion and self-reflexiveness.Thus, metaphysical detective fiction must be an unsolved mystery and a self-reflexive story.

3 Metaphysical Detective Elements in A Maggot

3.1 An unsolved mystery

In A Maggot, the missing man Bartholomew is an upper-clas gentleman in the eighteenth century.He leads an admirable life a the younger son of a duke since“he was given all”.[2]His sudden disappearance seems to be beyond common sense.He seems abso lutely normal until he is last to be seen going into a cavern in a de serted upland of Devonshire and then disappears without a trac from the world.Mr.Bartholomew’s family arranged for Mr.Ay scough to investigate the case of disappearance.To find out th truth, Ayscough interrogated some witnesses whose testimon seems to show Bartholomew has elaborately planned to disappea thoroughly.

With the development of Ayscough’s investigation, readers are opening up a“Chinese box”, when they attempt to discover the secret in the innermost box only to find it an empty one, since different witnesses have different and even contradictory opinions of the same event and character.So in the end Mr.Ayscough only could make some inferences:murder, suicide, traveling abroad, without solving the mystery of the missing person.In this sense, Ayscough is not a success as the“detective”, and the story does not provide a satisfactory solution to the mystery of the disappearance of Mr.Bartholomew.It provides readers an open closure instead of a traditional closed ending.Obviously, it is in accordance with Michael Holquist’s explanation—“the metaphysical detective story...is not concerned to have a neat ending in which all the questions are answered, and can be forgotten”.[3]

3.2 A self-reflexive novel

Under the disguise of the seemingly banal detective story, A Maggot indeed has some extraordinary characteristics in form.The story is not only told in the third-person narration by a modern narrator but also made up of many investigation dialogues, the clippings out of magazines and newspapers in 1736 and some epistles written by Ascough.As a result, meanings in the novel are generated by two ways:one is by the collision of opinions between the modern narrator and the eighteenth-century character, and the other is by differences between the real historical documents and historical fiction.It is just through juxtaposing the various texts from the Gentleman’s Magazine with fictional illusions created by the interrogative text that the novel unfolds its self-reflexiveness, .

A Maggot is a self-reflexive novel since it openly reflects upon its own processes of artful composition.[4]According to Linda Hutcheon, this kind of fiction not only is self-reflexive metafictional and parodic, but also makes a claim to some kind of historical reference.It does not so much deny as contest the“truths”of reality and fiction...fiction is offered as another of the discourses by which we construct our versions of reality.[5]In the novel Fowles imitates the eighteenth-century novel and tries to break down the walls between fictional history and historical reality so as to awaken readers to the ontological doubts about the limits between reality and fiction.

So it is no wonder that, nearly at the end of the novel, the transcribing clerk John Tudor says that there are indeed two truths:“One that a person believes is truth;and one that is truth incontestable”[6]That is to say, A Maggot openly asserts that there are only truths in the plural, and never one Truth;and there is rarely falseness per se, just others’truths.[7]It is absolutely no doubt that the entire novel derives its attractiveness more from its verisimilitude than from any historical truth.

4 Fowles’s theory of disappearance

The unsolved mystery of Bartholomew’s disappearance may throw some light on Fowles’s theory of disappearance:the disappearance of the authoritative author, the indeterminacy of meaning and the participation of the reader.This theory of disappearance also reflects Fowles’s ideas of creative writing.Fowles emphasizes in his non-fictional work, The Aristos:“if there had been a creator, his second act would have been to disappear.”[8]So, on the one hand, the disappearance of the author means the deconstruction of the authority of the author who not only determines the lives of characters but dominates the narrative;on the other hand, it also means the achievement of the freedom of characters and the indeterminacy of the meanings.In this sense, the disappearance of Bartholomew could not be solved at all because Fowles has intentionally left it to readers to decipher.

How thoroughly the theory of disappearance is applied in A Maggot is also reflected in its form.In the novel, the investigation dialogues are presented in the form of real interrogative text of“Q”and“A”without any additional narration or comment.It is clear that Fowles intends to efface the author’s role and leave readers more freedom to locate their own positions in the text.Without the interference of the author, readers themselves are able to imagine Ayscough’s and Rebecca’s expressions when they are confronting each other.And in so doing, readers are completely free to make their own judgments.It is just as Seymour Chatman argues that“Stories that are uniquely dialogic or rely heavily on it require the implied reader to do more inferring than other kinds”.[9]Therefore, it is no denying that Fowles is such a skilled craftsman as to practice his poetics of writing in his novel so perfectly.

5 Conclusion

According to the above analyses, it is obvious that Fowles shows his talent in writing as an innovator in A Maggot.For one thing, he borrows the theme of the missing person from the metaphysical detective fiction;for another, he plants his own theory of disappearance in it.So his last novel A Maggot is really a typical Fowlesian metaphysical detective story, just thanks to his theory of disappearance.

参考文献

[1]Patricia Merivale.Detecting Texts:The Metaphysical Detec-tive Story from Poe to Postmodernism[M].Philadelphia:Univer-sity of Pennsylvania Press, 1999:2.

[2]John Fowles.A Maggot[M].Boston&Toronto:Little Brownand Company, 1985:159.

[3]Patricia Merivale.Detecting Texts:The Metaphysical Detec-tive Story from Poe to Postmodernism[M].Philadelphia:Uni-versity of Pennsylvania Press, 1999:2.

[4]Chris Baldick.Oxford Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms[M].Shanghai:Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2000:201.

[5]Linda Hutcheon.A Poetics of Postmodernism[M].New York&London:Routledge, 1988:40.

[6]John Fowles.A Maggot[M].Boston&Toronto:Little Brownand Company, 1985:308.

[7]Linda Hutcheon.A Poetics of Postmodernism[M].New York&London:Routledge, 1988:109.

[8]John Fowles.The Aristos[M].London:Triad/Panther, 1981:18.