Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 315

内容提要

本书分两个部分,将英国文学和美国文学按文学史的时间顺序编排,并在每一部分开篇介绍
了相关文学背景,浓缩性地涵盖了基本文学常识、文学术语、概念、思潮、流派、代表作家及其经典
作品等。在各部分各撷选了具有代表性的作家若干人,简要介绍其生平、创作风格、在文学史上
的地位、代表作及篇章选读等,以帮助学习者初步获得关于具体作家的基本知识,为进一步深入
学习奠定基础。
本书适用于“应用型”本科院校英语专业及非英语专业的通识课或选修课,也可用于完成大
学英语基础阶段学习的后续或拓展课程。

图书在版编目(CIP)数据
英美文学选读 / 张莹波,李静主编  —南京 :东南
大学出版社,2018. 5
ISBN 978 7 5641 7695 2

Ⅰ ①英… Ⅱ ①张… ②李… Ⅲ ①英语 阅读


教学 高等学校 教材 ②英国文学 文学欣赏 ③文学欣
赏 美国 Ⅳ H319. 4:I
中国版本图书馆 CIP 数据核字(2018)第 056796 号

英美文学选读
主 编 张莹波 李 静 责任编辑 刘 坚
电 话 (025)83793329 QQ:635353748 电子邮件 liujian@ seu. edu. cn
出版发行 东南大学出版社 出 版 人 江建中
地 址 南京市四牌楼 号 2 邮 编 210096
销售电话 (025)83794561 / 83794174 / 83794121 / 83795801 / 83792174 / 83795802 / 57711295(传真)
网 址 http:
∥www. seupress. com 电子邮件 press@ seupress. com
经 销 全国各地新华书店 印 刷 南京京新印刷厂
开 本 787mm × 1092mm 1 / 16 印 张 19. 75
字 数 500 千字 版 印 次 2018 年 5 月第 1 版第 1 次印刷
书 号 ISBN 978 7 5641 7695 2
定 价 48. 00 元
 未经本社授权,本图书内任何文字不得以任何方式转载、演绎,违者必究。
 本社图书若有印装质量问题,请直接与营销部联系。电话:025 83791830 。
 前言 !"#$%&# 

英美文学内容浩如烟海,国内高校英语专业使用的英美文学教材品种很多,
注重文学史和作品选读的优秀教材也不少,但它们涵盖的内容实在太过于丰富,
对于课时偏少的“应用型本科”普通高校英语专业和非英语专业的学生来说不
太合适。为此,笔者根据多年的教学经验及在对相关院校进行调研的基础上,特
别编写了这本《英美文学选读》教材。
考虑到目前很多高校课时有限,因此本着“够用为度,便于拓展”的原则,本
教材力求在有限的篇幅内为英语专业学生、非英语专业学生和广大英语爱好者
提供一个浓缩了英美文学精华的读本。全书分为两个部分:英国文学和美国文
学,基本按文学史的时间顺序编排。每部分开篇都有相关文学背景知识的介绍,
浓缩性地涵盖了英美文学概况,包括基本文学常识、文学术语、概念、思潮、流派、
代表作家及其经典作品等内容。本教材侧重于英美文学各阶段的经典原著的选
读、理解和赏析,内容包括作家生平和创作、主要文体风格、主要作品目录、所选
作品简介、所选作品人物列表、原著选读、注释和思考题等。附录则包含了重要
且规范的文学术语解释,便于学生查阅。
本教材适用于普通高校英语专业,可作为面向英语和非英语专业学生开设
的通识选修课如“英美文学概况”“英美文学鉴赏”“英美文学赏析”等课程的教
材,也适合“应用型本科”高校非英语专业学生用作拓展课程“英美文学选读”的
教材。
在编写过程中,我们参考了国内外大量的学术著作,在此由衷地感谢相关作
者及出版社。由于编者水平有限,教材中难免存在错误和不足,敬请广大读者批
评指正。
编者
2017 年 12 月 25 日

目录 '()*#)* 

Part Ⅰ British Literature

!"#$%&%' (&)*+%,-./ 0.1,%2&#",. / 002

Unit 1 ( —1400) 杰弗里·乔叟 / 014


Geoffrey Chaucer 1343

The Canterbury Tales / 015

Unit 2 William Shakespeare 1564( —1616) 威廉·莎士比亚 / 019


Hamlet / 021

Sonnet 18 / 024

Unit 3 ( —1731) 丹尼尔·笛福 / 026


Daniel Defoe 1660

The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe / 028

Unit 4 Romantic Poets 浪漫主义诗人 / 033


A Red Red Rose / 034
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud / 037
She Walks in Beauty / 039
Unit 5 ( —1817) 简·奥斯汀 / 041
Jane Austen 1775

Pride and Prejudice / 043

Unit 6 ( —1855) 夏洛蒂·勃朗特 / 047


Charlotte Bront 1816

Jane Eyre / 049

Unit 7 Charles Dickens 1812( —1870) 查尔斯·狄更斯 / 059


Great Expectations / 062

Unit 8 Victorian Poets 维多利亚诗人 / 073


The Eagle / 074
My Last Duchess / 077
001
Unit 9 Thomas Hardy 1840 ( —1928) 托马斯·哈代 / 081
Tess of the DUrbervilles / 084
Unit 10 George Bernard Shaw 1856 ( —1950) 乔治·萧伯纳 / 093
Pygmalion / 095

Unit 11 ( —1941) 詹姆斯·乔伊斯 / 100


James Joyce 1882

Araby / 102

Unit 12 ( —2013) 多丽丝·莱辛 / 108


Doris Lessing 1919

A Woman on a Roof / 111

Unit 13 20 th Century British Poets 20 世纪英国诗人 / 120


The Tree / 121

Hawk Roosting / 123

Part Ⅱ American Literature

!"#$%&%' (&)*+%,-./ 0.1,%2&#",. / 126

Unit 14 ( —1849) 埃德加·爱伦·坡 / 138


Edgar Allan Poe 1809

The Cask of Amontillado / 141

To Helen / 147

Unit 15 Nathaniel Hawthorne 1804 ( —1864) 纳撒尼尔·霍桑 / 149


The Scarlet Letter / 152

Unit 16 Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803 ( —1882) 拉尔夫·华尔多·爱默生 / 159


SelfReliance / 161

Unit 17 19 th Century American Poets 19 世纪美国诗人 / 166


Ones Self I Sing / 168


O Captain My Captain !/ 169
Because I Could not Stop for Death / 171

Success Is Counted Sweetest / 173

Unit 18 ( —1910) 马克·吐温 / 175


Mark Twain 1835

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn / 177


002
Unit 19 Katherine Anne Porter 1890( —1980) 凯瑟琳·安·波特 / 181
The Jilting of Granny Weatherall / 182

Unit 20 ( —1962) 威廉·福克纳 / 191


William Faulkner 1897

A Rose for Emily / 193

Unit 21 Ernest Hemingway 1899( —1961) 厄内斯特·海明威 / 202


A Farewell to Arms / 204

Unit 22 ( —1953) 尤金·格拉斯通·奥尼尔 / 219


Eugene Glastone ONeill 1888

The Hairy Ape / 223

Unit 23 ( —1968) 约翰·斯坦贝克 / 230


John Steinbeck 1902

The Chrysanthemums / 232

Unit 24 20 th Century American Poets 20 世纪美国诗人 / 242


In a Station of the Metro / 243

Mending Wall / 245

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening / 247

The Road Not Taken / 248

Unit 25 ( —1994) 拉尔夫·华尔多·艾利森 / 250


Ralph Waldo Ellison 1914

Invisible Man / 253

Unit 26 ( —2010) 杰罗姆·戴维·塞林格 / 262


J. D. Salinger 1919

The Catcher in the Rye / 264

Unit 27 ( —) 艾米·谭 / 270


Amy Tan 1952

The Joy Luck Club / 273

Unit 28 ( —) 露易丝·厄德里克 / 281


Louise Erdrich 1954

Love Medicine / 284

Appendix Glossary of Literary Terms / 293

003
001
Literary Background Information

Old and Medieval English Literature The Germanic people known as the Angles the ,

Saxons and the Jutes invaded Britain in the 5 th
and 6 th
centuries ,bringing with them their
language, paganism, and warrior traditions. In the late 6 th
century the process of re
Christianization began,and by the end of the 7 th
century all kingdoms of AngloSaxon England
had accepted the discipline of Roman Christianity. Oral tradition was very strong in early
English culture and most literary works were written to be performed. Epic poems were thus
, , ,
very popular and some including Beowulf have survived to the present day. Beowulf is the
most famous work in Old English and has achieved national epic status in England ,despite
being set in Scandinavia.
After the Norman Conquest in 1066 England developed a feudal system ruled by native and
Norman aristocracy and ordered by a rich and influential Church. The country became trilingual ,
with a literate clergy refined by Latin,Norman French defining the new ruling class,and
English confined to the ruled. A new literary form—romance became popular. Most English
romances tend to present their heroes as knights pursuing a lonely quest. While romances

articulate a pious confidence in the values of a Christian society they also stress the importance
of the communal values of a chivalric world. Their subjects include classical Roman legends ,

tales of France and British stories. The representative romances are legends of King Arthur
and the Knights of the Round Table ,and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Despite the
political and social disruptions of his age,Geoffrey Chaucer expresses a firm sense of order in
his poetry which is evident in his reflections on the nature and workings of the cosmos,and in
his affirmations of an orthodox Christian belief in divine involvement in human affairs. Chaucer

is best known today for The Canterbury Tales a collection of stories written in Middle English.

Chaucer is a crucial figure in developing the legitimacy of the vernacular Middle English at a ,
time when the dominant literary languages in England were French and Latin.
In the 15 th and early 16 th centuries the Kingdom of Scotland witnessed a flowering of
literature in English. The Scots poets of the period were aware of the cultural and political

independence of their nation from the South thus they began a tradition of poetic composition in
the “Inglis ”language in Scotland to demonstrate their national selfconsciousness. The late
medieval religious writing largely had two orientations. While mystery and morality played for

the instruction and entertainment found great popularity among a wide uneducated audience ,
002
some recluses , such as Richard Rolle , chose to express their intense private religious
Literary Background Information

experience.
Literature during the English Renaissance The English Renaissance was a cultural and
artistic movement in England dating from the late 15th to the early 17th century. And the
dominant art forms were literature and music. By the time of Elizabethan literature a vigorous
( —1599),
literary culture in both drama and poetry included poets such as Edmund Spenser 1552
whose verse epic The Faerie Queene had a strong influence on English literature but was
eventually overshadowed by the lyrics of William Shakespeare 1564 ( —1616 ),Thomas Wyatt
and others. Playwrights included such giant figures as Christopher Marlowe,Shakespeare and
Ben Jonson. Queen Elizabeth herself was a product of Renaissance humanism. Elizabethan
, ,
drama took the place of morality mystery and miracle plays. Philosophers and intellectuals
included Thomas More(1478 —1535 )and Francis Bacon (1561 —1626 ). Mores Utopia was a
philosophical novel of fantasy. Bacon wrote great essays and science fiction. Shakespeare stood
out as a poet and playwright as yet unsurpassed. He wrote 39 plays including histories ,
, ,
tragedies comedies and the late romances or tragicomedies. Famous works include comedies
, , ,
The Merchant of Venice A Midsummer Nights Dream Twelfth Night tragedies Romeo and
Juliet ,Hamlet,Othello,King Lear,Macbeth,and histories Henry Ⅳ ,Richard Ⅱ ,Henry Ⅷ .
17 century literature John Milton (1608 —1674 ) was one of the greatest English
th

poets ,who wrote at a time of religious flux and political upheaval. He was generally seen as the
last major poet of the English Renaissance,though his major epic poems were written in the
Restoration period,including Paradise Lost,Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes,which
reflected deep personal convictions,a passion for freedom and selfdetermination, and the
urgent issues and political turbulence of his day. A new poetic school—the Metaphysical
appeared and the important poets were John Donne (1572 —1631 )and his followers such as
George Herbert (1593 —1633 ) and Henry Vaughn (1621 —1695 ). Influenced by continental
Baroque,and taking as his subject matter both Christian mysticism and eroticism,Donnes
metaphysical poetry uses unconventional or “unpoetic ” figures, such as a compass or a
mosquito,to reach surprise effects.
John Dryden (1631 —1700 )was a poet,literary critic,translator,and playwright who
dominated the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be
known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden. He established the heroic couplet as a standard
form of English poetry by writing successful satires , religious pieces , fables, epigrams,
, , ;
compliments prologues and plays with it he also introduced the alexandrine and triplet into
the form. In his poems,translations,and criticism,he established a poetic diction appropriate to
the heroic couplet. Drydens greatest achievements were in satiric verse in works like the mock
( )
heroic MacFlecknoe 1682 .
The publication of The Pilgrims Progress established the Puritan preacher John Bunyan
(1628—1688)as a notable writer,which is an allegory of personal salvation and a guide to the 003
Christian life. Bunyan writes about how the individual can prevail against the temptations of
mind and body that threaten damnation. The book is written in a straightforward narrative and

shows influence from both drama and biography and yet it also shows an awareness of the
grand allegorical tradition found in Edmund Spenser.
Literature during Enlightenment Movement The 18 th century advanced in astronomy ,
mathematics , mechanics, physics and optics contributed to the spring of Enlightenment
Movement. Religious mystery was replaced by rational wonder. The bloodless Glorious
, ,
Revolution also called the Revolution of 1688 and its subsequent legislation ensured the rule of

law and the dominance of Parliament in England. Thus an ideal of harmony cooperation and a
political order reflecting that of nature seemed to be realized in the triumph of practical reason ,
liberal religion and impartial law. But in many practical ways such ideal remained an illusion.
Neoclassic poetry became popular , which respected reason , stressed conciseness and
,smoothness and refinement, aiming at the perfect form of art. Alexander Pope
balance
(1688—1744)was considered the dominant voice of his century with his masterpieces of the
mockepic genre:The Rape of the Lock and The Dunciad. Joseph Addison and Richard Steeles
The Tatler and The Spectator established the form of the British periodical essay. The
publication of Gullivers Travels ,a satirical prose,in 1726 made its author Jonathan Swift
(1667—1745 )immediately famous. English novel has generally been seen as beginning with
Daniel Defoe (1660 —1731 )s Robinson Crusoe (1719 )and Moll Flanders (1722 ). Robinson
Crusoe marks the beginning of realistic fiction as a literary genre and Crusoe as the hero is a
symbol of the British empire and an image of the English colonial pioneers. Other major
(1707—1754 )who wrote Tom Jones (1749 ),and Tobias
novelists include Henry Fielding
Smollett (1721 —1771 ),whose The Adventures of Roderick Random (1748 )is an important
comicpicaresque novel.
The century also witnessed a fashion called Sentimentalism in both poetry and prose
fiction. Emotion and spontaneity were seen as necessary complements to reason and
deliberation,not as opposition to them. Fictional representatives were Samuel Richardson
(1689—1761),author of the epistolary novels Pamela (1740 )and Clarissa (1748 ),and his
successor,Lawrence Sterne (1713 —1768 ) who wrote an experimental novel The Life and
Opinions of Tristram Shandy with lots of modern techniques such as lengthy comments,
interruptions,music scores,asterisks,ellipses and even blank pages. Poets of the Graveyard
School showed their concern with morality. Oliver Goldsmiths long pastoral poem The Deserted
, ,
Village James Thomsons The Seasons William Collins Ode to Evening and Thomas Grays
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard all expressed the poets aversion to the chaotic society
and desire for the simple natural life. The romantic comedies —Goldsmiths She Stoops to
Conquer and Richard Brinsley Sheridans The School for Scandal enjoyed great popularity
towards the end of the century. Goldsmith also published a sentimental novel Vicar of Wakefield
004
Literary Background Information

and an epistolary novel The Citizen of the World.


Literature of Romantic Period The Romantic period is one of the major social changes
in England ,because of the depopulation of the countryside and the rapid development of
overcrowded industrial cities,that take place in the period roughly between 1750 and 1850.
Romanticism may be seen in part as a reaction to the Industrial Revolution,though it is also a
revolt against aristocratic social and political norms of the Age of Enlightenment,as well as a
reaction against the scientific rationalisation of nature. The French Revolution is an especially
important influence on the political thinking of many of the Romantic poets. Great changes take
( —1827 )and Robert Burns (1759—1796 )are
place in British poetry. William Blake 1757
pioneers of the Romantic movement. A religious,political and artistic radical throughout his
life,Blake proclaims various forms of liberty mainly through symbolism,imagery and prophetic
utterance of the Bible. His passionate,visionary libertarianism is different from the frankly
secular democratic bent of Robert Burns,whose poetry remains close to its roots in the oral
traditions of Scotland. And his keen ear for Scots vocabulary,idiom and rhythm enables him to
transform folk song into a poem of his own. Among Blakes most important works are Songs of
( )and Songs of Experience (1794 ). A Red Red Rose,Auld Lang Syne,A
Innocence 1789
Mans A Man for A That,To a Mouse,Tam o Shanter and Ae Fond Kiss are Burnss best.
The publishing of Lyrical Ballads in 1798 ,coauthored by William Wordsworth (1770 —
1850 )and Samuel Taylor Coleridge(1772 —1834 ),marks the beginning of Romanticism. In
the preface of Lyrical Ballads,Wordsworth demonstrates his poetic theory:“All good poetry is
the spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling originating from feelings with tranquil
contemplation. And sweet sensations passed into the mind in hours of weariness can be felt in
the blood,along the heart. ” Romantic poets are passionate lovers of nature. Wordsworth,
Coleridge and their friend Robert Southey (1774 —1843 )are called the “Lake Poets ”as they
live in the Lake District of England most of their life. Wordsworth strives to find an appropriate

language to describe humble and rustic life ”,breaking with gentility and sophistication and insists

the morally educative influence of nature and the interrelationship of a love of nature and a love of

humanity. His best works include Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey Resolution and
, , ,
Independence I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud A Solitary Reaper Michael and so on. Coleridges
long poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner on the surface explores a violation of nature and the resulting

psychological effects on the mariner and on all those who hear him yet the very theme lies in the
poets ecological consciousness—identity of object and self(物我合一).
The second generation of Romantic poets includes George Gordon Byron 1788 ( —1824),
( —1822)and John Keats (1795—1821). Byron and Shelley have
Percy Bysshe Shelley 1792
an equally distaste for the British Establishments, literary and political, with their radical
politics,so they are called revolutionary poets. Keats is known for his creative experiments with
form and meter. Byrons bestknown works are the lengthy narrative poems Don Juan and
005

Childe Harolds Pilgrimage and the short lyric poem She Walks in Beauty. Shelley is famous
, , ,
for such classic poems as Ozymandias Ode to the West Wind To a Skylark Music When Soft,
Voices Die , The Cloud and The Masque of Anarchy. His other major works include a
( )and long,visionary poems such as Queen Mab
groundbreaking verse drama The Cenci 1819
(later reworked as The Daemon of the World ),Alastor,The Revolt of Islam,Adonas,
Prometheus Unbound (1820 )—widely considered to be his masterpiece,Hellas:A Lyrical
Drama (1821 ), and his final, unfinished work, The Triumph of Life (1822 ). John
Keatsfamous lyrics include Ode to a Nightingale,To Autumn,The Eve of St Agnes,Ode on a
Grecian Urn,La Belle Dame Sans Merci,On First Looking into Chapmans Homer,Bright Star
and so on.
Major novelists in this period are the English woman Jane Austen 1775( —1817 )and the
Scotsman Sir Walter Scott (1771—1832 ), while Gothic fiction of various kinds also
(1813 ), Sense and Sensibility
flourished. Austens works including Pride and Prejudice
(1811),Mansfield Park (1814),Emma (1815)and Persuasion (1818)satirize the novels of
sensibility of the second half of the 18 th century and are part of the transition to 19 th century

realism. Deeply aware of the distinctive nature of Scottish history and culture Scott created the
, ,
historical novel and such masterpieces as The Waverley Novels including The Antiquary Old ,

Mortality The Heart of Midlothian ,and Ivanhoe earns him the title of “father of historical
novels in western Europe ”. Mary Shelley (1797 —1851 ) is remembered as the author of
Frankenstein (1818 ),an important Gothic novel,as well as being an early example of science
fiction.
( —1830 )is famous for his foremost literary criticism.
William Hazlitt 1778 Alert to the
significance of art and the creative imagination amid the political demands and disappointments

of the postrevolutionary era he most conspicuously influenced his own contemporaries with his
criticism of Shakespeare and Elizabethan drama.
Victorian Literature / Critical Realism The Victorian age is the age of conflicting

theories of scientific and economic confidence and of social and spiritual pessimism ,of a
shaped awareness of the inevitability of progress and of deep disquiet as to the nature of the
present. It is the age of the application of new technologies. New urban prosperity gives the

middle and working classes a variety of domestic comforts but it also leads to a culture obsessed
with materials. Charles Darwins On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection
(1859 ) fosters deep and growing doubts as to the very doctrinal and historical bases of
Christianity. Family is regarded as an agent of oppression and the first real stirring of the
modern womens movement starts in this period.
It is in the Victorian era that the novel becomes the leading literary genre in English.
( —1870 ) fiercely satirises various aspects of society,including the
Charles Dickens 1812
workhouse in Oliver Twist,the failures of the legal system in Bleak House. In more recent years
006
Literary Background Information

, ( —1848 ),
Dickens has been most admired for his later novels such as Dombey and Son 1846
Bleak House (1852 —1853 ) and Little Dorrit (1855 —1857 ),Great Expectations (1860 —
1861 ),and Our Mutual Friend (1864 —1865 ). William Makepeace Thackeray (1811 —
1863 ),an early rival to Dickens,is known for Vanity Fair (1847 ),which follows the lives of
Becky Sharp and Emmy Sedley amid their friends and families during and after the Napoleonic

Wars. The novel is a satire of society as a whole characterised by hypocrisy and opportunism.
Women writers make great contributions to the Victorian literature. The Bront sisters ,
, ,
Emily Charlotte and Anne leave behind great works though they all die young. Charlottes
(1816—1855)Jane Eyre breaks new ground in being written from an intensely firstperson
female perspective. Emilys (1818 —1848 )Wuthering Heights challenges strict Victorian ideals
of the day, including religious hypocrisy, morality, social classes and gender inequality.
Annes (1820 —1849 )Agnes Grey deals with the lonely life of a governess. George Eliot,pen
name of Mary Ann Evans(1819 —1880 ),published 7 novels including Adam Bede(1859 ),The
Mill on the Floss(1860 ),Silas Marner(1861 ),Felix Holt,the Radical (1866 ),Middlemarch
(1871—1872)and Daniel Deronda(1876),most of them set in provincial England and known
for their realism and psychological insight. Elizabeth Gaskell (1810 —1865 )is also a successful
writer and North and South contrasts the lifestyle in the industrial north of England with the
wealthier south.
( —1909)is best remembered for his novels The Ordeal of Richard
George Meredith 1828
Fevered (1859 )and The Egotist (1879 ). George Robert Gissing (1857 —1903 )published 23
novels between 1880 and 1903 and New Grub Street (1891 ) is his bestknown. Heart of
Darkness(1899 )and Lord Jim by a Polishborn immigrant Joseph Conrad (1857 —1924 ),an
important forerunner of modernist literature,depict trials of the human spirit in the midst of an
impassive,inscrutable universe and reflect aspects of a Europeandominated world,including
imperialism and colonialism.
( —1928 )is interested in rural matters and the changing social and
Thomas Hardy 1840
economic situation of the countryside and he gains fame as the author of such novels as,Far
from the Madding Crowd (1874 ), The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886 ), Tess of the
DUrbervilles (1891 ),and Jude the Obscure (1895 ). John Galsworthy (1867 —1933 ) is
famous for The Forsyte Saga (1906 ) which touches such social issues as gender,poverty,
financial gap. E. M. Forster(1879 —1970 )is concerned with middleclass values. He manages
to mix a sharp social comedy with didactic narrative insistence on the virtues of tolerance and
human decency. Howards End 1910( )and A Passage to India (1924 )are Forsters famous
novels. Arnold Bennett (1867 —1931 ) and William Somerset Maugham (1874 —1965 ) are
influenced by Zolas naturalism,so Bennetts Old Wives Tale (1908 ) and Maughams Of
Human Bondage (1915 )are naturalistic novels.
Adventure novels are popular. Sir Henry Rider Haggard wrote one of the earliest examples,
007

King Solomons Mines in 1885. Robert Louis Stevenson (1850—1894 )also wrote works in
, ( ),an historical novel set in the aftermath of the Jacobite
this genre including Kidnapped 1886
rising of 1745 ,and Treasure Island (1883 ),the classic pirate adventure.
Wilkie Collins epistolary novel The Moonstone (1868 ),is generally considered the first
detective novel in the English language,and soon after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle began his
Sherlock Holmes series about a Londonbased “consulting detective”. H. G. Wellss (1866 —
1946 )writing career began in the 1890s with science fiction like The War of the Worlds (1898 )
which describes an invasion of late Victorian England by Martians and The Time Machine
(1895)in which he not only coined the term “time machine”but also put forward the concept
of “time travel”. The Time Machine has been adapted into three feature films of the same name,
as well as two television versions,and a large number of comic book adaptations.
Literature for children developed as a separate genre during the Victorian era,and some
works became internationally known,such as Lewis Carroll,Alices Adventures in Wonderland
(1865). Beatrix Potter was known for her childrens books,which featured animal characters,
including The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902 ).
The leading poets during the Victorian period were Alfred,Lord Tennyson (1809 —1892 ),
Robert Browning (1812 —1889 ),Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 —1861 ),and Matthew
Arnold(1822 —1888 ). The poetry of this period was heavily influenced by the Romantics,but
also went off in its own directions. Particularly notable was the development of the dramatic

monologue a form used by many poets in this period ,but perfected by Browning. Mrs
Browning is remembered for such poems as How Do I Love Thee?(Sonnet 43 ,1845 ) and
Aurora Leigh (1856 ). Dover Beach is Arnolds representative work. Irishman William Butler
Yeats(1865 —1939 )is one of the foremost figures of 20thcentury literature. In 1923 ,Yeats
was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature,“for his always inspired poetry,which in a highly
artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation. ” The Wind Among the Reeds
(1899)and The Second Coming are his wellknown poems.
In the last decade of the century major playwrights emerged,including George Bernard
Shaw (1856 —1950 ),Arms and the Man (1894 ),and Oscar Wilde (1854 —1900 ),The
Importance of Being Earnest (1895 ). Both of these Irish writers lived mainly in England and
wrote in English,with the exception of some works in French by Wilde.
Modernism and cultural revivals World War Ⅰ and its immediate aftermath accentuated

the feeling that a new start ought to be made in politics and society as well as in art. From
around 1910 the Modernist movement began to influence British literature. Free verse and other

stylistic innovations came to the forefront in this era with which T. S. Eliot and Ezra Pound
were especially associated. T. S. Eliot (1888 —1965 ) was born American, migrated to

England in 1914 and he was “arguably the most important Englishlanguage poet of the 20th
century. ”He produced some of the bestknown poems in the English language,including The
008
Literary Background Information

( )
Waste Land 1922 and Four Quartets 1935 ( —1942). Pound was an expatriate American poet
and critic who started imagism ,a movement derived from classical Chinese and Japanese
poetry,stressing clarity,precision and economy of language. In a Station of the Metro (1913 )
is the very example of imagism.
In the 1930s the Auden Group ,sometimes called simply the Thirties poets,was an
important group of politically leftwing writers,that included W. H. Auden (1907 —1973 )
and two AngloIrish writers,Cecil DayLewis (1904 —1972 )and Louis MacNeice (1907 —
1963 ). Auden was best known for love poems such as Funeral Blues,poems on political and
social themes such as September 1 ,1939 and The Shield of Achilles,poems on cultural and
psychological themes such as The Age of Anxiety,and poems on religious themes such as For
the Time Being. A Welsh poet and writer,Dylan Marlais Thomas (1914 —1953 )was widely
popular in his lifetime,whose works include the poems Do not Go Gentle into That Good Night
and And Death Shall Have No Dominion;the “play for voices”Under Milk Wood;and stories
and radio broadcasts such as A Childs Christmas in Wales and Portrait of the Artist as a Young
Dog.
( —1941)contributed to the modernist avantgarde and is regarded as one
James Joyce 1882
of the most influential and important authors of the 20th century. Joyce is best known for
( ),A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916)and Finnegans Wake (1939).
Ulysses 1922
Ulysses is a landmark work in which the episodes of Homers Odyssey are paralleled in an array

of contrasting literary styles perhaps most prominent among these the stream of consciousness
technique he utilised. His other writings include three books of poetry ,a play,occasional
journalism and his published letters.
( —1941)was an influential feminist,
Writing in the 1920s and 1930s Virginia Woolf 1883
and a major stylistic innovator associated with the streamofconsciousness technique. Her novels
( ),and The Waves (1931 ),and A Room of Ones Own (1929 ),
include Mrs Dalloway 1925
which contains her famous dictum:“A woman must have money and a room of her own if she
is to write fiction. ”D. H. Lawrence (1885 —1930 ),who wrote with understanding about the
social life of the lower and middle classes,and the personal life of those who could not adapt to
the social norms of his time. Sons and Lovers (1913 ),is widely regarded as his earliest
masterpiece. There followed The Rainbow (1915 ),and its sequel Women in Love published
in 1920.
, ,
An important development beginning really in the 1930s and 1940s was a tradition of
working class novels that were actually written by writers who had a workingclass background.
, ( —1950)works are considered important social
An essayist and novelist George Orwells 1903
and political commentaries of the 20th century,dealing with issues such as poverty in The Road
to Wigan Pier (1937 ) and in the 1940s his satires of totalitarianism included Animal Farm
(1945). Evelyn Waugh (1903—1966 )satirised the “bright young things”of the 1920s and 009
, ,
1930s notably in A Handful of Dust and Decline and Fall. Graham Greene 1904 ( —1991 )

explored the ambivalent moral and political issues of the modern world often through a Catholic

perspective. He published 25 novels including Brighton Rock The Power and the Glory The ,
Ministry of Fear and so on.
The “Queen of detective stories ” Agatha (1890—1976 ) was prolific. She
Christie
published 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections,among which Murder on the Orient
Express and Death on the Nile are the most famous.
Contemporary Literature ,
When World War Ⅱ ended in 1945 much of Britain was in

ruins. The war the war economy and wartime propaganda had prepared the way for social
change. Stateaided education was much promoted and free medical care became available to all
citizens. There went an air of optimism that fostered the idea Britain was rebuilding itself in a

new socially responsive economic dawn. But a sense of anxiety and dissatisfaction with the
reality started to appear in the postwar British literature.
New poets started their careers in the 1950s and 1960s including Philip Larkin (1922—
1985 )(The Whitsun Weddings,1964 )and Ted Hughes (1930—1998 )(The Hawk in the
Rain,1957 ). Northern Ireland has produced a number of significant poets,the most famous
being Nobel Prize winner (1995 ) Seamus Heaney (1939 —). However, Heaney regarded
himself as Irish and not British.
( —1989 )
The most significant play performed in the 1950s was Samuel Becketts 1906
Waiting for Godot. Becketts work offers a bleak,tragicomic outlook on human existence,often
coupled with black comedy and gallows humour. He is considered one of the last modernist
, “
writers and one of the key figures in what Martin Esslin called the Theatre of the Absurd . ”
“ ,
—in new forms
Beckett was awarded the 1969 Nobel Prize in Literature for his writing which
for the novel and drama—in the destitution of modern man acquires its elevation ”. John
Osborne (1929 —1994 )was the first to question the point of the monarchy on a prominent
public stage. His 1956 play Look Back in Anger transformed English theatre. Harold Pinter
(1930—2008)won 2005 Nobel Prize in Literature. His early works were described by critics as
“comedy of menace ”. Later plays such as No Mans Land (1975 ) and Betrayal (1978 )
became known as “memory plays ”. Arnold Wesker (1932 —2016 )was famous for Chicken
Soup with Barley (1958 ). His plays dealing with such themes as selfdiscovery, love,
confronting death and political disillusion are called “kitchen sink drama ”. Tom Stoppard
(1937—)has written prolifically for TV,radio,film and stage,finding prominence with plays
such as Arcadia,The Coast of Utopia,Every Good Boy Deserves Favour,Professional Foul,
The Real Thing, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Themes of human rights,
censorship and political freedom pervade his work along with exploration of linguistics and
( —2016)was a playwright and screenwriter of numerous award
philosophy. Peter Shaffer 1926
winning plays,several of which have been turned into films,including Five Finger Exercise
010
Literary Background Information

(1962),The Royal Hunt of the Sun (1969),The Public Eye (1962),from which he adapted
the 1972 film Follow Me!(1972 ),Equus (1977 ),and Amadeus (1984 ),which won eight
Academy Awards including Best Picture.
, ,
George Orwells satire of totalitarianism Nineteen EightyFour was published in 1949.
Evelyn Waughs Second World War trilogy Sword of Honour (1952 —1861 )was published in
this period. William Golding (1911 —1993 )gave a sure indication of his continuing concern
with moral allegory in his fiction. Lord of the Flies (1954 )established his reputation,and he
won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983.

From the mid1950s some writers including playwrights novelists and poets such as John
Osborne,Kingsley Amis (1922 —1995 ),John Wain (1925 —1994 ) and Philip Larkin were
addressed as “Angry Young Men. ”They took up feelings of frustration due to the perception
of themselves as “angry”outsiders of class and literary circles. Holding radical political views,
they described social alienation of different kinds. Not modernists by technique,they also
expressed their critical views on society,reprehending certain behaviors or groups in different
ways.
( —2005 )had been fascinated by repression and the release of sexual
John Fowles 1926
energy that could be equated with personal liberation. His famous novel The French Lieutenants
( ),a Victorianera romance with a postmodern twist,was set in Lyme Regis,
Woman 1969
Dorset,where Fowles lived for much of his life. Because of the contrast between the
independent Sarah Woodruff and the more stereotypical male characters,the novel often receives
attention for its treatment of gender issues. With three endings,the novel is an experimental
success. Fowles books have been translated into many languages and several have been adapted
into successful films.
The broadening of womens perspectives and opportunities proved the most radical and
( —2013)in her fiction argues
substantial of the social changes of the 1960s. Doris Lessing 1919
that the real revolution is women against men. She initially wrote about her African experiences
and soon became a dominant presence in the English literary scene. Publishing frequently she,
won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2007. Her novels include The Grass is Singing 1950( ),
( —1869),The Golden
the sequence of five novels collectively called Children of Violence 1952
( ),The Good Terrorist (1985 ),and a sequence of five science fiction novels
Notebook 1962
collectively known as Canopus in Argos:Archives (1979 —1983 ). And there are other women
writers including Muriel Spark (1918 —2006 ),Iris Murdoch (1919 —1999 ),A. S. Byatt
(1936—),Margaret Drabble (1939—)who are all concerned with moral and gender issues.
Spark was a Scottish novelist who focused on revelation of peoples spiritual status in this chao
( )which brought
tic world and her best known work was The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie 1961
her international fame. Murdoch dealt with sexual relationships,morality,and the power of the
unconscious. Under the Net (1954 ),The Sandcastle (1957 ),The Bell (1958 )and The Sea,
011
( ) are her representatives. A. S. Byatt was born Antonia Susan Drabble and
the Sea 1978
Margaret Drabble was her younger sister,but their relationship is not close as they do not read
each others books. Possession:A Romance is A. S. Byatts bestseller which is categorized as
historiographic metafiction and won the 1990 Booker Prize. Margaret Drabble touches on
, ,
corrupt propertydevelopers and bombs broken marriages and the alienations of upward social

mobility rural withdrawal and Eastern Europe. Each novels setting seems to imprison its
occupants and the negotiation is often dangerous and unsatisfying. Her novel Jerusalem the
( )focuses on topics relevant to women and gender.
Golden 1967
Promising young writers appeared in the 1980s and 1990s,who are greatly influenced by
postmodernism,especially the absurd techniques of “black humor”,magic realism,and whose
works are considered as “newtype historical novels”. Martin Amis(1949 —)won many prizes
for his bestknown novels Money (1984 )and London Fields (1989 )and he has been portrayed
as a master of what the New York Times called “the new unpleasantness ”. Graham Swift
(1949—)published his sixth novel Last Orders which won the 1996 James Tait Black Memorial
Prize for fiction and the 1996 Booker Prize and was adapted into a successful movie in 2001.
( —)early books Flauberts Parrot(1984 ),England,England
Three of Julian Barness 1946
(1998),and Arthur & George(2005)had been shortlisted for the Booker Prize and The Sense
of an Ending (2011 ) won the Man Booker Prize. Peter Ackroyd (1949 —) is an English
biographer ,novelist and critic with a particular interest in the history and culture of London. For
his novels about English history and culture and his biographies of,among others,William
Blake,Charles Dickens,T. S. Eliot and Sir Thomas More,he won the Somerset Maugham
Award and two Whitbread Awards. Ian Russell McEwan (1948 —),a novelist and screen
writer,began his career writing sparse,Gothic short stories. His first two novels,The Cement
Garden (1978 )and The Comfort of Strangers(1981 )earned him the nickname “Ian Macabre”.
The Child in Time (1987 )won him the 1987 Whitbread Novel Award. In 1997 ,he published
Enduring Love,which was adapted into a film. He won the Man Booker Prize with Amsterdam
(1998 ). In 2001,he published Atonement,which was adapted into an Oscarwinning film
starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. This was followed by Saturday (2005 ),On
Chesil Beach (2007 ),Solar (2010 ),Sweet Tooth (2012 ),The Children Act (2014 ),and
Nutshell (2016 ). In 2011 ,he was awarded the Jerusalem Prize.
Sir V. S. Naipaul (1932 —)was an immigrant,born in Trinidad,who won the Nobel
Prize in Literature in 2001. The Swedish Academy praised his work “for having united
perceptive narrative and incorruptible scrutiny in works that compel us to see the presence of

suppressed histories . His famous novels such as A House for Mr. Biswas ,A Bend in the

River and The Enigma of Arrival reveal the lasting influence of colonialism on the former
colonies and its peoples. Also from the West Indies is George Lamming 1927( —)who wrote In
012
the Castle of My Skin (1953 ), while from Pakistan came Hanif Kureshi (1954 —), a
Literary Background Information

, screenwriter, filmmaker, novelist and short story writer. Salman Rushdie


playwright
(1947—),a British Indian novelist,achieved fame with Midnights Children (1981 ). He
combines magical realism with historical fiction and his work is concerned with the many
, ,and migrations between Eastern and Western civilizations. Kazuo
connections disruptions
Ishiguro (1954 —)was born in Japan,but his parents immigrated to Britain when he was six.
He was 35 years old when he won the Booker Prize in 1989 for The Remains of the Day. Set in

the large country house of an English lord in the period surrounding World War Ⅱ the novel is
concerned with Stevens professional and , above all, personal relationship with a former

colleague the housekeeper Miss Kenton. The Remains of the Day and his another novel Never
Let Me Go(2005 )were adapted into highly acclaimed films. In 2015 ,he published his seventh
book,The Buried Giant which is a fantasy novel. In 2017 ,the Swedish Academy awarded
Ishiguro the Nobel Prize in Literature,describing him as a writer “Who,in novels of great
emotional force,has uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the
world. ”His eight novels so far have been translated into over 40 languages in the world.
British literature has explored four areas of interest:it has continued the development of the
Gothic tradition;it has sought a newly distinct feminist expression;it has tried out new varieties
of historical writing;and it has begun to include writers and subjects from the old colonies and
from a wider world. All four areas overlap,interweave and inform one another. One is easy to
be struck by a variety of origins from the contemporary literary scene. This is an aspect of

postmodern world a mixture of cultures also known as “hybridity. ”Todays British literature
continues to reflect that complexity.

013
Geoffrey Chaucer 1343 ( —1400)
Unit 1 杰弗里 · 乔叟

Biography
Geoffrey Chaucer ,known as the Father of English literature,is
widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was
the first poet to be buried in the Poets Corner of Westminster Abbey.
Chaucer was a crucial figure in developing the legitimacy of the
vernacular , Middle English , at a time when the dominant literary
languages in England were French and Latin.
Chaucer was born into a wine merchant family in London. At 17 he ,

became a page in a noblemans household. At 19 he went to France with the English army and
was imprisoned. He was married to a maid of honor to the queen at 26. At 27 he entered the
service of the king. From 1372 —1373 he went to Italy on diplomatic missions. In 1374,he was
made controller of customs in London. He died in 1400 and was buried in Westminster Abbey—
the Poets Corner.

Major Works
The Book of the Duchess 《公爵夫人之书》
The House of Fame 《声誉之堂》
Parliament of Foules 《百鸟议会》
Troilus and Criseyde 《特罗勒斯与克丽西德》
The Canterbury Tales 《坎特伯雷故事集》

Chaucers Style in General


( ,
1. use of the vernacular accent of London regional dialects )
He simplified Old English into Middle English.
( , “
2. creation of the rhyme royal iambic pentameter later called Heroic Couplet ”)
3. combination of humor and satire
4. comic and realistic color with characters vividly depicted and language full of wits
5. a good example of frame story with largely linear structure

014
Unit 1 ( —1400) 杰弗里·乔叟
Geoffrey Chaucer 1343

Synopsis of The Canterbury Tales


The Canterbury Tales is a collection of over 20 stories written in Middle English by

Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century during the time of the Hundred Years War.
The tales (mostly in verse,and some in prose)are presented as part of a storytelling contest by
a group of pilgrims as they travel together on a journey from Southwark to the shrine of Saint
Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. The prize for this contest is a free meal at the Tabard
Inn on their return. It is sometimes argued that the greatest contribution The Canterbury Tales

made to English literature was in popularizing the literary use of the vernacular English rather
than French or Latin. Many of the stories narrated by the pilgrims seem to fit their individual
characters and social standing. The famous ones include a chivalrous romance with a tragic
, ,
ending told by the Knight a tale about a knight by Wife of Bath a cautionary tale by the
, , ,
Pardoner an animal fable by the Priest a domestic dispute by the Merchant a touching love
story by the Franklin. The variety of Chaucers tales shows the breadth of his skill and his
, ,
familiarity with many literary forms linguistic styles and rhetorical devices. Chaucer paints an

ironic and critical portrait of English society in the 15 th century reveals the corruption of the

Church and affirms secular life pursuing true love by condemning asceticism.

◆◆◆!"# $%&'#()*(+ !%,#-◆◆◆


The General Prologue
(An Excerpt)
When in April the sweet showers fall
And pierce the drought of March to the root ,
And all the veins are bathed in liquor of such power
As brings about the engendering of the flower ,

When also Zephyrus with his sweet breath
Exhales an air in every grove and heath2

Upon the tender shoots and the young sun
His halfcourse in the sign of the Ram3 has run ,
And the small fowl are making melody
That sleep away the night with open eye
(So Nature pricks them and their heart engages)
Then people long to go on pilgrimages
And palmers4 long to seek the stranger strands

Of faroff saints hallowed in sundry lands ,

And specially from every shires end 015

Of England down to Canterbury they wend

To seek the holy blissful martyr5 quick
To give his help to them when they were sick.
It happened in that season that one day
, ,
In Southwark6 at the Tabard as I lay
Ready to go on pilgrimages and start

For Canterbury most devout at heart ,
At night there came into that hostelry7
Some nine and twenty in a company
Of sundry folk happening then to fall

In fellowship and they were pilgrims all
That towards Canterbury meant to ride ,
The rooms and stables of the inn were wide ;

They made us easy all was of the best ,
, ,
And briefly when the sun had gone to rest ,
Id spoken to them all upon the trip
And was soon one with them in fellowship ,

Pledged to rise early and to take the way

To Canterbury as you heard me say.


There as a Knight a most distinguished man ,
Who from the day on which he first began
To ride abroad had followed chivalry9 .
, ,
Truth honor freedom and all courtesy.
He had done nobly in his sovereigns war ,

And ridden into battle none more far
As well in Christiandom as in heathen places10 ,
And ever honored for his noble graces.

When we took Alexandria11 he was there.
He often sat at table in the chair
, ,
Of honor above all nations when in Prussia.
In Lithuania he had ridden,and Russia,
No Christian man so often,of his degree.
In far Granada12 at the siege was he

Of Algeciras and in Benamarin13 .
At Ayas and Attalia14 was he when

016

They were won and in the Mediterranean Sea
Unit 1 ( —1400) 杰弗里·乔叟
Geoffrey Chaucer 1343

He had been with many a noble army.


In fifteen mortal battles he had been
And fought for our faith at Tlemcen15

Three times in the lists and always killed his foe.
This same distinguished knight had been also
At one time with the lord of Palatia16
Against another heathen in Turkey ;
He was of sovereign value in all eyes.

: ,
Synopsis of The General Prologue The setting is April and the prologue starts by
singing the praises of that month whose rains and warm western wind restore life and fertility to
, ,
the earth and its inhabitants. This abundance of life the narrator says prompts people to go on
; ,
pilgrimages in England the goal of such pilgrimages is the shrine of Thomas Becket. The

narrator falls in with a group of pilgrims and the largest part of the prologue is taken up by a
description of them. Chaucer seeks to describe their condition ,their array,and their social
degree.

Questions for Discussion


? ,
1. How is the setting of the tales described With such a setting could you predict the tone

of the tales that are to follow
2. Why is the sun called “the young sun”here?
3. In your own words,summarize the character of the knight from the brief introduction in
the excerpt.

Notes
1. Zephyrus:西风;在英国,春天里从大西洋上吹来的西风是温暖和煦的。
2. grove and heath :树林和荒地
3. ram:one of the astrological signs in the Zodiac,白羊宫,古代用于解释天体运
行的黄道带十二宫之一。 太阳经过白羊宫时正值春天,所以前文称太阳为 “the young
sun ”。
4. palmer:朝圣者,香客
5. martyr:殉道者;这里指坎特伯雷大主教 St. Thomas Becket,他死后被葬于坎特伯
雷,供人朝拜。
6. Southwark:当时伦敦的一个郊区
7. hostelry:旅店,客栈,指 Tabard 。
8. pledged :发誓
9. chivalry:骑士精神,骑士风度,即“忠君、护教、行侠”。 017
10. heathen places:异教徒(非基督教)的领地
11. Alexandria:亚历山大(埃及港市)
12. Granada:格拉纳达,古国名,今西班牙境内。
13. Of Algeciras,and in Benamarin :Algeciras,阿尔赫西拉斯,地名,当时摩尔人的
一个堡垒,在今西班牙境内;Benamarin,地名,当时的一个摩尔人王国,在今天的北非。
14. Ayas and Attalia:地名,分别位于亚美尼亚和小亚细亚。
15. Telmcen :地名,在今阿尔及利亚境内。
16. Palatia:古国名,在今埃及境内。

018
William Shakespeare 1564 ( —1616)
Unit 2 威廉 · 莎士比亚

Biography
, ,
William Shakespeare was an English poet playwright and actor ,
widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the

worlds preeminent dramatist. He is often called Englands national poet
and the “Bard of Avon ”. His extant works,including collaborations,
consist of approximately 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative
poems,and a few other verses,some of uncertain authorship. His plays
have been translated into every major living language and are performed
more often than those of any other playwright.

Shakespeare was born and grew up in StratforduponAvon Warwickshire. At the age of
, , : ,
18 he married Anne Hathaway with whom he had three children Susanna and twin boys —

Hamnet and Judith. Sometime between 1585 and 1592 he began a successful career in London
, ,
as an actor writer and partowner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlains Men ,

later known as the Kings Men. He appeared to have retired to Stratford around 1613 at age

49 where he died three years later.
Shakespeare produced most of his known works between 1590 and 1612. His early plays

were primarily comedies and histories and these are regarded as some of the best works ever

produced in these genres. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608 including Hamlet ,
, , ,
Othello King Lear and Macbeth considered some of the finest works in the English language.
, ,
In his last phase he wrote tragicomedies and collaborated with other playwrights.

Major Works
( —1600)
? Early period 1590
( —1591)《亨利六世》上、中、下篇
King Henry VI 1590
The Life and Death of King Richard Ⅲ (1592 )《理查三世》
The Comedy of Errors(1592 )《错误的喜剧》
Titus Andronicus (1593 )《泰特斯·安德罗尼克斯》
The Taming of the Shrew(1593 )《驯悍记》
The Two Gentlemen of Verona(1594 )《维洛那二绅士》
019
( )《爱的徒劳》/ 《空爱一场》
Loves Labors Lost 1594
Romeo and Juliet(1594 )《罗密欧与朱丽叶》
Venus and Adonis (1593 )《维纳斯和阿多尼斯》
The Rape of Lucrece(1594 )《鲁克丽丝失贞记》
A Midsummer Nights Dream (1595 )《仲夏夜之梦》
The Merry Wives of Windsor (1599 )《温莎的风流娘儿们》
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (1599 )《恺撒大帝的悲剧》
? Middle period (1601 —1608 )
Hamlet,Prince of Denmark(1601 )《哈姆雷特》/ 《哈姆莱特》
Troilus and Cressida(1602 )《特洛伊罗斯与克瑞西达》
Alls Well That Ends Well(1604 )《终成眷属》
Measure for Measure(1604 )《一报还一报》
Othello ,the Moore of Venice(1605 )《奥赛罗》/ 《奥瑟罗》
King Lear(1605 )《李尔王》
The Tragedy of Macbeth (1605 )《麦克白》
Antony and Cleopatra(1606 )《安东尼与克莉奥佩特拉》
The Tragedy of Coriolanus(1607 )《科利奥兰纳斯》
Timons of Athens(1607 )《雅典的泰门》
Pericles,Prince of Tyre(1608 )《泰尔亲王佩里克里斯》
? Late period (1609 —1612 )
Cymbeline,King of Britain (1609 )《辛白林》
The Winters Tale(1610 )《冬天的故事》
The Tempest(1612 )《暴风雨》
The Life of King Henry Ⅷ (1612 )《亨利八世》

Shakespeares Style in General



1. a frame story a play within the play )
2. focusing more on character than on action by using soliloquies
3. use of very courtly and graceful language

4. use of elaborate witty discourse
, ,
5. use of rhetorical figures metaphors puns and so on


Synopsis of The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark

Often shortened to Hamlet the play is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare at an

uncertain date between 1599 and 1602. Set in the Kingdom of Denmark the play dramatizes the
revenge Prince Hamlet is instructed to enact on his uncle Claudius. Hamlet is based on a

020
widespread legend of northern Europe. Shakespeare rewrites it ,making it a combination of
Unit 2 ( —1616) 威廉·莎士比亚
William Shakespeare 1564


intrigue emotional conflict and searching philosophic melancholy. The play opens with Hamlet ,
appearing in a mood of worldweariness occasioned by his fathers recent death and his mothers
, ,
hasty remarriage with Claudius his fathers brother and the new king and by the horrible news
his fathers ghost reveals to him that he was murdered by the new king. Hamlet is urged to seek
, ,
revenge. Then Hamlet pretends to have gone mad to drift apart from Ophelia trying to find out
proofs of his uncles guilt. He asks a theatrical troupe to put on a play directed by himself ,
which resembles the late kings murder. Claudius is deeply disturbed by the performance and

leaves the hall before the play is finished. Hamlet is summoned by his mother who tells him
that he has offended the king. Hamlet reveals Claudius baseness and expresses his indignation at
her hasty remarriage. Suddenly he becomes aware that he is being overheard. Thinking Claudius
, ,
is hiding behind the curtain he runs his sword through it but kills Polonius. Claudius sends
, ,
Hamlet to England orders assassins to kill him on the way but Hamlet returns to Denmark

safely. Heartbroken at the death of her father Ophelia goes mad and gets drowned in a stream

one day. Her brother Laertes vows to take revenge for his father and sister. Claudius takes

advantage of the opportunity. He arranges a duel for them prepares a poisoned sword and cup
of wine beforehand. In the duel,Laertes wounds Hamlet,and is struck with the same poisoned
sword. Out of her alarm,the Queen drinks from the poisoned cup and dies immediately. Before
death,Laertes reveals Claudius plot to Hamlet,who stabs Claudius with his last strength and
dies.

Characters
Hamlet —son of the former King,nephew of the present King
Claudius—King of Denmark,Hamlets uncle
Gertrude—Queen of Denmark,Hamlets mother
Polonius—Lord Chamberlain(宫廷内臣),Ophelias father
Ophelia—Polonius daughter,Hamlets girlfriend
Laertes—Polonius son,Ophelias elder brother
Horatio—Hamlets friend

◆◆◆.%/,#' ◆◆◆
(Act 3,Scene 1,Lines 55—87)
: ,
Hamlet To be or not to be —that is the question:
Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles ,
And by opposing end them. To die —to sleep— 021

No more and by a sleep to say we end

The heartache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to1 . tis a consummation2
Devoutly to be wishd. To die —to sleep.
To sleep —perchance 3
to dream:ay,theres the rub !4

For in that sleep of death what dreams may come


When we have shuffled off this mortal coil ,

Must give us pause. Theres the respect
That makes calamity of so long life.

For who would bear the whips and scorns of time
Th oppressors wrong,the proud mans contumely,
The pangs of despisd love,the laws delay,
The insolence of office,and the spurns
That patient merit of th unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make

With a bare bodkin Who would these fardels bear ,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life ,
But that the dread of something after death —

The undiscoverd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns —puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of ?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all ,

And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied7 oer with the pale cast of thought ,

And enterprises of great pitch and this moment
With this regard their currents turn awry
And lose the name of action.

Questions for Discussion


, , “ ”
1. Why is sleep so frightening according to Hamlet since it can end the heartache and
the thousand natural shocks ?
2. Why would people rather bear all the sufferings of the world instead of choosing death to
, ?
get rid of them according to Hamlet
3. What,after all,makes people lose their determination to take action?Please explain in
reaction to the socalled hesitation of Hamlet.

022
Unit 2 ( —1616) 威廉·莎士比亚
William Shakespeare 1564

Notes

1. That flesh is heir to what humans have to endure 人类注定要承受的(苦难)
2. consummation :(事件、生命的)完成,终结
3. perchance:perhaps 也许
4. rub :obstacle 阻拦、麻烦
5. respect:consideration 考虑
6. native hue of resolution :(人脸上 )表示决心的天然色晕。(The Westerners
believe when ones face turns red ,he is ready to show strong determination. )
7. sicklied :受到损害,露出病态(指失去了表示决心的红晕)
8. enterprises of great pitch :(pursuit of)great causes(对)崇高事业(的追求)

In modern prose
: ?
The question is is it better to be alive or dead Is it nobler to put up with all the nasty

things that luck throws your way or to fight against all those troubles by simply putting an end
to them once and for all? Dying, sleeping—thats all dying is—a sleep that ends all the
heartache and shocks that life on earth gives us—thats an achievement to wish for. To die,to
sleep—to sleep,maybe to dream. Ah,but theres the catch:in deaths sleep who knows what
kind of dreams might come,after weve put the noise and commotion of life behind us. Thats
certainly something to worry about. Thats the consideration that makes us stretch out our

sufferings so long. After all who would put up with all lifes humiliations —the abuse from
, , ,
superiors the insults of arrogant men the pangs of unrequited love the inefficiency of the legal
system,the rudeness of people in office,and the mistreatment good people have to take from
bad—when you could simply take out your knife and call it quits?Who would choose to grunt
and sweat through an exhausting life,unless they were afraid of something dreadful after death,
the undiscovered country from which no visitor returns,which we wonder about without getting
any answers from and which makes us stick to the evils we know rather than rush off to seek the
? ,
ones we dont Fear of death makes us all cowards and our natural boldness becomes weak with

too much thinking. Actions that should be carried out at once get misdirected and stop being
actions at all.

Chinese version
生存还是毁灭,这是一个值得考虑的问题;默然忍受命运暴虐的毒箭,或是挺身反抗人
世无涯的苦难,通过斗争把它们扫个干净,这两种行为,哪一种更加高尚?死了;睡着了;什
么都完了;要是在这一种睡眠之中,我们心头的创痛,以及其他无数血肉之躯所不能避免的
打击,都可以从此消失,那正是我们求之不得的结局。死了;睡着了;睡着了也许还会做梦;
嗯,阻碍就在这儿:因为当我们摆脱了这一具朽腐的皮囊以后,在那死的睡眠里,究竟将要做 023
些什么梦,那不能不使我们踌躇顾虑。人们甘心久困于患难之中,也就是为了这个缘故;谁
愿意忍受人世的鞭挞和讥嘲、压迫者的凌辱、傲慢者的冷眼、被轻蔑的爱情的惨痛、法律的迁
延、官吏的横暴和费尽辛勤所换来的小人的鄙视,要是他只要用一柄小小的刀子,就可以清
算他自己的一生?谁愿意负着这样的重担,在烦劳的生命的压迫下呻吟流汗,倘不是因为惧
怕不可知的死后,惧怕那从来不曾有一个旅人回来过的神秘之国,是它迷惑了我们的意志,
使我们宁愿忍受目前的折磨,不敢向我们所不知道的痛苦飞去?这样,重重的顾虑使我们全
变成了懦夫,决心的赤热的光彩,被审慎的思维盖上了一层灰色,伟大的事业在这一种考虑
之下,也会逆流而退,失去了行动的意义。
Shakespeares Sonnets
A sonnet is a 14line poem usually in iambic pentameter. Thomas Wyatt (1503—1542 )
introduced it into England in the 16th century. There are two types of rhyme schemes :
Italian / Petrarchan sonnet : abba abba cdecde / cdcdcd
English / Shakespearean sonnet : abab cdcd efef gg
William Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets which cover themes such as the passage of time ,
, , , ,
love beauty loneliness death mortality and so on. The first 126 sonnets are said to address to
a handsome young man;the last 28 ,to a dark lady.

◆◆◆01&&#' 23 ◆◆◆

Shall I compare thee to a summers day ? 我是否可以把你比喻成夏天?


Thou art more lovely and more temperate : 1
虽然你比夏天更可爱更温和:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, 狂风会使五月娇蕾红消香断,
And summers lease hath all too short a date:

夏天拥有的时日也转瞬即过;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, 有时天空之巨眼目光太炽热,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed, 它金灿灿的面色也常被遮暗;
And every fair from fair sometime declines , 3
而千芳万艳都终将凋零飘落,
By chance,or natures changing course untrimmed: 被时运天道之更替剥尽红颜;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade, 但你永恒的夏天将没有止尽,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owst, 你所拥有的美貌也不会消失,
Nor shall death brag thou wanderst in his shade , 死神终难夸口你游荡于死荫,

When in eternal lines to time thou growst , 5


当你在不朽的诗中永葆盛时;
So long as men can breathe,or eyes can see, 只要有人类生存,或人有眼睛,
So long lives this ,and this gives life to thee.

我的诗就会流传并赋予你生命。
(曹明伦 译)
Questions for Discussion

024 1. How does the poet answer the question he puts forth in the first line ?
Unit 2 ( —1616) 威廉·莎士比亚
William Shakespeare 1564

“ ”can be more beautiful (fair)than summer and


2. What makes the poet think that thou
immortal ?
3. Explain the rhetorical devices used in the sonnet.

Notes

1. more temperate better tempered 更温和的
2. lease:租聘期,这里指夏天延续的时间。
3. every fair from fair sometime declines:前一个 fair 指“美人”,后一个 fair 指“美
貌”或“美丽”;decline:衰败,衰落;变得不那么美丽。 全句意为:再美的美人其美貌也会
褪色。
4. Nor shall death brag thou wanderst in his shade:死亡也无法夸口说把你笼罩
在自己的阴影之下。
5. When in eternal lines to time thou growst:当你使自己融入了永恒的时间。
lines 指诗人的诗行,全句有“美在永恒的诗行中永生”之意。
6. this:指“这首诗歌”

025
Daniel Defoe 1660 ( —1731)
Unit 3 丹尼尔 · 笛福

Biography
, , , ,
Daniel Foe was an English trader writer journalist pamphleteer ,
and spy ,most famous for his novel The Life and Strange Surprising
Adventures of Robinson Crusoe,usually shortened as Robinson Crusoe.
Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel,as
he helped to popularize the form in Britain and with others such as Samuel

Richardson and thus is among the founders of the English novel. He was

a prolific and versatile writer producing more than five hundred books,

pamphlets and journals on various topics , including politics, crime, religion, marriage,
psychology ,and the supernatural. He was also a pioneer of economic journalism. Daniel Defoe
was born in 1660 ,in London,and was originally christened Daniel Foe,changing his name
around the age of thirtyfive to sound more aristocratic. His parents were Presbyterian dissenters

and around the age of 14 he attended a dissenting academy at Newington Green in London and
he is believed to have attended the Newington Green Unitarian Church. During this period,the
English government persecuted those who chose to worship outside the Church of England.

Defoe entered the world of business as a general merchant dealing at different times in hosiery ,

general woolen goods and wine. His ambitions were great and he was able to buy a country

estate and a ship though he was rarely out of debt.

Defoe began writing fiction late in life around the age of sixty. He published his first
, ,
novel Robinson Crusoe in 1719 ,attracting a large middleclass readership. He followed in
1722 with Moll Flanders,the story of a tough,streetwise heroine whose fortunes rise and fall
dramatically. Both works straddle the border between journalism and fiction. Robinson Crusoe
was based on the true story of a shipwrecked seaman named Alexander Selkirk and was passed
off as history ,while Moll Flanders included dark prison scenes drawn from Defoes own
experiences in Newgate and interviews with prisoners. His focus on the actual conditions of
everyday life and avoidance of the courtly and the heroic made Defoe a revolutionary in English
literature and helped define the new genre of the novel. Stylistically ,Defoe was a great
026 innovator. Dispensing with the ornate style associated with the upper classes,Defoe used the
Unit 3 ( —1731) 丹尼尔·笛福
Daniel Defoe 1660

, , ,
simple direct factbased style of the middle classes which became the new standard for the

English novel. With Robinson Crusoes theme of solitary human existence Defoe paved the
way for the central modern theme of alienation and isolation. Defoe died in London on April
, ,
24 1731 of a stroke.

Major Works
The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe 1719 ( )《鲁滨
逊漂流记》
( )《辛格顿船长》
Captain Singleton 1720
A Journal of the Plague Year (1722 )《大疫年日记》
Colonel Jack (1722 )《杰克上校》
Moll Flanders (1722 )《摩尔· 弗兰德斯》
Roxana:The Fortunate Mistress (1724 )《罗克萨娜》

Defoes Style in General


1. autobiographical 1 st person pointofview
2. credible,vivid,fascinating stories with minute details
3. mixture of short,crisp sentences with long,rambling ones
4. use of colloquial,vernacular language
5. use of images and symbols

Synopsis of The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe


Published on 25 April 1719 ,the first edition credited the works protagonist Robinson
Crusoe as its author ,leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a
travelogue of true incidents. The full title of the novel is The Life and Strange Surprising
, ,
Adventures of Robinson Crusoe which is about Robinson Crusoe an Englishman shipwrecked
and deserted alone in a lonely tropical island when he embarks on a slavegathering expedition to
, , ,
West Africa in 1659. He builds himself a shelter gathers fruits hunts fishes and plants. He
learns to do lots of things —making pots and clothes,preserving meat by salting and smoking,
becoming completely selfsufficient. One day he rescues a black slave from a group of cannibals

and names him Friday who becomes his loyal servant and companion. And in 1686 Crusoe ,

and Friday save an English captain by putting down a mutiny who takes him back to England.

He finds only his two sisters still alive who strongly suggest he get married and he does. After
, ,
his wife dies Crusoe returns to Brazil and revisits the island in 1694 finding that the Spaniards
are governing it well and that it has become a prosperous colony.
027
◆◆◆!"# 456# %&7 0'(%&8# 0*(9(5-5&8 :7;#&'*(#- 16 <1)5&-1& $(*-1#◆◆◆
Chapter Ⅳ First Weeks on the Island
(An Excerpt)
My thoughts were now wholly employed about securing myself against either savages if ,
, , ;
any should appear or wild beasts if any were in the island and I had many thoughts of the
, ,
method how to do this and what kind of dwelling to make whether I should make me a cave in
the earth,or a tent upon the earth;and,in short,I resolved upon both;the manner and
description of which,it may not be improper to give an account of.
I soon found the place I was in was not fit for my settlement,because it was upon a low,
moorish ground,near the sea,and I believed it would not be wholesome,and more particularly
because there was no fresh water near it;so I resolved to find a more healthy and more
convenient spot of ground.

I consulted several things in my situation which I found would be proper for me First : ,
health and fresh water ,I just now mentioned. Secondly,shelter from the heat of the sun.
Thirdly,security from ravenous creatures,whether man or beast. Fourthly,a view to the sea,
that if God sent any ship in sight,I might not lose any advantage for my deliverance,of which
I was not willing to banish all my expectation yet.
, ,
In search of a place proper for this I found a little plain on the side of a rising hill whose

front towards this little plain was steep as a houseside so that nothing could come down upon

me from the top on the side of the rock there was a hollow place worn a little way in like the

entrance or door of a cave but there was not really any cave or way into the rock at all.
, ,
On the flat of the green just before this hollow place I resolved to pitch my tent. This
, ,
plain was not above a hundred yards broad and about twice as long and lay like a green before

my door and at the end of it descended irregularly every way down into the lowgrounds by the

seaside. It was on the northnorthwest side of the hill so that I was sheltered from the heat

every day till it came to a west and by south sun 1
,or thereabouts,which in those countries is
near the setting.
, ,
Before I set up my tent I drew a halfcircle before the hollow place which took in about
ten yards in its semidiameter from the rock ,and twenty yards in its diameter,from its
beginning and ending.
In this halfcircle I pitched two rows of strong stakes2 ,driving them into the ground till

they stood very firm like piles the biggest end being out of the ground above five foot and a

half and sharpened on the top. The two rows did not stand above six inches from one another.
, ,
Then I took the pieces of cable which I had cut in the ship and I laid them in rows one
upon another,within the circle,between these two rows of stakes,up to the top,placing other

028 stakes in the inside,leaning against them,about two foot and a half high,like a spur to a post,
Unit 3 ( —1731) 丹尼尔·笛福
Daniel Defoe 1660


and this fence was so strong that neither man nor beast could get into it or over it. This cost me
a great deal of time and labor,especially to cut the piles in the woods,bring them to the place,
and drive them into the earth.

The entrance into this place I made to be not by a door but by a short ladder to go over the
; , , ,
top which ladder when I was in I lifted over after me and so I was completely fenced in and
, , ,
fortified as I thought from all the world and consequently slept secure in the night which ,
; , ,
otherwise I could not have done though as it appeared afterwards there was no need of all this
caution from the enemies that I apprehended danger from.
, , , ,
Into this fence or fortress with infinite labor I carried all my riches all my provisions
ammunition,and stores,of which you have the account above. And I made a large tent,
which,to preserve me from the rains that in one part of the year are very violent there,I made
double,viz. one smaller tent within,and one larger tent above it;and covered the uppermost
with a large tarpaulin ,which I had saved among the sails.

And now I lay no more for a while in the bed which I had brought on shore,but in a
hammock,which was indeed a very good one,and belonged to the mate of the ship.
Into this tent I brought all my provisions,and everything that would spoil by the wet;and
having thus enclosed all my goods,I made up the entrance,which till now I had left open,and
so passed and repassed,as I said,by a short ladder.
When I had done this,I began to work my way into the rock,and bringing all the earth
and stones that I dug down out through my tent,I laid them up within my fence,in the nature
of a terrace,that so it raised the ground within about a foot and a half;and thus I made me a
cave just behind my tent,which served me like a cellar to my house.
It cost me much labor and many days before all these things were brought to perfection,
and therefore I must go back to some other things which took up some of my thoughts. At the
same time it happened after I had laid my scheme for the setting up my tent and making the
, ,
cave that a storm of rain falling from a thick dark cloud a sudden flash of lightning happened ,

and after that a great clap of thunder as is naturally the effect of it. I was not so much surprised
with the lightning as I was with a thought which darted into my mind as swift as the lightning
: , ! ,
it self Oh my powder My very heart sank within me when I thought that at one blast all my
, , ,
powder might be destroyed on which not my defence only but the providing my food as I ,
thought,entirely depended;I was nothing near so anxious about my own danger,though had
the powder took fire,I should never have known who had hurt me.
Such impression did this make upon me,that after the storm was over,I laid aside all my
works,my building and fortifying,and applied myself to make bags and boxes to separate the
powder ,and to keep it a little and a little in a parcel,in the hope that whatever might come,it
might not all take fire at once,and to keep it so apart that it should not be possible to make one
part fire another . I finished this work in about a fortnight,and I think my powder,which in

029
all was about 240l. weight was divided in not less than a hundred parcels. As to the barrel that
, ,
had been wet I did not apprehend any danger from that so I placed it in my new cave which ,

in my fancy I called my kitchen and the rest I hid up and down in holes among the rocks so ,

that no wet might come to it marking very carefully where I laid it.

In the interval of time while this was doing I went out once at least every day with my
, ,
gun as well to divert myself as to see if I could kill anything fit for food and as near as I could
to acquaint myself with what the island produced. The first time I went out I presently
, ;
discovered that there were goats in the island which was a great satisfaction to me but then it
, , ,
was attended with this misfortune to me viz. that they were so shy so subtle and so swift of

foot that it was the difficultest thing in the world to come at them. But I was not discouraged at
this,not doubting but I might now and then shoot one,as it soon happened,for after I had
found their haunts a little,I laid wait in this manner for them. I observed if they saw me in the
valleys,though they were upon the rocks,they would run away as in a terrible fright,but if
they were feeding in the valleys,and I was upon the rocks,they took no notice of me,from
whence I concluded,that by the position of their optics,their sight was so directed downward
that they did not readily see objects that were above them. So afterwards I took this method. I

always climbed the rocks first to get above them and then had frequently a fair mark. The first

shot I made among these creatures I killed a shegoat which had a little kid by her which she
, ,
gave suck to which grieved me heartily. But when the old one fell the kid stood stock still by
, ,
her till I came and took her up and not only so but when I carried the old one with me upon
, ,
my shoulders the kid followed me quite to my enclosure upon which I laid down the dam and ,
took the kid in my arms,and carried it over my pale,in hopes to have bred it up tame,but it
would not eat,so I was forced to kill it and eat it my self. These two supplied me with flesh a
great while,for I ate sparingly,and saved my provisions,(my bread especially )as much as
possibly I could.

Having now fixed my habitation I found it absolutely necessary to provide a place to make
, ; , ,
a fire in and fuel to burn and what I did for that and also how I enlarged my cave and what

conveniences I made I shall give a full account of in its places. But I must first give some little
account of my self,and of my thoughts about living,which it may well be supposed were not a
few.

I had a dismal prospect of my condition for as I was not cast away upon that island without
, , ,
being driven as is said by a violent storm quite out of the course of our intended voyage and
a great way,viz. some hundreds of leagues out of the ordinary course of the trade of
mankind ,I had great reason to consider it as a determination of Heaven,that in this desolate

place,and in this desolate manner,I should end my life. The tears would run plentifully down
my face when I made these reflections;and sometimes I would expostulate with my self,why
Providence should thus completely ruin its creatures,and render them so absolutely miserable,

030
Unit 3 ( —1731) 丹尼尔·笛福
Daniel Defoe 1660

, ,
so without help abandoned so entirely depressed that it could hardly be rational to be thankful
for such a life.

But something always returned swift upon me to check these thoughts and to reprove me ;
and particularly one day,walking with my gun in my hand by the seaside,I was very pensive
upon the subject of my present condition,when reason,as it were expostulated with me the
other way,thus:Well,you are in a desolate condition,it is true,but pray remember,where
are the rest of you?Did not you come eleven of you into the boat,where are the ten?Why were
not they saved and you lost?Why were you singled out?Is it better to be here or there,and then
I pointed to the sea. All evils are to be considered with the good that is in them,and with what
worse attends them.
Then it occurred to me again ,how well I was furnished for my subsistence,and what
would have been my case if it had not happened,which was a hundred thousand to one,that the
ship floated from the place where she first struck and was driven so near to the shore that I had

time to get all these things out of her. What would have been my case if I had been to have
lived in the condition in which I at first came on shore ,without necessaries of life,or
necessaries to supply and procure them?Particularly said I aloud,(though to my self )what
should I have done without a gun,without ammunition,without any tools to make any thing,or
to work with,without clothes,bedding,a tent,or any manner of covering,and that now I had
all these to a sufficient quantity,and was in a fair way to provide my self in such a manner,as
to live without my gun when my ammunition was spent;so that I had a tolerable view of
subsisting without any want as long as I lived;for I considered from the beginning how I would
provide for the accidents that might happen,and for the time that was to come,even not only
after my ammunition should be spent,but even after my health and strength should decay.
I confess I had not entertained any notion of my ammunition being destroyed at one blast,I
mean my powder being blown up by lightning,and this made the thoughts of it so surprising to
me when it lightened and thundered,as I observed just now.
And now,being about to enter into a melancholy relation of a scene of silent life,such,
perhaps,as was never heard of in the world before,I shall take it from its beginning,and
continue it in its order. It was,by my account,the 30th of Sept. when,in the manner as above
said,I first set foot upon this horrid island,when the sun being,to us,in its autumnal
equinox ,was almost over my head,for I reckoned my self,by observation,to be in the

latitude of 9 degrees 22 minutes north of the line.


, ,
After I had been there about ten or twelve days it came into my thoughts that I should
lose my reckoning of time for want of books and pen and ink ,and should even forget the
; ,
Sabbath days from the working days but to prevent this I cut it with my knife upon a large
, ,
post in capital letters and making it into a great cross I set it up on the shore where I first
landed,viz. I came on shore here on the 30th September 1659. Upon the sides of this square
031

post I cut every day a notch with my knife and every seventh notch was as long again as the
rest,and every first day of the month as long again as that long one,and thus I kept my
calendar,or weekly,monthly,and yearly reckoning of time.

Questions for Discussion



1. Do you find the description of Crusoes setting up the tent convincing Why or why not ?

2. What do you think of Crusoes way of marking time Why is it important for him to
keep track of time ?

3. From the excerpt what do you find admirable in Robinson Crusoe ?
Notes
1. a west and by south sun :西南方向的太阳
2. stakes:木桩
3. tarpaulin :防水油布
4. make one part fire another :一部分火药引爆另一部分火药
5. out of the ordinary course of the trade of mankind :人迹罕见之处
6. Providence:上帝
7. autumnal equinox:秋分,秋分点

032
Romantic Poets
Unit 4 浪漫主义诗人

Robert Burns 1759 ( —1796 )


罗伯特·彭斯

Biography
, ,
Robert Burns a Scottish poet and lyricist is widely regarded as the
national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is one of the

best known poets who have written in the Scots language although much
of his writing is also in English and a light Scots dialect,accessible to an
audience beyond Scotland. He is regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic

movement and after his death he became a great source of inspiration to
the founders of both liberalism and socialism ,and a cultural icon in
Scotland and among the Scottish diaspora around the world.

Burns was born in Alloway the eldest of the seven children of William Burnes (1721—
1784 ),a selfeducated tenant farmer. Burns grew up in poverty and hardship. He had little
regular schooling and got much of his education from his father. Despite his ability and
, ,
character his father was consistently unfortunate and migrated with his large family from farm
to farm without ever being able to improve his circumstances. He continued to write poems and
songs in Scottish dialect and he also worked to collect and preserve Scottish folk songs ,
, ,
sometimes revising expanding and adapting them. On the morning of 21 July 1796 Burns ,
died in Dumfries,at the age of 37.

Major Works
? Collection of poems

Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect 1786 ( )
The Melodies of Scotland
? Famous poems
“Auld Lang Syne”(often sung at Hogmanay—the last day of the year)
“Scots Wha Hae”(serves as an unofficial national anthem)
“A Red,Red Rose” 033
“Major Graham”
“To a Mouse”
“The Battle of Sherramuir”
Burns Style in General
, ,
1. characteristic of spontaneity directness sincerity and tender intensity
2. use of Scots language and Scottish English dialect with natural rhythms
3. use of humor and satire
4. short lyrics full of musicality

◆◆◆: <#7 <#7 <1-#◆◆◆


《一朵红红的玫瑰》

O my Luves1 like a red red rose 呵,我的爱人像朵红红的玫瑰,
Thats newly sprung in June ; 六月里迎风初开;
O my Luves like the melodie2 呵,我的爱人像支甜甜的曲子,
Thats sweetly playd in tune. 奏得合拍又和谐。

As fair art thou my bonnie lass3 , 我的好姑娘,多么美丽的人儿!
So deep in luve am I : 请看我,多么深挚的爱情!

And I will luve thee still my dear , 亲爱的,我永远爱你,
Till a the seas gang dry :4
纵使大海干涸水流尽。

Till A the seas gang dry my dear , 纵使大海干涸水流尽,
And the rocks melt wi the sun : 太阳将岩石烧作灰尘,
I will luve thee still,my dear, 亲爱的,我永远爱你,
While the sands o life5 shall run. 只要我一息犹存。

And fare thee weel6 my only Luve 珍重吧,我惟一的爱人,
And fare thee weel,a while ! 7
珍重吧,让我们暂时别离,
And I will come again,my Luve, 但我定要回来,
Tho8 it were ten thousand mile. 哪怕千里万里!
(王佐良 译)
Questions for Discussion
1. How does the narrator in the poem express his love ?
034 2. Why is this poem so touching to the readers ?
Unit 4 Romantic Poets 浪漫主义诗人
3. What rhetorical devices are used in the poem to stress the theme of love ?
“ ” ?
4. Why is rose often used as the symbol of love Give your reasons.

Notes
:(= love)爱人
1. Luve
2. melodie:(= melody)曲调
3. bonnie lass:(苏格兰语)pretty and healthy girl 娇美的少女
4. A the seas gang dry:(= all the seas go dry)大海枯竭
5. sands o life:沙漏,古代的计时器,这里是双关语:一为计时用沙漏,二为人生的
短暂。
6. fare thee weel:再见
7. a while:(= for a while)
8. Tho:(= though )

William Wordsworth 1770 ( —1850 )


威廉·华兹华斯

Biography
William Wordsworth was born in a lawyers family at

Cockermouth Cumberland. His mother died when he was 8. Six years
, ,
later his father died too. His relatives brought him up and later sent him

to Cambridge. Wordsworth grew up in a rustic society and spent a great

deal of his time playing outdoors in which he would later remember as a
pure communion with nature. In 1795 ,Wordsworth settled,with his
sister Dorothy,at Racedown in Somersetshire,the lake district in the
northwest of England,where he met his friend and fellow poet Samuel
Taylor Coleridge. They worked together and in 1798 published a landmark book called Lyrical

Ballads with Wordsworths monumental preface which serves as the manifesto for the English
Romanticism in poetry and in which he sets forth his poetic theory and critical creed.
Wordsworth thinks that “all good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling
originating from feelings with tranquil contemplation. And sweet sensations passed into the mind
in hours of weariness can be felt in the blood ,along the heart. ”According to the theory,
Wordsworth and Coleridge make it their task to write in the simple language of common people,
telling concrete stories of their lives. The explicit emphasis on feeling,simplicity,and the
pleasure of beauty over rhetoric,ornament,and formality change the course of English poetry,
035
replacing the elaborate classical forms of Pope and Dryden with a new Romantic sensibility.
Wordsworths most important legacy ,besides his timeless poems,is his launching of the
Romantic era,opening the gates for later writers such as John Keats,Percy Bysshe Shelley,and
Lord Byron in England,and Emerson and Thoreau in America. Wordsworth was made “Poet
Laureate”in 1843. He was 80 when he died in 1850.

Major Works
? Collections of poems
Lyrical Ballads
( )
Poems in Two Volumes 1807
Guide to the Lakes (1810 )
The Prelude (1850 )
? Poems about nature
“I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”
“Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey”
“Earth Has not Anything to Show More Fair”
“To a Skylark”
“To the Cuckoo”
“My Heart Leaps Up”
? Poems about human life
”The Solitary Reaper”
“The Sailors Mother”
“The Old Cumberland Beggar”
“To a Highland Girl”
Wordsworths Style in General
1. being natural with simplicity and purity of his poetic language (A love of nature can
lead to a love of humankind. )
2. use of raw materials (things in nature,scenes and events of everyday life,speech of
ordinary people)
3. being fresh,bright and profound with creativity
4. with an eloquence particularly spare (simple)and musical
5. use of symbols,images and other rhetorical devices (Light often symbolizes truth and
knowledge. )


Synopsis of I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud ”
036
, ,
The speaker says that wandering like a cloud floating above hills and valleys he encountered a
Unit 4 Romantic Poets 浪漫主义诗人

field of daffodils beside a lake. The dancing fluttering flowers stretched endlessly along the
, ,
shore and though the waves of the lake danced beside the flowers the daffodils outdid the
water in joy. The speaker says that a poet could not help but be happy in such a joyful company

of flowers. He says that he stared and stared but did not realize what wealth the scene would
, “ ” “ ,”the memory flashes upon “that
bring him. For now whenever he feels vacant or pensive
inward eye / That is the bliss of solitude,
”and his heart fills with pleasure,“and dances with the
daffodils. ”

◆◆◆= >%&7#(#7 41&#,+ %- % $,1*7◆◆◆

I wandered lonely as a cloud


That floats on high oer vales and hills ,
When all at once I saw a crowd ,

A host of golden daffodils ;

Beside the lake beneath the trees ,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze1 .

Continuous2 as the stars that shine


and twinkle on the Milky Way ,
They stretched in neverending line
along the margin of a bay :
Ten thousand saw I at a glance ,
tossing their heads in sprightly dance.


The waves beside them danced but they

Outdid the sparkling waves in glee :

A poet could not but be gay
in such a jocund company : 4

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought


what wealth5 the show to me had brought :

For oft when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood6 ,
They flash upon that inward eye7
Which is the bliss8 of solitude ;
And then my heart with pleasure fills ,
And dances with the daffodils.
037
Questions for Discussion

1. What is the relation between the poet and nature as described in the poem
2. Do you think nature can have healing effect upon mind?Why or why not?

Notes
1. Fluttering and dancing in the breeze :在阵阵微风中翩翩起舞
2. Continuous :无边无际延伸的
3. Outdid :did (danced )better than :比波光粼粼的浪花跳得更欢
4. a jocund company:愉快的伴侣
5. wealth :珍宝,精神财富
6. In vacant or in pensive mood :心境茫然或心事重重
7. inward eye:心灵
8. bliss:极乐,狂喜

George Gordon Byron 1788 ( —1824 )


乔治·戈登·拜伦

Biography

Lord George Gordon Byron an English poet and a leading figure
in the Romantic movement , was as famous in his lifetime for his

personality cult as for his poetry. He created the concept of the Byronic
”—a defiant,melancholy young man,brooding on some mysterious,
hero
unforgivable event in his past. Byrons influence on European poetry,
music,novel,opera,and painting has been immense,although the poet was widely condemned
on moral grounds by his contemporaries.
Byron was born with a clubfoot and became extremely sensitive about his lameness. Byron

spent his early childhood years in poor surroundings in Aberdeen where he was educated until

he was ten. After he inherited the title and property of his greatuncle in 1798 he went on to
, , ,
Dulwich Harrow and Cambridge where he piled up debts and aroused alarm with bisexual
, ,
love affairs. Staying at Newstead in 1802 he probably first met his halfsister Augusta Leigh

with whom he was later suspected of having an incestuous relationship. Later in life Byron

joined the Greek War of Independence for which many Greeks revere him as a national hero.
He died in Greece in 1824 at the young age of 36 from a fever.

038
Unit 4 Romantic Poets 浪漫主义诗人
Major Works
Hours Of Idleness 1807 ( )
Childe Harolds Pilgrimage 1812 ( —1818)
( )
The Corsair 1814
The Prisoner of Chillon 1816( )
( )
Prometheus 1816
Don Juan (1819 —1824 )
Heaven and Earth (1821 )
The Deformed Transformed 1824 ( )
Byrons Style in General
1. Byronic Hero —a proud,mysterious rebel figure of noble origin
2. being romantic yet focusing more on human feelings and sentiments
3. simple and fresh description glowing with imagination
4. use of the Octave Stanza (八行体)
5. unexpected,easy language characteristic of bitter irony and exaggeration
6. a mixture of energy and vigor,romantic daring and powerful passion


About She Walks in Beauty ”
“She Walks in Beauty”written in 1814 is one of Lord Byrons most famous narrative poem
that describes a woman of much beauty and elegance. The poem appears to be told from the

view point of third person omniscient. There are no hints as to the identity of the narrator but it
is believed that the narrator may be Byron himself. The poem is said to have been inspired by
, ,
actual events in Byrons life. Once while at a ball Byron happened upon a beautiful woman as
, ,
she walked by. The woman was Byrons cousin by marriage Mrs. John Wilmot who was then

in a mourning gown and the next morning the poem was written.

◆◆◆0"# >%,?- 5& @#%*'+◆◆◆


《她走在美的光彩中》

She walks in beauty like the night 她走在美的光彩中,像夜晚

Of cloudless climes and starry skies ; 皎洁无云而且繁星满天;
And all thats best of dark and bright 明与暗的最美妙的色泽
Meet in her aspect2 and her eyes : 在她的仪容和秋波里呈现:

Thus mellowd to that tender light 耀目的白天只嫌光太强,
Which heaven to gaudy4 day denies. 它比那光亮柔和而幽暗。 039

One shade the more one ray the less , 增加或减少一份明与暗

Had half impaird the nameless grace 就会损害这难言的美,
Which waves in every raven tress6 , 美波动在她乌黑的发上,
Or softly lightens oer her face ; 或者散布淡淡的光辉
Where thoughts serenely sweet express 在那脸庞,恬静的思绪

How pure how dear their dwellingplace7 . 指明它的来处纯洁而珍贵。

And on that cheek and oer that brow , 呵,那额际,那鲜艳的面颊,
So soft,so calm,yet eloquent , 8
如此温和,平静,而又脉脉含情,
The smiles that win ,the tints that glow,
9 10
那迷人的微笑,那容颜的光彩,
But tell of days in goodness spent, 都在说明一个善良的生命:
A mind at peace with all below , 11
她的头脑安于世间的一切,
A heart whose love is innocent! 她的心充溢着真纯的爱情!
(查良铮 译)
Questions for Discussion

1. What is the color of the ladys dress How do you know ?
“ ”
2. What does their dwelling place refer to in the last line of the second stanza ?
3. Where are the ladys winning smiles ”?How do they appeal to the poet?
Notes
1. climes :地方;气候带
2. aspect:面貌;外貌
3. mellowd :变得柔和
4. gaudy:明亮而耀眼的
5. Had half impaird : = would have half impaired ;impaird :损害
6. raven tress:乌溜溜的发髻
7. their dwellingplace:它们(serenely sweet thoughts)的栖身之地
8. eloquent:富于表情的
9. win :能够赢得众人的心
10. tints:(脸上的)色调
11. all below:天下万物

040
Jane Austen 1775 ( —1817)
Unit 5 简 · 奥斯汀

Biography
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic
, ,
fiction set among the landed gentry earned her a place as one of the

most widely read writers in English literature. Her realism biting irony
and social commentary as well as her acclaimed plots have gained her
historical importance among scholars and critics.
Austen was born in 1775 at Steventon rectory and publicly baptized
in 1776. Austen lived her entire life as part of a closeknit family located
on the lower fringes of the English landed gentry. She was educated primarily by her father and
older brothers as well as through her own reading. Her novels were published anonymously ,

owing to the prejudice prevailing at the time concerning the writing of novels by a woman.

Living a quiet life in the countryside she kept her eyes steadily upon the people and incidents

about her and wrote about the small world she lived in. She showed contemptuous feelings
toward snobbery,stupidity,worldliness and vulgarity. In style,she upheld those traditional
ideas of order,reason,proportion and gracefulness in novel writing. Austen remained single
and died in Winchester in 1817 ,at the age of 41.

Major Works
( )
Sense and Sensibility 1811
Pride and Prejudice (1813 )
Mansfield Park (1814 )
Emma (1815 )
Northanger Abbey (1818 ,posthumous)
Persuasion (1818 ,posthumous)

Austens Style in General


1. objective view of an external observer which is sharply critical

2. use of free indirect speech humorous tone and satirical irony
, ,
3. economic graceful lucid language
041
4. thin plots with trenchant observation and meticulous details
5. limited topics about the small world she lived in

Synopsis of Pride and Prejudice


, “ ”
Pride and Prejudice originally titled as First Impression and accepted and published 17

years later after it was finished is a story of a young girl who rejects an offer of marriage
because the young nobleman who makes it has been rude to her family. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet
live with their five daughters at Longbourn near London. Because they have no son ,their
, , ,
property will have to pass according to the law at that time to a nephew William Collins.

Hoping to secure their daughters position in society they both want to marry them to some

wealthy gentlemen. It so happened that Charles Bingley a single man in possession of a good

fortune comes to settle in the neighborhood with his two sisters and his friend Fitzwilliam
Darcy,who is also rich and unmarried. Bingley and Jane fall in love with each other almost at
the first sight. And Darcy is attracted to Janes sister,Elizabeth,but he offends her by his
insolent behavior and rude remarks at a ball. The dislike and repulsion (disgust)is increased by
the pride of one and prejudice of the other. However,Darcy continues to be attracted to Liz,till
he proposes to her but is rejected indignantly. Later on,on a trip to the north of England with
her uncle and aunt,Elizabeth chances to meet Darcy,who receives them very warmly and
shows greatly improved manners. Thus pride is checked and prejudice slowly removed. Just at

this point bad news reaches Elizabeth that her youngest sister Lydia has eloped with Wickham.

By Darcys secret help Lydia and Wickhams marriage is finally brought out. And through
, ,
Darcys influence the former tie between Bingley and Jane is renewed which leads to their
engagement. Darcy and Elizabeth also become engaged despite of the intervention of Lady

Catherine de Bourgh Darcys aunt. The story then ends happily with the marriages of Jane and
Elizabeth.

Main Characters
Elizabeth Bennet —the protagonist,second daughter of the Bennets,is the most intelligent
and sensible of the five Bennet sisters. She is well read and quickwitted,with a tongue that
occasionally proves too sharp for her own good. Her realization of Darcys essential goodness
eventually triumphs over her initial prejudice against him.
Fitzwilliam Darcy—is a wealthy gentleman,the master of Pemberley,and the nephew of
Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Though Darcy is intelligent and honest,his excess of pride causes
him to look down on his social inferiors. Over the course of the novel,he tempers his class
consciousness and learns to admire and love Elizabeth for her strong character.
Jane Bennet —the eldest and most beautiful Bennet sister,is more reserved and gentler than
Elizabeth. The easy pleasantness with which she and Bingley interact contrasts starkly with the
042
Unit 5 Jane Austen 1775( —1817) 简·奥斯汀
mutual distaste that marks the encounters between Elizabeth and Darcy.
Charles Bingley —is Darcys considerably wealthy best friend. Bingleys purchase of
Netherfield,an estate near the Bennets,serves as the impetus for the novel. He is a genial,
wellintentioned gentleman,whose easygoing nature contrasts with Darcys initially discourteous
demeanor. He is blissfully uncaring about class differences.
Mr. Bennet —the patriarch of the Bennet family,a gentleman of modest income with five
unmarried daughters,has a sarcastic,cynical sense of humor that he uses to purposefully irritate
his wife. Though he loves his daughters,he often fails as a parent,preferring to withdraw from
the neverending marriage concerns of the women around him rather than offer help.
Mrs. Bennet —is a foolish,noisy woman whose only goal in life is to see her daughters
married. Because of her low breeding and often unbecoming behavior,Mrs. Bennet often repels
the very suitors whom she tries to attract for her daughters.

◆◆◆A(57# %&7 A(#B*75C#◆◆◆


Chapter 1


It is a truth universally acknowledged1 that a single man in possession of a good fortune

must be in want of a wife.
However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a
, ,
neighborhood this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families that he is
considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.
“My dear Mr. Bennet,”said his lady to him one day,“have you heard that Netherfield
Park is let at last?

Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.
“But it is,” returned she;“for Mrs. Long has just been here ,and she told me all
about it. ”
Mr. Bennet made no answer.
“Do not you want to know who has taken it?”cried his wife impatiently.
“You want to tell me,and I have no objection to hearing it. ”
This was invitation enough3 .
“Why,my dear,you must know,Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young

man of large fortune from the north of England that he came down on Monday in a chaise and
four to see the place,and was so much delighted with it that he agreed with Mr. Morris
immediately;that he is to take possession before Michaelmas ,and some of his servants are to

be in the house by the end of next week. ”


“What is his name?”
“Bingley. ” 043
“Is he married or single?”
“Oh!single,my dear,to be sure!A single man of large fortune;four or five thousand a
year. What a fine thing for our girls! ”
“How so?how can it affect them?”
“My dear Mr. Bennet,”replied his wife,“how can you be so tiresome !You must know

that I am thinking of his marrying one of them. ”


“Is that his design in settling here?”
“Design!nonsense,how can you talk so!But it is very likely that he may fall in love with
one of them,and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes. ”
“I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go,or you may send them by
themselves ,which perhaps will be still better;for,as you are as handsome as any of them,Mr.
Bingley might like you the best of the party. ”
“My dear,you flatter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty ,but I do not 6

pretend to be any thing extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown up daughters,she
ought to give over thinking of her own beauty. ”
“In such cases,a woman has not often much beauty to think of. ” 7

“But,my dear,you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the
neighbourhood. ”
“It is more than I engage for ,I assure you. ”

“But consider your daughters. Only think what an establishment it would be for one of

them. Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined to go,merely on that account ,for in 10

general ,you know they visit no new comers. Indeed you must go,for it will be impossible for
us to visit him,if you do not. ”
“You are overscrupulous ,surely. I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you;
11

and I will send a few lines by you12 to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying which

ever he chooses of the girls though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy. ”
“I desire you will do no such thing. Lizzy is not a bit better than the others;and I am sure
she is not half so handsome as Jane,nor half so good humored as Lydia. But you are always
giving her the preference. ”
“They have none of them much to recommend them ,”replied he;“they are all silly
13

and ignorant like other girls;but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters. ”
14

“Mr. Bennet,how can you abuse your own children in such way?You take delight in
vexing me . You have no compassion on my poor nerves. ”
15

“You mistake me,my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old
friends . I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least. ”
16 17

“Ah!you do not know what I suffer. ”


044
“But I hope you will get over it,and live to see many young men of four thousand a year
Unit 5 ( —1817) 简·奥斯汀
Jane Austen 1775

come into the neighbourhood. ”


“It will be no use to us if twenty such should come,since you will not visit them. ”
18

“Depend upon it ,my dear,that when there are twenty I will visit them all. ”
19

Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts , sarcastic humour, reserve, and
20

caprice ,that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife
21

understand his character. Her mind was less difficult to develop. She was a woman of mean22
understanding , little information , and uncertain temper. When she was discontented , she

fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married its solace
23
was visiting and news .

Questions for Discussion


1. Chapter 1 has been highly praised as an opening chapters. Do you consider such praise

justified Give your reasons.
2. What methods does the author use in the first chapter to depict the characters of Mr. and

Mrs. Bennet and their daughters Is Mr Bennet a positive or negative figure ?

3. Give instances to show the authors use of humor and satire and sometimes a blend of
the two.

Notes
1. a truth universally acknowledged :举世公认的真理
2. in want of :需要
:对贝内特太太来说,丈夫虽然在与她开玩笑,但也看
3. This was invitation enough
不出他有多少热情。既然他不反对,这就足够等于请她讲下去。
4. Michaelmas:米迦勒节(9 月 29 日),纪念曾率领他的使者与魔鬼撒旦战斗的天使
长米迦勒。
5. tiresome:烦人的
6. I certainly have had my share of beauty:我当然有过漂亮的时候
7. In such cases,a woman has not often much beauty to think of:等女儿长大,
母亲往往也老了,因此也就没什么漂亮可言。
8. engage for:答应
9. establishment:常有“成家立业 ”和 “安顿 ”之意,这里贝内特太太指女儿的联姻、
结亲。
10. on that account:为了女儿的婚事
11. scrupulous:多虑,过于细心。
12. send a few lines by you :请你捎封短信去
13. They have none of them much to recommend them:他的这几个女儿都没有
什么出色的地方特别让人喜欢。 045
14. quickness :伶俐、敏捷。
15. You take delight in vexing me :你拿气我来寻开心。
16. They are my old friends:(妻子的)神经已成了我听惯了的事。
17. with consideration :关切地
18. twenty such :二十来个(这样的年轻人)
19. Depend upon it:放心
20. quick parts:敏捷的才能。parts = intelligence 才干。
21. caprice:变幻无常,让人捉摸不透。
22. mean :平庸的,指贝内特太太智力贫乏。
23. its solace was visiting and news:串门打听消息是她生活中的安慰。

046
Charlotte Bront 1816 ( —1855)
Unit 6 夏洛蒂 · 勃朗特

Biography

Charlotte Bront was an English novelist and poet the eldest of the
three Bront sisters who survived into adulthood and whose novels have
become classics of English literature.

Charlotte was born in Thornton west of Bradford in the West Riding
, ,
of Yorkshire in 1816 the third of the six children of Maria and Patrick
, ,
Bront an Irish Anglican clergyman. When she was 5 her mother died ,
leaving 5 daughters and a son. An aunt came to live with the family to

look after the small children but she did not prove to be very suitable. In
1824 Charlotte and her sisters except Anne (1820 —1849 )the youngest were sent to a charity
school at Cowans bridge. They were cruelly treated and her two elder sisters died of
( —1848)were thus withdrawn from the school to be educated
tuberculosis. She and Emily 1818
by their father. In 1839 she took up the first of many positions as governess to families in

Yorkshire a career she pursued until 1841. In May 1846 Charlotte ,Emily and Anne self
financed the publication of a joint collection of poems under their assumed names Currer,Ellis
and Acton Bell. The pseudonyms veiled the sisters gender while preserving their initials;thus
Charlotte was Currer Bell. Charlotte published several novels in her short life.

Charlotte believed art was most convincing when based on personal experience in Jane
Eyre she transformed the experience into a novel with universal appeal.

Major Works
( )
Jane Eyre 1847
Shirley (1849 )
Villette (1853 )
The Professors (posthumously in 1857 )

Bronts Style in General


1. Her realism is combined with romanticism.

2. 1 st person pointofview semiautobiographical
047

3. resorting to some elements of Gothic horror mystery and prophesy
4. creating characters who are possessed of strong feelings ,fiery passions and some
extraordinary personalities by simple but vivid and intense language
, ,
5. the most truthful presentation of the economical moral social life of the time
6. being symbolic and imaginative

Synopsis of Jane Eyre


Jane Eyre is a Bildungsroman which is a novel that tells the story of a childs maturation
and focuses on the emotions and experiences that accompany and incite his or her growth to
adulthood. In Jane Eyre ,there are five distinct stages of development,each linked to a
particular place:Janes childhood at Gateshead,her education at the Lowood School,her time
as Adèles governess at Thornfield,her time with the Rivers family at Morton and at Marsh End
(also called Moor House),and her reunion with and marriage to Rochester at Ferndean. From
these experiences,Jane becomes the mature woman who narrates the novel retrospectively.

Main Characters

Jane Eyre —the protagonist and narrator of the novel , is an intelligent , honest,
, ,
plainfeatured young girl forced to contend with oppression inequality and hardship. Although

she meets with a series of individuals who threaten her autonomy Jane repeatedly succeeds in
, ,
asserting herself and maintains her principles of justice human dignity and morality. She also
values intellectual and emotional fulfillment. Her strong belief in gender and social equality
challenges the Victorian prejudices against women and the poor.
Edward Rochester —Janes employer and the master of Thornfield , is a wealthy ,
passionate man with a dark secret that provides much of the novels suspense. Rochester is
, , ,
unconventional ready to set aside polite manners propriety and consideration of social class in
order to interact with Jane frankly and directly. He is rash and impetuous and has spent much of
his adult life roaming about Europe in an attempt to avoid the consequences of his youthful

indiscretions. His problems are partly the result of his own recklessness but he is a sympathetic
figure because he has suffered for so long as a result of his early marriage to Bertha.
St. John Rivers —along with his sisters,Mary and Diana,serves as Janes benefactor after
she runs away from Thornfield,giving her food and shelter. The minister at Morton,St. John
is cold,reserved,and often controlling in his interactions with others. Because he is entirely
alienated from his feelings and devoted solely to an austere ambition,St. John serves as a foil to
Edward Rochester.
048
Unit 6 ( —1855) 夏洛蒂·勃朗特
Charlotte Bront 1816

◆◆◆D%&# E+(#◆◆◆
Chapter XXXVII An excerpt ( )
,wandering from one room to
Very early the next morning I heard him up and astir
another. As soon as Mary came down I heard the question:“Is Miss Eyre here? ” Then:
“Which room did you put her into?Was it dry?Is she up?Go and ask if she wants anything;
and when she will come down. ”
I came down as soon as I thought there was a prospect of breakfast. Entering the room very

softly I had a view of him before he discovered my presence. It was mournful indeed to ,,
witness the subjugation of that vigorous spirit to a corporeal infirmity . He sat in his chair—

still,but not at rest:expectant evidently;the lines of now habitual sadness marking his strong
features. His countenance reminded one of a lamp quenched,waiting to be relit—and alas!It
was not himself that could now kindle the lustre of animated expression:he was dependent on

another for that office !I had meant to be gay and careless,but the powerlessness of the strong

man touched my heart to the quick :still I accosted him with what vivacity I could.

“It is a bright,sunny morning,sir,”I said. “The rain is over and gone,and there is a
tender shining after it:you shall have a walk soon. ”

I had wakened the glow:his features beamed.


“Oh,you are indeed there,my skylark!Come to me. You are not gone:not vanished?I
heard one of your kind an hour ago,singing high over the wood:but its song had no music for

me,any more than the rising sun had rays. All the melody on earth is concentrated in my Janes
tongue to my ear (I am glad it is not naturally a silent one):all the sunshine I can feel is in her
presence. ”
The water stood in my eyes to hear this avowal of his dependence;just as if a royal eagle,

chained to a perch,should be forced to entreat a sparrow to become its purveyor . But I would

not be lachrymose :I dashed off the salt drops,and busied myself with preparing breakfast.

Most of the morning was spent in the open air. I led him out of the wet and wild wood into
: ;
some cheerful fields I described to him how brilliantly green they were how the flowers and

hedges looked refreshed how sparklingly blue was the sky. I sought a seat for him in a hidden
, ; , ,
and lovely spot a dry stump of a tree nor did I refuse to let him when seated place me on his
, ? 10
knee. Why should I when both he and I were happier near than apart Pilot lay beside us all :
was quiet. He broke out suddenly while clasping me in his arms :—
“Cruel,cruel deserter!Oh,Jane,what did I feel when I discovered you had fled from
Thornfield,and when I could nowhere find you; and, after examining your apartment,
ascertained that you had taken no money,nor anything which could serve as an equivalent!A
pearl necklace I had given you lay untouched in its little casket;your trunks were left corded and
locked as they had been prepared for the bridal tour. What could my darling do,I asked,left 049
? ?
destitute11 and penniless And what did she do Let me hear now. ”
Thus urged ,I began the narrative of my experience for the last year. I softened

considerably what related to the three days of wandering and starvation because to have told

him all would have been to inflict unnecessary pain the little I did say lacerated12 his faithful
heart deeper than I wished.
, , :
I should not have left him thus he said without any means of making my way I should

have told him my intention. I should have confided in him he would never have forced me to
be his mistress. Violent as he had seemed in his despair,he,in truth,loved me far too well and
too tenderly to constitute himself my tyrant:he would have given me half his fortune,without
demanding so much as a kiss in return,rather than I should have flung myself friendless on the
wide world. I had endured,he was certain,more than I had confessed to him.
“Well,whatever my sufferings had been,they were very short,”I answered:and then I
proceeded to tell him how I had been received at Moor House;how I had obtained the office of
schoolmistress,etc. The accession of fortune,the discovery of my relations,followed in due
order. Of course,St. John Rivers name came in frequently in the progress of my tale. When I
had done,that name was immediately taken up.
“This St. John,then,is your cousin?”
“Yes. ”
“You have spoken of him often:do you like him?”
“He was a very good man,sir;I could not help liking him. ”
“A good man. Does that mean a respectable wellconducted man of fifty?Or what does it
mean? ”
“St. John was only twentynine,sir. ”
“‘Jeune encore ,’as the French say. Is he a person of low stature,phlegmatic ,and
13 14

plain?A person whose goodness consists rather in his guiltlessness of vice,than in his
prowess in virtue ?
15

“He is untiringly active. Great and exalted deeds are what he lives to perform. ”
“But his brain?That is probably rather soft?He means well:but you shrug your shoulders
to hear him talk? ”
“He talks little,sir:what he does say is ever to the point. His brain is firstrate,I should
think not impressible,but vigorous. ”
“Is he an able man,then?”
“Truly able. ”
“A thoroughly educated man?”
“St. John is an accomplished and profound scholar. ”
“His manners,I think,you said are not to your taste?—priggish and parsonic ?” 16

050
“I never mentioned his manners;but,unless I had a very bad taste,they must suit it;they
Unit 6 ( —1855) 夏洛蒂·勃朗特
Charlotte Bront 1816

, ,
are polished calm and gentlemanlike. ”
“His appearance,—I forget what description you gave of his appearance;—a sort of raw
curate,half strangled with his white neckcloth,and stilted up on his thicksoled high
lows ,eh?
17

“St. John dresses well. He is a handsome man:tall,fair,with blue eyes,and a Grecian
profile. ”
(Aside. )“Damn him!”—(To me. )“Did you like him,Jane?”
“Yes,Mr. Rochester,I liked him:but you asked me that before. ”
I perceived,of course,the drift of my interlocutor . Jealousy had got hold of him:she
18

stung him;but the sting was salutary:it gave him respite from the gnawing fang of melancholy.
19

I would not,therefore,immediately charm the snake.


“Perhaps you would rather not sit any longer on my knee,Miss Eyre?”was the next
somewhat unexpected observation.
“Why not,Mr. Rochester?”
“The picture you have just drawn is suggestive of a rather too overwhelming contrast. Your
words have delineated very prettily a graceful Apollo:he is present to your imagination, —tall,
fair,blueeyed, and with a Grecian profile. Your eyes dwell on a Vulcan , 20
—a real
blacksmith,brown,broadshouldered:and blind and lame into the bargain. ”
“I never thought of it,before;but you certainly are rather like Vulcan,sir. ”
“Well,you can leave me,maam:but before you go”(and he retained me by a firmer
grasp than ever),“you will be pleased just to answer me a question or two. ”He paused.
“What questions,Mr. Rochester?”
Then followed this crossexamination: —
“St. John made you schoolmistress of Morton before he knew you were his cousin?”
“Yes. ”
“You would often see him?He would visit the school sometimes?”
“Daily. ”
“He would approve of your plans,Jane?I know they would be clever,for you are a
talented creature!

“He approved of them—yes. ”
“He would discover many things in you he could not have expected to find?Some of your
accomplishments are not ordinary. ”
“I dont know about that. ”
“You had a little cottage near the school,you say:did he ever come there to see you?”
“Now and then. ”
“Of an evening?”
“Once or twice. ” 051
A pause.
“How long did you reside with him and his sisters after the cousinship was discovered?”
“Five months. ”
“Did Rivers spend much time with the ladies of his family?”
“Yes;the back parlor was both his study and ours:he sat near the window,and we by the
table. ”
“Did he study much?”
“A good deal. ”
“What?”
“Hindustani . ”
21

“And what did you do meantime?”


“I learnt German,at first. ”
“Did he teach you?”
“He did not understand German. ”
“Did he teach you nothing?”
“A little Hindustani. ”
“Rivers taught you Hindustani?”
“Yes,sir. ”
“And his sisters also?”
“No. ”
“Only you?”
“Only me. ”
“Did you ask to learn?”
“No. ”
“He wished to teach you?”
“Yes. ”
A second pause.
“Why did he wish it?Of what use could Hindustani be to you?”
“He intended me to go with him to India. ”
“Ah!here I reach the root of the matter. He wanted you to marry him?”
“He asked me to marry him. ”
“That is a fiction—an impudent invention to vex me. ”
“I beg your pardon,it is the literal truth:he asked me more than once,and was as stiff
about urging his point as ever you could be. ”
“Miss Eyre,I repeat it,you can leave me. How often am I to say the same thing?Why do
you remain pertinaciously perched on my knee,when I have given you notice to quit?
22

052
“Because I am comfortable there. ”
Unit 6 ( —1855) 夏洛蒂·勃朗特
Charlotte Bront 1816

“No,Jane,you are not comfortable there,because your heart is not with me:it is with
this cousin—this St. John. Oh,till this moment,I thought my little Jane was all mine!I had a
belief she loved me even when she left me:that was an atom of sweet in much bitter. Long as
we have been parted,hot tears as I have wept over our separation,I never thought that while I
was mourning her,she was loving another!But it is useless grieving. Jane,leave me:go and
marry Rivers. ”
“Shake me off,then,sir,—push me away,for Ill not leave you of my own accord . ” 23

“Jane,I ever like your tone of voice:it still renews hope,it sounds so truthful. When I
hear it,it carries me back a year. I forget that you have formed a new tie. But I am not a
fool—go—”
“Where must I go,sir?”
“Your own way—with the husband you have chosen. ”
“Who is that?”
“You know—this St. John Rivers. ”
“He is not my husband,nor ever will be. He does not love me:I do not love him. He
loves (as he can love,and that is not as you love)a beautiful young lady called Rosamond. He
wanted to marry me only because he thought I should make a suitable missionarys wife,which
she would not have done. He is good and great,but severe;and,for me,cold as an iceberg.
He is not like you,sir:I am not happy at his side,nor near him,nor with him. He has no
indulgence for me—no fondness. He sees nothing attractive in me;not even youth—only a few
useful mental points. —Then I must leave you,sir,to go to him? ”
I shuddered involuntarily,and clung instinctively closer to my blind but beloved master.
He smiled.
“What,Jane!Is this true?Is such really the state of matters between you and Rivers?”
“Absolutely,sir!Oh,you need not be jealous!I wanted to tease you a little to make you
less sad:I thought anger would be better than grief. But if you wish me to love you,could you
but see how much I do love you,you would be proud and content. All my heart is yours,sir:
it belongs to you;and with you it would remain,were fate to exile the rest of me from your
presence for ever. ”
Again,as he kissed me,painful thoughts darkened his aspect.
“My seared vision!My crippled strength!”he murmured regretfully.
24

I caressed,in order to soothe him. I knew of what he was thinking,and wanted to speak
for him,but dared not. As he turned aside his face a minute,I saw a tear slide from under the
sealed eyelid,and trickle down the manly cheek. My heart swelled.
“I am no better than the old lightningstruck chestnuttree in Thornfield orchard,” he
remarked ere long. “And what right would that ruin have to bid a budding woodbine cover its
25

decay with freshness? ” 053


“You are no ruin,sir—no lightningstruck tree:you are green and vigorous. Plants will
grow about your roots,whether you ask them or not,because they take delight in your bountiful
shadow;and as they grow they will lean towards you,and wind round you,because your
strength offers them so safe a prop. ”
Again he smiled:I gave him comfort.
“You speak of friends,Jane?”he asked.
“Yes,of friends,”I answered rather hesitatingly:for I knew I meant more than friends,
but could not tell what other word to employ.
He helped me.
“Ah!Jane. But I want a wife. ”
“Do you,sir?”
“Yes:is it news to you?”
“Of course:you said nothing about it before. ”
“Is it unwelcome news?”
“That depends on circumstances,sir—on your choice. ”
“Which you shall make for me,Jane. I will abide by your decision. ”
“Choose then,sir—her who loves you best. ”
“I will at least choose—her I love best. Jane,will you marry me?”
“Yes,sir. ”
“A poor blind man,whom you will have to lead about by the hand?”
“Yes,sir. ”
“A crippled man,twenty years older than you,whom you will have to wait on?”
“Yes,sir. ”
“Truly,Jane?”
“Most truly,sir. ”
“Oh!my darling!God bless you and reward you!”
“Mr. Rochester,if ever I did a good deed in my life—if ever I thought a good thought—
if ever I prayed a sincere and blameless prayer—if ever I wished a righteous wish, —I am
rewarded now. To be your wife is,for me,to be as happy as I can be on earth. ”
“Because you delight in sacrifice. ”
“Sacrifice!What do I sacrifice?Famine for food,expectation for content . To be
26

privileged to put my arms round what I value—to press my lips to what I love—to repose on
what I trust:is that to make a sacrifice?If so,then certainly I delight in sacrifice. ”
“And to bear with my infirmities,Jane:to overlook my deficiencies. ”
“Which are none,sir,to me. I love you better now,when I can really be useful to you,
than I did in your state of proud independence,when you disdained every part but that of the
giver and protector. ”
054
Unit 6 ( —1855) 夏洛蒂·勃朗特
Charlotte Bront 1816

“Hitherto 27
—to be led:henceforth I feel I shall hate it no more.
have hated to be helped 28

I did not like to put my hand into a hirelings,but it is pleasant to feel it circled by Janes little
fingers. I preferred utter loneliness to the constant attendance of servants; but Janes soft
ministry will be a perpetual joy. Jane suits me:do I suit her? ”
“To the finest fibre of my nature,sir. ”
“The case being so,we have nothing in the world to wait for:we must be married
instantly. ”He looked and spoke with eagerness:his old impetuosity was rising.
29

“We must become one flesh without any delay,Jane:there is but the licence to get—then
we marry. ”
“Mr. Rochester,I have just discovered the sun is far declined from its meridian,and Pilot
is actually gone home to his dinner. Let me look at your watch. ”
“Fasten it into your girdle,Janet,and keep it henceforward:I have no use for it. ”
“It is nearly four oclock in the afternoon,sir. Dont you feel hungry?”
“The third day from this must be our weddingday,Jane. Never mind fine clothes and
jewels,now:all that is not worth a fillip. ”
“The sun has dried up all the raindrops,sir. The breeze is still:it is quite hot. ”
“Do you know,Jane,I have your little pearl necklace at this moment fastened round my
bronze scrag under my cravat?I have worn it since the day I lost my only treasure,as a
memento of her. ”
“We will go home through the wood:that will be the shadiest way. ”
He pursued his own thoughts without heeding me.
“Jane!you think me,I daresay,an irreligious dog:but my heart swells with gratitude to
the beneficent God of this earth just now. He sees not as man sees,but far clearer:judges not
as man judges,but far more wisely. I did wrong:I would have sullied my innocent flower—
breathed guilt on its purity: the Omnipotent snatched it from me. I, in my stiffnecked
rebellion ,almost cursed the dispensation :instead of bending to the decree,I defied it. Divine
30

justice pursued its course;disasters came thick on me :I was forced to pass through the valley
31

of the shadow of death. His chastisements are mighty;and one smote me which has humbled me
for ever. You know I was proud of my strength:but what is it now,when I must give it over to
foreign guidance,as a child does its weakness?Of late,Jane—only—only of late—I began to
see and acknowledge the hand of God in my doom. I began to experience remorse,repentance;
the wish for reconcilement to my Maker. I began sometimes to pray:very brief prayers they
were,but very sincere.
“Some days since:nay,I can number them—four;it was last Monday night,a singular
mood came over me:one in which grief replaced frenzy—sorrow,sullenness. I had long had
the impression that since I could nowhere find you,you must be dead. Late that night—perhaps
it might be between eleven and twelve oclock—ere I retired to my dreary rest,I supplicated
055
, , , ,
God that if it seemed good to Him I might soon be taken from this life and admitted to that

world to come where there was still hope of rejoining Jane.
“I was in my own room,and sitting by the window,which was open:it soothed me to feel
the balmy nightair;though I could see no stars,and only by a vague,luminous haze,knew the
presence of a moon. I longed for thee,Janet!Oh,I longed for thee both with soul and flesh!I
asked of God,at once in anguish and humility,if I had not been long enough desolate,
afflicted,tormented;and might not soon taste bliss and peace once more. That I merited all I
endured,I acknowledged—that I could scarcely endure more,I pleaded;and the alpha and
omega of my hearts wishes broke involuntarily from my lips in the words?‘Jane!Jane!
32

Jane! ’”
“Did you speak these words aloud?”
“I did,Jane. If any listener had heard me,he would have thought me mad:I pronounced
them with such frantic energy. ”
“And it was last Monday night,somewhere near midnight?”
“Yes;but the time is of no consequence:what followed is the strange point. You will
think me superstitious—some superstition I have in my blood,and always had:nevertheless,
this is true—true at least it is that I heard what I now relate.
“As I exclaimed ‘Jane!Jane!Jane!’a voice—I cannot tell whence the voice came,but I
know whose voice it was—replied,‘I am coming:wait for me ’;and a moment after,went
whispering on the wind the words—‘Where are you? ’
“Ill tell you,if I can,the idea,the picture these words opened to my mind:yet it is
difficult to express what I want to express. Ferndean is buried,as you see,in a heavy wood,
33

where sound falls dull,and dies unreverberating. ‘Where are you? ’seemed spoken amongst
mountains;for I heard a hillsent echo repeat the words. Cooler and fresher at the moment the
gale seemed to visit my brow:I could have deemed that in some wild,lone scene,I and Jane
were meeting. In spirit,I believe we must have met. You no doubt were,at that hour,in
unconscious sleep,Jane:perhaps your soul wandered from its cell to comfort mine;for those
were your accents—as certain as I live—they were yours! ”
Reader,it was on Monday night—near midnight—that I too had received the mysterious
summons:those were the very words by which I replied to it. I listened to Mr. Rochesters
narrative,but made no disclosure in return. The coincidence struck me as too awful and
inexplicable to be communicated or discussed. If I told anything,my tale would be such as must
necessarily make a profound impression on the mind of my hearer:and that mind,yet from its
sufferings too prone to gloom,needed not the deeper shade of the supernatural. I kept these
things then,and pondered them in my heart.
“You cannot now wonder,” continued my master,“that when you rose upon me so
unexpectedly last night,I had difficulty in believing you any other than a mere voice and vision,
056
Unit 6 ( —1855) 夏洛蒂·勃朗特
Charlotte Bront 1816


something that would melt to silence and annihilation as the midnight whisper and mountain
, ! ,
echo had melted before. Now I thank God I know it to be otherwise. Yes I thank God !”
He put me off his knee,rose,and reverently lifting his hat from his brow,and bending his
sightless eyes to the earth,he stood in mute devotion. Only the last words of the worship were
audible.
“I thank my Maker,that,in the midst of judgment,he has remembered mercy. I humbly
entreat my Redeemer to give me strength to lead henceforth a purer life than I have done
hitherto !”

Then he stretched his hand out to be led. I took that dear hand held it a moment to my
, : ,
lips then let it pass round my shoulder being so much lower of stature than he I served both

for his prop and guide. We entered the wood and wended homeward.

Questions for Discussion


1. What is Jane Eyres view of love as reflected in the excerpt ?
2. Why does Jane Eyre decide to stay with Mr. Rochester ?
3. What kind of relationship between Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester does the last paragraph
of the excerpt suggest ?
Notes
:看
1. to witness the subjugation of that vigorous spirit to a corporeal infirmity
到他那么旺盛的精神竟受制于肉体上的残弱。subjugation (to):服从;屈从。infirmity:
虚弱;病症。
2. lustre:光辉
3. office:功能
4. touched my heart to the quick:深深地触痛我的心。quick:感情敏感部位;痛处。
5. tender shining :柔和明媚的阳光
6. one of your kind :你的一个同类,指云雀。上文罗切斯特将简比作云雀。
7. avowal:公开表示;坦率承认。
8. purveyor:提供者
9. lachrymose:爱哭的
10. Pilot:罗切斯特先生养的狗
11. destitute:匮乏的;一无所有。
12. lacerate:撕裂;折磨。
13. Jeune encore:(法语)还年轻
14. phlegmatic:迟钝的;冷漠的。
15. A person whose goodness consists rather in his guiltlessness of vice,than
in his prowess in virtue:一个好处仅仅在于没有罪过而并非品行出众的人。prowess:杰
057
出的才能,高超的本领。
16. priggish and parsonic :古板自负,一副牧师腔。 priggish:一本正经的;自命不
凡的。
, ,
17. a sort of raw curate half strangled with his white neckcloth and stilted up
on his thicksoled highlows:一个毫无经验的助理牧师,差点让自己的白领巾给勒死,踩
着一双厚底高帮靴。
18. interlocutor:对话者
19. respite:暂时解脱;暂停。
20. Vulcan :伏尔甘,古罗马宗教信奉的火神,最初象征破坏性的火,如火山和火灾,后
成为铁匠的守护神。
21. Hindustani:印度斯坦语
22. pertinaciously:固执地,执着地。
23. of my own accord :出于自愿,主动地。
24. seared :灼伤
25. woodbine:五叶铁丝莲;忍冬。
26. Famine for food ,expectation for content:牺牲饥饿以得到食物,牺牲渴望以得
到满足。完整句子应为:Sacrifice famine for food,sacrifice expectation for content.
27. hitherto :到目前为止,迄今。
28. henceforth :(= henceforward )从此以后
29. impetuosity:急躁,冲动。
30. dispensation :天命;神的安排。
31. disasters came thick on me:灾难接连落到了我头上。thick:密集的。
32. the alpha and omega of my hearts wishes:我内心的全部希望。 alpha:第一
个。omega:最后一个。
33. Ferndean :桑菲尔德庄园烧毁后,罗切斯特的住所。

058
Charles Dickens 1812 ( —1870)
Unit 7 查尔斯 · 狄更斯

Biography
Charles Dickens was an English writer and social critic. He created
some of the worlds bestknown fictional characters and is regarded as the
greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented
popularity during his lifetime ,and by the twentieth century critics and
scholars had recognized him as a literary genius. His novels and short
stories enjoy lasting popularity

Born in Portsmouth Dickens left school to work in a factory when
his father was incarcerated in a debtors prison. Despite his lack of formal
, , , ,
education he edited a weekly journal for 20 years wrote 15 novels five novellas hundreds of
, ,
short stories and nonfiction articles lectured and performed extensively was an indefatigable
,and campaigned vigorously for childrens rights,education,and other social
letter writer
reforms. Dickens died in Kent on June 9 ,1870 ,at the age of fiftyeight.
Dickenss literary success began with the 1836 serial publication of The Pickwick Papers.

Within a few years he had become an international literary celebrity famous for his humor ,
, ,
satire and keen observation of character and society. His novels most published in monthly or
weekly installments ,pioneered the serial publication of narrative fiction,which became the
dominant Victorian mode for novel publication. The installment format allowed Dickens to

evaluate his audiences reaction and he often modified his plot and character development based

on such feedback. His plots were carefully constructed and he often wove elements from topical
events into his narratives. Masses of the illiterate poor chipped in hapennies to have each new

monthly episode read to them opening up and inspiring a new class of readers.
Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of his age. Dickenss creative genius had been
—from Leo Tolstoy to George Orwell—for its realism,comedy,prose
praised by fellow writers
style,unique characterizations,and social criticism. On the other hand,Oscar Wilde,Henry
James,and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth,loose writing,and a
vein of saccharine sentimentalism. The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is

reminiscent of Dickens and his writings such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive
characters.
059
Major Works
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club 1836 ( —1837)
The Adventures of Oliver Twist 1837 ( —1839)
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby 1938 ( —1939)
The Old Curiosity Shop 1840 ( —1841)

Barnaby Rudge A Tale of the Riots of Eighty 1840 ( —1841)
A Christmas Carol 1843 ( )
The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit 1843 ( —1844)
Dombey and Son 1846 ( —1848)
David Copperfield (1849 —1850 )
Bleak House (1852 —1853 )
Hard Times:For These Times (1854 )
Little Dorrit (1855 —1857 )
A Tale of Two Cities (1859 )
Great Expectations (1860 —1861 )
Our Mutual Friend (1864 —1865 )

Dickens Style in General


1. vivid settings
2. vernacular language with a large vocabulary to paint a wonderful verbal picture of man
and scene

3. characterportrayal with humor wit and satire
4. a mingling of humor and pathos,a combination of optimism about people and realism
about the society

Synopsis of Great Expectations


The story is set in Kent in the years between about 1810 and 1830. It tells of the growth of
( “
Pip from boyhood to manhood a story of rite of passage ”). Pip,a poor orphan,is taken care

of by his sister Mrs. Joe Gargery. One day he meets on the marshes a convict who has escaped

from a nearby prisonship. Early the next morning he steals some food and a file from his

home and gives them to the convict as he is threatened to. With the file the convict cuts his leg
iron but is soon recaptured. There lives in the neighboring town a rich lady named Miss

Havisham who was deserted by her faithless lover on her wedding day many years ago and has

since shut herself inside the house. At twelve Pip receives an invitation from her and so he

often goes to visit her. In the meantime he becomes infatuated with a beautiful girl of his own

060

age by the name of Estella whom Miss Havisham adopts as her daughter and has reared to be
Unit 7 ( —1870) 查尔斯·狄更斯
Charles Dickens 1812

cruel and distant as her revenge upon the male sex. His visits cease when ,at the age of
, ,
fourteen Pip is apprenticed to Joe Gargery a blacksmith and his brotherinlaw. Then about 4
years later,he is informed by a lawyer that he has “great expectations ” from a mysterious
benefactor,who wishes him to be educated as a gentleman. He believes that he owes this to
Miss Havisham and that she intends him to marry Estella. Pip goes to London for his education,
and snobbishly neglects his childhood friends. He lives idly and unhappily,and he is constantly
snubbed by Estella although he does everything possible to court her. When he is 23 ,his true
benefactor appears,who turns out to be the very convict named Magwitch he met when he was
a small boy of 7. Pip is greatly disappointed. But gradually he changes his snobbish attitude
towards the convict and tries desperately to save him from the punishment which his home

coming from Australia has caused. Unfortunately Magwitch is betrayed by Compeyson a villain

and his personal enemy and is retaken and died soon. Pip learns his lesson and becomes a
changed man.

Main Characters
Pip —the protagonist and narrator of Great Expectations,begins the story as a young
orphan boy being raised by his sister and brotherinlaw in the marsh country of Kent,in the
southeast of England. Pip is passionate,romantic,and somewhat unrealistic at heart,and he
tends to expect more for himself than is reasonable. Pip also has a powerful conscience,and he
deeply wants to improve himself,both morally and socially.
Estella—Miss Havishams beautiful young ward,is Pips unattainable dream throughout the
novel. He loves her passionately,but,though she sometimes seems to consider him a friend,
she is usually cold,cruel,and uninterested in him. As they grow up together,she repeatedly
warns him that she has no heart.
Miss Havisham —is the wealthy,eccentric old woman who lives in a manor called Satis
House near Pips village. She is manic and often seems insane,flitting around her house in a
faded wedding dress,keeping a decaying feast on her table,and surrounding herself with clocks
stopped at twenty minutes to nine. As a young woman,Miss Havisham was jilted by her fiancé
minutes before her wedding,and now she has a vendetta against all men. She deliberately raises
Estella to be the tool of her revenge,training her to break mens hearts.
Abel Magwitch (“The Convict ”)—a fearsome criminal, escapes from prison at the
beginning of the novel and terrorizes Pip in the cemetery. Pips kindness,however,makes a
deep impression on him,and he subsequently devotes himself to making a fortune and using it to
elevate Pip into a higher social class. Behind the scenes,he becomes Pips secret benefactor,
funding Pips education and opulent lifestyle in London through a lawyer named Jaggers.
Joe Gargery —Pips brotherinlaw,the village blacksmith,stays with his overbearing,
abusive wife solely out of love for Pip. Joes quiet goodness makes him one of the few completely
061
sympathetic characters in Great Expectations. Although he is uneducated and unrefined ,he
consistently acts for the benefit of those he loves and suffers in silence when Pip treats him coldly.
Jaggers —is the powerful , foreboding lawyer hired by Magwitch to supervise Pips
elevation to the upper class. As one of the most important criminal lawyers in London Jaggers ,
; ,
is privy to some dirty business he consorts with vicious criminals and even they are terrified of
him. But there is more to Jaggers than his impenetrable exterior. He often seems to care for

Pip and before the novel begins he helps Miss Havisham to adopt the orphaned Estella. Jaggers

smells strongly of soap he washes his hands obsessively as a psychological mechanism to keep
the criminal taint from corrupting him.

◆◆◆F(#%' EG9#C'%'51&-◆◆◆
Chapter 39

I was threeandtwenty years of age. Not another word had I heard to enlighten me on the
subject of my expectations,and my twentythird birthday was a week gone. We had left
Barnards Inn more than a year,and lived in the Temple. Our chambers were in Gardencourt,
down by the river.

Mr Pocket and I had for some time parted company as to our original relations though we
continued on the best terms . Notwithstanding my inability to settle to anything —which I
1 2

hope arose out of the restless and incomplete tenure on which I held my means—I had a taste for
reading,and read regularly so many hours a day. That matter of Herberts was still 3

progressing,and everything with me was as I have brought it down to the close of the last
preceding chapter.

Business had taken Herbert on a journey to Marseilles. I was alone and had a dull sense


of being alone . Dispirited and anxious long hoping that tomorrow or next week would clear
my way 5
,and long disappointed,I sadly missed the cheerful face and ready response of my
friend.
; , ; , , ,
It was wretched weather stormy and wet stormy and wet and mud mud mud deep in
all the streets. Day after day,a vast heavy veil had been driving over London from the East,
and it drove still,as if in the East there were an Eternity of cloud and wind . So furious had

been the gusts,that high buildings in town had had the lead stripped off their roofs ;and in 7

the country,trees had been torn up,and sails of windmills carried away;and gloomy accounts 8

had come in from the coast,of shipwreck and death. Violent blasts of rain had accompanied
these rages of wind ,and the day just closed as I sat down to read had been the worst of all.

Alterations have been made in that part of the Temple since that time,and it has not now
so lonely a character as it had then ,nor is it so exposed to the river. We lived at the top of
10

062 the last house,and the wind rushing up the river shook the house that night,like discharges of
Unit 7 ( —1870) 查尔斯·狄更斯
Charles Dickens 1812


cannon or breakings of a sea11 . When the rain came with it and dashed against the windows ,
I thought,raising my eyes to them as they rocked,that I might have fancied myself in a storm
beaten lighthouse. Occasionally,the smoke came rolling down the chimney as though it could
not bear to go out into such a night;and when I set the doors open and looked down the
staircase,the staircase lamps were blown out;and when I shaded my face with my hands and
looked through the black windows (opening them ever so little,was out of the question in the
teeth of such wind and rain )I saw that the lamps in the court were blown out,and that the
12

lamps on the bridges and the shore were shuddering,and that the coal fires in barges on the river
were being carried away before the wind like redhot splashes in the rain13 .

I read with my watch upon the table purposing to close my book at eleven oclock. As I
, Saint Pauls, and all the many churchclocks in the City—some leading, some
shut it
accompanying,some following—struck that hour. The sound was curiously flawed by the wind;
and I was listening,and thinking how the wind assailed and tore it,when I heard a footstep on
the stair.

What nervous folly made me start14 and awfully connect it with the footstep of my dead

sister matters not. It was past in a moment ,and I listened again,and heard the footstep
stumble in 15
coming on. Remembering then,that the staircaselights were blown out,I took up
my readinglamp and went out to the stairhead. Whoever was below had stopped on seeing my

lamp for all was quiet.
“There is some one down there,is there not?”I called out,looking down.
“Yes,”said a voice from the darkness beneath.
“What floor do you want?”
“The top. Mr Pip. ”
“That is my name. —There is nothing the matter?”
“Nothing the matter,”returned the voice. And the man came on.
I stood with my lamp held out over the stairrail,and he came slowly within its light. It
was a shaded lamp,to shine upon a book,and its circle of light was very contracted;so that he
was in it for a mere instant,and then out of it. In the instant,I had seen a face that was strange
to me,looking up with an incomprehensible air of being touched and pleased by the sight
of me.

Moving the lamp as the man moved I made out that he was substantially dressed but ,

roughly like a voyager by sea. That he had long irongray hair. That his age was about sixty.
, ,
That he was a muscular man strong on his legs and that he was browned and hardened by

exposure to weather. As he ascended the last stair or two and the light of my lamp included us
, , ,
both I saw with a stupid kind of amazement that he was holding out both his hands to me.
“Pray what is your business?”I asked him.
16

“My business?”he repeated,pausing. “Ah!Yes. ,


I will explain my business by your
063
leave17 . ”
“Do you wish to come in?”
“Yes,”he replied;“I wish to come in,Master. ”
I had asked him the question inhospitably enough,for I resented the sort of bright and
gratified recognition that still shone in his face. I resented it,because it seemed to imply that he
expected me to respond to it. But,I took him into the room I had just left,and,having set the
lamp on the table,asked him as civilly as I could,to explain himself.
He looked about him with the strangest air—an air of wondering pleasure,as if he had
some part in the things he admired—and he pulled off a rough outer coat,and his hat. Then,I
saw that his head was furrowed and bald,and that the long irongrey hair grew only on its sides.
But,I saw nothing that in the least explained him . On the contrary,I saw him next
18

moment,once more holding out both his hands to me.


“What do you mean?”said I,half suspecting him to be mad.
He stopped in his looking at me,and slowly rubbed his right hand over his head. “Its
disappointing to a man, ”he said,in a coarse broken voice,“arter having looked forard so
distant,and come so fur;but youre not to blame for that—neither on us is to blame for that.
Ill speak in half a minute. Give me half a minute,please. ”
He sat down on a chair that stood before the fire,and covered his forehead with his large
brown veinous hands. I looked at him attentively then,and recoiled a little from him;but I did
not know him.
“Theres no one nigh,”said he,looking over his shoulder;“is there?”
“Why do you,a stranger coming into my rooms at this time of the night,ask that
question? ”said I.
“Youre a game one ,”he returned,shaking his head at me with a deliberate affection,at
19

once most unintelligible and most exasperating;“Im glad youve growd up,a game one!But
dont catch hold of me. Youd be sorry arterwards to have done it. ”
I relinquished the intention he had detected,for I knew him!Even yet,I could not recall a
single feature,but I knew him!If the wind and the rain had driven away the intervening years,
had scattered all the intervening objects,had swept us to the churchyard where we first stood
face to face on such different levels,I could not have known my convict more distinctly than I
knew him now as he sat in the chair before the fire. No need to take a file from his pocket and

show it to me no need to take the handkerchief from his neck and twist it round his head no ;
, ,
need to hug himself with both his arms and take a shivering turn across the room looking back
at me for recognition. I knew him before he gave me one of those aids,though,a moment

before I had not been conscious of remotely suspecting his identity20 .

He came back to where I stood and again held out both his hands. Not knowing what to

064
do —for,in my astonishment I had lost my selfpossession—I reluctantly gave him my hands.
Unit 7 ( —1870) 查尔斯·狄更斯
Charles Dickens 1812

, , ,
He grasped them heartily raised them to his lips kissed them and still held them.
“You acted noble,my boy,”said he. “Noble,Pip!And I have never forgot it!”
At a change in his manner as if he were even going to embrace me,I laid a hand upon his
breast and put him away.
“Stay!”said I. “Keep off!If you are grateful to me for what I did when I was a little
child,I hope you have shown your gratitude by mending your way of life. If you have come
here to thank me,it was not necessary. Still,however you have found me out,there must be
something good in the feeling that has brought you here,and I will not repulse you ;but 21

surely you must understand that I—”


My attention was so attracted by the singularity of his fixed look at me,that the words died
away on my tongue.
“You was a saying ,”he observed,when we had confronted one another in silence,
22

“that surely I must understand. What,surely must I understand?”


“That I cannot wish to renew that chance intercourse with you of long ago,under these
different circumstances. I am glad to believe you have repented and recovered yourself. I am
, ,
glad to tell you so. I am glad that thinking I deserve to be thanked you have come to thank

me. But our ways are different ways none the less. You are wet,and you look weary. Will
you drink something before you go?

, , ,
He had replaced his neckerchief loosely and had stood keenly observant of me23 biting
“I think,”he answered,still with the end at his mouth and still observant of
a long end of it.
me,“that I will drink (I thank you)afore I go. ”
There was a tray ready on a sidetable. I brought it to the table near the fire,and asked him
what he would have?He touched one of the bottles without looking at it or speaking,and I
made him some hot rumandwater. I tried to keep my hand steady while I did so,but his look
at me as he leaned back in his chair with the long draggled24 end of his neckerchief between his
teeth —evidently forgotten—made my hand very difficult to master. When at last I put the glass
to him,I saw with amazement that his eyes were full of tears.
Up to this time I had remained standing,not to disguise that I wished him gone. But I was
softened by the softened aspect of the man,and felt a touch of reproach . “I hope,
25
”said I,
hurriedly putting something into a glass for myself,and drawing a chair to the table,“that you
will not think I spoke harshly to you just now. I had no intention of doing it,and I am sorry for
it if I did. I wish you well,and happy! ”
As I put my glass to my lips,he glanced with surprise at the end of his neckerchief,dropp
ing from his mouth when he opened it,and stretched out his hand. I gave him mine,and then
he drank,and drew his sleeve across his eyes and forehead.
“How are you living?”I asked him.
“Ive been a sheepfarmer,stockbreeder,other trades besides,away in the new world,” 065
:“many a thousand mile of stormy water off from this. ”
said he
“I hope you have done well?”
“Ive done wonderfully well. Theres others went out alonger me as has done well too,but
no man has done nigh as well as me. Im famous for it. ”
“I am glad to hear it. ”
“I hope to hear you say so,my dear boy. ”
Without stopping to try to understand those words or the tone in which they were spoken,I
turned off to a point that had just come into my mind.
“Have you ever seen a messenger you once sent to me,”I inquired,“since he undertook
that trust?

“Never set eyes upon him. I warnt likely to it . ”26

“He came faithfully,and he brought me the two onepound notes. I was a poor boy then,
as you know,and to a poor boy they were a little fortune. But,like you,I have done well
since,and you must let me pay them back. You can put them to some other poor boys use. ”I
took out my purse.

He watched me as I laid my purse upon the table and opened it and he watched me as I

separated two onepound notes from its contents. They were clean and new and I spread them
, ,
out and handed them over to him. Still watching me he laid them one upon the other folded
, , ,
them longwise gave them a twist set fire to them at the lamp and dropped the ashes into the
tray.
“May I make so bold ,”he said then,with a smile that was like a frown,and with a
27

frown that was like a smile,“as ask you how you have done well,since you and me was out on
them lone shivering marshes? ”
“How?”
“Ah!”
He emptied his glass,got up,and stood at the side of the fire,with his heavy brown hand
on the mantelshelf. He put a foot up to the bars,to dry and warm it,and the wet boot began to
steam;but,he neither looked at it,nor at the fire,but steadily looked at me. It was only now
that I began to tremble.
, ,
When my lips had parted and had shaped some words that were without sound I forced

myself to tell him though I could not do it distinctly ),that I had been chosen to succeed to
28
some property .
“Might a mere warmint ask what property?”said he.
I faltered,“I dont know. ”
“Might a mere warmint ask whose property?”said he.
I faltered again,“I dont know. ”

066
“Could I make a guess,I wonder,”said the Convict,“at your income since you come of
Unit 7 ( —1870) 查尔斯·狄更斯
Charles Dickens 1812


age As to the first figure now. Five ?”
With my heart beating like a heavy hammer of disordered action29 ,I rose out of my
, ,
chair and stood with my hand upon the back of it looking wildly at him.
“Concerning a guardian,”he went on. “There ought to have been some guardian,or such
like ,whiles you was a minor. Some lawyer,maybe. As to the first letter of that lawyers name
now. Would it be J? ”
All the truth of my position came flashing on me;and its disappointments,dangers,
disgraces,consequences of all kinds,rushed in in such a multitude that I was borne down by
them and had to struggle for every breath I drew.
“Put it,”he resumed,“as the employer of that lawyer whose name begun with a J,and
might be Jaggers—put it as he had come over sea to Portsmouth,and had landed there,and had
wanted to come on to you. ‘However,you have found me out, ’you says just now. Well!
However,did I find you out?Why,I wrote from Portsmouth to a person in London,for
particulars of your address. That persons name?Why,Wemmick. ”
I could not have spoken one word,though it had been to save my life. I stood,with a hand
on the chairback and a hand on my breast,where I seemed to be suffocating—I stood so,
looking wildly at him,until I grasped at the chair,when the room began to surge and turn. He
caught me,drew me to the sofa,put me up against the cushions,and bent on one knee before
me:bringing the face that I now well remembered,and that I shuddered at,very near to mine.
“Yes,Pip,dear boy,Ive made a gentleman on you!Its me wot has done it!I swore that
time ,sure as ever I earned a guinea,that guinea should go to you. I swore arterwards,sure as
ever I speclated and got rich,you should get rich. I lived rough,that you should live smooth;
I worked hard,that you should be above work. What odds,dear boy?Do I tell it,fur you to
feel a obligation?Not a bit. I tell it,fur you to know as that there hunted dunghill dog wot you
kep life in,got his head so high that he could make a gentleman—and,Pip,youre him! ”
The abhorrence in which I held the man,the dread I had of him,the repugnance with
which I shrank from him,could not have been exceeded if he had been some terrible beast.
“Lookee here,Pip. Im your second father. Youre my son—more to me nor any son.
Ive put away money,only for you to spend. When I was a hiredout shepherd in a solitary hut,
not seeing no faces but faces of sheep till I half forgot wot mens and womens faces wos like,I
see yourn. I drops my knife many a time in that hut when I was a eating my dinner or my

supper and I says ,‘Heres the boy again,a looking at me whiles I eats and drinks!’I see you
there a many times,as plain as ever I see you on them misty marshes. ‘Lord strike me dead! ’
I says each time—and I goes out in the air to say it under the open heavens—‘but wot,if I gets
liberty and money,Ill make that boy a gentleman! ’And I done it. Why,look at you,dear
boy!Look at these here lodgings oyourn,fit for a lord!A lord?Ah!You shall show money
with lords for wagers,and beatem! ” 067
, ,
In his heat and triumph and in his knowledge that I had been nearly fainting he did not
remark on my reception of all this. It was the one grain of relief I had.
“Lookee here!”he went on,taking my watch out of my pocket,and turning towards him
a ring on my finger,while I recoiled from his touch as if he had been a snake,“a gold un and
a beauty: thats a gentlemans, I hope! A diamond all set round with rubies; thats a
gentlemans,I hope!Look at your linen;fine and beautiful!Look at your clothes;better aint
to be got !And your books too,
30
”turning his eyes round the room,“mounting up,on their
shelves,by hundreds!And you read em;dont you?I see youd been a reading of em when I
come in. Ha,ha,ha!You shall read em to me,dear boy!And if theyre in foreign languages
wot I dont understand,I shall be just as proud as if I did. ”
Again he took both my hands and put them to his lips,while my blood ran cold within me.
“Dont you mind talking,Pip,”said he,after again drawing his sleeve over his eyes and
forehead,as the click came in his throat which I well remembered—and he was all the more
horrible to me that he was so much in earnest;“you cant do better nor keep quiet,dear boy.
You aint looked slowly forward to this as I have;you wosnt prepared for this,as I wos. But
didnt you never think it might be me? ”
“O no,no,no,”I returned,“Never,never!”
“Well,you see it wos me,and singlehanded. Never a soul in it but my own self and Mr
Jaggers. ”
“Was there no one else?”I asked.
“No,”said he,with a glance of surprise:“who else should there be?And,dear boy,how
good looking you have growed!Theres bright eyes somewheres—eh?Isnt there bright eyes
somewheres,wot you love the thoughts on ? 31

O Estella,Estella!
“They shall be yourn,dear boy,if money can buy em. Not that a gentleman like you,so
well set up as you,cant win em off of his own game;but money shall back you!Let me
finish wot I was a telling you,dear boy. From that there hut and that there hiringout,I got
money left me by my master (which died,and had been the same as me ),and got my liberty
and went for myself. In every single thing I went for,I went for you. ‘Lord strike a blight
upon it ,
32
’I says,wotever it was I went for,‘if it aint for him!’It all prospered wonderful.
As I giv you to understand just now,Im famous for it. It was the money left me,and the
gains of the first few year wot I sent home to Mr Jaggers—all for you—when he first come arter
you,agreeable to my letter. ”
O,that he had never come!That he had left me at the forge—far from contented,yet,by
comparison happy!
“And then,dear boy,it was a recompense to me,lookee here,to know in secret that I
was making a gentleman. The blood horses of them colonists might fling up the dust over me as
068
Unit 7 ( —1870) 查尔斯·狄更斯
Charles Dickens 1812

; ?
I was walking what do I say I says to myself ,‘Im making a better gentleman nor ever
youll be !
33
’When one of em says to another,‘He was a convict,a few year ago,and is a
ignorant common fellow now,for all hes lucky,’what do I say?I says to myself,‘If I aint a
gentleman,nor yet aint got no learning,Im the owner of such. All on you owns stock and
land;which on you owns a broughtup London gentleman? ’This was I kep myself a going.
And this way I held steady afore my mind that I would for certain come one day and see my
, ,
boy and make myself known to him on his own ground. ”

He laid his hand on my shoulder. I shuddered at the thought that for anything I knew his
hand might be stained with blood.
“It warnt easy,Pip,for me to leave them parts,nor yet it warnt safe. But I held to it,
and the harder it was,the stronger I held,for I was determined,and my mind firm made up. At
last I done it. Dear boy,I done it! ”
I tried to collect my thoughts,but I was stunned. Throughout,I had seemed to myself to
attend more to the wind and the rain than to him;even now,I could not separate his voice from
those voices,though those were loud and his was silent.
“Where will you put me?”he asked,presently. “I must be put somewheres,dear boy. ”
“To sleep?”said I.
“Yes. And to sleep long and sound,”he answered;“for Ive been seatossed and sea
washed,months and months. ”
“My friend and companion,”said I,rising from the sofa,“is absent;you must have his
room. ”
“He wont come back tomorrow;will he?”
“No,” said I, answering almost mechanically, in spite of my utmost efforts;“not
tomorrow. ”
“Because,lookee here,dear boy,”he said,dropping his voice,and laying a long finger
on my breast in an impressive manner,“caution is necessary. ”
“How do you mean?Caution?”
“By G ,its Death!”
“Whats death?”
“I was sent for life. Its death to come back. Theres been overmuch coming back of late
years,and I should of a certainty be hanged if took. ”
Nothing was needed but this ;the wretched man,after loading wretched me with his
34

gold and silver chains for years,had risked his life to come to me,and I held it there in my
keeping!If I had loved him instead of abhorring him;if I had been attracted to him by the
strongest admiration and affection,instead of shrinking from him with the strongest repugnance;
it could have been no worse. On the contrary,it would have been better,for his preservation
would then have naturally and tenderly addressed my heart35 .
069

My first care was to close the shutters so that no light might be seen from without and ,

then to close and make fast the doors. While I did so he stood at the table drinking rum and
; ,
eating biscuit and when I saw him thus engaged I saw my convict on the marshes at his meal

again. It almost seemed to me as if he must stoop down presently to file at his leg.

When I had gone into Herberts room and had shut off any other communication between

it and the staircase than through the room in which our conversation had been held I asked him
? , “
if he would go to bed He said yes but asked me for some of my gentlemans linen to put on ”
, ,
in the morning. I brought it out and laid it ready for him and my blood again ran cold when
he again took me by both hands to give me good night.
, ,
I got away from him without knowing how I did it and mended the fire in the room
where we had been together,and sat down by it,afraid to go to bed. For an hour or more,I
remained too stunned to think;and it was not until I began to think,that I began fully to know
how wrecked I was,and how the ship in which I had sailed was gone to pieces . 36

Miss Havishams intentions towards me,all a mere dream;Estella not designed for me;I
only suffered in Satis House as a convenience,a sting for the greedy relations,a model with a
mechanical heart to practise on when no other practice was at hand ;those were the first
37

smarts I had. But,sharpest and deepest pain of all—it was for the convict,guilty of I knew
38

not what crimes,and liable to be taken out of those rooms where I sat thinking,and hanged at
the Old Bailey door,that I had deserted Joe.
I would not have gone back to Joe now,I would not have gone back to Biddy now,for
any consideration:simply,I suppose,because my sense of my own worthless conduct to them
was greater than every consideration. No wisdom on earth could have given me the comfort that
; , ,
I should have derived from their simplicity and fidelity but I could never never undo what I
had done.
, ,
In every rage of wind and rush of rain I heard pursuers. Twice I could have sworn there

was a knocking and whispering at the outer door. With these fears upon me I began either to
imagine or recall that I had had mysterious warnings of this mans approach. That for weeks ,
, ,
gone by I had passed faces in the streets which I had thought like his. That these likenesses
, , ,
had grown more numerous as he coming over the sea had drawn nearer. That his wicked ,

spirit had somehow sent these messengers to mine and that now on this stormy night he was as

good as his word and with me.
Crowding up with these reflections came the reflection that I had seen him with my childish

eyes to be a desperately violent man that I had heard that other convict reiterate that he had

tried to murder him that I had seen him down in the ditch tearing and fighting like a wild beast.

Out of such remembrances I brought into the light of fire a halfformed terror that it might not
be safe to be shut up there with him in the dead of the wild solitary night. This dilated until it

070

filled the room and impelled me to take a candle and go in and look at my dreadful burden.
Unit 7 Charles Dickens 1812( —1870) 查尔斯·狄更斯

He had rolled a handkerchief round his head and his face was set and lowering in his
, ,
sleep. But he was asleep and quietly too though he had a pistol lying on the pillow. Assured
, ,
of this I softly removed the key to the outside of his door and turned it on him before I again
sat down by the fire. Gradually I slipped from the chair and lay on the floor. When I awoke ,

without having parted in my sleep with the perception of my wretchedness the clocks of the
, , ,
Eastward churches were striking five the candles were wasted out the fire was dead and the
wind and rain intensified the thick black darkness.
THIS IS THE END OF THE SECOND STAGE OF PIPs EXPECTATIONS.

Questions for Discussion


1. Magwitch “the convict ”takes the risk of being “hanged ”when he comes back to
London to see Pip. How do you evaluate this meeting?
2. What can you learn about the character of Pip through his conversations with the
unexpected visitor ?

3. What were the great expectations designed for Pip What was his own interpretation ?
Notes
1. continued on the best terms :仍然保持良好的交往。
2. settle to anything :处理事务
3. That matter of Herberts:赫伯特是匹普的童年伙伴,这里指匹普为了感激他的友
情以赫伯特的名义与人签订一个协议并支付对方 250 英镑,使赫伯特惊喜万分,以为自己好
运到来。
4. had a dull sense of being alone:感到孤苦伶仃、索然无趣。
5. clear my way:(事件等)明朗起来。
6. an Eternity of cloud and wind :永恒的云和风,意指乌云密布,狂风不止。
7. So furious had been the gusts,that high buildings in town had had the lead
stripped off their roofs:狂风怒吼,以致伦敦一幢幢高楼的屋顶都被无情地卷走。
8. gloomy accounts:令人扫兴的消息、事件
9. Violent blasts of rain had accompanied these rages of wind :风雨交加
10. it has not now so lonely a character as it had then :现在寺去不再显得像过去
那样凄凉。
11. like discharges of cannon ,or breakings of a sea:好像火炮发射、海浪拍岸
一样。
12. in the teeth of:顶着,不顾(狂风暴雨)。
13. like redhot splashes in the rain :如同一阵阵红热的雨点。
14. start:吃惊
15. the footstep stumble in :正在走进来的跌跌撞撞的脚步声。
071
16. Pray :请问
17. by your leave :对不起,请原谅。
18. I saw nothing that in the least explained him:我一点也看不出他此时的来意。
19. a game one:一般指勇敢、充满活力的人,这里指匹普长得英俊、潇洒。
20. I had not been conscious of remotely suspecting his identity:我起先没有意
识到已认出了他。
21. I will not repulse you :我不会把你拒之门外。
22. You was a saying :(= You were saying )你说
23. keenly observant of me:敏锐地观察着我。
24. draggled :拖脏的
25. a tough of reproach :一种良心上的责备。
26. Never set eyes upon him. I warnt likely to it:再也没有见到过他,也不可能再
见到他。
27. May I make so bold爥:我可以冒昧地……。
28. succeed to some property:继承一笔财产。
29. like a heavy hammer of disordered action :像失去控制的铁锤一样。
30. better aint to be got:买不到比这更好的了。
31. Isnt there bright eyes somewheres,wot you love the thoughts on ?:难道没
有漂亮的眼睛被你看中了吗?
32. Lord strike a blight upon it:(如果我做事不是为了他)老天用雷劈我。
33. Im making a better gentleman nor ever youll be:我正在造就一名你们不能
相比的绅士。
34. Nothing was needed but this:无需多说,这就够了。
35. addressed my heart:打动我的心
36. the ship in which I had sailed was gone to pieces:我驾驶的 (充满期望的 )人
生之舟被击得粉碎。

072
Victorian Poets
Unit 8 维多利亚诗人

Alfred Tennyson 1809 ( —1892 )


阿尔弗雷德·丁尼生

Biography
Alfred Tennyson was Poet Laureate of Great Britain and Ireland
during much of Queen Victorias reign and remains one of the most
, ,
popular British poets. He was born in Somersby Lincolnshire England
into a middleclass line of Tennysons and also had a noble and royal
ancestry. When Alfred was only 17 ,he started publishing poems. He
entered Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1827 , where he met Arthur
Henry Hallam and William Henry Brookfield,who became his closest
friends. Yet his fathers death in 1831 forced him to leave Cambridge and
Hallams sudden death in 1833 had a profound impact on Tennyson. He did not stop writing
poems though he lived modestly in London. In 1842 ,he published two volumes of poems,
which met with immediate success. In 1850 he was appointed Poet Laureate, succeeding
William Wordsworth. Queen Victoria became an ardent admirer of Tennysons work.

As source material for his poetry Tennyson used a wide range of subject matter ranging
from medieval legends to classical myths and from domestic situations to observations of nature.
, ,
He also handled rhythm masterfully. The insistent beat of Break Break Break emphasizes the
relentless sadness of the subject matter. Tennysons use of the musical qualities of words to
emphasize his rhythms and meanings is sensitive.

Major Works
? Collections of poems

Poems Chiefly Lyrical 1830 ( )
Poems (1833 )
Poems (1842 )

Enoch Arden and Other Poems 1862 / 1864 )
073
? Representative poems
“In Memoriam A. H. H. ”(1849)
“Ring Out,Wild Bells”(1850)
“The Eagle”(1851)
“Idylls of the King”(composed 1833—1874)
Tennysons Style in General
1. richness of imagery and descriptive writing
2. masterful handle of rhythm
3. use of the musical qualities of words
4. excellent adaptation of the legend such as Legend of King Arthur into his poem

Background information of The Eagle “ ”


Although Tennyson has a reputation of a quiet ,polite Englishman among other literary

figures he was once part of a small group who traveled to the border of Spain to deliver money

and messages to Spanish Revolutionaries. While he did eventually fall out of the project he
came to enjoy the Pyrenees Mountain Range. This mountain range on the border of France and

Spain came to be his favorite place along with the nearby valley called the Cauteretz. “The
Eagle ”was inspired by Tennysons frequent travels to the Pyrenees as he frequently saw eagles,
raptors,and other birds of prey circling above him in this area.

◆◆◆!"# E%8,#◆◆◆

He clasps1 the crag2 with crooked hands ;



Close to the sun in lonely lands
Ringed with the azure world ,he stands.


The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls4
He watches from his mountain walls,
And like a thunderbolt5 he falls.

Questions for Discussion


1. List the adjectives which can describe your impression of the eagle.
? ?
2. Does Tennyson use many adjectives to describe the eagle Why
“ ”
3. Why is the word crawls used to describe the sea ?
074
Unit 8 Victorian Poets 维多利亚诗人
Notes
1. clasps:抓住,扣紧。
2. crag :峭壁,山崖。
3. Ringed with the azure world :被蔚蓝的世界所环绕。
:爬行,蠕动。
4. crawls
5. thunderbolt:霹雳

Robert Browning 1812 ( —1889 )


罗伯特·勃朗宁

Biography
Robert Browning was an English poet and playwright whose mastery
of the dramatic monologue made him one of the foremost Victorian poets.
His poems are known for their irony ,characterization,dark humor,
social commentary,historical settings,and challenging vocabulary and
syntax.

Robert Browning was born in 1812 the son of fairly liberal parents
who took an interest in his education and personal growth. He read

voraciously as a youth and began to write poetry while still quite young ,

influenced by Percy Bysshe Shelley whose radicalism urged a rethinking of modern society.

However Brownings earliest works garnered him some negative attention for their expression of
strong sensations and their morbid tone. Thus for a time he set poetry aside to work on plays ,
yet most of the plays did not find success and he turned back again to verse.

In 1846 Browning married the older poet Elizabeth Barrett in secret who at the time was
considerably better known than himself. So started one of historys most famous literary
marriages. They fled to Italy ,a country he called “my university ”,and which featured
frequently in his work.

Browning lived and wrote during a time of major societal and intellectual upheaval and his
poems reflected this world. He responded to the cultural upheavals in the 1840s and 1850s with
poems in which he explored the relationship of morality to art ,and the conflict between

aesthetics and didacticism though he never became moralistic or overly strident. Brownings
, :
genius lay not so much in his choice of subject matter or setting but in his craftsmanship the
fascination of his poetry owes to his strong portrayal of characters and his wealth of detail.

When Browning died in 1889 he was regarded as a sage and philosopherpoet who through
075
his writing had made contributions to Victorian social and political discourse.

Major Works
Collections :
Men and Women
Dramatis Personae
The Ring and the Book
Caliban upon Setebos
Porphyrias Lover
My Last Duchess
Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister
Fra Lippo Lippi

Brownings Style in General


1. Dramatic Monologue verse form producing psychological portraits

2. subtle detailoriented poems
3. strong portrayal of characters
, ,
4. use of multiple voices metaphor analogy
5. Medieval and Renaissance European settings
6. grotesque images and and symbols of evil and violence

Dramatic Monologue

M. H. Abrams A dramatic monologue is a poem with a speaker who is clearly separate
, , ,
from the poet and speaks to an implied audience that while silent remains clearly present in
the scene. (This implied audience distinguishes the dramatic monologue from the soliloquy—a
form also used by Browning—in which the speaker does not address any specific listener,rather
musing aloud to him or herself. )
The dramatic monologue verse form allowed Browning to explore and probe the minds of
specific characters in specific places struggling with specific sets of circumstances. And dramatic
monologues also allow readers to enter into the minds of various characters and to see an event
from that characters perspective.


About My Last Duchess ”

This poem is loosely based on historical events involving Alfonso the Duke of Ferrara ,
who lived in the 16th century. The Duke is the speaker of the poem and he tells us he is
entertaining an emissary who comes to negotiate the Dukes marriage (he has recently been
076
widowed )to the daughter of another powerful family. As he shows the visitor through his
Unit 8 Victorian Poets 维多利亚诗人
, ,
palace he stops before a portrait of the late Duchess apparently a young and lovely girl. The
Duke begins reminiscing about the portrait sessions, then about the Duchess herself. His
musings give way to a diatribe on her disgraceful behavior:he claims she flirted with everyone
and did not appreciate his “gift of a ninehundredyearsold name. ” As his monologue
continues,the reader realizes with evermore chilling certainty that the Duke in fact caused the
Duchesss early demise:when her behavior escalated,“[he]gave commands;/ Then all smiles
stopped together. ” Having made this disclosure,the Duke returns to the business at hand:
arranging for another marriage,with another young girl. As the Duke and the emissary walk on,
leaving the painting behind,the Duke points out other notable artworks in his collection.
In this dramatic monologue poem,the speaker is clearly distinct from the poet;an audience
is suggested but never appears in the poem;and the revelation of the Dukes character is the
poems primary aim. And the speaker gets away with his wifes murder since neither his

audience in the poem )nor his creator judges or criticizes him. Instead,the responsibility of
judging the characters morality is left to readers,who find the duke of Ferrara a vicious,
repugnant person even as he takes us on a tour of his art gallery.

◆◆◆H+ 4%-' I*C"#--◆◆◆


《我已故的公爵夫人》
The General Prologue
Ferrara1

Thats my last Duchess painted on the wall ,墙上的这幅画是我的前公爵夫人,


Looking as if she were alive. I call 看起来就像她活着一样。如今,
That piece a wonder,now:Frá Pandolf s hands 我称它为奇迹:潘道夫师的手笔

Worked busily a day,and there she stands. 经一日忙碌,从此她就在此站立。


Willt please you sit and look at her?I said 你愿坐下看看她吗?我有意提起
“Frá Pandolf”by design ,for never read

潘道夫,因为外来的生客(例如你)
Strangers like you that pictured countenance , 凡是见了画中描绘的面容、
4 5

The depth and passion of its earnest glance, 那真挚的眼神的深邃和热情,


But to myself they turned (since none puts by

没有一个不转向我(因为除我外

The curtain I have drawn for you,but I) 再没有别人把画上的帘幕拉开),


And seemed as they would ask me,if they durst , 似乎想问我可是又不大敢问;

How such a glance came there;so,not the first 是从哪儿来的———这样的眼神?


Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir,twas not9
你并非第一个人回头这样问我。
Her husbands presence only,called that spot 先生,不仅仅是她丈夫的在座
Of joy into the Duchess cheek:perhaps 使公爵夫人面带欢容,可能
Frá Pandolf chanced to say “Her mantle laps
10
潘道夫偶然说过:“夫人的披风 077
Over my ladys wrist too much ,”or Paint 盖住她的手腕太多,”或者说:
“Must never hope to reproduce the faint “隐约的红晕向颈部渐渐隐没,
Half—flush that dies along her throat ”:such stuff 这绝非任何颜料所能复制。”
11

Was courtesy,she thought,and cause enough 这种无聊话,却被她当成好意,


For calling up that spot of joy. She had 也足以唤起她的欢心。她那颗心———
A heart—how shall I say?—too soon made glad, 怎么说好呢?———要取悦容易得很,
Too easily impressed;she liked whateer 也太易感动。她看到什么都喜欢,
She looked on,and her looks went everywhere. 而她的目光又偏爱到处看。
Sir,twas all one!My favor at her breast 先生,她对什么都一样!她胸口上
12

The dropping of the daylight in the West, 佩戴的我的赠品,或落日的余光;


The bough of cherries some officious fool 13
过分殷勤的傻子在园中攀折
Broke in the orchard for her,the white mule 给她的一枝樱桃,或她骑着
She rode with round the terrace —all and each
14
绕行花圃的白骡———所有这一切
Would draw from her alike the approving speech, 都会使她同样地赞羡不绝,
Or blush,at least. She thanked men,
—good!but thanked 或至少泛起红晕。她感激人,好的!
Somehow—I know not how—as if she ranked 但她的感激(我说不上怎么搞的)
My gift of a nine—hundred—years—old name 仿佛把我赐她的九百年的门第
15

With anybodys gift. Whod stoop to blame 与任何人的赠品并列。谁愿意


This sort of trifling? Even had you skill
16
屈尊去谴责这种轻浮举止?即使
In speech—(which I have not)—to make your will 你有口才(我却没有)能把你的意志
Quite clear to such an one ,and say,“Just this
17
给这样的人儿充分说明:“你这点
Or that in you disgusts me;here you miss, 或那点令我讨厌。这儿你差得远,
Or there exceed the mark ”—and if she let
18
而那儿你超越了界限。”即使她肯听
Herself be lessoned so,nor plainly set 你这样训诫她而毫不争论,
Her wits to yours,forsooth,and made excuse , 毫不为自己辩解,———我也觉得
19

—Een then would be some stooping ;and I choose 这会有失身份,所以我选择


20

Never to stoop. Oh sir,she smiled,no doubt, 绝不屈尊。哦,先生,她总是在微笑,


Wheneer I passed her;but who passed without 每逢我走过;但是谁走过得不到
Much the same smile?This grew;I gave commands ;同样慷慨的微笑?发展至此,
21

Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands 我下了令: 于是一切微笑都从此制止。
As if alive. Willt please you rise?Well meet 她站在那儿,像活着一样。请你起身
The company below,then. I repeat, 客人们在楼下等。我再重复一声:
The Count your masters known munificence 你的主人———伯爵先生闻名的大方
Is ample warrant that no just pretence 足以充分保证:我对嫁妆
Of mine for dowry will be disallowed ; 22
提出任何合理要求都不会遭拒绝;
Though his fair daughters self,as I avowed 当然,如我开头声明的,他美貌的小姐
At starting,is my object. Nay,well go 才是我追求的目标。别客气,让咱们
078
Unit 8 维多利亚诗人
Victorian Poets

Together down,sir. Notice Neptune ,though, 一同下楼吧。但请看这海神尼普顿


23

Taming a seahorse,thought a rarity , 24


在驯服海马,这是件珍贵的收藏,
Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me! 是克劳斯为我特制的青铜铸像。
25

Questions for Discussion


1. Why does the duke want to show his guest his art collection ?

2. Why is the Duke dissatisfied with his last Duchess What can you say about the Duchess
personality from the Dukes monologue ?
3. Think about how Browning uses language. What kinds of meter and other poetic forms
? “
does he use Why is his language so often rough and unpoetic ”?
Notes
1. Ferrara :意大利境内一地名,诗中故事的发生地。
2. Frá Pandolf:(= Brother Pandolf)潘道夫教士,诗中虚构的画家名。
3. by design :有意识地
4. never read / Strangers like you :(= strangers like you never read )此句为倒装
句,句中的 read 意思是“理解”。
5. pictured countenance:画中的面容
6. But to myself they turned :他们(strangers like you )(因不理解画像中的表情 )
总要来问我。
7. put by:揭开;拉开。
8. durst:dare 的过去式。
9. twas: = it was。
10. mantle:披风
11. Halfflush that dies along her throat:沿着喉部逐渐消失的淡淡的红晕,即前文
spot of joy。
12. My favor at her breast:我送给她(以示我对她宠爱)的挂在胸前的装饰品。
13. officious:爱多事的;过分殷勤的。
14. terrace:平台
15. My gift of a ninehundredyearsold name:我送给她的有 900 年历史显赫家族
的公爵夫人头衔之礼。
16. Whod stoop to blame / This sort of trifling ?:谁会屈尊去跟她计较这类小事呢?
17. such an one:指已去世的公爵夫人
18. Here you miss / or there exceed the mark:这儿你做得不到位,那儿你又做得过
了头。
19. and if she let / Herself be lessoned so ,nor plainly set / Her wits to yours,
forsooth ,and made excuse:即使她听你教训,她也不会公然反驳你,或找借口。
079
:即使如此,那还是有点屈尊。
20. Een then would be some stooping
21. This grew;I gave commands:这种情况(公爵夫人把公爵的礼物和别人的礼物
等同对待以及无论是看到公爵还是看到任何人都面带微笑)越来越严重了,于是我下了命
令。这句话暗示,公爵处死了公爵夫人。
22. The Count your masters known munificence / Is ample warrant that no just
pretence / Of mine for dowry will be disallowed :你家伯爵素有慷慨之名,肯定不会拒绝
我对嫁妆的正当要求。
23. Neptune:海神雕像
24. Rarity:稀世珍宝

25. Claus of Innsbruck Innsbruck :地名,在奥地利境内。 Claus:诗中虚构的名雕
塑家。

080
Thomas Hardy 1840 ( —1928)
Unit 9 托马斯 · 哈代

Biography

Thomas Hardy was born in Dorset a southern country of England ,
which was called Wessex in his novels ), a son of a prosperous
stonemason builder. He began to learn architecture in 1856 and went to

London in 1862 continuing his architectural training. He returned home
and began to write fiction in 1867 and became a fulltime writer from
1872. He spent nearly a dozen years toiling in obscurity and producing

unsuccessful novels and poetry. Far from the Madding Crowd published

in 1874 was the authors first critical and financial success. Finally able
to support himself as a writer,Hardy married Emma Lavinia Gifford later that year. His wifes
death in 1912 caused him to produce many moving poems about her. In 1914 he got married
again. He died in 1928. He was buried in the Poets Corner in Westminster Abbey.
Hardy cannot solely be labeled a Victorian novelist. Nor can he be categorized simply as a

Modernist in the tradition of writers like Virginia Woolf or D. H. Lawrence ,who were
determined to explode the conventions of 19thcentury literature and build a new kind of novel in

its place. In many respects Hardy was trapped in the middle ground between the nineteenth and
twentieth centuries , between Victorian sensibilities and more modern ones , and between
tradition and innovation.
Hardy lived and wrote in a time of difficult social change when England was making its
, ,
slow and painful transition from an oldfashioned agricultural nation to a modern industrial
, “
one. Businessmen and entrepreneurs or new money ,”joined the ranks of the social elite,as
some families of the ancient aristocracy,or “old money,”faded into obscurity. Tesss family in
Tess of the DUrbervilles illustrates this change.
In Tess of the DUrbervilles and Jude the Obscure (1895 ),Hardy demonstrates his deep

sense of moral sympathy for Englands lower classes particularly for rural women. He became

famous for his compassionate often controversial portrayal of young women victimized by the
selfrighteous rigidity of English social morality. Both novels engendered widespread public
scandal with their comparatively frank look at the sexual hypocrisy of English society.
While Hardy wrote poetry throughout his life and regarded himself primarily as a poet his, 081
, ,
first collection was not published until 1898. Hardys poetry though prolific was not as well
received during his lifetime. It was rediscovered in the 1950s ,when Hardys poetry had a
significant influence on the Movement poets of the 1950s and 1960s,including Philip Larkin.

Major Works
? Novels of character and environment
( ,
The Poor Man and the Lady 1867 unpublished and lost )
Under the Greenwood Tree:A Rural Painting of the Dutch School (1872 )
Far from the Madding Crowd (1874 )
The Return of the Native (1878 )
The Mayor of Casterbridge:The Life and Death of a Man of Character (1886 )
The Woodlanders (1887 )
Tess of the DUrbervilles:A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented (1891 )
Jude the Obscure (1895 )
? collections of short stories:
Wessex Tales (1888 )
Lifes Little Ironies (1894 )
? Romances and fantasies:
A Pair of Blue Eyes:A Novel (1873 )
The TrumpetMajor (1880 )
Two on a Tower:A Romance (1882 )
The WellBeloved :A Sketch of a Temperament (1897 )
? a collection of short stories:
A Group of Noble Dames (1891 )
? Novels of ingenuity

Desperate Remedies A Novel 1871 ( )

The Hand of Ethelberta A Comedy in Chapters 1876 ( )

A Laodicean A Story of Today 1881 ( )
? Poetry collections
( )
Poems of the Past and the Present 1901
Times Laughingstocks and Other Verses (1909 )
Satires of Circumstance (1914 )
Moments of Vision (1917 )
Collected Poems (1919 )

Hardys Style in General


1. fatalism
082
Unit 9 ( —1928) 托马斯·哈代
Thomas Hardy 1840

2. an apparent nostalgic touch


3. visualizing techniques and natural settings

4. use of simple everyday language
5. use of symbols and images

Synopsis of Tess of the DUrbervilles


—The Maiden,Maiden No More,The Rally (康
The novel is divided into seven phases
复),The Consequence,The Woman Pays,The Convert and Fulfillment. Tess Durbeyfield is
the eldest daughter of a poor family of seven children. Her father is a small artisan who has TB.
It is very difficult for him to feed the big family. Then he happens to learn that he is a
descendant of the ancient and knightly family of the DUrbervilles. And much more to his

delight there lives a rich lady bearing the name of DUrberville. Regarding it as a guarantee of

gaining a rise from their poverty he and his wife send Tess to claim relations. Tess is employed
, , ,
as a housemaid but she is soon seduced by the son Alec. She gives birth to a child that dies

in infancy. Some time later she works as a dairymaid on a farm. There she meets Angel Clare ,
, ,
son of a clergyman and becomes engaged to him. On their wedding night Tess tells Angel
, ,
about her affair with Alec. Upon learning this Angel abandons her although he himself is a
sinner. But misfortune never comes singly. Her father dies when she is working on another farm

as a laborer. All her appeals to Angel for help are in vain. At her wits end she is compelled to

accept protection from Alec now a preacher and agrees to live with him. But as luck would
have it,her lawful husband,repentant Angel,comes back to her from Brazil. Grieved by the
second wrong Alec has done her,putting all the blames of her unhappiness on Alec and out of
her true love for Angel,Tess kills Alec to liberate herself. After spending a brief period of time
with her husband,Tess is arrested and hanged after trial.

Main Characters

Tess Durbeyfield  a beautiful loyal young woman living with her impoverished family in

the village of Marlott has a keen sense of responsibility and is committed to doing the best she

can for her family although her inexperience and lack of wise parenting leave her extremely
vulnerable. Her life is complicated when her father discovers a link to the noble line of the
DUrbervilles, and, as a result, Tess is sent to work at the DUrberville mansion.
Unfortunately,her ideals cannot prevent her from sliding further and further into misfortune after
she becomes pregnant by Alec DUrberville. The terrible irony is that Tess and her family are
: ,
not really related to this branch of the DUrbervilles at all Alecs father a merchant named

Simon Stokes simply assumed the name after he retired.
Angel Clare —an intelligent young man,has decided to become a farmer to preserve his
intellectual freedom from the pressures of city life. Angels father and his two brothers are
083

respected clergymen but Angels religious doubts have kept him from joining the ministry. He
meets Tess when she is a milkmaid at the Talbothays Dairy and quickly falls in love with her.
Alec DUrberville  the handsome ,amoral son of a wealthy merchant named Simon

Stokes is not really a DUrberville —his father simply took on the name of the ancient noble
family after he built his mansion and retired. Alec is a manipulative,sinister young man who
does everything he can to seduce the inexperienced Tess when she comes to work for his family.
, ,
When he finally has his way with her out in the woods he subsequently tries to help her but is
unable to make her love him.

◆◆◆!#-- 16 '"# IJ()#(;5,,#-◆◆◆


Chapter LVIII

The night was strangely solemn and still. In the small hours1 she whispered to him the

whole story of how he had walked in his sleep with her in his arms across the Froom stream at

the imminent risk of both their lives and laid her down in the stone coffin at the ruined abbey.
He had never known of that till now.
“Why didnt you tell me next day ?” he said. “It might have prevented much
misunderstanding and woe. ”
“Dont think of whats past!”said she. “I am not going to think outside of now. Why
should we!Who knows what tomorrow has in store? ”
But it apparently had no sorrow. The morning was wet and foggy,and Clare,rightly
informed that the caretaker only opened the windows on fine days,ventured to creep out of their
chamber,and explore the house,leaving Tess asleep. There was no food on the premises,but
there was water,and he took advantage of the fog to emerge from the mansion,and fetch tea,
bread,and butter from a shop in a little place two miles beyond,as also a small tin kettle and
spiritlamp,that they might get fire without smoke. His reentry awoke her; and they
breakfasted on what he had brought.

They were indisposed to stir abroad2, and the day passed and the night following and ,
, ; , ,
the next and next till almost without their being aware five days had slipped by in absolute
seclusion,not a sight or sound of a human being disturbing their peacefulness,such as it was.
The changes of the weather were their only events,the birds of the New Forest their only
company. By tacit consent they hardly once spoke of any incident of the past subsequent to their

weddingday. The gloomy intervening time seemed to sink into chaos over which the present
and prior times closed as if it never had been. Whenever he suggested that they should leave
their shelter , and go forwards towards Southampton or London , she showed a strange
“Why should we put an end to all thats sweet and lovely!” she
unwillingness to move.

084 deprecated . “What must come will come. ”And,looking through the shutterchink:“All is

Unit 9 ( —1928) 托马斯·哈代
Thomas Hardy 1840


trouble outside there inside here content.”
He peeped out also. It was quite true;within was affection,union,error forgiven:outside
was the inexorable4 .
“And—and,”she said,pressing her cheek against his,“I fear that what you think of me
now may not last. I do not wish to outlive your present feeling for me. I would rather not. I

would rather be dead and buried when the time comes for you to despise me so that it may
never be known to me that you despised me. ”
“I cannot ever despise you. ”
“I also hope that. But considering what my life had been I cannot see why any man
should ,sooner or later,be able to help despising me 爥 How wickedly mad I was!Yet formerly
I never could bear to hurt a fly or a worm,and the sight of a bird in a cage used often to make
me cry. ”
They remained yet another day. In the night the dull sky cleared,and the result was that
the old caretaker at the cottage awoke early. The brilliant sunrise made her unusually brisk;she
decided to open the contiguous mansion immediately,and to air it thoroughly on such a day.
Thus it occurred that,having arrived and opened the lower rooms before six oclock,she
ascended to the bedchambers,and was about to turn the handle of the one wherein they lay.
At that moment she fancied she could hear the breathing of persons within. Her slippers and

her antiquity had rendered her progress a noiseless one so far and she made for instant retreat ;
, ,
then deeming that her hearing might have deceived her she turned anew to the door and softly

tried the handle. The lock was out of order but a piece of furniture had been moved forward on
,which prevented her opening the door more than an inch or two. A stream of
the inside
morning light through the shutterchink fell upon the faces of the pair,wrapped in profound
slumber,Tesss lips being parted like a halfopened flower near his cheek.
The caretaker was so struck with their innocent appearance,and with the elegance of Tesss
gown hanging across a chair,her silk stockings beside it,the pretty parasol,and the other habits
in which she had arrived because she had none else,that her first indignation at the effrontery of
tramps and vagabonds gave way to a momentary sentimentality over this genteel elopement,as it
seemed. She closed the door,and withdrew as softly as she had come,to go and consult with
her neighbors on the odd discovery.

Not more than a minute had elapsed after her withdrawal when Tess woke and then Clare.
, ;
Both had a sense that something had disturbed them though they could not say what and the
uneasy feeling which it engendered grew stronger. As soon as he was dressed he narrowly
scanned the lawn through the two or three inches of shutterchink.
“I think we will leave at once,”said he. “It is a fine day. And I cannot help fancying
somebody is about the house. At any rate,the woman will be sure to come today. ”
She passively assented,arose,clothed herself and putting the room in order they took up
085

the few articles that belonged to them and departed noiselessly. When they had got into the
“Ah,happy house—goodbye!”she said.
Forest she turned to take a last look at the house.
“My life can only be a question of a few weeks. Why should we not have stayed there?”
“Dont say it,Tess!We shall soon get out of this district altogether. Well continue our
course as weve begun it,and keep straight north. Nobody will think of looking for us there.
We shall be looked for at the Wessex ports if we are sought at all. When we are in the north we
will get to a port and away. ”

Having thus persuaded her the plan was pursued and they kept a bee line5 northward.

Their long repose at the manorhouse lent them walking power now and towards midday they
found that they were approaching the steepled city of Melchester ,which lay directly in their

way. He decided to rest her in a clump of trees during the afternoon,and push onward under
cover of darkness. At dusk Clare purchased food as usual,and their night march began,the
boundary between Upper and MidWessex being crossed about eight oclock.

To walk across country without much regard to roads was not new to Tess and she showed
her old agility in the performance. The intercepting city,ancient Melchester,they were obliged
to pass through in order to take advantage of the town bridge for crossing a large river that
obstructed them. It was about midnight when they went along the deserted streets ,lighted

fitfully by the few lamps keeping off the pavement that it might not echo their footsteps. The

graceful pile of cathedral architecture rose dimly on their left hand but it was lost upon them
now. Once out of the town they followed the turnpikeroad 7
,which after a few miles plunged
across an open plain.
Though the sky was dense with cloud a diffused light from some fragment of a moon had

hitherto helped them a little. But the moon had now sunk the clouds seemed to settle almost on

their heads and the night grew as dark as a cave. However ,they found their way along,
keeping as much on the turf as possible that their tread might not resound,which it was easy to
do,there being no hedge or fence of any kind. All around was open loneliness and black
solitude,over which a stiff breeze blew.
They had proceeded thus gropingly two or three miles further when on a sudden Clare

became conscious of some vast erection close in his front rising sheer from the grass. They had
almost struck themselves against it.
“What monstrous place is this?”said Angel.
“It hums,”said she. “Hearken!”
He listened. The wind,playing upon the edifice,produced a booming tune,like the note
of some gigantic onestringed harp. No other sound came from it,and lifting his hand and
advancing a step or two,Clare felt the vertical surface of the structure. It seemed to be of solid
stone,without joint or moulding. Carrying his fingers onward he found that what he had come
in contact with was a colossal rectangular pillar;by stretching out his left hand he could feel a
086
Unit 9 Thomas Hardy 1840 ( —1928) 托马斯·哈代
similar one adjoining. At an indefinite height overhead something made the black sky blacker ,

which had the semblance of a vast architrave uniting the pillars horizontally. They carefully
; ;
entered beneath and between the surfaces echoed their soft rustle but they seemed to be still

out of doors. The place was roofless. Tess drew her breath fearfully and Angel perplexed , ,

said What can it be ?”

Feeling sideways they encountered another towerlike pillar square and uncompromising as
; ,
the first beyond it another and another. The place was all doors and pillars some connected
above by continuous architraves.
“A very Temple of the Winds ,”he said.

The next pillar was isolated;others composed a trilithon ;others were prostrate,their
10

flanks forming a causeway wide enough for a carriage and it was soon obvious that they made up
a forest of monoliths11 grouped upon the grassy expanse of the plain. The couple advanced
further into this pavilion of the night till they stood in its midst.
“It is Stonehenge !”said Clare.
12

“The heathen temple,you mean?”


“Yes. Older than the centuries;older than the DUrbervilles!Well,what shall we do,
darling?We may find shelter further on. ”
But Tess,really tired by this time,flung herself upon an oblong slab that lay close at hand,
and was sheltered from the wind by a pillar. Owing to the action of the sun during the preceding

day the stone was warm and dry in comforting contrast to the rough and chill grass around ,
which had damped her skirts and shoes. “I dont want to go any further,Angel, ”she said,
stretching out her hand for his. “Cant we bide here? 13

“I fear not. This spot is visible for miles by day,although it does not seem so now. ”
“One of my mothers people was a shepherd hereabouts,now I think of it. And you used
to say at Talbothays that I was a heathen. So now I am at home. ”
He knelt down beside her outstretched form,and put his lips upon hers. “Sleepy are you,
dear?I think you are lying on an altar. ”
“I like very much to be here,”she murmured. “It is so solemn and lonely—after my great
happiness—with nothing but the sky above my face. it seems as if there were no folk in the
world but we two;and I wish there were not—except LizaLu. ”
Clare thought she might as well rest here till it should get a little lighter,and he flung his
overcoat upon her,and sat down by her side.
“Angel,if anything happens to me,will you watch over LizaLu for my sake?” she
asked,when they had listened a long time to the wind among the pillars.
“I will. ”
“She is so good and simple and pure爥 O,Angel—I wish you would marry her,if you
lose me,as you will do shortly. O,if you would! ” 087
“If I lose you I lose all!爥 And she is my sisterinlaw . ” 14

“Thats nothing,dearest. People marry sisterinlaws continually about Marlott. And Liza
Lu is so gentle and sweet,and she is growing so beautiful. O I could share you with her
willingly when we are spirits!If you would train her and teach her,Angel,and bring her up for
your own self!爥 She had all the best of me without the bad of me;and if she were to become
yours it would almost seem as if death had not divided us 爥 Well—I have said it. I wont
mention it again. ”
She ceased,and he fell into thought. In the far northeast sky he could see between the
pillars a level streak of light. The uniform concavity15 of black cloud was lifting bodily like the
, ,
lid of a pot letting in at the earths edge the coming day against which the towering monoliths
and trilithons began to be blackly defined.
“Did they sacrifice to God here?”asked she.
“No,”said he.
“Who to?”
“I believe to the sun. That lofty stone set away by itself is in the direction of the sun,
which will presently rise behind it. ”
“This reminds me,dear,”she said. “You remember you never would interfere with any
belief of mine before we were married?But I knew your mind all the same,and I thought as
you thought—not from any reasons of my own,but because you thought so. Tell me now,
Angel,do you think we shall meet again after we are dead?I want to know. ”
He kissed her to avoid a reply at such a time.
“O Angel—I fear that means no!”said she,with a suppressed sob. “And I wanted so to
see you again—so much,so much!What—not even you and I,Angel,who love each other so
well? ”
Like a greater than himself,to the critical question at the critical time he did not
answer ;and they were again silent. In a minute or two her breathing became more regular,
16

her clasp of his hand relaxed,and she fell asleep. The band of silver paleness along the east
horizon made even the distant parts of the Great Plain appear dark and near;and the whole
enormous landscape bore that impress of reserve,taciturnity ,and hesitation which is usual
17

just before day. The eastward pillars and their architraves stood up blackly against the light,and
the great flameshaped Sunstone beyond them;and the Stone of Sacrifice midway. Presently
the night wind died out,and the quivering little pools in the cuplike hollows of the stones lay
still. At the same time something seemed to move on the verge of the dip eastward—a mere
dot. It was the head of a man approaching them from the hollow beyond the Sunstone. Clare

wished they had gone onward but in the circumstances decided to remain quiet. The figure
came straight towards the circle of pillars in which they were.

088
, ,
He heard something behind him the brush of feet. Turning he saw over the prostrate
Unit 9 ( —1928) 托马斯·哈代
Thomas Hardy 1840

; ,
columns another figure then before he was aware another was at hand on the right under a ,

trilithon and another on the left. The dawn shone full on the front of the man westward and ,

Clare could discern from this that he was tall and walked as if trained. They all closed in with
! ,
evident purpose. Her story then was true Springing to his feet he looked around for a weapon ,
, ,
loose stone means of escape anything. By this time the nearest man was upon him.
“It is no use,sir,”he said. “There are sixteen of us on the Plain,and the whole country
is reared. ”
“Let her finish her sleep!”he implored in a whisper of the men as they gathered round.
When they saw where she lay, which they had not done till then, they showed no
objection,and stood watching her,as still as the pillars around. He went to the stone and bent
over her,holding one poor little hand;her breathing now was quick and small,like that of a
lesser creature than a woman . All waited in the growing light,their faces and hands as if
18

they were silvered,the remainder of their figures dark,the stones glistening greengray,the
Plain still a mass of shade. Soon the light was strong,and a ray shone upon her unconscious
form,peering under her eyelids and waking her.
“What is it,Angel?”she said,starting up. “Have they come for me?”
“Yes,dearest,”he said. “They have come. ”
“It is as it should be,” she murmured. “Angel,I am almost glad—yes,glad!This
happiness could not have lasted. It was too much. I have had enough;and now I shall not live
for you to despise me! ”
She stood up,shook herself,and went forward,neither of the men having moved. “I am
ready, ”she said quietly.
Chapter LIX

The city of Wintoncester —that fine old city,aforetime 19


capital of Wessex —lay amidst its
20
convex and concave downlands in all the brightness and warmth of a July morning. The
, ,
gabled brick tile and freestone houses had almost dried off for the season their integument of
lichen,the streams in the meadows were low,and in the sloping High Street,from the West
21

Gateway to the mediaeval cross,and from the mediaeval cross to the bridge,that leisurely
dusting and sweeping was in progress which usually ushers in an oldfashioned marketday.

From the western gate aforesaid the highway as every Wintoncestrian knows ascends a ,

long and regular incline of the exact length of a measured mile leaving the houses gradually
behind. Up this road from the precincts of the city two persons were walking rapidly as if ,
unconscious of the trying ascent —unconscious through preoccupation and not through buoyancy.
They had emerged upon this road through a narrow barred wicket in a high wall a little lower

down. They seemed anxious to get out of the sight of the houses and of their kind and this road
089
appeared to offer the quickest means of doing so. Though they were young they walked with

bowed heads which gait of grief the suns rays smiled on pitilessly.
One of the pair was Angel Clare ,the other a tall budding creature—half girl, half
woman—a spiritualized image of Tess,slighter than she,but with the same beautiful eyes—
Clares sisterinlaw,LizaLu. Their pale faces seemed to have shrunk to half their natural size.
They moved on hand in hand,and never spoke a word,the drooping of their heads being that of
Giottos Two Apostles22 .
When they had nearly reached the top of the great West Hill the clocks in the town struck
, , ,
eight. Each gave a start at the notes and walking onward yet a few steps they reached the
, ,
first milestone standing whitely on the green margin of the grass and backed by the down ,
which here was open to the road. They entered upon the turf,and,impelled by a force that
seemed to overrule their will,suddenly stood still,turned,and waited in paralyzed suspense
beside the stone.
The prospect from this summit was almost unlimited. In the valley beneath lay the city they

had just left its more prominent buildings showing as in an isometric23 drawing —among them
the broad cathedral tower,with its Norman windows and immense length of aisle and nave,the
spires of St Thomass,the pinnacled tower of the College,and,more to the right,the tower
and gables of the ancient hospice ,where to this day the pilgrim may receive his dole of bread
24

and ale. Behind the city swept the rotund upland of St Catherines Hill;further off,landscape
beyond landscape,till the horizon was lost in the radiance of the sun hanging above it.
Against these far stretches of country rose,in front of the other city edifices,a large red
brick building,with level gray roofs,and rows of short barred windows bespeaking captivity,
the whole contrasting greatly by its formalism with the quaint irregularities of the Gothic
erections. It was somewhat disguised from the road in passing it by yews and evergreen oaks ,
but it was visible enough up here. The wicket from which the pair had lately emerged was in the
wall of this structure. From the middle of the building an ugly flattopped octagonal tower25
, ,
ascended against the east horizon and viewed from this spot on its shady side and against the
, ,
light it seemed the one blot on the citys beauty. Yet it was with this blot and not with the
beauty,that the two gazers were concerned.
Upon the cornice26 of the tower a tall staff was fixed. Their eyes were riveted on it27 . A

few minutes after the hour had struck something moved slowly up the staff and extended itself
upon the breeze. It was a black flag.
“Justice”was done,and the President of the Immortals ,in Aeschylean phrase ,had
28 29

ended his sport with Tess. And the DUrberville knights and dames slept on in their tombs

unknowing. The two speechless gazers bent themselves down to the earth as if in prayer and ,
, :
remained thus a long time absolutely motionless the flag continued to wave silently. As soon
as they had strength they arose,joined hands again,and went on.
090
Unit 9 Thomas Hardy 1840( —1928) 托马斯·哈代
Questions for Discussion
? ?
1. How does Tess react to Clares suggestion that they should leave their shelter Why
2. What is the significance of Tess resting on an altar in the heathen temple ?
3. Comment on this sentence :“‘Justice ’was done,and the President of the Immortals
had ended his sport with Tess”. In what sense is Tess story tragic?

Notes
1. small hours :凌晨一两点钟
2. They were indisposed to stir abroad :他们都不想外出。
3. deprecate:反对
4. inexorable:冷酷无情的
5. bee line:直线
6. the steepled city of Melchester :尖塔之城梅尔切斯特
:收税路
7. turnpikeroad
8. architrave:柱顶过梁
9. Temple of the Winds :风神庙
10. trilithon :三根相连的巨石柱
11. monoliths:独块巨石
12. Stonehenge:巨石阵
13. bide:停留
14. she is my sisterinlaw:英国国会及法律禁止与已故妻子的妹妹结婚。 该法律于
1906 年废止。
15. concavity:凹陷处
16. Like a greater than himself,to the critical question at the critical time he did
not answer:据《新约·约翰福音》记载,当耶稣被带到控告他的祭司长和长老们面前时,他
拒绝回答他们的任何问题。
17. taciturnity:沉默寡言
18. a lesser creature than a woman :不是妇女,而是小姑娘。
19. aforetime:从前
20. convex and concave downlands:起伏不平的丘陵地
21. integument of lichen :覆盖在外面的地衣
22. Giottos Two Apostles:昭托的作品《二门徒》。Giotto :昭托(1267 —1337 ),意大
利画家。
23. isometric:等角的
24. hospice:宗教团体办的旅客招待所
25. octagonal:八角形的
091
26. cornice :飞檐
:他俩的眼睛死死地盯着它。
27. Their eyes were riveted on it
28. President of the Immortals:众神之首,即宙斯(Zeus)。
29. in Aeschylean phrase:用埃斯库罗斯的话说。 Aeschylus:埃斯库罗斯 (525 —
456 BC),古希腊三大悲剧作家之一,另两位为索福克勒斯 (Sophocles )和欧里庇得斯
(Euripides)。埃斯库罗斯有“悲剧之父”、“有强烈倾向的诗人”的美誉,代表作有《被缚的
普罗米修斯》(Prometheus Bound)、《阿伽门农》(Agamemnon)、《善好者》(或称《复仇
女神》Nemesis)等。

092
George Bernard Shaw 1856 ( —1950)
Unit 10 乔治 · 萧伯纳

Biography
, ,
George Bernard Shaw an Irish playwright critic and polemicist
(辩 论 家 ) whose influence on Western theatre,culture and politics
extended from the 1880s to his death and beyond,was born in Dublin,
Ireland. At 16 ,he was on his own,and in 1876 he moved to London.
Later he joined the Fabian Society and became its most prominent
pamphleteer. By the mid1880s he had become a respected theatre and

music critic. Influenced by Henrik Ibsen he sought to introduce a new realism into English
, ,
language drama using his plays as vehicles to disseminate his political social and religious

ideas. He rejected the idea of art for arts sake and insisted that all great art must be didactic.
, ,
Politically he opposed violence but affirmed gradual social reform. He wrote more than 60
plays. With a range incorporating both contemporary satire and historical allegory , Shaw

became the leading dramatist of his generation and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in
1925.

Major Works
( )
Arms and the Man 1894
Mrs Warrens Profession (1898 )
Man and Superman (1903 )
John Bulls Other Island (1904 )
Major Barbara (1905 )
Pygmalion (1913 )
Saint Joan (1924 )
The Apple Cart (1929 )

Shaws Style in General


, ,
1. amusing language full of witty humorous remarks and epigrams

2. clarity expressing ideas clearly in plain words )

3. emphasis achieving emphasis simply by repetition ) 093
( ,
4. use of satire His satires range widely over such subjects as heroism in war physicians
, , , ,
and their power over life and death religion the battle of the sexes education and heaven and
hell. )
( ,
5. use of discussion He introduces a subject for discussion then another subject a little
later. Soon the various subjects are woven together into a discussion which intellectually interests
and artistically pleases the readers as his sentences often run with rhythmical ease. )
Synopsis of Pygmalion
Of all of Shaws plays ,Pygmalion is without doubt the most beloved and popularly

received if not the most significant in literary terms. Several film versions have been made of
the play,and it has even been adapted into a musical. ,
In fact writing the screenplay for the
film version of 1938 helped Shaw to become the first and only man ever to win the much

coveted Double the Nobel Prize in literature and an Academy Award. Shaw wrote the part of

Eliza in Pygmalion for the famous actress Mrs. Patrick Campbell with whom Shaw was having
a prominent affair at the time that had set all of London abuzz. The aborted romance between

Professor Higgins and Eliza Doolittle reflects Shaws own love life which was always peppered
with enamored and beautiful women ,with whom he flirted outrageously but with whom he
almost never had any further relations.
Professor of phonetics Henry Higgins makes a bet that he can train a sloppy Cockney flower
, ,
girl Eliza Doolittle to pass for a duchess at an ambassadors garden party by teaching her to
, , ,
assume a veneer of gentility the most important element of which he believes is impeccable
speech. The play is a sharp satire of the rigid British class system of the day and a commentary

on womens independence. In ancient Greek mythology Pygmalion fell in love with one of his

sculptures which then came to life.

Major Characters
Professor Henry Higgins —is a professor of phonetics who plays Pygmalion to Eliza
Doolittles Galatea. He is the author of Higgins Universal Alphabet,believes in concepts like
visible speech,and uses all manner of recording and photographic material to document his
phonetic subjects,reducing people and their dialects into what he sees as readily understandable
units. He is an unconventional man,who goes in the opposite direction from the rest of society
in most matters. Indeed,he is impatient with high society,forgetful in his public graces,and
poorly considerate of normal social niceties—the only reason the world has not turned against
him is because he is at heart a good and harmless man. His biggest fault is that he can be a
bully.
Eliza Doolittle —“She is not at all a romantic figure. ”So is she introduced in Act I.
Everything about Eliza Doolittle seems to defy any conventional notions we might have about the
094
Unit 10 George Bernard Shaw 1856 ( —1950) 乔治·萧伯纳

romantic heroine. When she is transformed from a sassy smartmouthed kerbstone flower girl
, ( ) ,
with deplorable English to a still sassy regal figure fit to consort with nobility it has less to
do with her innate qualities as a heroine than with the fairytale aspect of the transformation myth
itself. In other words ,the character of Eliza Doolittle comes across as being much more
instrumental than fundamental. The real (re)making of Eliza Doolittle happens after the
ambassadors party,when she decides to make a statement for her own dignity against Higgins
insensitive treatment. This is when she becomes,not a duchess,but an independent woman;
and this explains why Higgins begins to see Eliza not as a mill around his neck but as a creature
worthy of his admiration.
Colonel Pickering —the author of Spoken Sanskrit,is a match for Higgins (although
somewhat less obsessive)in his passion for phonetics. But where Higgins is a boorish,careless
bully,Pickering is always considerate and a genuinely gentleman. He says little of note in the
play,and appears most of all to be a civilized foil to Higgins barefoot,absentminded crazy
professor. He helps in the Eliza Doolittle experiment by making a wager of it,saying he will
cover the costs of the experiment if Higgins does indeed make a convincing duchess of her.
, ,
However while Higgins only manages to teach Eliza pronunciations it is Pickerings thoughtful
treatment towards Eliza that teaches her to respect herself.
Alfred Doolittle —is a scoundrel who is willing to sell his daughter to make a few pounds,
but he is one of the few unaffected characters in the play,unmasked by appearance or language.
Mrs. Higgins—Professor Higgins mother,is a stately lady in her sixties who sees the
Eliza Doolittle experiment as idiocy,and Higgins and Pickering as senseless children. She is the
first and only character to have any qualms about the whole affair. When her worries prove true,
it is to her that all the characters turn. Because no woman can match up to his mother,Higgins
claims,he has no interest in dallying with them. To observe the mother of Pygmalion
(Higgins),who completely understands all of his failings and inadequacies,is a good contrast
to the mythic proportions to which Higgins builds himself in his selfestimations as a scientist of
phonetics and a creator of duchesses.

◆◆◆A+8/%,51&2 ◆◆◆

Act Ⅲ Excerpts )
Whiskers : , [
Maestro2 maestro he embraces Higgins and kisses him on both cheeks . You ]
remember me ?

Higgins , ?
No I dont. Who the devil are you
Whiskers: I am your pupil: you first pupil, your best and greatest pupil. I am little
Nepommuck,the marvellous boy. I have made your name famous throughout
Europe. You teach me phonetics. You cannot forget ME. 095
Higgins : Why dont you shave ?
: , ,
Nepommuck I have not your imposing appearance your chin your brow. Nobody notices me

when I shave. Now I am famous they call me Hairy Faced Dick.
Higgins : And what are you doing here among all these swells3 ?

Nepommuck I am interpreter. I speak 32 languages. I am indispensable at these international
parties. You are great cockney4 specialist. You place a man anywhere in London
the moment he opens his mouth. I place any man in Europe.
[A footman hurries down the grand staircase and comes to Nepommuck. ]
Footman : You are wanted upstairs. Her Excellency cannot understand the Greek gentleman.
Nepommuck :[To Higgins ]This Greek diplomatist pretends he cannot speak nor understand
English. He cannot deceive me. He is the son of a Clerkenwell watchmaker. He
speaks English so villainously that he dare not utter a word of it without betraying

his origin. I help him to pretend but I make him pay through the nose5 . I make
![He hurries upstairs].
them all pay. Ha Ha
Pickering: Is this fellow really an expert?Can he find out Eliza and blackmail her?
Higgins: We shall see. If he finds her out I lose my bet.
[Eliza comes from the cloakroom and joins them. ]
Pickering: Well Eliza,now for it. Are you ready?
Liza: Are you nervous,Colonel?
Pickering: Frightfully,I feel exactly as I felt before my first battle. Its the first time that
frightens.
Liza : ,
It is not the first time for me Colonel. I have done this fifty times —hundreds of
times —in my little piggery 6
in Angel Court in my daydreams. I am in a dream

now. Promise me not to let Professor Higgins wake me for if he does I shall

forget everything and talk as I used to in Drury Lane .
Pickering : ,
Not a word Higgins. [To Eliza]Now ready?
Liza : Ready.
Pickering : Go.
[They mount the stairs,Higgins last. Pickering whispers to the footman on the
first landing. ]
First landing
footman : , ,
Miss Doolittle Colonel Pickering Professor Higgins.
Second landing
footman : , ,
Miss Doolittle Colonel Pickering Professor Higgins.
[At the top of the staircase the Ambassador and his wife,with Nepommuck at her
elbow,are receiving. ]
Hostess: [taking Elizas hand]How dye do?
096
Unit 10 ( —1950) 乔治·萧伯纳
George Bernard Shaw 1856

Host: [same play]How dye do?How dye do,Pickering?


Liza: [with a beautiful gravity that awes her hostess]How do you do?
[She passes on to the drawing room].
Hostess: Is that your adopted daughter,Colonel Pickering?She will make a sensation.
Pickering: Most kind of you to invite her for me.
[He passes on].
Hostess: [to Nepommuck]Find out all about her.
Nepommuck:[bowing]Excellency—[he goes into the crowd].
Host: How dye do,Higgins?You have a rival tonight. He introduced himself as your
pupil. Is he any good?
Higgins: He can learn a language in a fortnight—knows dozens of them. A sure mark of a
fool. As a phonetician,no good whatever.
Hostess: How dye do,Professor?
Higgins: How do you do?Fearful bore for you this sort of thing. Forgive my part in it.
[He passes on].
[In the drawing room and its suite of salons the reception is in full swing. Eliza
passes through. She is so intent on her ordeal that she walks like a somnambulist8
in a desert instead of a débutante9 in a fashionable crowd. They stop talking to
look at her ,admiring her dress,her jewels,and her strangely attractive self.
Some of the younger ones at the back stand on their chairs to see.
The Host and Hostess come in from the staircase and mingle with their guests.
, ,
Higgins gloomy and contemptuous of the whole business comes into the group
where they are chatting. ]
Hostess : , ;
Ah there is Professor Higgins he will tell us. Tell us all about the wonderful

young lady Professor.
Higgins: [almost morosely]What wonderful young lady?
Hostess: You know very well. They tell me there has been nothing like her in London
since people stood on their chairs to look at Mrs. Langtry10 .
[Nepommuck joins the group,full of news. ]
Hostess: Ah,here you are at last,Nepommuck. Have you found out all about the Doolittle
lady?
Nepommuck:I have found out all about her. She is a fraud.
Hostess: A fraud!Oh,no.
Nepommuck:YES, yes. She cannot deceive me. Her name cannot be Doolittle.
Higgins: Why?
Nepommuck:Because Doolittle is an English name. And she is not English.
Hostess: Oh,nonsense!She speaks English perfectly.
097

Nepommuck Too perfectly. Can you show me any English woman who speaks English as it

should be spoken Only foreigners who have been taught to speak it speak it well.
Hostess : Certainly she terrified me by the way she said How dye do. I had a

schoolmistress who talked like that and I was mortally afraid of her. But if she
is not English what is she ?

Nepommuck Hungarian.
All the rest: Hungarian!
Nepommuck:Hungarian. And of royal blood. I am Hungarian. My blood is Royal.
Higgins: Did you speak to her in Hungarian?
Nepommuck:I did. She was very clever. She said “Please speak to me in English. I do not
understand French. ”French!She pretends not to know the difference between
Hungarian and French. Impossible:she knows both.
Higgins: And the blood royal?How did you find that out?
Nepommuck:Instinct,maestro,instinct. Only the Magyar races can produce that air of the
11

divine right,those resolute eyes. She is a princess.


Host: What do you say,Professor?
Higgins : 12
I say an ordinary London girl out of the gutter and taught to speak by an expert.
I place her in Drury Lane.
: , ,ha!Oh,maestro,maestro,you are mad on the subject of cockney
Nepommuck Ha ha
dialects. The London gutter is the whole world for you.
Higgins: [to the Hostess]What does your Excellency say?
Hostess: Oh,of course I agree with Nepommuck. She must be a princess at least.
Host: Not necessarily legitimate, of course. Morganatic perhaps. But that
13
is
undoubtedly her class.
Higgins: I stick to my opinion.
Hostess: ,
Oh you are incorrigible14 .
[The group breaks up,leaving Higgins isolated. Pickering joins him. ]
Pickering: Where is Eliza?We must keep an eye on her.
[Eliza joins them. ]
Liza: I dont think I can bear much more. The people all stare so at me. An old lady
has just told me that I speak exactly like Queen Victoria. I am sorry if I have lost
your bet. I have done my best ; but nothing can make me the same as
these people.
Pickering: ,
You have not lost it my dear. You have won it ten times over.
Higgins: Let us get out of this. I have had enough of chattering to these fools.
Pickering: ;
Eliza is tired and I am hungry. Let us clear out and have supper somewhere.

098
Unit 10 George Bernard Shaw 1856( —1950) 乔治·萧伯纳
Questions for Discussion
1. Why does the Greek diplomatist pretend that he cannot speak nor understand English ?
? ?
2. What do people at the party think of Eliza Why do they stare at her so intently
3. The scene shows that Eliza,the flower girl,now is admired by people for her way of
speaking. What do you think of this?Do you believe that learning a language can change a
person?

Notes
1. Pygmalion:皮格马利翁是希腊传说中塞浦路斯岛 (Cyprus)上的国王,善于雕塑,
后来爱上自己所雕的一座少女像。在他的乞求下,爱神赋予了雕像生命,皮格马利翁与少女
结为夫妻。
2. Maestro :(意大利语)艺术大师
3. swell:时髦人物,头面人物。
4. cockney:伦敦方言
5. pay through the nose:出特别高的价钱。
6. piggery:猪舍,猪舍似的地方。
7. Drury Lane:特鲁里街,位于伦敦西区,是英国著名的戏院街。
8. somnambulist:梦游者
9. débutante:初次进入社交界的人
10. Mrs. Langtry:英国演员,以美丽及与爱德华七世是暧昧关系而闻名。 王尔德的
《温德米尔夫人的扇子》(Lady Windermeres Fan)就是为她而作。
11. Magyar:马扎尔人,匈牙利的主要民族。
12. gutter:贫民区
13. Morganatic:指上流社会男子与出身低微的女子之间的婚姻。 这种结合所生的子
女虽然合法,但这些子女及其母亲均不能继承爵位和财产。
14. incorrigible:不可动摇的,难以说服的。

099
James Joyce 1882 ( —1941)
Unit 11 詹姆斯 · 乔伊斯

Biography
James Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet who contributed to the

modernist avantgarde and is regarded as one of the most influential and
important authors of the twentieth century. As one of the most innovative

novelists of the 20 th century and one of the great masters of the stream of
consciousness ”,he revolutionized the methods of depicting characters and
developing a plot in modern fiction. His astonishing way of constructing a

novel his frank portrayal of human nature in his books and his complete
command of English have made him one of the outstanding influences on
literature in the 20 th century.

Joyce was born into a Catholic family in Dublin. When he was young his family was quite
welloff ;but gradually it became impoverished. Joyce got his education at Catholic schools
where he received very strict religious training. He finally rejected the Catholic Church and
started a rebellion against the narrowness and bigotry of the bourgeois philistines in Dublin.
When he studied modern languages at Dublins University College ,he read lots of books
forbidden by the Church. After his graduation,he left Ireland for the continent,living and

working in France Italy and Switzerland. He regarded exile as the only way to preserve his

integrity and to enable him to recreate the life in Dublin truthfully completely and objectively in
, , ,
his writings. From 1905 to 1915 he and Nora lived in Rome and Trieste Italy and from 1915

to 1919 they lived in Zurich Switzerland. Between World War Ⅰ and World War Ⅱ they ,

lived in Paris. They returned to Zurich in 1940 where Joyce died in 1941.

Major Works
? Collections of poems :
( , )
Chamber Music poems 1907
Pomes Penyeach (poems,1927 )
Collected Poems (poems,1936 )
? Shortstory collection:
Dubliners (1914 )
100
Unit 11 James Joyce 1882( —1941) 詹姆斯·乔伊斯
Novels :
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man 1916 ( )
Ulysses 1922 ( )
Finnegans Wake 1939 ( )
? Play :
( )
Exiles 1918

Joyces Style in General


1. stream of consciousness technique
, , , ,
2. wide use of parody symbols allusions irony figures of speech
3. good use of linguistic means

Stream of Consciousness Technique


The term ,coined by philosopher and psychologist William James in The Principles of
Psychology (1890 ),is a narrative device that attempts to give the written equivalent of the
characters thought processes,either in a loose interior monologue,or in connection to his or her
actions. Streamofconsciousness writing is characterized by associative leaps in thought and lack
of some or all punctuation. In stream of consciousness the speakers thought processes are more

often depicted as overheard in the mind or addressed to oneself . )
Synopsis of Araby “ ”
( )
A young boy narrator falls in love with his neighbor Mangans sister. He spends his time

watching her from his house or thinking about her. He and the girl finally talk and she suggests
that he visit a bazaar called Araby ,which she cannot attend. The boy decides to go and

purchase something for her but he arrives late and buys nothing. As the bazaar closes down he ,

realizes that Mangans sister will fail his expectations and that his desire for her is actually only

a vain wish for change. Feeling rather frustrated he just gives up.
The narrators experience of love moves him from placid youth to elation to frustrated
loneliness as he explores the threshold between childhood and adulthood. He yearns to
experience new places and things and grapples with the conflict between everyday life and the

promise of love. He wants to see himself as an adult so he dismisses his distracting schoolwork
“ ” ,
as childs play and expresses his intense emotions in dramatic romantic gestures. However ,
his inability to actively pursue what he desires traps him in a childs world. His dilemma
suggests the hope of youth stopped by the unavoidable realities of Dublin life. The tedious
events that delay the narrators trip indicate that no room exists for love in the daily lives of
: ,
Dubliners. The story presents the frustration as universal the narrator is nameless the girl is

always Mangans sister ”as though she is any girl next door. So here Joyce suggests that all
101
people experience frustrated desire for love and new experiences.

Characters
narrator —the amorous boy devotes himself to his neighbor Mangans sister. He can do
nothing but think of her day and night. He finally speaks to her,but it is brief and awkward.
When Mangans sister tells the narrator about a bazaar called Araby,he decides to go there and
buy something for her. However,he arrives at the bazaar too late and buys nothing. The
narrator illustrates the joys and frustrations of young love. His inability to pursue his desires
angers him.
Mangans sister —The love interest in “Araby. ” Mangans sister mentions the Araby
bazaar to the narrator,prompting him to travel there. She suggests the familiarity of Dublin,as
well as the hope of love and the exotic appeal of new places.

◆◆◆:(%)+◆◆◆

North Richmond Street ,being blind ,was a quiet street except at the hour when the

Christian Brothers School set the boys free. An uninhabited house of two storeys stood at the

blind end detached from its neighbors in a square ground. The other houses of the street ,

conscious of decent lives within them gazed at one another with brown imperturbable faces.
The former tenant of our house,a priest,had died in the back drawingroom. Air,musty
from having been long enclosed,hung in all the rooms ,and the waste room behind the

kitchen was littered with old useless papers. Among these I found a few papercovered books,
the pages of which were curled and damp: The Abbot, by Walter Scott, The Devout
Communicant,and The Memoirs of Vidocq . I liked the last best because its leaves were

yellow. The wild garden behind the house contained a central appletree and a few straggling

bushes under one of which I found the late tenants rusty bicyclepump. He had been a very

charitable priest in his will he had left all his money to institutions and the furniture of his house
to his sister.

When the short days of winter came dusk fell before we had well eaten our dinners. When
we met in the street the houses had grown sombre. The space of sky above us was the color of
everchanging violet and towards it the lamps of the street lifted their feeble lanterns. The cold
air stung us and we played till our bodies glowed. Our shouts echoed in the silent street. The

career of our play brought us through the dark muddy lanes behind the houses where we ran
the gauntlet of the rough tribes from the cottages 4
,to the back doors of the dark dripping
gardens where odors arose from the ashpits ,to the dark odorous stables where a coachman
smoothed and combed the horse or shook music from the buckled harness. When we returned to

102

the street light from the kitchen windows had filled the areas. If my uncle was seen turning the
Unit 11 ( —1941) 詹姆斯·乔伊斯
James Joyce 1882


corner we hid in the shadow until we had seen him safely housed. Or if Mangans sister came

out on the doorstep to call her brother in to his tea we watched her from our shadow peer up

and down the street. We waited to see whether she would remain or go in and if she remained ,
we left our shadow and walked up to Mangans steps resignedly. She was waiting for us her ,
figure defined by the light from the halfopened door. Her brother always teased her before he

obeyed and I stood by the railings looking at her. Her dress swung as she moved her body and ,
the soft rope of her hair tossed from side to side.
Every morning I lay on the floor in the front parlor watching her door. The blind was
pulled down to within an inch of the sash so that I could not be seen. When she came out on the

doorstep my heart leaped. I ran to the hall seized my books and followed her. I kept her brown

figure always in my eye and when we came near the point at which our ways diverged I ,
quickened my pace and passed her. This happened morning after morning. I had never spoken
, ,
to her except for a few casual words and yet her name was like a summons to all my foolish
blood.
Her image accompanied me even in places the most hostile to romance. On Saturday
evenings when my aunt went marketing I had to go to carry some of the parcels. We walked
, ,
through the flaring streets jostled by drunken men and bargaining women amid the curses of
, 5

laborers the shrill litanies of shopboys who stood on guard by the barrels of pigs cheeks the
nasal chanting of streetsingers,who sang a comeallyou about Odonovan Rossa ,or a 6

ballad about the troubles in our native land. These noises converged in a single sensation of life

for me I imagined that I bore my chalice7 safely through a throng of foes. Her name sprang to
my lips at moments in strange prayers and praises which I myself did not understand. My eyes
( )
were often full of tears I could not tell why and at times a flood from my heart seemed to pour
itself out into my bosom. I thought little of the future. I did not know whether I would ever
, ,
speak to her or not or if I spoke to her how I could tell her of my confused adoration. But my
body was like a harp and her words and gestures were like fingers running upon the wires.
One evening I went into the back drawingroom in which the priest had died. It was a dark
rainy evening and there was no sound in the house. Through one of the broken panes I heard the

rain impinge upon the earth the fine incessant needles of water playing in the sodden beds.
Some distant lamp or lighted window gleamed below me. I was thankful that I could see so

little. All my senses seemed to desire to veil themselves and feeling that I was about to slip
, ,
from them I pressed the palms of my hands together until they trembled murmuring O love: !

O love many times.
At last she spoke to me. When she addressed the first words to me I was so confused that I
did not know what to answer. She asked me was I going to Araby. I forgot whether I answered

yes or no. It would be a splendid bazaar she said she would love to go.
—And why cant you?I asked. 103
While she spoke she turned a silver bracelet round and round her wrist. She could not go ,
, 8
she said because there would be a retreat that week in her convent . Her brother and two

other boys were fighting for their caps and I was alone at the railings. She held one of the

spikes bowing her head towards me. The light from the lamp opposite our door caught the
, , ,
white curve of her neck lit up her hair that rested there and falling lit up the hand upon the

railing. It fell over one side of her dress and caught the white border of a petticoat just visible
as she stood at ease.

Its well for you she said.
If I go,I said,I will bring you something.
What innumerable follies laid waste my waking and sleeping thoughts after that evening I !

wished to annihilate the tedious intervening days. I chafed against the work of school. At night
in my bedroom and by day in the classroom her image came between me and the page I strove to
read. The syllables of the word Araby were called to me through the silence in which my soul
luxuriated and cast an Eastern enchantment over me. I asked for leave to go to the bazaar on
Saturday night. My aunt was surprised ,and hoped it was not some Freemason 10
affair. I
answered few questions in class. I watched my masters face pass from amiability to sternness ;
he hoped I was not beginning to idle. I could not call my wandering thoughts together. I had

hardly any patience with the serious work of life which now that it stood between me and my
, ,
desire seemed to me childs play ugly monotonous childs play.
On Saturday morning I reminded my uncle that I wished to go to the bazaar in the evening.
, ,
He was fussing at the hallstand looking for the hatbrush and answered me curtly :
—Yes,boy,I know.
As he was in the hall I could not go into the front parlor and lie at the window. I felt the
house in bad humor and walked slowly towards the school. The air was pitilessly raw and
already my heart misgave me11 .
When I came home to dinner my uncle had not yet been home. Still it was early. I sat
, ,
staring at the clock for some time and when its ticking began to irritate me I left the room. I
mounted the staircase and gained the upper part of the house. The high,cold,empty,gloomy
rooms liberated me and I went from room to room singing. From the front window I saw my
companions playing below in the street. Their cries reached me weakened and indistinct and ,

leaning my forehead against the cool glass I looked over at the dark house where she lived. I
may have stood there for an hour ,seeing nothing but the brownclad figure cast by my
imagination,touched discreetly by the lamplight at the curved neck,at the hand upon the
railings and at the border below the dress.
When I came downstairs again I found Mrs Mercer sitting at the fire. She was an old ,
, ,
garrulous woman a pawnbrokers widow who collected used stamps for some pious purpose. I
had to endure the gossip of the teatable. The meal was prolonged beyond an hour and still my
104
Unit 11 ( —1941) 詹姆斯·乔伊斯
James Joyce 1882


uncle did not come. Mrs Mercer stood up to go she was sorry she couldnt wait any longer but,

it was after eight oclock and she did not like to be out late as the night air was bad for her.
When she had gone I began to walk up and down the room,clenching my fists. My aunt said:
—Im afraid you may put off your bazaar for this night of Our Lord.
At nine oclock I heard my uncles latchkey in the hall door. I heard him talking to himself
and heard the hallstand rocking when it had received the weight of his overcoat. I could
interpret these signs. When he was midway through his dinner I asked him to give me the money
to go to the bazaar. He had forgotten.
—The people are in bed and after their first sleep now,he said.
I did not smile. My aunt said to him energetically:
—Cant you give him the money and let him go?Youve kept him late enough as it is.
My uncle said he was very sorry he had forgotten. He said he believed in the old saying :

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. He asked me where I was going and when I told
, 12
him a second time he asked me did I know The Arabs Farewell to His Steed . When I left
the kitchen he was about to recite the opening lines of the piece to my aunt.
I held a florin tightly in my hand as I strode down Buckingham Street towards the station.
The sight of the streets thronged with buyers and glaring with gas recalled to me the purpose of
my journey. I took my seat in a thirdclass carriage of a deserted train. After an intolerable
delay the train moved out of the station slowly. It crept onward among ruinous houses and over
the twinkling river. At Westland Row Station a crowd of people pressed to the carriage doors ;

but the porters moved them back saying that it was a special train for the bazaar. I remained
alone in the bare carriage. In a few minutes the train drew up beside an improvised wooden
platform13 . I passed out on to the road and saw by the lighted dial of a clock that it was ten
minutes to ten. In front of me was a large building which displayed the magical name.

I could not find any sixpenny entrance and fearing that the bazaar would be closed I ,

passed in quickly through a turnstile handing a shilling to a wearylooking man. I found myself
in a big hall girded at half its height by a gallery14 . Nearly all the stalls were closed and the
greater part of the hall was in darkness. I recognized a silence like that which pervades a church
after a service. I walked into the centre of the bazaar timidly. A few people were gathered about

the stalls which were still open. Before a curtain over which the words Café Chantant15 were

written in colored lamps two men were counting money on a salver16 . I listened to the fall of
the coins.

Remembering with difficulty why I had come I went over to one of the stalls and examined
porcelain vases and flowered teasets. At the door of the stall a young lady was talking and
laughing with two young gentlemen. I remarked their English accents and listened vaguely to
their conversation.
—O,I never said such a thing! 105
—O,but you did!
—O,but I didnt!
—Didnt she say that?
—Yes. I heard her.
—O,theres a 爥 Fib !Observing me,the young lady came over and asked me did I wish
17

to buy anything. The tone of her voice was not encouraging;she seemed to have spoken to me
out of a sense of duty. I looked humbly at the great jars that stood like eastern guards at either
side of the dark entrance to the stall and murmured :
—No,thank you.
The young lady changed the position of one of the vases and went back to the two young
men. They began to talk of the same subject. Once or twice the young lady glanced at me over
her shoulder.
, ,
I lingered before her stall though I knew my stay was useless to make my interest in her
wares seem the more real. Then I turned away slowly and walked down the middle of the
bazaar. I allowed the two pennies to fall against the sixpence in my pocket. I heard a voice call
from one end of the gallery that the light was out. The upper part of the hall was now
completely dark.
Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity and;
my eyes burned with anguish and anger. (1905)
Questions for Discussion
1. What is the significance of the title of the story ?
2. What are the chief qualities of the boys character ?
3. Is anything gained by the boy through his frustration and humiliation ?
Notes
1. being blind :(= being a deadend street)一条死胡同
2. Air,musty from 爥all the rooms:由于长期关闭,所有的房间都弥漫着一股霉湿
的气味。
3. The Abbot:英国小说家 Walter Scott (1771 —1832 )写的历史传奇小说。 The
Devout Communicant:18 世纪英国方济各会 (Franciscan )修道士 Pacificus Baker
(1695—1774)写的宗教著作。 The Memoirs of Vidocq:法国人 Francois Jules Vidocq
(1775—1857)写的回忆录,此人曾是罪犯,后成为一名侦探。
4. we ran the gantlet 爥the cottages:我们遭到住在那些小屋子里的粗人们的咒骂。
run the gantlet:古代军队里的一种刑法。 受惩罚的人要从两排不断挥舞木棍的人中间走
过挨打。 现该短语意为:“to proceed while under attack from both sides,as by
criticism,gossip ,etc. ”。
106
Unit 11 ( —1941) 詹姆斯·乔伊斯
James Joyce 1882

5. litanies:(宗教仪式里的 )连祷文,通常有固定的问答格式,这里指 shopboys 单调


重复的叫卖声。
6. who sang a come 爥ODonovan Rossa:都柏林街头歌手卖唱时,往往以 Come
all you gallant Irishmen / And listen to my song 为 引 子。 ODonovan Rossa 指
Jeremiah ODonovan (1831 —1915 )爱尔兰独立运动领导人,被人称为 Dynamite Rossa。
7. chalice:圣杯
8. a retreat that week in her convent:她上的教会学校里那个星期有次静修活动。
retreat:指一段时间内更加严格遵守教规。 convent:修道院,指 Mangans Sister 上的教
会学校。
9. chafed against:对……感到不耐烦。
10. Freemason :共济会。国际性秘密团体,旨在传授并执行其互助纲领,提倡仁爱、贞
洁、互助精神。爱尔兰的天主教会把共济会的纲领视作是基督徒反对天主教的阴谋。所以
这里主人公的姨妈希望他夜访阿拉比集市与共济会的事情无关。
11. The air was 爥misgave me:空气阴冷得近乎无情,我心中已惴惴不安。 raw:湿
冷的;misgive:使产生疑虑。
12. The Arabs Farewell to His Steed :英国诗人 Caroline Norton 写的歌谣。 这首
诗名应为“The Arab to His Favorite Steed”,讲述一个阿拉伯人卖掉心爱的马,继而伤心、
后悔不已,便将卖马所得的金钱全部扔了。 这里 “我 ”的叔叔提及这首诗是因为他错将
Araby 听成了 Arab 。
13. improvised wooden platform:临时搭成的木板站台
14. a big hall 爥by a gallery:一个大厅,由一条环形长廊将其分成上下两层。
15. Café Chantant:(法语)歌舞咖啡馆
16. salver:(行圣餐礼时经常使用的)银质托盘
17. fib :(无伤大雅的)谎言

107
Doris Lessing 1919 ( —2013)
Unit 12 多丽丝 · 莱辛

Biography
, ,
Doris May Lessing was a British novelist poet playwright ,

librettist biographer and short story writer. She was awarded the

2007 Nobel Prize in Literature. In awarding the prize the Swedish
Academy described her as “that epicist of the female experience,
who with scepticism ,fire and visionary power has subjected a
divided civilization to scrutiny”. Lessing was the eleventh woman
and the oldest person ever to receive this prize.

Lessing was born in Iran known as Persia then to Captain Alfred Tayler and Emily Maude

Tayler who were both English and of British nationality. Her parents moved to Kermanshah ,
Iran ,in order to take up a job as a bank clerk. The family then moved to the then British colony
of Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe)in 1925 to farm maize but the farm failed to deliver any
monetary value in return.

As a girl Lessing was educated at the Dominican Convent High School a Roman Catholic
( ) ,
convent allgirls school in Salisbury now Harare . She left school at the age of 14 and was

selfeducated from then on she left home at 15 and worked at various jobs such as nursemaid ,

telephone operator typist and journalist and married twice before she moved to London in 1949.
She earned her living by writing.
, ,
At the age of 15 in South Africa Lessing began to sell her stories to magazines. Her first
, ,
novel The Grass Is Singing was published in 1950. The Golden Notebook which gained her

international attention was published in 1962. Lessing was highly prolific. By the time of her
, , ,
death she had issued more than 50 novels 17 shortstory collections some science fiction and

autobiographies some under a pseudonym.

Major Works
( )[filmed as Killing Heat (1981)]
The Grass Is Singing 1950
Retreat to Innocence (1956 )
The Golden Notebook (1962 )
Briefing for a Descent into Hell (1971 )
108
Unit 12 ( —2013) 多丽丝·莱辛
Doris Lessing 1919

The Summer Before the Dark 1973 ( )


Memoirs of a Survivor (1974 )
The Diary of a Good Neighbour (as Jane Somers,1983 )
If the Old Could 爥 (as Jane Somers,1984 )
The Good Terrorist (1985 )
The Fifth Child (1988 )
Love,Again (1996 )
Mara and Dann (1999 )
Ben ,in the World (2000 )—sequel to The Fifth Child
The Sweetest Dream (2001 )
The Story of General Dann and Maras Daughter, Griot and the Snow Dog
(2005)—sequel to Mara and Dann
The Cleft (2007 )
Alfred and Emily (2008 )
? Children of Violence series (1952 —1969 )
Martha Quest (1952 )
A Proper Marriage (1954 )
A Ripple from the Storm (1958 )
Landlocked (1965 )
The FourGated City (1969 )
? The Canopus in Argos:Archives series
Shikasta (1979 )《希卡斯塔》
The Marriages Between Zones Three,Four and Five (1980 )《第三、四、五区域间
的联姻》
The Sirian Experiments (1980 )《天狼星试验》
The Making of the Representative for Planet 8 (1982 )《第八号行星代表的产生》
The Sentimental Agents in the Volyen Empire (1983 )
? Short story collections
( )
Five Short Novels 1953
The Habit of Loving (1957 )
A Man and Two Women (1963 )
African Stories (1964 )
Winter in July (1966 )
The Black Madonna (1966 )
( )
The Story of a NonMarrying Man 1972
This Was the Old Chiefs Country:Collected African Stories,Vol. 1 (1973 )
The Sun Between Their Feet:Collected African Stories,Vol. 2 (1973 )
109
: ,( )
To Room Nineteen Collected Stories Vol. 1 1978
The Temptation of Jack Orkney:Collected Stories,Vol. 2 (1978 )
Through the Tunnel (1990 )
London Observed :Stories and Sketches (1992 )
The Real Thing :Stories and Sketches (1992 )
Spies I Have Known (1995 )
The Pit (1996 )
The Grandmothers:Four Short Novels (2003 )
? Autobiography and memoirs

Going Home memoir 1957 , )
: ( , )
African Laughter Four Visits to Zimbabwe memoir 1992
Under My Skin :Volume One of My Autobiography,to 1949 (1994 )
Walking in the Shade:Volume Two of My Autobiography,1949 to 1962 (1997 )
? Drama

Each His Own Wilderness three plays 1959 , )
( )
Play with a Tiger 1962

Lessings Style in General



1. traditional narrative language yet terse economical structure
2. marginal perspective of an outsider
3. multiple pointsofview through the narrative levels
4. experimental and psychoanalytical


Synopsis of A Woman on a Roof ”
This short story with a minimalist plot is about how some men view woman and how they
react to the womans indifference. We discover how three mens preoccupation with sex keeps
them unaware of how their advances may be unwanted and ignorant of their actions possible
consequences.
All three workmen share the desire to get the sunbathing womans attention. Working on a

rooftop of a block of flats in the hot sun these men seek a diversion from the relentless heat.
, , ,
They whistle yell and wave at a nearly naked woman on a rooftop nearby but the woman
pays no mind to them. Their isolation on the rooftop and the womans indignation fuels the

mens decency into a world of lowed behavior thereby creating an atmosphere of harassment
“ ”
and rejection. They become taunted by this womans indifference to them.
The woman has not offered any attention. She just ignores them. She remains the symbol
of a newage woman who disdains harassment from men.

110

When the heat wave is gone the sunbathing woman does not appear. The workmen come
Unit 12 ( —2013) 多丽丝·莱辛
Doris Lessing 1919


back to work and everything returns to normal.

Characters
The woman —Without a name,she is an image of newage woman. There exists a whole
class of women in modern Britain who are aloof,complacent,indifferent and selfcentered,
bravely expressing their self at their own will,just like the woman on the roof. They are
financially independent. They say “No”to sexual harassment.
In general,three workers are tough,hard headed,domineering and egoistical as they are
constantly exposed to heat.
Harry —Being the eldest of the three workmen,he tries hard to show his selfcontrol and to
keep his dignity,but he fails.
Stanley the middleaged and newly married,and the most coarse,obscene person yet he
expresses himself directly.
Tom —Being the youngest and the most foolish of the three,he represents men of the
younger generation as he has a very common name. He likes daydreaming so as to satisfy his

poor vanity. He dreams so often that he gets confused about the reality and fantasy becoming
hopelessly foolish and foolishly courageous. He tries his fancy luck and is mercilessly hurt.
, ,
However he is maturing gradually realizing his stupidity.

◆◆◆: >1/%& 1& % <116◆◆◆


It was during the week of hot sun that June.
Three men were at work on the roof ,where the leads got so hot they had the idea of
throwing water on to cool them. But the water steamed,then sizzled;and they made jokes
about getting an egg from some woman in the flats under them,to poach it for their dinner. By
two it was not possible to touch the guttering they were replacing,and they speculated about

what workmen did in regularly hot countries. Perhaps they should borrow kitchen gloves with
? , ;
the egg They were all a bit dizzy not used to the heat and they shed2 their coats and stood

side by side squeezing themselves into a footwide patch of shade against a chimney careful to
keep their feet in the thick socks and boots out of the sun. There was a fine view across several
acres of roofs. Not far off a man sat in a deckchair reading the newspaper. Then they saw her ,

between chimneys about fifty yards away. She lay face down on a brown blanket. They could
: , ,
see the top part of her black hair a flushed solid back arms spread out.
“Shes stark naked,”said Stanley,sounding annoyed.

Harry,the oldest,a man of about fortyfive,said:“Looks like it. ”


Young Tom,seventeen,said nothing,but he was excited and grinning.
Stanley said,“Someonell report her if she doesnt watch out. ”
111
“She thinks no one can see,”said Tom,craning his head all ways to see more.
At this point the woman,still lying prone,brought her two hands up behind her shoulders
with the ends of her scarf in them,tied it behind her back,and sat up. She wore a red scarf tied
around her breasts and brief red bikini pants. This being the first day of the sun she was white,
flushing red. She sat smoking,and did not look up when Stanley let out a wolf whistle . Harry

said:“Small things amuse small minds, ”leading the way back to their part of the roof,but it
was scorching. Harry said:“Wait,Im going to rig up some shade , 5
”and disappeared down
the skylight into the building. Now that hed gone,Stanley and Tom went to the farthest point
they could to peer at the woman. She had moved,and all they could see were two pink legs
stretched on the blanket. They whistled and shouted but the legs did not move. Harry came back
with a blanket and shouted :“Come on, then. ” He sounded irritated with them. They
clambered back to him and he said to Stanley:“What about your missus ?”Stanley was newly

married,about three months. Stanley said,jeering:“What about my missus? ”—preserving his


independence. Tom said nothing,but his mind was full of the nearly naked woman. Harry
slung the blanket,which he had borrowed from a friendly woman downstairs,from the stem of
a television aerial to a row of chimneypots. This shade fell across the piece of gutter they had to
, ,
replace. But the shade kept moving they had to adjust the blanket and not much progress was
made. At last some of the heat left the roof,and they worked fast,making up for lost time.
First Stanley,then Tom,made a trip to the end of the roof to see the woman. “Shes on her
back, ”Stanley said,adding a jest which made Tom snicker ,and the older man smiled

tolerantly. Toms report was that she hadnt moved,but it was a lie. He wanted to keep what he
had seen to himself:he had caught her in the act of rolling down the little red pants over her
hips ,till they were no more than a small triangle. She was on her back,fully visible,glistening
with oil.
, ,
Next morning as soon as they came up they went to look. She was already there face ,

down arms spread out ,naked except for the little red pants. She had turned brown in the
night. Yesterday she was a scarletandwhite woman,today she was a brown woman. Stanley
let out a whistle. She lifted her head,startled,as if shed been asleep,and looked straight over
at them. The sun was in her eyes,she blinked and stared,then she dropped her head again. At
this gesture of indifference,they all three,Stanley,Tom and old Harry,let out whistles and
yells. Harry was doing it in parody of the younger men,making fun of them,but he was also
angry. They were all angry because of her utter indifference to the three men watching her.
“Bitch,”said Stanley.
“She should ask us over,”said Tom,snickering.
Harry recovered himself and reminded Stanley:“If shes married,her old man wouldnt
like that. ”

112
“Christ,”said Stanley virtuously,“if my wife lay about like that,for everyone to see,Id
Unit 12 ( —2013) 多丽丝·莱辛
Doris Lessing 1919

soon stop her. ”


Harry said,smiling:“How do you know,perhaps shes sunning herself at this very
moment? ”
“Not a chance,not on our roof,”The safety of his wife put Stanley into a good humor,
and they went to work. But today it was hotter than yesterday;and several times one or the
other suggested they should tell Matthew,the foreman,and ask to leave the roof until the heat
wave was over. But they didnt. There was work to be done in the basement of the big block of
, ,
flats but up here they felt free on a different level from ordinary humanity shut in the streets or

the buildings. A lot more people came out on to the roof that day for an hour at midday. Some

married couples sat side by side in deck chairs the womens legs stockingless and scarlet the,
men in vests with reddening shoulders.

The woman stayed on her blanket turning herself over and over. She ignored them no ,

matter what they did. When Harry went off to fetch more screws Stanley said :“Come on. ”

Her roof belonged to a different system of roofs separated from theirs at one point by about

twenty feet. It meant a scrambling climb from one level to another edging along parapets8 ,
clinging to chimneys,while their big boots slipped and slithered ,but at last they stood on a

small square projecting roof looking straight down at her,close. She sat smoking,reading a
book. Tom thought she looked like a poster,or a magazine cover,with the blue sky behind her
and her legs stretched out. Behind her a great crane at work on a new building in Oxford Street
swung its black arm across roofs in a great arc. Tom imagined himself at work on the crane ,
adjusting the arm to swing over and pick her up and swing her back across the sky to drop her
near him.
, ,
They whistled. She looked up at them cool and remote then went on reading. Again ,
, ,
they were furious. Or rather Stanley was. His sunheated face was screwed into a rage as he

whistled again and again trying to make her look up. Young Tom stopped whistling. He stood
beside Stanley,excited,grinning;but he felt as if he were saying to the woman:Dont
associate me with him,for his grin was apologetic. Last night he had thought of the unknown
woman before he slept,and she had been tender with him. This tenderness he was remembering
as he shifted his feet by the jeering,whistling Stanley,and watched the indifferent,healthy
brown woman a few feet off,with the gap that plunged to the street between them. Tom thought
it was romantic,it was like being high on two hilltops. But there was a shout from Harry,and
they clambered back. Stanleys face was hard,really angry. The boy kept looking at him and
wondered why he hated the woman so much,for by now he loved her.
They played their little games with the blanket,trying to trap shade to work under;but
again it was not until nearly four that they could work seriously,and they were exhausted,all
three of them. They were grumbling about10 the weather by now. Stanley was in a thoroughly
bad humor. When they made their routine trip to see the woman before they packed up for the
113
, , ,
day she was apparently asleep face down her back all naked save for the scarlet triangle on
her buttocks. “Ive got a good mind to report her to the police,”said Stanley,and Harry said:
“Whats eating you?What harms she doing?”
“I tell you,if she was my wife!”
“But she isnt,is she?”Tom knew that Harry,like himself,was uneasy at Stanleys
reaction. He was normally a sharp young man,quick at his work,making a lot of jokes,good
company.
“Perhaps it will be cooler tomorrow,”said Harry.
But it wasnt;it was hotter,if anything,and the weather forecast said the good weather
would last. As soon as they were on the roof,Harry went over to see if the woman was there,
and Tom knew it was to prevent Stanley going,to put off his bad humor. Harry had grownup
children,a boy the same age as Tom,and the youth trusted and looked up to him.
Harry came back and said:“Shes not there. ”
“I bet her old man put his foot down ,”said Stanley,and Harry and Tom caught each
11

others eyes and smiled behind the young married mans back. Harry suggested they should get
, ,
permission to work in the basement and they did that day. But before packing up Stanley
said:“Lets have a breath of fresh air. ”Again Harry and Tom smiled at each other as they
followed Stanley up to the roof,Tom in the devout conviction that he was there to protect the
woman from Stanley. It was about fivethirty,and a calm,full sunlight lay over the roofs. The
great crane still swung its black arm from Oxford Street to above their heads. She was not there.
, , ,
Then there was a flutter of white from behind a parapet and she stood up in a belted white
dressinggown. She had been there all day,probably,but on a different patch of roof,to hide
from them. Stanley did not whistle;he said nothing,but watched the woman bend to collect
papers,books,cigarettes,then fold the blanket over her arm. Tom was thinking:If they
werent here,Id go over and say 爥 what?But he knew from his nightly dreams of her that she
was kind and friendly. Perhaps she would ask him down to her flat?Perhaps 爥 He stood
watching her disappear down the skylight. As she went,Stanley let out a shrill derisive yell;she
started,and it seemed as if she nearly fell. She clutched to save herself,they could hear things
falling. She looked straight at them,angry. Harry said,facetiously :“Better be careful on
12

those slippery ladders,love. ”Tom knew he said it to save her from Stanley,but she could not
know it. She vanished,frowning. Tom was full of a secret delight,because he knew her anger
was for the others,not for him.
“Roll on some rain,”said Stanley,bitter,looking at the blue evening sky.
13

Next day was cloudless,and they decided to finish the work in the basement. They felt
excluded,shut in the gray cement basement fitting pipes,from the holiday atmosphere of
London in a heat wave. At lunchtime they came up for some air,but while the married couples,
and the men in shirtsleeves or vests,were there,she was not there,either on her usual patch of
114
Unit 12 ( —2013) 多丽丝·莱辛
Doris Lessing 1919

roof or where she had been yesterday. They all ,even Harry,clambered about,between
, ,
chimneypots over parapets the hot leads stinging their fingers. There was not a sign of her.

They took off their shirts and vests and exposed their chests feeling their feet sweaty and hot.
They did not mention the woman. But Tom felt alone again. Last night she had him into her

flat it was big and had fitted white carpets and a bed with a padded white leather headboard.
She wore a black filmy negligee14 and her kindness to Tom thickened his throat as he
remembered it. He felt she had betrayed him by not being there.

And again after work they climbed up but still there was nothing to be seen of her. Stanley
kept repeating that if it was as hot as this tomorrow he wasnt going to work and thats all there
was to it. But they were all there next day. By ten the temperature was in the middle seventies ,
and it was eighty long before noon. Harry went to the foreman to say it was impossible to work
; ,
on the leads in that heat but the foreman said there was nothing else he could put them on and
, , ,
theyd have to. At midday they stood silent watching the skylight on her roof open and then
she slowly emerged in her white gown,holding a bundle of blanket. She looked at them,
gravely,then went to the part of the roof where she was hidden from them. Tom was pleased.
He felt she was more his when the other men couldnt see her. They had taken off their shirts
, ,
and vests but now they put them back again for they felt the sun bruising their flesh. “She
must have the hide of a rhino ,” said Stanley,tugging at guttering and swearing. They
15

stopped work,and sat in the shade,moving around behind chimney stacks. A woman came to
water a yellow window box opposite them. She was middleaged,wearing a flowered summer
dress. Stanley said to her:“We need a drink more than them. ”She smiled and said:“Better
drop down to the pub quick,itll be closing in a minute. ”They exchanged pleasantries,and she
left them with a smile and a wave.
“Not like Lady Godiva ,”said Stanley. “She can give us a bit of a chat and a smile. ”
16

“You didnt whistle at her,”said Tom,reproving.


“Listen to him,”said Stanley,“you didnt whistle,then?”
But the boy felt as if he hadnt whistled,as if only Harry and Stanley had. He was making
plans,when it was time to knock off work,to get left behind and somehow make his way over
to the woman. The weather report said the hot spell was due to break ,so he had to move
17

quickly. But there was no chance of being left. The other two decided to knock off work at
, ,
four because they were exhausted. As they went down Tom quickly climbed a parapet and
hoisted himself higher by pulling his weight up a chimney. He caught a glimpse of her lying on
, , ,
her back her knees up eyes closed a brown woman lolling in the sun18 . He slipped and

clattered down as Stanley looked for information :“Shes gone down,”he said. He felt as if he

had protected her from Stanley and that she must be grateful to him. He could feel the bond
between the woman and himself.
, ,
Next day they stood around on the landing below the roof reluctant to climb up into the
115
heat. The woman who had lent Harry the blanket came out and offered them a cup of tea. They
, ,
accepted gratefully and sat around Mrs. Pritchetts kitchen an hour or so chatting. She was
, ,
married to an airline pilot. A smart blonde of about thirty she had an eye for the handsome
sharpfaced Stanley ;and the two teased each other while Harry sat in a corner,watching,

indulgent though his expression reminded Stanley that he was married. And young Tom felt
; , ,
envious of Stanleys ease in badinage19 felt too that Stanleys getting off with Mrs. Pritchett
left his romance with the woman on the roof safe and intact.
“I thought they said the heat waved break,”said Stanley,sullen,as the time approached
when they really would have to climb up into the sunlight.
“You dont like it,then?”asked Mrs. Pritchett.
“All right for some,”said Stanley. “Nothing to do but lie about as if it was a beach up
there. Do you ever go up? ”
“Went up once,”said Mrs. Pritchett. “But its a dirty place up there,and its too hot. ”
“Quite right too,”said Stanley.
Then they went up,leaving the cool neat little flat and the friendly Mrs. Pritchett.
As soon as they were up they saw her. The three men looked at her,resentful at her ease in
this punishing sun. Then Harry said,because of the expression on Stanleys face:“Come on,
weve got to pretend to work,at least. ”
They had to wrench another length of guttering that ran beside a parapet out of its bed,so
that they could replace it. Stanley took it in his two hands,tugged,swore,stood up. “Fuck
it,”he said,and sat down under a chimney. He lit a cigarette. “Fuck them,”he said. “What
do they think we are,lizards?Ive got blisters all over my hands. ”Then he jumped up and
climbed over the roofs and stood with his back to them. He put his fingers either side of his
, ,
mouth and let out a shrill whistle. Tom and Harry squatted not looking at each other watching

him. They could just see the womans head the beginnings of her brown shoulders. Stanley

whistled again. Then he began stamping with his feet and whistled and yelled and screamed at
, ,
the woman his face getting scarlet. He seemed quite mad as he stamped and whistled while,

the woman did not move she did not move a muscle.
“Barmy,”said Tom.
“Yes,”said Harry,disapproving.
, ,
Suddenly the older man came to a decision. It was Tom knew to save some sort of
scandal or real trouble over the woman. Harry stood up and began packing tools into a length of
oily cloth.“Stanley,”he said,commanding. At first Stanley took no notice,but Harry said:
“Stanley,were packing it in,Ill tell Matthew. ”
Stanley came back,cheeks mottled,eyes glaring.
“Cant go on like this,”said Harry. “Itll break in a day or so. Im going to tell Matthew
weve got sunstroke,and if he doesnt like,its too bad. ”Even Harry sounded aggrieved,Tom
116
Unit 12 ( —2013) 多丽丝·莱辛
Doris Lessing 1919

, , ,
noted. The small competent man the family man with his gray hair who was never at a loss ,
sounded really off balance. “Come on,”he said,angry. He fitted himself into the open square
in the roof,and went down,watching his feet on the ladder. Then Stanley went,with not a
glance at the woman. Then Tom,who,his throat beating with excitement,silently promised
her on a backward glance:Wait for me,wait,Im coming.
On the pavement Stanley said:“Im going home. ”He looked white now,so perhaps he
really did have sunstroke. Harry went off to find the foreman,who was at work on the plumbing
of some flats down the street. Tom slipped back,not into the building they had been working
on,but the building on whose roof the woman lay. He went straight up,no one stopping him.
The skylight stood open,with an iron ladder leading up. He emerged on to the roof a couple of
yards from her. She sat up,pushing back her black hair with both hands. The scarf across her
breasts bound them tight,and brown flesh bulged around it. Her legs were brown and smooth.
She stared at him in silence. The boy stood grinning,foolish,claiming the tenderness he
expected from her.
“What do you want?”she asked.
“I 爥 I came to 爥 make your acquaintance,”he stammered,grinning,pleading with her.
They looked at each other,the slight,scarletfaced excited boy,and the serious,nearly
naked woman. Then,without a word,she lay down on her brown blanket,ignoring him.
“You like the sun,do you?”he enquired of her glistening back.
Not a word. He felt panic,thinking of how she had held him in her arms,stroked his hair,
brought him where he sat,lordly,in her bed,a glass of some exhilarating liquor he had never
tasted in life. He felt that if he knelt down,stroked her shoulders,her hair,she would turn and
clasp him in her arms.
He said :“The suns all right for you,isnt it?”
She raised her head,set her chin on two small fists. “Go away, ”she said. He did not
move. “Listen, ”she said,in a slow reasonable voice,where anger was kept in check,though
with difficulty;looking at him,her face weary with anger,“if you get a kick out of seeing
20

women in bikinis,why dont you take an sixpenny bus ride to the Lido ?Youd see dozens of
21

them,without all this mountaineering. ”


She hadnt understood him. He felt her unfairness pale him. He stammered:“But I like
you,Ive been watching you and 爥”
“Thanks,”she said,and dropped her face again,turned away from him.
She lay there. He stood there. She said nothing. She had simply shut him out. He stood,
saying nothing at all,for some minutes. He thought:Shell have to say something if I stay. But
the minutes went past,with no sign of them in her,except in the tension of her back,her
thighs,her arms—the tension of waiting for him to go.
He looked up at the sky,where the sun seemed to spin in heat;and over the roofs where he
117
and his mates had been earlier. He could see the heat quivering where they had worked. And
! ,
they expect us to work in these conditions he thought filled with righteous indignation. The
woman hadnt moved. A bit of hot wind blew her black hair softly ;it shone,and was
iridescent. He remembered how he had stroked it last night.

Resentment of her at last moved him off and away down the ladder through the building ,

into the street. He got drunk then in hatred of her.

Next day when he woke the sky was gray. He looked at the wet gray and thought vicious :
, 22
, ?
Well thats fixed you hasnt it now Thats fixed you good and proper.

The three men were at work early on the cool leads surrounded by damp drizzling roofs
, ,
where no one came to sun themselves black roofs slimy with rain. Because it was cool now ,

they would finish the job that day if they hurried.

Questions for Discussion


1. Who is the protagonist in the story ?
2. Note the setting in the story. What is the relationship between the hot weather and the
behavior of the characters ?
3. What do you think Doris Lessing want to say about the relationship between men and

women in modern society Does she ever show any sympathy to the three men in the story ?
Notes
1. guttering:檐沟
2. shed :脱掉
3. stark:完全地
4. wolf whistle:挑逗口哨
5. rig up some shade:临时架起一些阴凉
6. missus:(伦敦方言)妻子,太太。
:加上一句俏皮话,使汤姆听了暗自发笑。
7. adding a jest which made Tom snicker
8. parapets:(屋顶、露台等边上的)低矮短墙,女儿墙。
9. slithered :滑下
10. grumbling about:咕哝;埋怨。
11. I bet her 爥his foot down :我打赌她老头子决不容许她这样。
12. facetiously:开玩笑地
13. roll on :但愿
14. filmy negligee:薄薄的女式长睡袍
15. the hide of the rhino :犀牛皮。这里是说她的皮肤经得住晒。
16. Lady Godiva:这里指在屋顶上晒日光浴的女人。Lady Godiva 是中世纪英国的一

118 位贵妇,传说为了使丈夫减免考文垂(Coventry)的苛捐杂税,她赤身露体骑马从街上走过。
Unit 12 ( —2013) 多丽丝·莱辛
Doris Lessing 1919

裁缝汤姆偷看了一眼,顿时遭到报应,双目失明。Peeping Tom(偷窥者)由此而来。
17. the hot spell was due to break:高温期快要结束。
18. lolling in the sun :懒洋洋地躺在太阳下。
19. badinage:(法语)开玩笑,取笑逗乐。
20. get a kick out of doing sth :因做某事而感到快乐或刺激。
21. Lido :意大利威尼斯著名的海滨浴场,这里指伦敦海德公园的一处。
22. fixed :(口)惩罚

119
20 th Century British Poets
Unit 13 20 世纪英国诗人

( —1985 )
Philip Larkin 1922
菲利普·拉金

Biography
, , ,
Philip Larkin an English poet novelist and librarian was born in
Coventry and educated at home until the age of eight by his mother and
sister. He was a representative of the Movement School (运动派). When
he graduated from Oxford University in 1943 ,he became a librarian,a
post he held all his life. In 1945 ,he published his first book of poetry,
The North Ship and he came to prominence in 1955 with the publication
, ,
of his second collection of poems The Less Deceived followed by The
Whitsun Weddings (1964 )and High Windows (1974 ). He won many
honors including the Queens Gold Medal for Poetry. He was offered,but declined,the position
of Poet Laureate in 1984.

Major Works
( )《北方船》
The North Ship 1945
The Less Deceived (1955 )《少受欺骗者》
The Whitsun Weddings (1964 )《降灵节婚礼》
High Windows (1974 )《高窗》

Larkins Style in General


1. metaphoric in nature with classical and literary allusions
2. ,
clarity plainness and scepticism
3. exquisite verse form full of slang and colloquial expressions
4. ,
a quiet reflective tone with ironic understatement
5. use of sudden openings


About The Tree ”
120 The poem shows Larkins poetic style —very strict meter (rhyming abba,cddc,effe)with
Unit 13 20 th Century British Poets 20 世纪英国诗人
, ,
straightforward chatty diction. Larkin starts with optimism yet he undermines the optimism as

the stanza goes on but it ends with optimism. Personification and comparison are mainly used
to compare the life and cycles of a tree to human experiences in the poem. Enjambment (跨行连
续)is used too to undermine the optimism. As the outer layers are reborn,the inner layers are
still growing old. (As it “is written down in the rings of grain ”). It is a false facade or a
“mask”which hides the truth,and like humans,as they begin new experiences / chapters in their
lives,their old experiences are still with them. What an individual experiences is what makes
them who they are. Like trees,people will not fully lose their personal experiences (and the
skills they may have learnt from it),the valuable experiences will collect inside them like “rings
of grain”.

◆◆◆!"# !(##◆◆◆

The trees are coming into leaf 树在长出嫩叶


Like something almost being said; 就好像说了什么
The recent buds relax and spread, 新芽轻松舒展
Their greenness is a kind of grief. 绿色却有点忧郁
Is it that they are born again 是树重生了吗
? ,
And we grow old No they die too , 或是我们老了?不,它们也死去
Their yearly trick of looking new 一年一度复苏的年轻
Is written down in rings of grain1 写进一圈圈的纹理
Yet still the unresting2 castles thresh3 然而骚动不宁的城堡
In fullgrown thickness every May. 在每一个五月丰厚成熟

Last year is dead they seem to say , 去年死去了,它们好像在说
, ,
Begin afresh afresh afresh. 重新开始,重新,重新
Questions for Discussion
“ ”
1. What does Their yearly trick of looking new mean ?
2. What does “the unresting castle”refer to?

Notes
1. rings of grain:年轮
2. unresting :动个不停的
3. thresh :猛力扭动,摔打

121
Ted Hughes 1930 ( —1998 )
特德·休斯

Biography
Edward James “Ted”Hughes was an English poet and childrens
writer. Critics frequently rank him as one of the best poets of his

generation and one of the twentieth centurys greatest writers. He served
as Poet Laureate from 1984 until his death.

Hughes was born in Yorkshire and raised among the local farms.
Hughes loved hunting and fishing,swimming and picnicking with his
family. While attending middle schools,he was encouraged to write by his teachers, and
developed his interest in poetry. Hughess first collection,The Hawk in the Rain (1957 )
attracted considerable critical acclaim. In 1959 he won the Galbraith prize which brought $ 5 ,
000. His most significant work is perhaps Crow (1970 ),which whilst it has been widely
praised,also divided critics,combining an apocalyptic,bitter,cynical and surreal view of the
universe with what sometimes appeared simple,childlike verse.
Hughes was married to American poet Sylvia Plath from 1956 until her suicide in 1963 at
the age of 30. His part in the relationship became controversial to some feminists and some
American admirers of Plath. His last poetic work,Birthday Letters (1998 ),explored their
complex relationship. These poems make reference to Plaths suicide, but none addresses
directly the circumstances of her death.

Major Works
? 18 collections of poems
The Hawk in the Rain 1957 ( )《雨中鹰》
: (
Crow From the Life and Songs of the Crow epic narrative 1970 , )
Season Songs 1976 ( )
( )
River 1983
( )
Flowers and Insects 1986
Birthday Letters (1998 )
? 9 volumes of translation
? 2 shortstory collections
? over 20 books for children
? 16 plays

122
Unit 13 20 th Century British Poets 20 世纪英国诗人
Hughess Style in General
, , ,
1. concrete terse emphatic economical yet powerful
2. natural,masculine and wild—mixture of beauty and violence in the natural world
3. mythic,modern,Jungian and ecological
4. simple and compendious with brutal,plain and direct language
5. full use of images and symbols,irony,purposeful repetition,hard facts of things
6. perfect fusion of tradition and modernism


About Hawk Roosting ”
, ,
Hughess earlier poetic work is rooted in nature and in particular the innocent savagery of
animals. He wrote frequently of the mixture of beauty and violence in the natural world.

Animals serve as a metaphor for his view on life animals live out a struggle for the survival of
the fittest in the same way that humans strive for ascendancy and success. “Hawk Roosting”and
“Jaguar”are such examples.
In “Hawk Roosting”,Ted Hughes describes a feral land where the predatory nature of the
grim animal excels and the absolute power of primitive violence stands out. He personifies the
, ,
hawk describing it as a survivor and a killer. Physically strong and powerful the hawk also

enjoys a kind of mental superiority thinking of himself as a perfect creature from heaven. Like
a God ,he has power over life and death. Hughes compares the hawks freedom to act on

instinct with the way we are ruled by thoughts arguments and regulations.

The hawks attitude is arrogant and selfconceited as he sees himself as like a king a god

or an executioner yet Hughess attitude is more difficult to tell. He leaves the poem open for
the reader to decide on how to react to this fierce spirit.

◆◆◆.%K? <11-'5&8◆◆◆
《栖息之鹰》

I sit in the top of the wood my eyes closed. 闭上双眼,立于丛林之巅,
, 1
Inaction no falsifying dream 纹丝不动,梦境毫无虚幻:
Between my hooked head and hooked feet : 弯喙啄刺,勾爪挥舞,
Or in sleep rehearse perfect kills and eat. 把捕杀的绝技演练。
The convenience of the high trees ! 服帖的大树高耸云端,

The airs buoyancy and the suns ray 御风展翅,沐浴太阳的光焰;
Are of advantage to me ; 一切便利各尽其用,
And the earths face upward for my inspection. 我来巡视大地仰卧的容颜。 123
My feet are locked upon the rough bark3 . 或者利爪紧扣粗糙的树皮,
It took the whole of Creation 或者羽翼扇动直冲蓝天;

To produce my foot my each feather : 这爪与翅由造物尽心造化,
Now I hold Creation in my foot 如今反倒将造物掌管。

Or fly up and revolve it all slowly — 我把地球慢慢拨转,
I kill where I please because it is all mine. 生杀全由喜怒裁判;

There is no sophistry4 in my body 无须辩术掩饰遮盖,
My manners are tearing off heads— 我的作风就是把头颅掐断———
The allotment5 of death. 直插活物的骨骼,
For the one path of my flight is direct 冲刺疾如闪电;
Through the bones of the living. 就这样分配死亡,
No arguments assert my right : 无须废话论证我的王权。
The sun is behind me. 把太阳置于背后,
Nothing has changed since I began. 万事万物此生从无变换;
My eye has permitted no change. 眼里容不下丝毫更改,
I am going to keep things like this. 我要维持现状直到永远。
Questions for Discussion
1. How does the poet describe the appearance of the hawk ?

2. What do you think of the line I kill where I please because it is all mine ”?
Notes
1. falsifying :伪造的,作假的
2. buoyancy:浮力
3. bark:树皮
4. sophistry:谬论,诡辩
5. allotment:分配

124
125
Literary Background Information

Colonial literature Owing to the large immigration to Boston in the 1630s ,the high

articulation of Puritan cultural ideals and the early establishment of a college and a printing

press in Cambridge the New England colonies have often been regarded as the center of early
American literature. The popular literary forms include sermons , meditations, theological
, , , , ,
treaties journals diaries biography autobiography lyric poetry and even letters and reports.
( —1631 ),William
The early governors and religious leaders such as Captain John Smith 1580
Bradford (1590 —1657 ),John Winthrop (1588 —1649 ),Cotton Mather (1663 —1728 ) are
considered Americas greatest historians who contribute a large number of historical works as
well as religious sermons. Captain John Smith is considered the first American author with his 8

books in all reports of exploration A True Relation of Such Occurrences and Accidents of Note
as Hath Happened in Virginia 爥 (1608 )and The General Historie of Virginia,New England,
and the Summer Isles (1624 ). And the latter contains the most famous tale of how the Indian
princess Pocahontas (1595 —1617 )saved him from the wrath of her father Powhatan by laying
her head upon Smiths when the Indians were about “to beat out his brains. ”Anne Bradstreet
(1612—1672 ),Edward Taylor (1642—1729 ),Michael Wigglesworth (1631—1705 )were
outstanding poets at that time. Bradstreets first volume of poetry The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung

Up in America published in 1650 was met with a positive reception in both the Old World and
the New World. “Huswifery”,“Upon a Spider Catching a Fly”,“Souls Groan”and “Christs

Reply are some of Taylors famous poems.
Revolutionary literature The puritans lives suffered many disruptions in the more secular
Age of the Democratic Revolution. Bostons commercial growth transformed manners and
; ;
morals witchcraft trials weakened trust in the ministry and public officials new rationalistic

philosophies associated with the Enlightenment came from abroad the Massachusetts charter was
issued to claim a royal possession of New England. The fervent Puritan hope for self
transformation became the American passion for selfimprovement. Between 1739 and 1742

there appeared religious revivals the Great Awakening. The doctrinal target of the Awakening
preachers was that man can earn his own salvation ,which shifted the focus from God to
individuals. Thus the Awakening was seen as the fountainhead of American national self
consciousness and marked Americas leap into modernity. The freedom of mind helped to forge
the demand for national sovereignty. From the 1760s pamphlets and newspaper essays underwent
a secular transformation by which the quest for salvation was translated into the pursuit of
126
Literary Background Information

liberty. Many intellectuals believed that the human mind could comprehend the universe through

the laws of physics as described by Isaac Newton. Benjamin Franklin was a scientist man of

letters and statesman as one of Americas most influential Founding Fathers whose colorful life
and legacy of scientific and political achievement won him many titles and countless cultural
references. Franklin retained a lifelong commitment to the Puritan virtues and political values he
, ,
had grown up with and through his civic work and publishing he succeeded in passing these
values into the American culture permanently. His successful experience has been exerting great
, ,
influence on American people in their attitudes to life career morality and values. His Poor
Ricards Almanac and The Autobiography have been the popular reading books for hundreds of
, ,
years. The revolutionary period also contained political essays debates and speeches such as

Thomas Paines Common Sense and The American Crisis Thomas Jeffersons Declaration of
, ,
Independence The Federalist Papers coauthored by Alexander Hamilton James Madison and

John Jay. During the revolution itself poems and songs such as Yankee Doodle and Nathan
Hale were popular. Major satirists included John Trumbull and Francis Hopkinson. Philip Morin
, ,
Freneau wrote poems about Indians flowers and plants in North America and the wars course.
William Hill Browns The Power of Sympathy (1789 )was considered as the first American
novel.
American Romanticism From the early 19 th century , American scholars such as
lexicographer Noah Webster advocated the national identity (characteristic ) of American
literature,“America must be as independent in literature as she is in politics,as famous for the
arts as for arms. ”Romantic writers stressed on imagination and feelings,opposed classic forms
and views,praised nature and individual common man. They celebrated American landscape,
presented the optimism and enthusiasm of the American people. Washington Irving (1783 —
1859 ),James Fenimore Cooper(1789 —1851 )and William Cullen Bryant(1794 —1878 )are
pioneers of American romanticism who tried their pen at the unique American style. Irving is
good at short stories. Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy hollow from The Sketch Book
enjoy great popularity. Rip Van Winkle becomes the first antihero in American literature.
Coopers novels include historical stories ,adventures and frontier saga. The pentalogy The
Leatherstocking Tales includes The Deerslayer,The Last of Mohicans,The Pathfinder,The
Pioneers and The Prairie,in which there appears an archetypal character—Natty Bumppo who
refuses all tradition,flights into nature from society for spiritual freedom. Bryant is the first
American poet admired by English poetic circle. His famous poems such as To a Waterfowl,
The Yellow Violet describe American landscape,birds and flowers,eulogize nature and its
revelation,celebrate this life (not afterlife ) and affirm the optimistic pursuit of American
people.
New England area is usually considered as the center of American romantic movement.
With the founding of the Transcendental Club and the publication of Ralph Waldo Emerson
127
(1803—1882 )s Nature in 1836,Transcendentalism becomes a coherent movement and a
sacred organization. Emerson claims it is possible to dispense with organized religion and reach
a lofty spiritual state by studying and responding to the natural world. Transcendentalism
advocates intuition , opposes ration and authority , takes that man is able to know truth
, ,
instinctively to acquire knowledge by transcending feelings so man is part of the OverSoul
(the great universal soul )—an allpervading power from which all things come from and of
which all are a part. Nature is the language of God,expression of Gods idea,revelation of
truth. Transcendentalists believe that society and its institutions ultimately corrupt the purity of
the individual ,and have faith that people are at their best when truly “selfreliant ” and
independent because there exists the inherent goodness in both people and nature. Besides
, ,
Nature Emersons other works such as SelfReliance The American Scholar influence many
people. Emersons most gifted fellowthinker is perhaps Henry David Thoreau 1817 ( —1862),
a resolute nonconformist. After living mostly by himself for two years in a cabin by a wooded
, ,
pond Thoreau wrote Walden a booklength memoir that urges resistance to the meddlesome
dictates of organized society. His radical writings express a deeprooted tendency toward
individualism in the American character. Thoreau opposes the AmericaMexico War (1846—
1848 )and condemns slavery in the south.
(1819—1891 ),Henry Wadsworth
New England poets such as James Russell Lowell
Longfellow (1807 —1882 ), and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809 —1894 ) are called
“Brahmins in Boston ”. Lowell and John Greenleaf Whittier (1807—1892 ) are the known
abolitionist poets. Harriet Beecher Stowes worldfamous Uncle Toms Cabin is another
abolitionist novel.
Walt Whitman (1819—1892 )and Emily Dickinson (1830—1886 ),two of Americas
greatest 19thcentury poets could hardly have been more different in temperament and style.
, ,
Whitman a poetic innovator and poet of the body published magnum opus Leaves of Grass in ,
which he uses a freeflowing verse and lines of irregular length to depict the allinclusiveness of
, ,
American democracy. Emily Dickinson on the other hand lived the sheltered life of a genteel
unmarried woman in smalltown Amherst ,Massachusetts. Within its formal structure,her
poetry is ingenious,witty,exquisitely wrought,and psychologically penetrating. Her work was
unconventional for its day.

Besides Irvings comic fables and Coopers frontier adventures the fiction of this period is
an original and diverse body of work,which ranges from the psychological romances of
Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804 —1864 ) to the narrative quests of Herman Melville (1819 —
1891 ),from the Gothic tales of Edgar Allan Poe (1809 —1849 ) to the social realism of
Rebecca Harding Davis (1831 —1910 ). A preoccupation with the Calvinistic view of Original
Sin and the mystery of evil marked the works of Hawthorne and Melville. To Emerson and

128

Thoreau man is divine in nature and therefore forever perfectible ;but to Hawthorne and
Literary Background Information

, ,
Melville everybody is potentially a sinner and great moral courage is therefore indispensable

for the improvement of human nature. Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter The House of the Seven
, , , ,
Gables The Ministers Black Veil Young Goodman Brown The Birthmark and Rappaccinis
Daughter share a similar theme —evil in human heart and pride of intellect. Hawthornes fiction
has a profound impact on his friend Herman Melville who goes on to write romances replete with

philosophical speculation. In MobyDick an adventurous whaling voyage becomes the vehicle
for examining such themes as obsession,the nature of evil,and human struggle against the
elements.

Among the American romantic writers Edgar Allan Poe emerges from the Old South “ ”,
yet few of his works feature Southern locales and characters. He constructs his work around the
central issue of unconscious psychological revelation and is fascinated with death,violence,
perversity and madness. Ligeia,The Fall of the House of Usher,The Cask of Amontillado are
good examples. Poe is also a poet and the first American literary theorist. But he was not given
much attention to when he was alive though he published more than 100 short stories and two
books on literary theory. His conception of overall effect and precise denouement is quite
, ,
influential. Antitranscendental works from Melville Hawthorne and Poe all comprise the Dark
Romanticism subgenre of literature popular during this time.
American realism (1865—1918 )After the Civil War a systematic program of national
consolidation and expansion was carried out,committed the country to the most rapid material,
industrial, technological development. The epochdefining processes made possible the
nationalization ,the incorporation and the reinstitutionalization of American life and culture. The
rules of social action had somehow changed. There appeared heavy European immigration and
significant movements of the population from rural to urban areas. The city appeared as part of
the national network of modernization actualized by new railroad lines and telegraph wires. A
new gulf had opened between the advantaged and disadvantaged , and an oppressive
consciousness of displacement and separation lay in wait for nearly everybody unadaptable to the
profitoriented business world. American realism was a developing series of responses to such

changes and designated an art based on the accurate unromanticized observation of life and

nature. In a world increasingly defined by technology and labor flawlessly sketched landscapes

of the local colorists came to seem a lost world. Vernacular writing by Mark Twain Sarah Orne

Jewett Mary E. Wilkins Freeman ,Joel Chandler Harris,Kate Chopin and Willa Cather

manifests that realistic literature must embody the race the milieu and the historical moment of
its author. In their often nostalgic attention to diverse regional customs eroded by standardized

urban society they share with British writers like Thomas Hardy that a works realism resides
both in its local details and in the larger transfigurations of national ideology to which it
responds.
William Dean Howells (181837—1920 ),Mark Twain (1835—1910 )and Henry James
(1843—1916 ) are considered the three most important representatives of realism. Howells 129
probes the decay of moral values that seems to accompany the industrialization of agrarian
, “ , ,
America. In his view fiction must be true to motives the impulses the principles that shape
the life of actual men and women ”;while it should be infused with an ethical sense that will
counter the materialism of contemporary life. The Rise of Silas Lapham is his best novel. Mark
Twain is the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens. His masterpieces include Life on the

Mississippi Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twains style —
influenced by journalism ,wedded to the vernacular,direct and unadorned but also highly
evocative and irreverently humorous—changed the way Americans write their language. His
characters speak like real people and sound distinctively American,using local dialects,newly
invented words,and regional accents. Ernest Hemingway once said,“All modern American
literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Its the
best book weve had. ”Henry James confronted the Old WorldNew World dilemma by writing
directly about it. Although born in New York City,he spent most of his adult years in England.
Many of his novels center on Americans who live in or travel to Europe. With its intricate,
highly qualified sentences and dissection of emotional and psychological nuance,Jamess fiction
can be daunting. Among his more accessible works are the novellas Daisy Miller,about an
enchanting American girl in Europe,and The Turn of the Screw,an enigmatic ghost story.
The naturalists committed themselves to the premise of “absolute determinism ” that
individuals are no longer morally independent but succumbed to the logic of heredity and
environment and they wrote novels in which conditions dictated events. Stephen Crane (1871 —
1900 ), Frank Norris (1870 —1902 ), Jack London (1876 —1916 ) and Theodore Dreiser
(1871—1945)incorporated these assumptions into their works,analyzing social systems that
destroy and dehumanize, and individual trajectories of failure or success. Despite all the
changes ,the confidence about being an American permeated the entire period. Cranes The Red
Badge of Courage is about the Civil War,and Maggie:A Girl of the Streets depicted the life of
New York City prostitutes. Theodore Dreiser,in Sister Carrie,portrayed a country girl who
moves to Chicago and becomes a kept woman. Frank Norris and Hamlin Garland wrote about
the problems of American farmers and other social issues at the turn of the century.
The role of black writers in American realism was special. Charles Chesnutt , Paul

Luarence Dunbar W. E. B. Du Bois and Thomas Nelson Page not only added a distinctive

voice to American fiction but also challenged the extent of democratic freedoms through their
assimilation.
There appeared some more directly political writings that discussed social issues and power
of corporations. Some like Edward Bellamy in Looking Backward outlined other possible

political and social frameworks. Upton Sinclair most famous for his muckraking novel The

Jungle advocated socialism. Other political writers of the period included Edwin Markham ,
William Vaughn Moody. Journalistic critics ,including Ida M. Tarbell and Lincoln Steffens

130 ,
were labeled The Muckrakers. Henry Brooks Adams literate autobiography The Education of
Literary Background Information

Henry Adams also depicted a stinging description of the education system and modern life.
By the 19 th century the new woman demanded attention as a powerful socialliterary figure.
—independent,outspoken,iconoclastic—empowered the work
From the 1890s the new woman
of Kate Chopin,Alice James,Charlotte Perkins Gillman,Edith Wharton,Willa Cather and
Gertrude Stein. The new woman is not content to continue the duality nor to sustain its terms of
conformity and concealment. Such new fiction met hostile reception from both distinguished
male writers and conservative women writers in defense of tradition. They opposed the new
woman by proclaiming the sacred doctrines of domesticity. Kate Chopin 1851 ( —1904 ),a
forerunner of the 20 century feminist authors,published The Awakening in 1899 ,which is
th

widely seen as a landmark work of early feminism, generating a mixed reaction from
contemporary readers and critics. The novel focuses on womens issues without condescension
and is unique in its blend of realistic narrative,incisive social commentary,and psychological
complexity. Edith Wharton (1862 —1937 )carefully examined,in her stories and novels,the
upperclass,Easternseaboard society in which she had grown up. One of her finest books,The
Age of Innocence (1920 ),centers on a man who chooses to marry a conventional,socially
acceptable woman rather than a fascinating outsider. Willa Cather (1873 —1947 ) achieved
recognition for her novels of frontier life on the Great Plains,including O Pioneers!(1913 ),
The Song of the Lark (1915 ),and My ?ntonia (1918 ). Gertrude Stein (1874 —1946 ),by
then an expatriate in Paris,published Three Lives(1909 ),an innovative work of fiction in style
and form influenced by her familiarity with cubism,jazz,and other movements in contemporary
art and music.
Modernism (1918 —1945 )The 1920s,referred to as the “Roaring Twenties”or the “Jazz
Age ” because of the economic boom following World War Ⅰ, witnessed the economic
prosperity,radical political movements, inventions of planes, automobiles, and domestic
appliance such as color TV,electric razor,fridge,easy chair,hairdrier,all of which greatly
influenced peoples life. The intellectual awakening embraced a broad range of social issues:
education,feminism,Freudian psychology,birth control,penology (监狱管理学 ),industrial
unionism. Authors of the period struggled to understand the changes occurring in society. While
some writers praised the changes,others expressed disappointment in the passing of the old
ways. And experimentation in style and form soon joined the new freedom in subject matter.
Many writers belonged to the group which Gertrude Stein dubbed the “Lost Generation ”.
Besides Stein,E. E. Cummings (1894 —1962 ),Ernest Hemingway (1899 —1961 ),F. Scott
and Zelda Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound (1885 —1972 ), John Dos Passos (1896 —1970 ), and
Sherwood Anderson(1876 —1941 )are the other expatriate writers in Paris or London.
American writers also expressed the disillusionment following upon the war. The stories
and novels of F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896 —1940 )capture the restless,pleasurehungry,defiant
mood of the 1920s. Fitzgeralds characteristic theme, expressed poignantly in The Great
Gatsby,is the tendency of youths golden dreams to dissolve in failure and disappointment. 131
Fitzgerald also elucidates the collapse of some key American Ideals ,such as liberty,social
, ,
unity good governance and peace features which were severely threatened by the pressures of
th
( —1951 )and Sherwood Anderson also
modern early 20 century society. Sinclair Lewis 1885
wrote novels with critical depictions of American life. Lewis was the first American who won
the Nobel Prize for literature in 1930 with his famous social satires like Main Street and Babbitt.
Babbitt is a nobody who cant escape the moneyfame worshiping vogue of the industrial
America and this name of his becomes a synonym of “vulgar snob ”. Anderson created a

Midwestern town placed by grotesques isolated both from each other and from themselves.
John Dos Passos wrote about the war and also the U. S. A. trilogy which extended into the
Depression.
Ernest Hemingway (1899—1961 )saw violence and death firsthand as an ambulance
driver in World War Ⅰ,and the carnage persuaded him that abstract language was mostly empty
and misleading. He cut out unnecessary words from his writing, simplified the sentence
structure,and concentrated on concrete objects and actions. He adhered to a moral code that
emphasized grace under pressure,and his protagonists were strong,silent men—Hemingway
Code Heroes. The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms are generally considered his best
novels. Hemingway called his style the Iceberg Theory:the facts float above water;the
supporting structure and symbolism operate out of sight. In 1954 ,Hemingway was awarded the
Nobel Prize in Literature for “his mastery of the art of narrative,most recently demonstrated in
The Old Man and the Sea,and for the influence that he has exerted on contemporary style”.
The onset of the Depression abruptly changed the debunking style prevalent in the 1920s.
Writers set out to explore and report the effects of the devastation on the population and to assess
the anger and bewilderment of ordinary Americans. The most sensational social protest novel in
( —1968)s The Grapes of the Wrath. Other popular novels
the 1930s was John Steinbeck 1902
include Tortilla Flat,Of Mice and Men,Cannery Row,and East of Eden. He was awarded the
Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962. Throughout the decade the theory and programs of the
Communist party attracted a considerable number of writers and intellectuals who expressed and
masked their personal anxieties in political metaphors and symbols. The Spanish civil war broke

out in 1936 after the forces of General Francisco Franco aided by Mussolini and Hitler. In the
next few years,the war prompted an outpouring of antifascist literature. The overwhelming
event in the forties was WW Ⅱ. Between 1941 and 1945 ,the entire country,including most
writers,donned real or metaphorical uniforms in “the fight for national survival. ”
Henry Miller assumed a unique place in American Literature in the 1930s when his semi
autobiographical novels,written and published in Paris,were banned from the US. Although his
major works,including Tropic of Cancer and Black Spring,would not be free of the label of
obscenity until 1962 ,their themes and stylistic innovations had already exerted a major influence
on succeeding generations of American writers,and paved the way for sexually frank 1960s

132 novels by John Updike,Philip Roth,Gore Vidal,John Rechy and William Styron.
Literary Background Information

“ ”
The belief in the heroism and morality of the Souths Lost Cause was a driving force in

Southern literature between the Civil War and World War Ⅰ. The Fugitives ”,
also called
“Southern Agrarians ”, a group of poets and critics including John Crowe Ransom Donald,
Davidson,Allen Tate,Robert Penn Warren,and others tried to defend the regionalism of
Southern literature,supporting the agrarian tradition in the South by opposing industrialization.
From the 1880s onwards,a few white Southern authors,such as George Washington Cable and
Mark Twain (considered a Southern writer because he grew up in the slave state of Missouri and
set many of his writings in the South )challenged readers by pointing out the exploitation of
blacks and ridiculing other Southern conventions of the time. And the satirist H. L. Mencken
even provoked other Southern writers to reassert Southern uniqueness and to explore more deeply
the theme of Southern identity. Such writers as William Faulkner 1897 ( —1962 ),Caroline
Gordon,Elizabeth Madox Roberts,Katherine Anne Porter,Allen Tate,Tennessee Williams,
Robert Penn Warren,and Zora Neale Hurston make important contributions to the Southern
Renaissance.
Faulkner encompassed an enormous range of humanity in Yoknapatawpha County, a
Mississippian region of his own invention. He recorded his characters seemingly unedited
ramblings in order to represent their inner states,a technique called “stream of consciousness”.
(In fact,these passages are carefully crafted,and their seemingly chaotic structure conceals
multiple layers of meaning. )He also jumbled time sequences to show how the pastespecially
the slaveholding era of the Deep South—endured in the present. Among his great works are
Absalom,Absalom! ,As I Lay Dying,The Sound and the Fury,and Light in August. He won
the Nobel Prize in 1949. Porter depicted the helplessness of a worn land and the loneliness,
guilt and sin of its people. Many Southern writers of the 1940s,50s,and 60s were inspired by
the writers of the Southern Renaissance,including Reynolds Price,James Dickey,Walker
Percy,Eudora Welty,Flannery OConnor,Carson McCullers,and Harper Lee (whose novel
To Kill a Mockingbird won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 ),along with many others.
The imagist poets notably Pound, Amy Lowell, William Carlos Williams and Hilda
Doolittle,rebelled against standard poetic material and forms as well as traditional expressions of
sense experience,advocating instead the direct presentation of feelings in exquisite images.
Pounds work is complex,sometimes obscure,with multiple references to other art forms and to
a vast range of literature,both Western and Eastern. He influenced many other poets,notably
T. S. Eliot (1888 —1965 ),another expatriate. Eliot wrote spare,cerebral poetry,carried by a
dense structure of symbols. In The Waste Land,he embodied a jaundiced vision of post—World
War Ⅰ society in fragmented,haunted images. Like Pounds,Eliots poetry could be highly
allusive. In 1948 ,Eliot won the Nobel Prize in Literature. During the same time,Robert Frost,
Vachel Lindsay,and Carl Sandburg created different kinds of modernist poetry. Frost,for
example,adopted traditional forms but used colloquial language and the subject matter of
everyday life, showing disbelief in a stable religious faith. E. E. Cummings combined 133
typographic and grammatical experimentation with romantic humanism and occasional social
commentary. Wallace Stevens started his lifelong phenomenology of discourse about the
imagination.

American drama attained international status only in the 1920s and 1930s with the works
( —1953),who won four Pulitzer Prizes and the Nobel Prize. He was
of Eugene ONeill 1888
generally acclaimed as Americas greatest dramatist who sprawled realistic plays with an epic
dimension. Long Days Journey into Night is often numbered on the short list of the finest

American plays in the 20th century alongside Tennessee Williamss A Streetcar Named Desire
and Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman. ONeills plays are among the first to include
speeches in American vernacular and involve characters on the fringes of society. They struggle

to maintain their hopes and aspirations but ultimately slide into disillusionment and despair.
Nearly all his plays involve some degree of tragedy and personal pessimism.
Black writers appearing in the Harlem Renaissance ,including Jean Toomer,Claude
Mekay,James Weldon Johnson,Langston Hughes Countee Cullen,Sterling A. Brown,Zora
Neale Hurstonwere productive and influential,expressing their black pride and recognizing their
independent and oppositional cultural force. They rejected merely imitating the style of
Europeans and white Americans and instead explored the historical experiences of black America
and the contemporary experiences of black life in the urban North. Another important black
( —1960 ),whose social protest novel Native Son (1940 )tells
writer was Richard Wright 1908
the story of Bigger Thomas,a Black man struggling for acceptance in Chicago.
Mexican American literature took shape in the context of a hybrid frontier environment.
Across the Southwest, Mexican Americans maintained Mexican traditions in response to
irresistible Anglo influences and developed a distinctive culture and literature. Eusebio Chacón
was the most respected Mexican novelist. Asian American writing mirrored the evolving self
image and consciousness of an often misunderstood and increasingly significant racial minority
group. Writers recorded the experiences of Asians in the United States and gave powerful
expression to individual experiences and perceptions. The bestknown writer was Lin Yutang.

Women writers of the period suffered conflict repression and decline. While the shift from the
feminist to the flapper as the womanly ideal caused anxiety for women planning literary careers

in the 1920s and 1930s the reaction against the feminine voice in American literature in the
colleges and professional associations made the decades more difficult. Despite all the setbacks
, ,Marianne Moore,produced an important body of
women writers such as Gertrude Stein H. D.
work that has finally become influential.
Contemporary literature (1945 —)Postwar American history takes place in the context of
two overwhelming developments:the international leadership of America in terms of economy
and the growth of a postindustrial society. The first determines the political shape of America
while the second determines its social structure. With the emergence of notable writers who are

134 outspokenly feminists ,blacks,gays,immigrants,and other minority members,literature in


Literary Background Information

, ,
America continually reawakens the myths of the melting pot upward mobility and a free and
enlightened public. After the war,many writers deserted their old practice of “socialist realism”
in the 1930s,in part because of the recognition of the horrors of the Soviet state and a renewed
patriotism. Then in the 1960s,revolutionary texts exploded. The subjects included:race and
ethnicity ;sex,sexuality and gender;war,political violence and economic exploitation;and the
destruction of nature. In turn,these statements altered culture in the United States in the 1970s
and 1980s. After 1945 ,blacks had been Americas most formidable voices of protest. During
the 1960s,three other racial groups forcefully claimed literary space:the Native American,the
Hispanic,Puerto Rican and Mexican American,and Asian American. Such women of color,
including Alice Walker,June Jordan,Toni Morrison,Lorraine Hansberry,Maya Angelou,
Gwendolyn Brooks,Margaret Walker,and Zora Neale Hurston claimed a legacy:their own
history,their own communal,familial and linguistic memories. Writing both race and gender,
they rejected,adapted and helped to create the insights and images of the New Feminism that
began in the 1960s. In the 1970s,Adrienne Rich explored lesbianism. Homosexuality had
been considered sinful,criminal and illegal.
During much of the 1960s,one focus of radical literature was war and peace. Rich,Susan
Sontag,Mary McCarthy,Denise Levertov,Grace Paley,Robert Bly used literature to argue
against the Vietnam War. In the 1980s,radical literature exposed American force in Central
America. Some of the wilder elements of the “youth movement”,such as distrust of structure
and rationality,trust of sexuality,a preference for musical over literary texts,a delight in
costumes and performances,drug use were antecedents of Punk sensibility and writing. A
related form of protest,the ecology movement,spoke of the destruction of nature,of the
biological and physical world. In the late 1960s and 1970s,a major strand of radical feminism
fused ecological and feminist thinking. Such writing promised that nature would survive if
women were to liberate and empower themselves.
The beat poets including Allen Ginsberg , Philip Lamantia , Michael , as
McClure
oppositional forces became visible in the 1950s. They boldly combined the mystical, the
political and the physiological and proclaimed naked selfexpression and spontaneous
, , ,
composition. Drugs madness Jazz extreme experiences of all kinds were sought to dislocate
ordinary into visionary consciousness. Ginsberg set the tone of the movement in his poem Howl,
a Whitmanesque work that began:“I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness
爥”Among the most representative achievements of the Beats in the novel are Jack Kerouacs
On the Road (1957 ),the chronicle of a soulsearching travel through the continent,and
William S. Burroughss Naked Lunch (1959 ),a more experimental work structured as a series
of vignettes relating,among other things,the narrators travels and experiments with hard
drugs.
Like the beat poets,the confessional poets,most notably John Berryman,Robert Lowell,
Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath,repudiated the orthodoxies of the 1950s. They probe psychic 135

wounds and sought emotional catharsis. Unlike the beats the confessional poets had a wide and
deep impact on contemporary poetry by creating an atmosphere of permission for the use of
intense personal emotion amd autobiographical subjects. The Black Mountain poets were

socially and closely knit with Charles Olson as its center. Although both beat and confessional

poets have placed a new emphasis on physical experience they stress the pain and make it the
subject of their poetry. Olson makes artistic creation a physiological process.

Regarding the war novel specifically there was a literary explosion in America during the
post —WWⅡ era. Some best known works produced included Norman Mailers The Naked and
the Dead (1948 ),Joseph Hellers Catch22 (1961 )and Kurt Vonnegut Jr. s Slaughterhouse
Five (1969 ). The Moviegoer(1962 ),by Southern author Walker Percy,winner of the National
Book Award,was his attempt at exploring “the dislocation of man in the modern age. ” In
contrast,John Updike (1932 —2009 )approached American life from a more reflective but no
less subversive perspective. His Rabbit series,Rabbit Run (1960 ),Rabbit Redux (1970 ),
Rabbit is Rich (1981 )and Rabbit at Rest (1990 ),Rabbit Remembered (2001 )describe the
rising and falling fortunes of Harry “Rabbit”Angstrom.
The revival of realism came in the postwar years and directed the novel form. Historical
process had played a powerful part in American neorealist fiction. The writers including Saul
( —2005 ), J. D. Salinger (1919—2010 ), Bernard Malamud (1914—1986 ),
Bellow 1915
Norman Mailer (1923 —2007 ), Joseph Heller (1923 —1999 ), Herbert Gold (1924 —),
Raymond Carver (1838 —1988 ), Joyce Carol Oates (1938 —), Toni Morrison (1931 —),
Robert Stone (1937 —2015 ) and Richard Ford (1944 —) presented the anxiety, the
consciousness of modern nihilism and the desire for moral recovery. In the 1960s and 1970s
there appeared selfreflexive fiction that explicitly concerns itself with the process of narration,
writing and composition. It establishes a relation between author and text,and therefore relates
to the writing process and allows the reader to witness the interplay between author and creation.
Writers use such tools as parody,irony,digression,playfulness to demystify the illusionary
aspect of the story. William Burroughs,Flannery OConnor,John Hawkes,Kurt Vonnegut,
Jr. ,John Barth, Thomas Pynchon, Robert Coover and Donald Barthelme are outstanding
representatives. Writers from various cultural origins have emerged and are still surfacing,
bringing about a literature of mixed cultural identities. Such writers include E. L. Doctorow,
Robert Stone,Don Delillo,Maxine Hong Kingston,Amy Tan,Frank Chin,Alice Walker,
Maya Angelou,Rita Dove,August Wilson,Philip Roth,Leslie M. Silko,Louise Erdrich,
Americo Paredes,and Denise Chaves.
The early twentieth century saw the appearance of two pioneering Jewish American
novels:Abraham Cahans The Rise of David Levinsky and Henry Roths Call it Sleep. It reached
some of its most mature expression in the 20th century “Jewish American novels ” by Saul
Bellow,J. D. Salinger,Norman Mailer,Bernard Malamud,Chaim Potok,and Philip Roth

136 (1933—). Their work explored the conflicting pulls between secular society and Jewish
Literary Background Information

tradition. Bellow won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1976 for his great works including The
, , ,
Adventures of Augie March Henderson the Rain King Herzog Mr. Sammlers Planet Seize ,

the Day Humboldts Gift and Ravelstein. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye was an immediate
popular success. His depiction of adolescent alienation and loss of innocence in the protagonist
Holden Caulfield was influential. Philip Roth is one of the most awardwinning U. S. writers of
his generation. Eight of Philip Roths 28 novels and short stories have been adapted as films :
, ; ; ; ,
Goodbye Columbus Portnoys Complaint The Human Stain The Dying Animal which was
adapted as the movie Elegy;The Humbling;Indignation;and the upcoming American Pastoral.
In addition,The Ghost Writer was adapted for television in 1984.
Postwar AfricanAmerican literature was colorful. James Baldwins semiautobiographical
( )tells the story of John Grimes,an intelligent teenager
novel Go Tell It on the Mountain 1953

in 1930s Harlem and his relationship to his family and his church. Ralph Ellisons Invisible
( )
Man 1952 won the National Book Award in 1953. Lorraine Hansberrys play A Raisin in the
Sun(1959 )focuses on a poor Black family living in Chicago and it won the 1959 New York
Drama Critics Circle Award. A number of important essays and books about human rights were
written by the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King ,Jrs Letter from
Birmingham Jail and Malcolm Xs The Autobiography of Malcolm X are the leading examples.

The Civil Rights time period also saw the rise of female Black poets most notably Gwendolyn

Brooks who became the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize when it was awarded
, ,
for her 1949 book of poetry Annie Allen. Along with Brooks other female poets who became
well known during the 1950s and 60s are Nikki Giovanni and Sonia Sanchez. In 1982 Alice ,
Walker won both the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award for her novel The Color
( ),which tells the story of Celie,a young woman who is sexually abused by her
Purple 1982
stepfather and then is forced to marry a man who physically abuses her. Toni Morrisons
Beloved won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988 and she is the first African American to win
the Nobel Prize in Literature.
In the middle of the 20th century ,American drama was dominated by the work of
playwrights Tennessee Williams (1911 —1983 )and Arthur Miller (1915 —2005 ),as well as
by the maturation of the American musical,which had found a way to integrate script,music
and dance in such works as Oklahoma!and West Side Story. Williams shapes his dramas by
lurid violence,whereas Miller stages ethical imperatives. Moreover,Miller sees himself as a
responsible realist whereas Williams is a lyrical romantic. The traditional narrative of American
( —2016),who is celebrated mainly for his early plays.
drama ended with Edward Albee 1928
Besides Albee,later American playwrights of importance include Sam Shepard,David Mamet,
August Wilson and Tony Kushner.

137
Edgar Allan Poe 1809 ( —1849)
Unit 14 埃德加 · 爱伦 · 坡

Biography
, , ,
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author poet editor and literary

critic considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known
for his tales of mystery and the macabre ,Poe was one of the earliest
American practitioners of the short story,and is generally considered the
inventor of the detective fiction genre. He is further credited with
contribution to the emerging genre of science fiction. He was the first
wellknown American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone ,
resulting in a financially difficult life and career.

Born in Boston Poe was the second child of two actors. His father abandoned the family
, ,
in 1810 and his mother died the following year. Thus orphaned the child was taken in by John
, ,
and Frances Allan of Richmond Virginia. Poe received his primary education in Britain and

attended University of Virginia in 1826 to study ancient and modern languages but he dropped
out due to his gambling habit and therefore he became estranged from his foster father over

gambling debts. Later he was admitted by West Point but he got removed by breaking the rules

in 1831. He was determined to be a writer and to make a living. He wrote for a few journals
and magazines and soon became editor and critic for some literary journals such as the Southern
, ,
Literary Messenger. In 1847 his young wife died of tuberculosis which greatly saddened him ,

and two years later he was found dead on the street of Baltimore one cold morning.
, “
Poe was also considered the first American literary theorist advocating art for arts sake ”
, ,
and leaving behind important theories on poetry short story writing and literary criticism most
of which were collected in the two essays —The Philosophy of Composition (1846 )and The
( )
Poetic Principle 1848 .

Major Works
? Collections of poems
( )《帖木儿及其他诗》
Tamerlane and Other Poems 1827
The Raven and Other Poems(1845 )《乌鸦与其他诗篇》

138
Unit 14 ( —1849) 埃德加·爱伦·坡
Edgar Allan Poe 1809

? Collections of short stories


( )
Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque 1839  two volumes 《怪异故事集》(2 卷本)
( )《故事集》
Tales 1845
? Poes only complete novel
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket 1838( )《阿瑟 · 戈登 · 皮姆的
故事》
? Poes only play
( )《波利希安》
Politian 1835
? Essays
“The Philosophy of Composition”(1846)《创作哲学》
“The Poetic Principle”(1848)《诗歌原理》
“Eureka:A Prose Poem”(1848)《我发现了—一首散文诗》
? Short stories
The Black Cat 《黑猫》
The Cask of Amontillado 《一桶蒙特亚白葡萄酒》
The Fall of the House of Usher《厄舍府的倒塌》
Ligeia《丽姬娅》
The GoldBug 《金甲虫》
The Masque of the Red Death 《红色死亡假面舞会》
The Murders in the Rue Morgue《莫格街谋杀案》
The Purloined Letter《被窃之信》
The TellTale Heart《泄密的心》
The Pit and the Pendulum《陷坑与钟摆》
? Poems
Al Aaraaf 《阿尔阿拉夫》
Annabel Lee《安娜贝尔·丽》
The Bells《钟声》
The City in the Sea《海中之城》
A Dream Within a Dream《梦中之梦》
To Helen 《致海伦》
The Raven 《乌鸦》
The Haunted Palace《闹鬼的宫殿》
Lenore《丽诺尔》
Ulalume《尤娜路姆》
Sonnet—To Science《十四行诗—致科学》

Poes Style in General


, , , ,
1. scary horrible gruesome and mysterious due to his Gothic stories satires humor 139

tales hoaxes(恶作剧),detective stories and science fiction
2. welldesigned,bizarre (eerie ) settings and thrilling plots—castles,abysses,dark
chambers,cellars,rainstorms,snowstorms,moonlit nights,dark forest
3. protagonists who suffer from loneliness,death awareness,or mental disorder
4. themes dealing with death,burial,reanimation of the dead,mourning and evil,
morbid personality
( )
5. exquisite diction use of words and fluency
6. use of symbols,metaphors and irony

Synopsis of The Cask of Amontillado


Told in the first person by an Italian aristocrat ,“The Cask of Amontillado”engages the
reader by making him or her a confidant to Montresors macabre tale of revenge. The victim is
, , ,
Fortunato who the narrator claims gave him a thousand injuries that he endured patiently but ,
, ,
when Fortunato dared insult him he vowed revenge. It must be a perfect revenge one in which
Fortunato will know fully what is happening to him and in which Montresor will be forever
undetected. To accomplish it ,Montresor waits until carnival season,a time of “supreme
madness ”, when Fortunato, already halfdrunk and costumed as a jester, is particularly
vulnerable. Montresor then informs him that he has purchased a pipe of Amontillado wine but is
, ,
not sure he has gotten the genuine article. He should he says have consulted Fortunato who ,
, ,
prides himself on being an expert on wine adding that because Fortunato is engaged he will go

instead to Luchesi. Knowing his victims vanity Montresor baits him by saying that some fools

argue that Luchesis taste is as fine as Fortunatos. The latter is hooked and Montresor conducts

him to his empty palazzo and leads him down into the family catacombs all the while plying
him with drink. Through underground corridors with piles of skeletons alternating with wine
casks ,Montresor leads Fortunato , whose jesters bells jingle grotesquely in the funereal

atmosphere. In the deepest crypt there is a small recess and there Montresor chains Fortunato to

a pair of iron staples and then begins to lay a wall of stone and mortar with which he buries his
, ,
enemy alive. While he does so he relishes the mental torment of his victim whom he then

leaves alone in the dark waiting in terror for his death.

Characters
Montresor is the immoral narrator who tells the story of his revenge against Fortunato.
, ,
Montresor lures Fortunato into his catacombs chains him to a wall and buries him alive.
Fortunato is a friend of Montresors who is unaware that Montresor is plotting to kill him.
He is a connoisseur of wine who is enticed by Montresor to sample some rare Amontillado and
lured into his trap.

140
Luchesi is another wine connoisseur and an acquaintance of Montresor and Fortunato ;
Unit 14 ( —1849) 埃德加·爱伦·坡
Edgar Allan Poe 1809

Montresor urges Fortunato to sample his wine by threatening to allow Luchesi to try it first if
Fortunato does not comply.

◆◆◆!"# $%-? 16 :/1&'5,,%71◆◆◆


The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could but when he ventured upon
, , ,
insult I vowed revenge. You who so well know the nature of my soul will not suppose ,
however,that I gave utterance to a threat. At length I would be avenged;this was a point
definitively settled—but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved,precluded the idea of
risk. I must not only punish, but punish with impunity . A wrong is unredressed when

retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make
himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.
It must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt
, , ,
my good will. I continued as was my wont to smile in his face and he did not perceive that

my smile now was at the thought of his immolation .
He had a weak point —this Fortunato—although in other regards he was a man to be
respected and even feared. He prided himself on his connoisseurship3 in wine. Few Italians
have the true virtuoso spirit. For the most part their enthusiasm is adapted to suit the time and
opportunity—to practise imposture upon the British and Austrian millionaires. In painting and
gemmary Fortunato,like his countrymen,was a quack —but in the matter of old wines he was

sincere. In this respect I did not differ from him materially:I was skillful in the Italian vintages
myself,and bought largely whenever I could.
It was about dusk,one evening during the supreme madness of the Carnival season ,that 5

I encountered my friend. He accosted me with excessive warmth,for he had been drinking


much. The man wore motley . He had on a tightfitting partistriped dress,and his head was

surmounted by the conical cap and bells. I was so pleased to see him,that I thought I should
never have done wringing his hand.
I said to him ,“My dear Fortunato,you are luckily met. How remarkably well you are

looking today But I have received a pipe of what passes for Amontillado8

,and I have my
doubts. ”
“How?”said he;“Amontillado?A pipe?Impossible!And in the middle of the Carnival!”
“I have my doubts,”I replied;“and I was silly enough to pay the full Amontillado price
without consulting you in the matter. You were not to be found,and I was fearful of losing a
bargain. ”
“Amontillado!”
“I have my doubts. ”
“Amontillado!” 141
“And I must satisfy them. ”
“Amontillado!”
“As you are engaged,I am on my way to Luchesi. If any one has a critical turn,it is he.
He will tell me—”
“Luchesi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry. ”
“And yet some fools will have it that his taste is a match for your own. ”
“Come,let us go. ”
“Whither?”
“To your vaults. ”
“My friend,no;I will not impose upon your good nature. I perceive you have an
engagement. Luchesi—”
“I have no engagement;come. ”
“My friend,no. It is not the engagement,but the severe cold with which I perceive you
are afflicted. The vaults are insufferably damp. They are encrusted with nitre. ”
“Let us go nevertheless. The cold is merely nothing. Amontillado! You have been
imposed upon. And as for Luchesi—he cannot distinguish Sherry from Amontillado. ”
Thus speaking,Fortunato possessed himself of my arm. Putting on a mask of black silk,
and drawing a roquelaire closely about my person,I suffered him to hurry me to my palazzo.

There were no attendants at home;they had absconded to make merry in honor of the time.
I had told them that I should not return until the morning,and had given them explicit orders not
to stir from the house. These orders were sufficient,I well knew,to ensure their immediate
disappearance,one and all,as soon as my back was turned.
I took from their sconces two flambeaux ,and giving one to Fortunato,bowed him
10 11

through several suites of rooms to the archway that led into the vaults. I passed down a long and

winding staircase requesting him to be cautious as he followed. We came at length to the foot

of the descent and stood together on the damp ground of the catacombs12 of the Montresors.

The gait of my friend was unsteady and the bells upon his cap jingled as he strode.
“The pipe,”said he.
“It is farther on,”said I;“but observe the white webwork which gleams from these
cavern walls. ”
He turned towards me,and looked into my eyes with two filmy orbs that distilled the rheum
of intoxication.
“Nitre?”he asked,at length.
“Nitre,”I replied. “How long have you had that cough?”
“Ugh! ugh! ugh!—ugh! ugh! ugh!—ugh! ugh! ugh!—ugh! ugh! ugh!—ugh!
ugh!ugh! ”
My poor friend found it impossible to reply for many minutes.
142
Unit 14 ( —1849) 埃德加·爱伦·坡
Edgar Allan Poe 1809

“It is nothing,”he said,at last.


“Come,”I said,with decision,“we will go back;your health is precious. You are rich,
respected ,admired,beloved;you are happy,as once I was. You are a man to be missed. For
me it is no matter. We will go back;you will be ill,and I cannot be responsible. Besides,
there is Luchesi—”
“Enough,”he said,“the cough is a mere nothing;it will not kill me. I shall not die of a
cough. ”
“True—true,”I replied;“and,indeed,I had no intention of alarming you unnecessarily—
but you should use all proper caution. A draught of this Medoc13 will defend us from the
damps. ”
Here I knocked off the neck of a bottle which I drew from a long row of its fellows that lay
upon the mould. “Drink,”I said,presenting him the wine.

He raised it to his lips with a leer. He paused and nodded to me familiarly while his bells
jingled.
“I drink,”he said,“to the buried that repose around us. ”
“And I to your long life. ”
He again took my arm,and we proceeded.
“These vaults,”he said,“are extensive. ”
“The Montresors,”I replied,“were a great and numerous family. ”
“I forget your arms. ”
“A huge human foot dor,in a field azure;the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs
are embedded in the heel. ”
“And the motto?”
“Nemo me impune lacessit. ” 14

“Good!”he said.
The wine sparkled in his eyes and the bells jingled. My own fancy grew warm with the

Medoc. We had passed through walls of piled bones with casks and puncheons intermingling ,

into the inmost recesses of the catacombs. I paused again and this time I made bold to seize
Fortunato by an arm above the elbow.
“The nitre!”I said;“see,it increases. It hangs like moss upon the vaults. We are below
the rivers bed. The drops of moisture trickle among the bones. Come,we will go back ere it is
too late. Your cough—”
“It is nothing,”he said;“let us go on. But first,another draught of the Medoc. ”
I broke and reached him a flaon of De Grve15 . He emptied it at a breath. His eyes
flashed with a fierce light. He laughed and threw the bottle upwards with a gesticulation I did
not understand.
I looked at him in surprise. He repeated the movement —a grotesque one. 143
“You do not comprehend?”he said.
“Not I,”I replied.
“Then you are not of the brotherhood. ”
“How?”
“You are not of the masons. ”
“Yes,yes,”I said;“yes,yes. ”
“You?Impossible!A mason?”
“A mason,”I replied.
“A sign,”he said.
“It is this,”I answered,producing a trowel from beneath the folds of my roquelaire.
“You jest,”he exclaimed,recoiling a few paces. “But let us proceed to the Amontillado. ”
“Be it so,”I said,replacing the tool beneath the cloak,and again offering him my arm.
He leaned upon it heavily. We continued our route in search of the Amontillado. We passed
, , , ,
through a range of low arches descended passed on and descending again arrived at a deep

crypt in which the foulness of the air caused our flambeaux rather to glow than flame.
At the most remote end of the crypt there appeared another less spacious. Its walls had been
, ,
lined with human remains piled to the vault overhead in the fashion of the great catacombs of
Paris. Three sides of this interior crypt were still ornamented in this manner. From the fourth the
, ,
bones had been thrown down and lay promiscuously upon the earth forming at one point a

mound of some size. Within the wall thus exposed by the displacing of the bones we perceived
, , ,
a still interior recess in depth about four feet in width three in height six or seven. It seemed
to have been constructed for no especial use within itself,but formed merely the interval
between two of the colossal supports of the roof of the catacombs,and was backed by one of
their circumscribing walls of solid granite.
, ,
It was in vain that Fortunato uplifting his dull torch endeavored to pry into the depth of
the recess. Its termination the feeble light did not enable us to see.
“Proceed,”I said;“herein is the Amontillado. As for Luchesi—”
“He is an ignoramus ,”interrupted my friend,as he stepped unsteadily forward,while I
16

followed immediately at his heels. In an instant he had reached the extremity of the niche,and
finding his progress arrested by the rock,stood stupidly bewildered. A moment more and I had
fettered him to the granite. In its surface were two iron staples,distant from each other about
two feet,horizontally. From one of these depended a short chain,from the other a padlock.
Throwing the links about his waist,it was but the work of a few seconds to secure it. He was
too much astounded to resist. Withdrawing the key,I stepped back from the recess.
“Pass your hand,”I said,“over the wall;you cannot help feeling the nitre. Indeed it is
very damp. Once more let me implore you to return. No?Then I must positively leave you. But
I must first render you all the little attentions in my power. ”
144
Unit 14 Edgar Allan Poe 1809 ( —1849) 埃德加·爱伦·坡
“The Amontillado!”ejaculated my friend,not yet recovered from his astonishment.
“True,I replied,“the Amontillado. ”
As I said these words I busied myself among the pile of bones of which I have before

spoken. Throwing them aside I soon uncovered a quantity of building stone and mortar. With
, ,
these materials and with the aid of my trowel I began vigorously to wall up the entrance of the
niche.
I had scarcely laid the first tier of the masonry when I discovered that the intoxication of
Fortunato had in a great measure worn off. The earliest indication I had of this was a low moan
ing cry from the depth of the recess. It was not the cry of a drunken man. There was then a long
, , ;
and obstinate silence. I laid the second tier and the third and the fourth and then I heard the
, ,
furious vibrations of the chain. The noise lasted for several minutes during which that I might

hearken to it with the more satisfaction I ceased my labors and sat down upon the bones. When
, ,
at last the clanking subsided I resumed the trowel and finished without interruption the fifth ,

the sixth and the seventh tier. The wall was now nearly upon a level with my breast. I again
paused,and holding the flambeaux over the masonwork,threw a few feeble rays upon the
figure within.

A succession of loud and shrill screams bursting suddenly from the throat of the chained
form ,seemed to thrust me violently back. For a brief moment I hesitated —I trembled.
Unsheathing my rapier 17
,I began to grope with it about the recess;but the thought of an instant
reassured me. I placed my hand upon the solid fabric of the catacombs,and felt satisfied. I re
approached the wall. I replied to the yells of him who clamored. I reechoed—I aided—I
surpassed them in volume and in strength. I did this,and the clamorer grew still.
It was now midnight,and my task was drawing to a close. I had completed the eighth,the
ninth,and the tenth tier. I had finished a portion of the last and the eleventh;there remained but
a single stone to be fitted and plastered in. I struggled with its weight;I placed it partially in its
destined position. But now there came from out the niche a low laugh that erected the hairs upon

my head. It was succeeded by a sad voice which I had difficulty in recognizing as that of the
noble Fortunato. The voice said —
“Ha!ha!ha!—he!he!—a very good joke indeed—an excellent jest. We will have
many a rich laugh about it at the palazzo—he!he!he!—over our wine—he!he!he! ”
“The Amontillado!”I said.
“He!he!he!—he!he!he!—yes,the Amontillado. But is it not getting late?Will not
they be awaiting us at the palazzo,the Lady Fortunato and the rest?Let us be gone. ”
“Yes,”I said,“let us be gone. ”
“For the love of God,Montresor!”
“Yes,”I said,“for the love of God!”
But to these words I hearkened in vain for a reply. I grew impatient. I called aloud—
18
145
“Fortunato!”
No answer. I called again —
“Fortunato!”
No answer still. I thrust a torch through the remaining aperture and let it fall within. There
came forth in return only a jingling of the bells. My heart grew sick —on account of the
dampness of the catacombs. I hastened to make an end of my labor. I forced the last stone into

its position I plastered it up. Against the new masonry I reerected the old rampart of bones.
For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them. In pace requiescat !19

Questions for Discussion



1. Who is the narrator What wrong does he want to redress ?
2. What is the pretext he uses to lure Fortunato to his wine cellar ?
3. What happens to Fortunato in the end ?
4. Describe briefly how Poe characterizes Montresor and Fortunato as contrasts.

Notes

1. impunity freedom from injury

2. immolation killing a person as a sacrifice

3. connoisseurship skill of wine judgment 品酒技艺;connoisseur:an expert
able to appreciate the arts,food ,drink,or some other subjects 鉴赏家,行家
4. quack:untrained person who pretends to be a physician 庸医;imposter 骗子
5. the Carnival season 基督教大斋期:just before Lent,it is called Mardi Gras in
some western countries. The word carnival is derived from the Latin words carne
(meat)and vale (farewell ). Thus,it literally means “farewell to meat. ”During
Lent,Roman Catholics do not eat meat on Ash Wednesday and all the Fridays
thereafter,until Easter.
6. motley:apparel of many colors;jesters costume 色彩鲜艳的小丑装
7. pipe:cask holding 126 gallons;puncheon 大木桶:cask holding 84 gallons;
cask:小木桶
8. Amontillado :a kind of dry,amber 琥珀色的 wine made in Montilla,Spain
9. roquelaure:kneelength ,often furtrimmed cloak after Duc de Roquelaure
(1656—1738)斗篷
10. sconce:bracket on a wall for holding a candle or a torch 壁饰烛台
11. flambeaux:torches;flambeau (single)
12. catacombs:underground burial places
13. Médoc:red wine from the Bordeaux region of France 产于法国波尔多的梅多

146 克红葡萄酒
Unit 14 ( —1849) 埃德加·爱伦·坡
Edgar Allan Poe 1809


14. Nemo me impune lacessit Latin for No one injures me with impunity. This
sentence appeared on coins of James I of England.
15. a flaon of De Grve :产于法国波尔多的白葡萄酒
16. ignoramus fool:

17. rapier twoedged sword
18. hearkened :(Old)listen carefully
19. In pace requiescat!:In peace may he rest!

Edgar Allan Poes Poetry


, ,
To Poe the essence of poetry is beauty. To achieve such beauty he lays stress on the

musical rhythm and imagery which can produce striking perceptual effects. So he uses every

word event and detail in a meticulous and skillful way.

In To Helen Poe is celebrating the nurturing power of a woman Poe was acquainted with at
14. Beauty here appears to refer to the womans soul as well as her body. On the one hand he ,
represents her as Helen of Troy —the quintessence of physical beauty—at the beginning of the
poem. On the other,he represents her as Psyche—the quintessence of soulful beauty—at the
end of the poem. In Greek,psyche means soul.
As is typical with many of Poes poems,the rhythm and rhyme scheme of To Helen is
irregular but musical in sound. The poem consists of three stanzas of five lines each,where the
end rhyme of the first stanza is ababb,that of the second is ababa,and that of the third is
abbab. Poe uses soothing,positive words and rhythms to create a fitting tone and atmosphere for
the poem. His concluding image is that of light,with a “brilliant window niche”and the agate
lamp suggesting the glowing of the “Holy Land”,for which Helen is the beacon.
Allusions in To Helen:
Helen —alluding to the Greek goddess of light or Helen of Troy who is considered to be the
most beautiful woman who ever lived
Helen —referring to Psyche,a beautiful princess who became the lover of Eros / Cupid
◆◆◆!1 .#,#&◆◆◆
《致海伦》

Helen thy beauty is to me 海伦,你的美在我的眼里,
Like those Nicean barks of yore , 1
有如往日尼西亚的三桅船
That gently,oer a perfumed sea, 船行在飘香的海上,悠悠地
The weary,wayworn wanderer bore 把已倦于漂泊的困乏船员
To his own native shore. 送回他故乡的海岸。
147
On desperate seas long wont to roam , 早已习惯于在怒海上飘荡,
Thy hyacinth 2
hair,thy classic face, 你典雅的脸庞,你的鬈发,
Thy Naiad airs3 have brought me home 你水神般的风姿带我返航,
To the glory that was Greece 光荣属于希腊;
And the grandeur that was Rome. 伟大属于罗马。

Lo in yon brilliant windowniche 看哪!壁龛似的明亮窗户里,

How statuelike I see thee stand 我看见你站着,多像尊雕像,
The agate lamp within thy hand!

一盏玛瑙灯你拿在手上!
Ah,Psyche ,from the regions which

塞姬女神哪,神圣的土地
Are Holy Land! 才是你家乡!
Questions for Discussion

1. Why does the poet compare Helens beauty to those Nicean barks of yore ”?
2. What have brought the wayfaring speaker home?

3. In what form does Helen appear in the final stanza Why does she carry a lamp in her
hands ?
Notes
1. those Nicean barks of yore :古代尼西亚人的帆船,意指古典美。
2. hyacinth :风信子花。 根据古希腊神话,太阳神阿波罗所钟爱的少年海尔欣瑟斯
(Hyacinthus)有一头美丽的长发,在他被误杀后,从他的血泊中长出一种纤细修长、迎风招
展的美丽鲜花。
3. Naiad airs:Naiad 在古希腊神话中指江河水泉的女神,Naiad airs 意为水中仙女的
神韵。
4. agate lamp :referring to the time when Psyche discovered the true identity
of Eros 玛瑙灯
5. Psyche: a beautiful princess who became the lover of Eros (Cupid );in
Greek,psyche means soul. 普赛克。古希腊神话中嫁给爱神厄洛斯 (即罗马神话中的爱
神丘比特)的美女,丈夫禁止她看他的形象,但普赛克抑制不住好奇心,在夜里举灯看了丈夫
的模样后被逐出家门;希腊语中,psyche 是心灵、灵魂的意思。

148
Nathaniel Hawthorne 1804 ( —1864)
Unit 15 纳撒尼尔 · 霍桑

Biography

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem Massachusetts in 1804. ,
His family descended from the earliest settlers of the Massachusetts Bay

Colony among his forebears was John Hathorne (Hawthorne added the
“w”to his name when he began to write),one of the judges at the 1692
Salem witch trials. Throughout his life,Hawthorne was both fascinated
and disturbed by his kinship with John Hathorne. Raised by a widowed

mother Hawthorne attended Bowdoin College in Maine where he met ,
: ,
two people who were to have great impact upon his life Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who
would later become a famous poet,and Franklin Pierce,who would later become president of
the United States.
After college Hawthorne tried his hand at writing ,producing historical sketches and an
, ,
anonymous novel Fanshawe that detailed his college days rather embarrassingly. Hawthorne
also held positions as an editor and as a customs surveyor during this period. His growing
relationship with the intellectual circle that included Ralph Waldo Emerson and Margaret Fuller
led him to abandon his customs post for the utopian experiment at Brook Farm a commune ,
designed to promote economic selfsufficiency and transcendentalist principles.
Transcendentalism was a religious and philosophical movement of the early nineteenth century
that was dedicated to the belief that divinity manifests itself everywhere ,particularly in the

natural world. It also advocated a personalized direct relationship with the divine in place of

formalized structured religion. This second transcendental idea is privileged in The Scarlet
Letter.
After marrying fellow transcendentalist Sophia Peabody in 1842 ,Hawthorne left Brook

Farm and moved into the Old Manse a home in Concord where Emerson had once lived. In
, ,
1846 he published Mosses from an Old Manse a collection of essays and stories which earned
Hawthorne the attention of the literary establishment because America was trying to establish a

cultural independence to complement its political independence and Hawthornes collection of 149
stories displayed both a stylistic freshness and an interest in American subject matter. Herman
, , “
Melville among others hailed Hawthorne as the American Shakespeare. ”
In 1845 Hawthorne again went to work as a customs surveyor,this time,like the narrator
of The Scarlet Letter,at a post in Salem. In 1850 ,after having lost the job,he published The
Scarlet Letter to enthusiastic,if not widespread,acclaim. In 1853 Hawthornes college friend
Franklin Pierce,for whom he had written a campaign biography and who had since become
president,appointed Hawthorne a United States consul. The writer spent the next six years in
Europe. He died in 1864 ,a few years after returning to America.

Major Works

? Novels :
( )《范肖》
Fanshawe 1825
The Scarlet Letter (1850 )《红字》
The House of the Seven Gables (1851 )《带七个尖角阁的房子》
The Blithedale Romance (1852 )《福谷传奇》
The Marble Faun (1860 )《玉石雕像》
? Collections of short stories:
Twicetold Tales (1837 )《重述的故事》
Mosses from an Old Manse (1846 )《古屋青苔》
? Representative short stories:
My Kinsman ,Major Molineux (1832 )《我的亲戚莫里纳少校》
Young Goodman Brown (1835 )《好小伙布朗》
The Ministers Black Veil (1836 )《教长的黑面纱》
The BirthMark (1843 )《胎记》
Rappaccinis Daughter (1844 )《拉帕奇尼医生的女儿》
The Artist of the Beautiful (1846 )《追求至美的艺术家》
Ethan Brand (1850 )《埃森·布兰德》

Hawthornes style in General

1. romantic in general
2. long sentences with flowery words
3. full of allegories and symbols
4. deep and ambiguous

150
Unit 15 ( —1864) 纳撒尼尔·霍桑
Nathaniel Hawthorne 1804

Synopsis of The Scarlet Letter


, ,
Set in 17thcentury Puritan Boston Massachusetts during the years

1642 to 1649 The Scarlet Letter tells the story of Hester Prynne who ,
conceives a daughter through an affair and struggles to create a new life of
repentance and dignity. Hester is put into prison since she refuses to name
the father. Later she takes up quiet residence with her daughter Pearl at
the edge of the village and makes a living with embroidery. Hester
becomes contemplative. She speculates on human nature , social

organization and larger moral questions. She cares for the poor and
, ,
brings them food and clothing doing charitable deeds earnestly. By the novels end Hester has
become a protofeminist mother figure to the women of the community.
Hesters husband Roger Chillingworth appears on the day when Hester stands on the
scaffold for public expose. He demands the name of the childs father but does not succeed so ,
he vows revenge on him. He starts his clinic in Boston in disguise. Arthur Dimmesdale ,

Hesters lover internalizes his guilt and selfpunishment which leads to terrible deterioration in
his physical and spiritual condition. Chillingworth suspects Dimmesdale as Pearls father and
, ,
torments him instead of helping him. One day joined by Hester and Pearl and unsuccessfully

restrained by Chillingworth Dimmesdale confesses his guilt in public and dies. Chillingworth ,
, ,
now deprived of his lifes purpose dies within a year leaving his fortune to Pearl. Mother and
daughter leave Boston ,but many years later,Hester returns to take up quiet residence and
resume wearing the scarlet letter and doing good works until the last day of her life.

Hawthorne uses the repressive authoritarian Puritan society as an analogue for humankind
in general. The Puritan setting also enables him to portray the human soul under extreme
, , ,
pressures. Hester Dimmesdale and Chillingworth while unquestionably part of the Puritan
, ,
society in which they live also reflect universal experiences. Throughout the book Hawthorne
explores themes of legalism,shame,sin,guilt and adultery,redemption and initiation.

Major Characters
Hester Prynne —protagonist and wearer of the scarlet letter “A ”,which signifies that
Hester is an “adulterer”. As a young woman,Hester married an elderly scholar,Chillingworth,
who sent her ahead to America to live but never followed her. While waiting for him,she had
an affair with a Puritan minister named Dimmesdale,after which she gave birth to Pearl. Hester
is passionate but also strong as she endures years of shame and scorn. She equals both her
husband and her lover in her intelligence and thoughtfulness. Her alienation puts her in the
position to make acute observations about her community ,particularly about its treatment of
women.
151
Pearl —Hesters illegitimate daughter,a young girl with a moody,mischievous spirit and
an ability to perceive things that others do not. The townspeople say that she barely seems
human and spread rumors that her unknown father is actually the Devil. She is wise far beyond

her years frequently engaging in ironic play having to do with her mothers scarlet letter.

Roger Chillingworth  Hesters husband in disguise is much older than she is and had sent
her to America while he settled his affairs in Europe. Because he is captured by Native

Americans he arrives in Boston 2 years late and finds Hester and her illegitimate child being

displayed on the scaffold. He lusts for revenge and thus decides to stay in Boston despite his
wifes betrayal and disgrace. He is a scholar and uses his knowledge to disguise himself as a

doctor intent on discovering and tormenting Hesters anonymous lover. Chillingworth is self
absorbed and both physically and psychologically monstrous. His singleminded pursuit of
retribution reveals him to be the most evil character in the novel. He is interested in revenge ,

not justice and he seeks the deliberate destruction of others rather than a redress of wrongs. His

desire to hurt others stands in contrast to Hester and Dimmesdales sin which had love not ,

hate as its intent.
Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale —a young man who achieved fame in England as a

theologian and then emigrated to America. In a moment of weakness he and Hester became

lovers. Although he will not confess it publicly he is the father of Hesters child. He deals with

his guilt by tormenting himself physically and psychologically developing a heart condition as a

result. Dimmesdale is an intelligent and emotional man and his sermons are thus masterpieces
of eloquence and persuasiveness. His commitments to his congregation are in constant conflict
with his feelings of sinfulness and need to confess.

Synopsis of Chapter 2
Having settled in Boston , passionate Hester Prynne met the young minister Arthur
Dimmesdale and they fell in love with each other. When their daughter was born ,Hester
became a target of public criticism. Since she refused to name the father of the child,she was
put into prison and forced to wear an “A ”(Adultery ) the rest of her life. As part of the
punishment,Hester was taken out one day to stand in front of the townspeople,whose public
expose served as a warning to all. The audience were buzzing about Hester and her appearance.

However Hester was strong and tough as well as beautiful because she was determined to fight
for womens right against the unfair treatment in the patriarchal society.

◆◆◆!"# 0C%(,#' 4#''#(◆◆◆


Chapter 2 The Market Place

152 , , ,
THE grassplot before the jail in Prison Lane on a certain summer morning not less than
Unit 15 ( —1864) 纳撒尼尔·霍桑
Nathaniel Hawthorne 1804

, ;
two centuries ago was occupied by a pretty large number of the inhabitants of Boston all with

their eyes intently fastened on the ironclamped oaken door. Amongst any other population or
at a later period in the history of New England ,the grim rigidity that petrified the bearded
physiognomies of these good people would have augured some awful business in hand. It could

have betokened nothing short of the anticipated execution of some noted culprit on whom the
sentence of a legal tribunal had but confirmed the verdict of public sentiment. But,in that early
severity of the Puritan character,an inference of this kind could not so indubitably be drawn.

It might be,that a sluggish bondservant,or an undutiful child,whom his parents had given
over to the civil authority,was to be corrected at the whippingpost. It might be,that an
Antinomian ,a Quaker ,or other heterodox religionist,was to be scourged out of the town,
2 3

or an idle and vagrant Indian,whom the white mans firewater had made riotous about the

streets,was to be driven with stripes into the shadow of the forest. It might be,too,that a
witch,like old Mistress Hibbins ,the bittertempered widow of the magistrate,was to die

upon the gallows. In either case,there was very much the same solemnity of demeanor on the
part of the spectators; as befitted a people amongst whom religion and law were almost
identical ,and in whose character both were so thoroughly interfused,that the mildest and the

severest acts of public discipline were alike made venerable and awful. Meagre,indeed,and
cold,was the sympathy that a transgressor might look for, from such bystanders, at the
scaffold. On the other hand,a penalty which,in our days,would infer a degree of mocking
infamy and ridicule,might then be invested with almost as stern a dignity as the punishment of
death itself.
,on the summer morning when our story begins its
It was a circumstance to be noted
course,that the women,of whom there were several in the crowd,appeared to take a peculiar
interest in whatever penal infliction might be expected to ensue. The age had not so much

refinement that any sense of impropriety restrained the wearers of petticoat and farthingale7
from stepping forth into the public ways ,and wedging their not unsubstantial persons,if
occasion were,into the throng nearest to the scaffold at an execution. Morally,as well as
materially,there was a coarser fibre in those wives and maidens of old English birth and
breeding,than in their fair descendants,separated from them by a series of six or seven
generations;for,throughout that chain of ancestry,every successive mother has transmitted to
her child a fainter bloom,a more delicate and briefer beauty,and a slighter physical frame,if
not a character of less force and solidity,than her own. The women who were now standing
about the prisondoor stood within less than half a century of the period when the manlike
Elizabeth8 had been the not altogether unsuitable representative of the sex. They were her
; ,
countrywomen and the beef and ale of their native land with a moral diet not a whit more
, , ,
refined entered largely into their composition. The bright morning sun therefore shone on
broad shoulders and welldeveloped busts,and on round and ruddy cheeks,that had ripened in
153
,and had hardly yet grown paler or thinner in the atmosphere of New
the faroff island9
England. There was,moreover,a boldness and rotundity of speech among these matrons,as
most of them seemed to be,that would startle us at the present day,whether in respect to its
purport or its volume of tone.
“Goodwives,”said a hardfeatured dame of fifty,“Ill tell ye a piece of my mind. It
10

would be greatly for the public behoof ,if we women,being of mature age and church
11

members in good repute,should have the handling of such malefactresses as this Hester Prynne.
What think ye,gossips ?If the hussy stood up for judgment before us five,that are now here
12

in a knot together,would she come off with such a sentence as the worshipful magistrates have
awarded?Marry,I trow not! ” 13

“People say,”said another,“that the Reverend Master Dimmesdale,her godly pastor,


takes it very grievously to heart that such a scandal should have come upon his congregation. ”
“The magistrates are Godfearing gentlemen,but merciful overmuch—that is a truth,”
added a third autumnal matron . “At the very least,they should have put the brand of a hot
14

iron on Hester Prynnes forehead. Madam Hester would have winced at that,I warrant me. But
she—the naughty baggage —little will she care what they put upon the bodice of her gown!
15

Why,look you,she may cover it with a brooch,or such like heathenish adornment,and so
walk the streets as brave as ever! ”
“Ah,but,”interposed,more softly,a young wife,holding a child by the hand,“Let her
cover the mark as she will,the pang of it will be always in her heart. ”
“What do we talk of marks and brands,whether on the bodice of her gown,or the flesh of
her forehead? ” cried another female,the ugliest as well as the most pitiless of these self
constituted judges. “This woman has brought shame upon us all,and ought to die. Is there not
law for it? Truly there is, both in the Scripture and the statutebook . Then let the
16

magistrates,who have made it of no effect,thank themselves if their own wives and daughters
go astray! ”
“Mercy on us,goodwife,”exclaimed a man in the crowd,“is there no virtue in woman,
save what springs from a wholesome fear of the gallows?That is the hardest word yet!Hush,
now,gossips!for the lock is turning in the prisondoor,and here comes Mistress Prynne
herself. ”
The door of the jail being flung open from within,there appeared,in the first place,like a
black shadow emerging into sunshine,the grim and grisly presence of the townbeadle,with a
sword by his side, and his staff of office in his hand. This personage prefigured and
17

represented in his aspect the whole dismal severity of the Puritanic code of law,which it was his
business to administer in its final and closest application to the offender. Stretching forth the
, ,
official staff in his left hand he laid his right upon the shoulder of a young woman whom he

154
; , , ,
thus drew forward until on the threshold of the prisondoor she repelled him by an action
Unit 15 ( —1864) 纳撒尼尔·霍桑
Nathaniel Hawthorne 1804

, ,
marked with natural dignity and force of character and stepped into the open air as if by her
, ,
own free will. She bore in her arms a child a baby of some three months old who winked and
turned aside its little face from the too vivid light of day;because its existence,heretofore,had
brought it acquainted only with the gray twilight of a dungeon,or other darksome apartment of
the prison.
When the young woman —the mother of this child—stood fully revealed before the crowd,
it seemed to be her first impulse to clasp the infant closely to her bosom;not so much by an
impulse of motherly affection,as that she might thereby conceal a certain token,which was
wrought or fastened into her dress. In a moment,however,wisely judging that one token of her
shame would but poorly serve to hide another,she took the baby on her arm,and,with a
burning blush,and yet a haughty smile,and a glance that would not be abashed,looked around
at her townspeople and neighbors. On the breast of her gown,in fine red cloth,surrounded with
an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread,appeared the letter A. It was so
artistically done,and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy,that it had all the
effect of a last and fitting decoration to the apparel which she wore;and which was of a splendor
in accordance with the taste of the age,but greatly beyond what was allowed by the sumptuary
regulations of the colony.

The young woman was tall with a figure of perfect elegance on a large scale. She had
, ,
dark and abundant hair so glossy that it threw off the sunshine with a gleam and a face which ,
besides being beautiful from regularity of feature and richness of complexion , had the
impressiveness belonging to a marked brow and deep black eyes. She was ladylike,too,after
the manner of the feminine gentility of those days;characterized by a certain state and dignity,
rather than by the delicate,evanescent,and indescribable grace,which is now recognized as its
indication. And never had Hester Prynne appeared more ladylike,in the antique interpretation of
the term,than as she issued from the prison. Those who had before known her,and had
expected to behold her dimmed and obscured by a disastrous cloud,were astonished,and even
startled ,to perceive how her beauty shone out,and made a halo of the misfortune and ignominy
in which she was enveloped. It may be true,that,to a sensitive observer,there was something
exquisitely painful in it. Her attire,which,indeed,she had wrought for the occasion,in
prison ,and had modeled much after her own fancy,seemed to express the attitude of her spirit,
the desperate recklessness of her mood,by its wild and picturesque peculiarity. But the point
which drew all eyes,and,as it were,transfigured the wearer—so that both men and women,
who had been familiarly acquainted with Hester Prynne,were now impressed as if they beheld
her for the first time—was that SCARLET LETTER, so fantastically embroidered and
illuminated upon her bosom. It had the effect of a spell ,taking her out of the ordinary
18

relations with humanity,and enclosing her in a sphere by herself.


“She hath good skill at her needle,thats certain,”remarked one of her female spectators; 155
“but did ever a woman,before this brazen hussy,contrive such a way of showing it!Why,
gossips,what is it but to laugh in the faces of our godly magistrates,and make a pride out of
what they,worthy gentlemen,meant for a punishment? ”
“It were well,”muttered the most ironvisaged of the old dames,“if we stripped Madam
19

Hesters rich gown off her dainty shoulders;and as for the red letter,which she hath stitched so
curiously,Ill bestow a rag of mine own rheumatic flannel ,to make a fitter one!
20

“Oh,peace,neighbors,peace!”whispered their youngest companion;“do not let her
hear you!Not a stitch in that embroidered letter,but she has felt it in her heart. ”
The grim beadle now made a gesture with his staff.
“Make way,good people,make way,in the Kings name!”cried he. “Open a passage;
and,I promise ye,Mistress Prynne shall be set where man,woman,and child,may have a fair
sight of her brave apparel,from this time till an hour past meridian. A blessing on the righteous
Colony of the Massachusetts ,where iniquity is dragged out into the sunshine!Come along,
21

Madam Hester,and show your scarlet letter in the marketplace! ”


A lane was forthwith opened through the crowd of spectators. Preceded by the beadle,and
attended by an irregular procession of sternbrowed men and unkindlyvisaged women,Hester
Prynne set forth towards the place appointed for her punishment. A crowd of eager and curious
, ,
schoolboys understanding little of the matter in hand except that it gave them a halfholiday ,
, ,
ran before her progress turning their heads continually to stare into her face and at the winking
, ,
baby in her arms and at the ignominious letter on her breast. It was no great distance in those
days ,from the prisondoor to the marketplace. Measured by the prisoners experience,
however,it might be reckoned a journey of some length;for,haughty as her demeanor was,
she perchance underwent an agony from every footstep of those that thronged to see her,as if
her heart had been flung into the street for them all to spurn and trample upon. In our nature,
however,there is a provision alike marvelous and merciful,that the sufferer should never know
the intensity of what he endures by its present torture,but chiefly by the pang that rankles after
it. With almost a serene deportment,therefore,Hester Prynne passed through this portion of her
ordeal,and came to a sort of scaffold,at the western extremity of the marketplace. It stood
nearly beneath the eaves of Bostons earliest church,and appeared to be a fixture there.
In fact,this scaffold constituted a portion of a penal machine,which now,for two or three
generations past,has been merely historical and traditionary among us,but was held,in the old
time,to be as effectual an agent,in the promotion of good citizenship,as ever was the
guillotine among the terrorists of France . It was,in short,the platform of the pillory;and
22

above it rose the framework of that instrument of discipline,so fashioned as to confine the
human head in its tight grasp,and thus hold it up to the public gaze. The very ideal of ignominy
was embodied and made manifest in this contrivance of wood and iron. There can be no

156
outrage , methinks, against our common nature —whatever be the delinquencies of the
Unit 15 Nathaniel Hawthorne 1804 ( —1864) 纳撒尼尔·霍桑
—no outrage more flagrant than to forbid the culprit to hide his face for shame;as it
individual
was the essence of this punishment to do. In Hester Prynnes instance, however, as not
unfrequently in other cases,her sentence bore,that she should stand a certain time upon the
platform,but without undergoing that gripe about the neck and confinement of the head,the
proneness to which was the most devilish characteristic of this ugly engine. Knowing well her
part,she ascended a flight of wooden steps,and was thus displayed to the surrounding
multitude,at about the height of a mans shoulders above the street.
Had there been a Papist among the crowd of Puritans,he might have seen in this beautiful
23

woman,so picturesque in her attire and mien,and with the infant at her bosom,an object to
remind him of the image of Divine Maternity ,which so many illustrious painters have vied
24

with one another to represent;something which should remind him,indeed,but only by


contrast,of that sacred image of sinless motherhood ,whose infant was to redeem the world.
25

Here,there was the taint of deepest sin in the most sacred quality of human life,working such
effect,that the world was only the darker for this womans beauty,and the more lost for the
infant that she had borne.

Questions for Discussion


1. Describe the appearance of Hester Prynne.
2. Describe the attitude of the people towards Hester Prynne.

3. What has happened to Hester Why does she make the embroidery of the letter A so

elaborate How does this tell us about her character ?
“ ”
4. Why is the image of Divine Maternity mentioned ?
Notes
:指 16 世纪末 17 世纪初要求清除英国国教中天主教残余及其不正之风的
1. Puritan
改革派,特别指为躲避玛丽一世迫害而逃亡荷兰后又奔赴新大陆、徒手创建普利茅斯殖民地
(1620)的新教教徒们,他们遵守”不吸烟”、”不喝酒”、”不看戏”、”不跳舞”等清规戒律,崇
尚虔诚、节俭、勤奋和自律的清教主义精神。
2. Antinomian :惟信仰论者;道德律废弃论者。 其主要信条是:基督徒只是恪守 《圣
经》中的道德法律无济于事,只有坚信上帝无所不知、无所不能,才能使自己的灵魂得到
拯救。
3. Quakers:贵格会,又称教友派、公谊会, 17 世纪中叶由乔治·福克斯创立,主张和平
主义、宗教自由,受英国政府迫害,移民北美又受到清教徒驱逐,后定居罗德岛和宾夕法尼亚
州。他们坚决反对奴隶制,曾在南北战争、废奴运动中起过重要作用。如今该会的国际组织
为”世界公谊协商委员会”(Friends World Committee for Consultation),总部设于英国
伯明翰,在主要国家设有分部,全世界共有成年信徒 20 余万人。 157
4. firewater :烈酒
5. old Mistress Hibbins :指真实的历史人物 Ann Hibbins,她因被指控使用巫术而
受审,于 1656 年 6 月 19 日被处于绞刑。
6. 爥religion and law were almost identical:意为”宗教和法律几乎完全相同 ”,指
17 世纪北美殖民时期清教占统治地位时政教合一的神权政治。
7. farthingale:即蓬裙(hoopskirt),有裙环的撑裙。
8. the manlike Elizabeth :指英国女王伊丽莎白一世 (Queen Elizabeth I,1533 —
1603 ),在位期间(1558 —1603 )治国安邦,建树非凡,其管理社稷的才干不亚于男性君主,所
以小说的叙事者称赞她具有男子气概。
9. the faroff island :指 England ,英国本土。
10. ye:古英语,相当于 you 。
11. behoof:古英语,相当于 benefit。
12. gossips:古英语,相当于 my fellow companions 女性同伴。
13. Mary,I trow not!:Mary 指圣母玛利亚,此处用作感叹词,表示惊讶;trow 是古
英语,相当于 think,suppose。
14. autumnal matron :年过半百的已婚妇女(家庭主妇)
15. the naughty baggage:坏女人,咒骂有性违规行为的女人的词语。
16. the Scripture and the statuebook:《圣经》和中世纪的《法令全书 》。《旧约 》中
有处死犯有通奸罪的男女的条文。
17. staff of office:权杖
18. spell:符咒,咒语。
19. ironvisaged :铁面无情的
20. a rag of mine own rheumatic flannel:我患风湿病时用过的一块法兰绒;mine
在古英语中等于 my。
21. Colony of the Massschusetts:马萨诸塞殖民地, 1630 年建成。
22. the terrorists of France:法国的恐怖分子,指法国资产阶级革命过程中雅各宾派
曾于 1793—1794 年间采取的恐怖政策,杀人如麻,48 天内处死了 1376 人;当时约有 50 万人
被当作嫌疑犯关入监狱。
23. Papist:罗马天主教徒,有贬义。
24. the image of Divine Maternity:指圣母玛利亚形象。
25. sinless motherhood :指圣母玛利亚接受圣灵而孕育耶稣。

158
Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803 ( —1882)
Unit 16 拉尔夫 · 华尔多 · 爱默生

Biography
, ,
Ralph Waldo Emerson an American essayist lecturer and poet ,
led Transcendentalist movement of the mid19th century. He was seen as
a champion of individualism and a prescient critic of the countervailing

pressures of society and he disseminated his thoughts through dozens of

published essays and more than 1 500 public lectures across the United
States.

Emerson was born in a ministers family in Boston Massachusetts.

In 1829 he was appointed junior pastor but he quitted in 1832. Then he ,
toured Europe ,making acquaintance with English literary celebrities such as Samuel T.
Coleridge ,Thomas Carlyle, William Wordsworth. He started to write Nature and make
speeches in Boston,advocating his transcendentalist philosophy and calling on people to throw
off any human bondage. In his famous speech The American Scholar,Emerson declared literary
independence in the United States and urged Americans to learn directly from life,know history
through books,create a writing style all their own and free from Europe.
In 1836 ,Transcendental Club was formed with The Dial as a platform for their ideals. The
club included some female members such as Sophia Ripley,Margaret Fuller,Elizabeth Peabody
and so on. Emersons speech Nature became a manifesto of Transcendentalist ideas. Among the
transcendentalists core beliefs was the inherent goodness of both people and nature. They
believe that society and its institutions —particularly organized religion and political parties—
ultimately corrupt the purity of the individual. They have faith that people are at their best when
“ ”
truly selfreliant and independent. “We will walk on our own feet;we will work with our
own hands;we will speak our own minds 爥 A nation of men will for the first time exist,
because each believes himself inspired by the Divine Soul which also inspires all men. ”
Emerson and his fellow transcendentalists believed every human being has inborn know
ledge that enables him to recognize and understand moral truth without benefit of knowledge
, ,
obtained through the physical senses. Using this inborn knowledge a gift of God an individual
can make a moral decision without relying on information gained through everyday living ,

education and experimentation. They trusted their own inner light as a moral guiding force,
159
they were possessed of a fierce spirit of selfreliance. They were individualists.
( )
Transcendentalists believed in the transcendence superiority of the “Oversoul”—an all
pervading power for goodness from which all things come and of which all things are a part.
Emerson believed that man was a part of absolute good ,and Thoreau saw divinity in the
“unspotted innocence”of nature.
Major Works
? Collections of Essays :
: ( );
Essays First Series 1841
Essays:Second Series (1844 );
Poems (1847 );
Nature,Addresses and Lectures (1849 );
Representative Men (1850 );
English Traits (1856 );
The Conduct of Life (1860 );
May Day and Other Poems (1867 );
Society and Solitude (1870 );
Letters and Social Aims (1876 )
? Collections of Poems:
Poems(1846 )《诗集》;
MayDay and Other Pieces(1867 )《五月节及其他诗篇》

Emersons Style in General



1. cordial natural and elegant
, ,
2. thorough development of his thesis through examples repetitions and reinforcement ;
, , , ;
3. coinage of mottos precepts proverbs fables
4. frequent references (allusions ) to historical and literary figures,such as Socrates,
Galileo,Copernicus,Napoleon,Shakespeare,Franklin,Dante,and so on;
5. good at rhetorical devices:putting new meanings into old literary images;reforming
strange images to meet his need;frequent use of figurative language to make a point

Synopsis of SelfReliance
SelfReliance is collected in Essays: First Series, the content of which comes from
Emersons diaries and speeches during 1836 —1837. “Trust thyself”,“do not imitate others but
be bold and independent”,and “try not to live after the worlds opinion”are important virtues a
man must pursue. “The great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect
sweetness the independence of solitude. ”To live your life worthy enough,you must listen to
160
Unit 16 Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803( —1882) 拉尔夫·华尔多·爱默生
, ,
the voice within. When you surrender your liberty to tradition authority and society you are
going against your inner voice. You are suppressing yourself. Men who listen to themselves
rather than to the common herd are true men. And it is true men who leave their mark on
,then all of their activities and institutions would be
history. If all men became selfreliant
better:religion,education,the way they live,the way they think.

◆◆◆0#,6 <#,5%&C#◆◆◆
(Excerpt)
Who so would be a man ,must be a nonconformist. He who would gather immortal
palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness,but must explore if it be goodness.

Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. Absolve you to yourself,and you
shall have the suffrage2 of the world. I remember an answer which when quite young I was
prompted to make to a valued adviser who was wont to importune me with the dear old doctrines
of the church. On my saying ,“What have I to do with the sacredness of traditions,if I live
wholly from within? ”my friend suggested,—“But these impulses may be from below,not
from above. ” I replied,“They do not seem to me to be such;but if I am the devils child,I

will live then from the devil. ”No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature. Good and bad
are but names very readily transferable to that or this;the only right is what is after my
constitution ;the only wrong what is against it. A man is to carry himself in the presence of all

opposition as if every thing were titular and ephemeral but he. I am ashamed to think how easily

we capitulate to badges and names to large societies and dead institutions. Every decent and
wellspoken individual affects and sways me more than is right. I ought to go upright and vital ,

and speak the rude truth in all ways. If malice and vanity wear the coat of philanthropy shall
? ,and comes to me with
that pass If an angry bigot assumes this bountiful cause of Abolition 5

his last news from Barbados ,why should I not say to him,“Go love thy infant;love thy

woodchopper;be goodnatured and modest;have that grace;and never varnish your hard,
uncharitable ambition with this incredible tenderness for black folk a thousand miles off. Thy
love afar is spite at home.”Rough and graceless would be such greeting,but truth is handsomer
than the affection of love. Your goodness must have some edge to it, —else it is none. The
doctrine of hatred must be preached,as the counteraction of the doctrine of love,when that
pules and whines. I shun father and mother and wife and brother when my genius calls me.

I would write on the lintels of the doorpost Whim. I hope it is somewhat better than whim

at last but we cannot spend the day in explanation. Expect me not to show cause why I
, , ,
seek or why I exclude company7 . Then again do not tell me as a good man did today of ,
? ,
my obligation to put all poor men in good situations. Are they my poor I tell thee thou foolish
, , ,
philanthropist that I grudge the dollar the dime the cent I give to such men as do not belong
161
to me and to whom I do not belong. There is a class of persons to whom by all spiritual affinity
; ;
I am bought and sold for them I will go to prison if need be but your miscellaneous popular
; ;
charities the education at college of fools the building of meetinghouses to the vain end to
; , ;
which many now stand alms to sots and the thousandfold Relief Societies though I confess
with shame I sometimes succumb and give the dollar,it is a wicked dollar,which by and by I
shall have the manhood to withhold.
, ,
Virtues are in the popular estimate rather the exception than the rule8 . There is the

man and his virtues. Men do what is called a good action as some piece of courage or charity ,
much as they would pay a fine in expiation of daily nonappearance on parade. Their works are
done as an apology or extenuation of their living in the world,—as invalids and the insane pay a
high board. Their virtues are penances. I do not wish to expiate,but to live. My life is for itself
and not for a spectacle. I much prefer that it should be of a lower strain,so it be genuine and
equal,than that it should be glittering and unsteady. I wish it to be sound and sweet,and not to
need diet and bleeding. My life should be unique;it should be an alms,a battle,a conquest,a
medicine. I ask primary evidence that you are a man,and refuse this appeal from the man
to his actions9 . I know that for myself it makes no difference whether I do or forbear those
actions which are reckoned excellent. I cannot consent to pay for a privilege where I have
, ,
intrinsic right. Few and mean as my gifts may be I actually am and do not need for my own
assurance or the assurance of my fellows any secondary testimony.

What I must do is all that concerns me not what the people think. This rule equally ,

arduous in actual and in intellectual life may serve for the whole distinction between greatness
and meanness. It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is

your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the worlds opinion it is

easy in solitude to live after our own but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd
keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds adored by little statesmen and philo
sophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well

concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words and to

morrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again though it contradicts every thing you
said today.—“Ah,so you shall be sure to be misunderstood. ”—Is it so bad,then,to be
misunderstood?Pythagoras was misunderstood,and Socrates,and Jesus,and Luther,and
Copernicus,and Galileo,and Newton ,and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh.
10

To be great is to be misunderstood.
I suppose no man can violate his nature. All the sallies of his will are rounded in by the law

of his being as the inequalities of Andes and Himalayas11 are insignificant in the curve of the
sphere. Nor does it matter how you gauge and try him. A character is like an acrostic or

162
Alexandrian stanza12 ;—read it forward,backward,or across,it still spells the same thing. In
Unit 16 Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803 ( —1882) 拉尔夫·华尔多·爱默生
, ,
this pleasing contrite woodlife which God allows me let me record day by day my honest
thought without prospect or retrospect ,and,I cannot doubt,it will be found symmetrical,

though I mean it not and see it not. My book should smell of pines and resound with the hum
of insects. The swallow over my window should interweave that thread or straw he carries in his
bill into my web also. We pass for what we are. Character teaches above our wills. Men

imagine that they communicate their virtue or vice only by overt actions and do not see that
virtue or vice emit a breath every moment.

There will be an agreement in whatever variety of actions so they be each honest and
, ,
natural in their hour. For of one will the actions will be harmonious however unlike they

seem. These varieties are lost sight of at a little distance at a little height of thought. One
tendency unites them all. The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks13 . See
the line from a sufficient distance ,and it straightens itself to the average tendency. Your

genuine action will explain itself and will explain your other genuine actions. Your conformity
explains nothing. Act singly ,and what you have already done singly will justify you now.
Greatness appeals to the future. If I can be firm enough today to do right,and scorn eyes,I
must have done so much right before as to defend me now. Be it how it will,do right now.
Always scorn appearances,and you always may. The force of character is cumulative. All the
foregone days of virtue work their health into this. What makes the majesty of the heroes of the
, ?
senate and the field which so fills the imagination The consciousness of a train of great days
and victories behind. They shed an united light on the advancing actor. He is attended as by a
visible escort of angels. That is it which throws thunder into Chathams14 voice and dignity ,
into Washingtons port 15
,and America into Adamss 16
eye. Honor is venerable to us because it
is no ephemera. It is always ancient virtue. We worship it today because it is not of today.

We love it and pay it homage because it is not a trap for our love and homage but is self ,
, , ,
dependent selfderived and therefore of an old immaculate pedigree even if shown in a young
person.
I hope in these days we have heard the last of conformity and consistency. Let the words be

gazetted17 and ridiculous henceforward. Instead of the gong for dinner let us hear a whistle
18
from the Spartan fife . Let us never bow and apologize more. A great man is coming to eat at

my house. I do not wish to please him I wish that he should wish to please me. I will stand
, ,
here for humanity and though I would make it kind I would make it true. Let us affront and

reprimand the smooth mediocrity and squalid contentment of the times and hurl in the face of
, , , ,
custom and trade and office the fact which is the upshot of all history that there is a great

responsible Thinker and Actor working wherever a man works that a true man belongs to no
, ,
other time or place but is the centre of things. Where he is there is nature. He measures you ,
, ,
and all men and all events. Ordinarily every body in society reminds us of somewhat else or ,
of some other person. Character,reality,reminds you of nothing else;it takes place of the
163

whole creation. The man must be so much that he must make all circumstances indifferent.
, , ;
Every true man is a cause a country and an age requires infinite spaces and numbers and time
;—and posterity seem to follow his steps as a train of clients. A
fully to accomplish his design
man Caesar is born,and for ages after we have a Roman Empire. Christ is born,and millions
of minds so grow and cleave to his genius,that he is confounded with virtue and the possible of
man. An institution is the lengthened shadow of one man;as,Monachism,of the Hermit
Antony; the Reformation, of Luther; Quakerism, of Fox; Methodism, of Wesley;
Abolition,of Clarkson,Scipio,Milton called “the height of Rome ”;and all history
19

resolves itself very easily into the biography of a few stout and earnest persons.

Let a man then know his worth and keep things under his feet. Let him not peep or steal ,
, , ,
or skulk up and down with the air of a charityboy a bastard or an interloper in the world

which exists for him. But the man in the street finding no worth in himself which corresponds

to the force which built a tower or sculptured a marble god feels poor when he looks on these.
, , ,
To him a palace a statue or a costly book have an alien and forbidding air much like a gay
equipage 20
,and seem to say like that,“Who are you,Sir?”Yet they all are his,suitors for his

notice petitioners to his faculties that they will come out and take possession. The picture waits
: ,
for my verdict it is not to command me but I am to settle its claims to praise. That popular
, ,
fable of the sot who was picked up dead drunk in the street carried to the dukes house washed
and dressed and laid in the dukes bed ,and,on his waking,treated with all obsequious
ceremony like the duke,and assured that he had been insane,owes its popularity to the fact,
that it symbolizes so well the state of man,who is in the world a sort of sot,but now and then
wakes up,exercises his reason,and finds himself a true prince.

Questions for Discussion


1. What does goodness mean to the author ?
2. What do most people believe to be virtue?And what is true virtue?
3. Why does the author dislike “consistency”?Do you agree with him?

Notes
:棕榈叶,此处象征荣誉。
1. palms
2. suffrage:认可,赞许。
3. “But these impulses爥not from above?”:“但这些冲动也许来自地狱,而不是来
自天国。”
4. 爥the only right is what is after my constitution爥:符合我的性情才是唯一正确
的。
5. Abolition :废奴运动
6. Barbados:巴巴多斯岛,西印度群岛的独立岛国,于 1834 年废除奴隶制。
164
Unit 16 ( —1882) 拉尔夫·华尔多·爱默生
Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803

7. I shun father爥exclude company:大意为:一旦受到自己天才的召唤,就不必费力


解释原因而将所有人关在门外,最多只是说自己突然有这样做的怪念头而已。
8. rather the exception than the rule:与其说是常例还不如说是例外。
9. I ask primary evidence that you are a man ,and refuse this appeal from the
man to his actions. :我要求有一手证据来证明你是一个真正的人,而不要任何人拿自己
的行动来证明自己(所谓行动,即后文所说的“二手证词”)。
10. Pythagoras was misunderstood ,and Socrates,and Jesus,and Luther,and
Copernicus,and Galileo ,and Newton. :Pythagoras 毕达哥拉斯 (580 ?500 ? BC,古
希腊哲学家、数学家),Socrates 苏格拉底 (469—399BC,古希腊哲学家 ),Jesus 耶稣基
督,Luther 马丁 · 路德 (1483—1546,德国宗教改革家 ),Copernicus 哥白尼 (Nicolaus
1473 —1543 ,波兰天文学家、现代天文学创始人),Galileo 伽利略(1564 —1642 ,意大利物理
及天文学家),Newton 艾萨克· 牛顿爵士 (1643—1727,英国物理学家),这些历史伟人都
被他们的同时代人误解过。
11. Andes and Himalayas:安第斯山脉和喜马拉雅山脉
12. acrostic or Alexandrian stanza:离合诗或亚历山大诗节。 因为是回文,可以顺
读、倒读。
13. tacks:抢风行驶,Z 字形航行。
14. Chatham:查塔姆伯爵,即威廉 · 皮特 (William Pitt,1708 —1778 )英国著名政治
家和政治演说家。
15. port:举止,风度。
16. Adams:可能指 Samuel Adams(1722 —1803 )美国独立战争时期著名的革命家;
或 John Adams(1735—1826)美国第二届总统;或 John Quincy Adams(1767—1848)美
国第六届总统。
17. gazette:常用被动式,公开宣布,这里有”公开放弃”的意思。
18. Spartan fife:斯巴达的横笛,象征战斗的号角。
19. Monachism, of the Hermit Antony; the Reformation , of Luther;
Quakerism,of Fox;Methodism,of Wesley;Abolition ,of Clarkson ;Scipio ,Milton
called “the height of Rome”:圣·安东尼(St. Anthony,250 —350 前后)是基督教的早
期修士,创立隐修制度(Monachism);乔治·福克斯(George Fox,1624—1691 )基督教贵
格会(Quakerism,又称公谊会)创始人;约翰 · 韦斯理 (John Wesley,1703—1791 )基督
教循道宗(Methodism)创始人;托马斯·卡拉克森(Thomas Clarkson,1760—1846 )英国
废奴主义者;西庇阿(Scipio Africanus,约公元前 236—184)罗马将军。
20. a gay equipage:一套花里胡哨的行头

165
19 th Century American Poets
Unit 17 19 世纪美国诗人

Walt Whitman 1819 ( —1892 )


沃尔特·惠特曼

Biography
Walt Whitman was an American romantic poet , essayist and
journalist. A humanist , he was a part of the transition between

transcendentalism and realism incorporating both views in his works.
Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon ,
often called the father of free verse. His work was very controversial in
, ,
its time particularly his poetry collection Leaves of Grass which was
described as obscene for its overt sexuality.
Born in Huntington on Long Island , Whitman worked as a
, ,a government clerk,and—in addition to publishing his poetry—was a
journalist a teacher
volunteer nurse during the American Civil War. Early in his career, he also produced a
temperance novel,Franklin Evans (1842 ). Whitmans major work,Leaves of Grass,was first
published in 1855 with his own money. The work was an attempt at reaching out to the common
person with an American epic. He continued expanding and revising it until his death in 1892.
, , ,
After a stroke towards the end of his life he moved to Camden New Jersey where his health
further declined. When he died at age 72 ,his funeral became a public spectacle.
Whitman was concerned with politics throughout his life. He supported the Wilmot Proviso
and opposed the extension of slavery generally. His poetry presented an equalitarian view of the

races though his attitude in life reflected many of the racial prejudices common to 19thcentury
America and his opposition to slavery was not necessarily based on belief in the equality of races
per se. At one point he called for the abolition of slavery ,but later he saw the abolitionist
movement as a threat to democracy.
, “
In 1855 when the first edition of Leaves of Grass appeared critics labeled his work poetry
” , , ,
of barbarism because of his formless free verse his incantations and boasts his sexuality his
exotic and vulgar language. Yet it was a compound of commonplaces (平 常 事 ), of

166
, ,
disorganized and raw experience of sentimentalism of true poetic inspiration. The poems had
Unit 17 19 th Century American Poets 19 世纪美国诗人

ecstatic perceptions of man and nature united and divine. Whitman had an expansive oceanic

vision an urgent desire to incorporate the entire American experience into his life and poetry.

He aspired to be a cosmic consciousness to experience and glorify all humanity and all human
qualities,including “sex,womanhood,maternity,lusty animations,organs,acts. ”

Major Works
( )
Franklin Evans 1842
Leaves of Grass (1855 )(1 st

edition 12 poems )
Leaves of Grass (1892 )(9 th
edition ,over 400 poems)
DrumTaps (1865 )
Democratic Vistas (1871 )
Memoranda During the War 1876 ( )
Specimen Days 1882 ( )
Whitmans Style in General

1. free verse The poems do not rhyme or follow standard rules for meter and line length. )
, , ,
2. simple words no excess of ornaments colloquial and slang phrases regional dialects
, ,
3. rhythm repetition foreign and coined words
( , , ,
4. catalogue lists of names of American birds animals rivers mountains爥 )
5. symbols,metaphors,parallelism and phonetic recurrences
6. full of musicality

About Leaves of Grass


Leaves of Grass underwent 9 editions from 1855 to 1892. The poems in the collection are
loosely connected and each represents Whitmans celebration of his philosophy of life and
humanity. Particularly the first edition exalted the body and the material world. Influenced by

Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Transcendentalist movement Whitmans poetry praises nature
and the individual humans role in it. However ,much like Emerson,Whitman does not
diminish the role of the mind or the spirit;rather,he elevates the human form and the human
mind,deeming both worthy of poetic praise. Song of Myself,I Sing the Body Electric,Out of
the Cradle Endlessly Rocking are good examples. Later editions included Whitmans elegy to the
, !
assassinated President Abraham Lincoln O Captain My Captain !,When Lilacs Last in the
Dooryard Bloomd.
Major themes of Leaves of Grass
1 )the beauty of the individual (sacredness of the self,“the American I”)
2 )democracy as a way of life (equality of all things and beings,“Enmasse”)
3 )the circle of growth and death(cosmic evolution)—(Everything just changes,not dies,
167
so death is actually a preparation for rebirth. )
4 )fertility of nature

Synopsis of Ones Self I Sing ”
“Ones Self I Sing ”is one of the nine prologues from the 1871 edition. In the poem,
Whitman emphasizes an allpowerful “I”which serves as narrator,who should not be limited to
or confused with the person of the historical Walt Whitman. The persona described has
transcended the conventional boundaries of self and refers to every modern man with integrity ,

also called Americanness”,which aims at political democracy and the overall development of
an individual person,without distinction between nobility and poverty,male and female. To
keep passion,pulse,power and optimism in daily life and to act freely within the limit of the
law is what each person should bear in mind and try to do.

◆◆◆L&#- 0#,6 = 05&8◆◆◆


Ones self I sing a simple separate person ,

Yet utter the word Democratic the word EnMasse1 .

Of physiology from top to toe I sing ,



Not physiognomy alone nor brain alone is worthy for the Muse3 I say the

Form complete is worthier far ,


The Female equally with the Male I sing.

, ,
Of Life immense in passion pulse and power ,

Cheerful for freest action formd under the law divine ,
The Modern Man I sing.

Questions for Discussion


1. What is the significance of singing about ones self ?

2. What is the difference between physiology and physiognomy
3. What does Whitman mean by the term of “the Modern Man”?

Notes
1. EnMasse:[法语]全体,一起。此处意为一切存在。
2. physiognomy:相面术,即通过观察脸部生理特征来判断一个人的性格。
3. Muse:缪斯,宙斯的女儿,主管诗歌。

168
Unit 17 19 th Century American Poets 19 世纪美国诗人

Synopsis of O Captain My Captain ! !”

This poem is classified as an elegy or mourning poem and was written to honor Abraham

Lincoln the 16th president of the United States who got assassinated in 1865. The American

Civil War was the central event of Whitmans life who was a staunch Unionist during the Civil
, ,
War. He was initially indifferent to Lincoln but as the war pressed on Whitman came to love

the president though the two men never met. The fallen captain in the poem refers to Abraham
, ,
Lincoln captain of the ship that is the United States of America the fearful trip to the process
—an organic combination between celebratory
of the Civil War. This poem has a distinctive trait
joy and elegiac quality. Throughout the poem,there is a distinct rhyme scheme—aabbcded,
which is unusual for Whitman. Rhetorical devices such as metaphors,contrast and comparison,
repetition,alliteration,parallel and vivid images are adopted quite skilfully in the poem.

◆◆◆L $%9'%5&M H+ $%9'%5&M ◆◆◆

! !
O Captain My Captain Our fearful trip is done ;
The ship has weatherd every rack ,the prize we sought is won;

The port is near,the bells I hear,the people all exulting,


While follow eyes the steady keel ,the vessel grim and daring:

But O heart!heart!heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

! !
O Captain My Captain Rise up and hear the bells ,
Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills,
For you bouquets and ribbond wreaths—for you the shores acrowding , 3

For you they call,the swaying mass,their eager faces turning;


Here Captain!Dear father!
This arm beneath your head!
It is some dream that on the deck,
Youve fallen cold and dead.


My Captain does not answer his lips are pale and still ,

My father does not feel my arm he has no pulse nor will ,

The ship is anchord safe and sound its voyage closed and done ,
From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won ; 169

Exult O shores and ring O bell !
But I with mournful tread ,
Walk the deck my captain lies ,
Fallen cold and dead.

Questions for Discussion


“ ”
1. Why is the word Captain capitalized throughout the poem ?
2. What the overall metaphor does the poet employ in this poem?
3. Why do people on the shores exult and bells ring,while the speaker remains so sad?
4. Who does “father”refer to?Why does Whitman use this relative title?
5. Explain the tone of this elegy,please.

Notes
1. rack :(风暴等)猛烈的震摇
2. “While follow eyes the steady keel,”:“当人们的眼睛注视着破浪前进的巨轮”。
此句为倒装结构,正常语序为“While eyes follow the steady keel”,而且这里诗人采用了
以局部代替整体的提喻法 (synecdoche),用 “eyes”来指岸上急切等待的人们,用 “keel”
(船的龙骨)来代表巨轮。
3. “for you the shores acrowding ”:“为您而海岸上正挤满了 人 群 ”。“a
crowding ”是古用法,将前缀 a附在动词或以ing 结尾的分词前,表示 “在 …… 的进行过程
中”。

Emily Dickinson 1830 ( —1886 )


艾米莉·狄金森

Biography
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. Born in
, ,
Amherst Massachusetts to a successful family with strong community

ties she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life. After she studied at

the Amherst Academy for seven years in her youth she spent a short time
at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary before returning to her familys house

in Amherst. Considered an eccentric by the locals she became known for

her penchant for white clothing and her reluctance to greet guests or later
in life ,even leave her room. Most of her friendships were therefore
carried out by correspondence. She never married.
170
Unit 17 19 th Century American Poets 19 世纪美国诗人
Dickinson was a prolific private poetess ,but most of her nearly 1,800 poems were

published after death. Dickinsons poems are unique for the era in which she wrote they contain
short lines , typically lack titles , and often use slant rhyme as well as unconventional
capitalization and punctuation. Her poems are usually based on her own experiences sorrows , ,
and joys. She addresses issues that concern the whole human beings , including death,
immortality ,religion (the individuals struggle with God),love,assertion of the Self,nature as
a “haunted house”and so on.

Dickinsons Style in General



1. poems of definition and riddles no titles just numbers
2. free verse only with occasional rhyming

3. meaningful repetitions capitalization and dashes for emphasis

4. laconic brevity directness and plainness

5. usually short / economic with mixed images metaphors and coined words

Synopsis of Because I Could not Stop for Death


The poem was published under the title The Chariot. It is composed in six quatrains with
the meter alternating between iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter. Stanzas 1 2 4 , , ,and 6

employ end rhyme in their second and fourth lines but some of these are only close rhyme or
eye rhyme. In the third stanza ,there is no end rhyme,but “ring ” in line 2 rhymes with
“gazing”and “setting ”in lines 3 and 4 respectively. Internal rhyme is scattered throughout.
Figures of speech include alliteration,anaphora,paradox,and personification. This poem is
about Death. Dickinson personifies him (death )as a gentleman caller who takes a leisurely
carriage ride with the poet to her grave. She also personifies immortality.

◆◆◆@#C%*-# = $1*,7 &1' 0'19 61( I#%'"◆◆◆

Because I could not stop for Death1 —


He kindly stopped for me 2


The Carriage held but just Ourselves —

And Immortality .

We slowly drove —He knew no haste


And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too ,
For His Civility 5

171

We passed the School where Children strove
At Recess—in the Ring—
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain —
We passed the Setting Sun —
Or rather —He passed Us—

The Dews drew quivering and Chill
For only Gossamer ,my Gown —
6 7

My Tippet —only Tulle —


8 9

We paused before a House that seemed


A Swelling of the Ground —

The Roof was scarcely visible
The Cornice—in the Ground— 10

Since then —tis Centuries—and yet


Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses Heads
Were toward Eternity —
Questions for Discussion
1. How does the poetess reduce the dread of Death ?
2. How to understand and interpret the third stanza?
3. How to understand and interpret the fifth stanza?

Notes
1. Death :死亡,死神
: 指死神,这里死亡被人格化。kindly 一词让死神即
2. He kindly stopped for me He
刻变成一位彬彬有礼的绅士。诗歌的基调也随之由凄冷恐怖变为轻松自然。
3. Carriage:马车,实际上象征灵车。
4. Immortality:永生,永恒。这里 Immortality 被拟人化了,永生和死神同乘一车,其
哲理深意是“死即永生”。
5. Civility:礼貌,殷勤。它与 kindly 呼应,完成对死神形象的人格化,表明诗人对“死”
的到来的顺其自然的态度。
6. Gossamer:薄纱
7. Gown :睡衣,喻指寿衣
8. Tippet:披肩,披风
172
Unit 17 世纪美国诗人
19 th Century American Poets 19

9. Tulle:网眼纱。这一节写了对死亡的惧意,因诗人用了纱巾、薄裳这两个意象而一
扫阴森凄惨,使整个诗节充满飘逸轻灵之感。
10. House,Swelling ,Roof,Cornice:都喻指坟墓,墓地。这些词的使用驱赶了传统
诗歌所赋予墓地的那种阴森恐怖气氛,反而具有美感。


Synopsis of Success is Counted Sweetest ”
This poem uses the images of a victorious army and one dying warrior to suggest that only
he who has suffered defeat can understand success.
The poems three unemotional quatrains are written in iambic trimeter with only line 5 in
(and others)end with extra syllables. The rhyme scheme is
iambic tetrameter. Lines 1 and 3
abcb. The poems “success ”theme is treated paradoxically:only those who know defeat can
truly appreciate success. Alliteration enhances the poems lyricism. The first stanza is a
complete observation and can stand alone. Stanzas Two and Three introduce military images a (
, ,
captured flag a victorious army a dying warrior )and are dependent upon one another for
complete understanding.
“Success”was one of Dickinsons earliest manuscript poems and one of only seven poems
published during her lifetime. Its theme was one she returned to a number of times during her
,as in “Water,is taught by thirst ”. The poem,Bloom writes,is one of
literary career
Dickinsons more “masculine”poems and “emphasizes the power of desire and equates desire
with victory. ”From a Christian perspective,Bloom explains,the sounds bursting on the dying
warriors ear may be heavenly music as he passes to his eternal rest. Although Dickinsons

poems are often read as poems of losing at romance Bloom points out that the popularity of this
poem can be attributed to the fact that the poems “message can be applied to any situation
where there are winners and losers”.

◆◆◆0*CC#-- =- $1*&'#7 0K##'#-'◆◆◆


Success is counted sweetest
By those who neer succeed.
To comprehend a nectar1
Requires sorest need.

Not one of all the purple Host2


Who took the Flag today
Can tell the definition ,

So clearly of Victory.
173

As he defeated dying ,
On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph

Burst agonized and clear.

Questions for Discussion



1. Why is success counted sweetest by those who neer succeed ”?

2. Who are the purple host ”?
3. Who is “he”in the last stanza?

Notes
1. nectar:花蜜,琼浆玉液,甘露
2. the purple Host:胜利之师

174
Mark Twain 1835 ( —1910)
Unit 18 马克 · 吐温

Biography
Mark Twain was the penname of Samuel Langhorne Clemens who
, ,
was born in the town of Florida Missouri in 1835. When he was four
years old,his family moved to Hannibal,a town on the Mississippi River
much like the towns depicted in his two most famous novels, The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876 )and The Adventures of Huckleberry
Finn(1884 ).
At 11 ,his father died. Clemens had to leave school,and worked for
a printer as an apprentice. Later he became a riverboat pilot,and his life
on the Mississippi influenced him a great deal. He even worked as a silver miner in Nevada

before he stumbled into his true calling journalism.
Throughout the late 1860s and 1870s ,Twains articles,stories,memoirs,and novels,
characterized by an irrepressible wit and a deft ear for language and dialect,earned him immense
celebrity. His novel The Innocents Abroad (1869 )was an instant bestseller,and The Adventures
of Tom Sawyer (1876 )received even greater national acclaim and cemented Twains position as
a giant as well as a humorist in American literary circles. His books were sold doortodoor,and
he became wealthy enough to build a large house in Hartford,Connecticut,for himself and his
wife,Olivia,whom he had married in 1870. Meanwhile,Twains personal life began to
collapse. His wife had long been sickly,and the couple lost their first son after just nineteen
months. Twain also made a number of poor investments and financial decisions and,in 1891 ,
found himself in heavy debt. However,he continued to devote himself to writing. Huckleberry
Finn and some others all met with great public and critical acclaim.
, ,
Twains way of thinking values language and his humor were believed the native products
of America. So “local color”was the outstanding characteristic of his novels. Colloquialism of
American literature first started from Twains colloquial style. Many later writers such as
, , ,
Anderson Hemingway Faulkner Eliot and Salinger etc. , ,were greatly influenced by Mark

Twain just as William Faulkner concluded ,“Mark Twain is the first truly American writer and
all of us are heirs of the author. ”
175
Major Works
? Novels
: ( )
The Gilded Age A Tale of Today 1873
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876 )
The Prince and the Pauper (1881 )
Life on the Mississippi (1883 )
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884 )
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court 1889 ( )
( )
Puddnhead Wilson 1894
Tom Sawyer Abroad (1894 )
Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc 1896 ( )
? Short story collections
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and Other Sketches 1869 ( )
, , !
Punch Brothers Punch and Other Sketches 1878 ( )
Mark Twains Library of Humor 1888 ( )
, ,
The £ 1 000 000 Bank Note and Other New Stories 1893 ( )
? Essay collections
( )
How to Tell a Story and other Essays 1897
Europe and Elsewhere (1923 ,posthumous)
Letters from the Earth (1962 ,posthumous)
A Pen Warmed Up in Hell (1972 ,posthumous)
The Bible According to Mark Twain (1996 ,posthumous)

Mark Twains Style in General


1. use of colloquial expressions and dialects
2. coined words and malapropism
3. rambling speech
, ,
4. misquotation digressions burlesques
: , , , , , ,
5. rhetorical devices hyperbole repetition oxymoron irony satire pun euphemism ,
anticlimax
6. yarn —unbelievable humorous story
Synopsis of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1884 ( )
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn once aroused intense controversy in America and was
banned in Southern states because of its steadfastly critical take on the South and the hypocrisies

176
of slavery. Others dismissed it as vulgar or racist because it uses the word nigger. Ultimately ,
Unit 18 ( —1910) 马克·吐温
Mark Twain 1835

the novel has proved significant not only as a novel that explores the racial and moral world of
, ,
its time but also through the controversies that continue to surround it as an artifact of those
same moral and racial tensions as they have evolved to the present day.
The story begins in fictional St. Petersburg ,Missouri (based on the actual town of
Hannibal,Missouri),on the shore of the Mississippi River. Huck,under the guardianship of
the Widow Douglas,finds civilized life confining and he runs away with his drunk father. He
runs away again to escape his fathers violence and meets Jim,a ranaway black slave,on
Jacksons Island. They start rafting on the Mississippi River. Later,they get cheated by the
duke and the king,who sell Jim to the Phelps. Huck goes to the Phelpss farm and is mistaken
as Tom since the Phelps are expecting their nephew Tom. Tom and Huck plan to free Jim.
, ,
During the actual escape and resulting pursuit Tom is shot in the leg while Jim remains by his
, ,
side risking recapture rather than completing his escape alone. Yet actually Miss Watson Jims
, ,
former master has freed Jim in her will. At the end of the story the Phelps plan to adopt and
civilize Huck,but he intends to flee west to Indian territory.
Hemingway once declared,“All modern American literature comes from a novel titled the
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,the best book weve ever had. ”

Characters
Huck Finn —a clever,kindhearted and brave teenager from the lowest levels of white society,
a boy full of sense of logic and fairness,a positive child image with rebellious spirit
Jim—a man of remarkable intelligence and compassion, a noble human being and a
loyal friend
Tom Sawyer —a smart,mischievous teenager from the middleclass level of white society,
an amazingly inventive and resourceful(足智多谋)boy eager for adventures. With a good heart
and a strong moral conscience,Tom takes seriously the responsibility of his role as a leader
among his schoolfellows.

◆◆◆!"# :7;#&'*(#- 16 .*C?,#)#((+ N5&&◆◆◆


Civilizing Huck —Miss Watson—Tom Sawyer Waits.
YOU dont know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of
; ,
Tom Sawyer but that aint no matter. That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain and he told
, ,
the truth mainly. There was things which he stretched but mainly he told the truth. That is
, ,
nothing. I never seen anybody but lied one time or another without it was Aunt Polly or the
widow,or maybe Mary. Aunt Polly—Toms Aunt Polly,she is—and Mary,and the Widow
Douglas is all told about in that book,which is mostly a true book,with some stretchers,as I
said before. 177

Now the way that the book winds up is this Tom and me found the money that the robbers

hid in the cave and it made us rich. We got six thousand dollars apiece —all gold. It was an

awful sight of money when it was piled up. Well Judge Thatcher he took it and put it out at

interest and it fetched us a dollar a day apiece all the year round —more than a body could tell

what to do with. The Widow Douglas she took me for her son and allowed she would sivilize
; ,
me but it was rough living in the house all the time considering how dismal regular and decent

the widow was in all her ways and so when I couldnt stand it no longer I lit out1 . I got into

my old rags and my sugarhogshead again and was free and satisfied. But Tom Sawyer he

hunted me up and said he was going to start a band of robbers3 and I might join if I would

go back to the widow and be respectable. So I went back.


, ,
The widow she cried over me and called me a poor lost lamb and she called me a lot of
, ,
other names too but she never meant no harm by it. She put me in them new clothes again ,
, 4
and I couldnt do nothing but sweat and sweat and feel all cramped up . Well then the old, ,

thing commenced again. The widow rung a bell for supper and you had to come to time.

When you got to the table you couldnt go right to eating but you had to wait for the widow to
tuck down her head and grumble a little over the victuals,though there warnt really anything
the matter with them, —that is,nothing only everything was cooked by itself. In a barrel of
odds and ends it is different;things get mixed up,and the juice kind of swaps around,and the
things go better.
After supper she got out her book and learned me about Moses and the Bulrushers5 and I ,

was in a sweat to find out all about him but by and by she let it out that Moses had been dead
; ,
a considerable long time so then I didnt care no more about him because I dont take no

stock in dead people.

Pretty soon I wanted to smoke and asked the widow to let me. But she wouldnt. She said

it was a mean practice and wasnt clean and I must try to not do it any more. That is just the
way with some people. They get down on a thing when they dont know nothing about it. Here
, ,
she was abothering about Moses which was no kin to her and no use to anybody being ,
, ,
gone you see yet finding a power of fault with me for doing a thing that had some good in it.
, ; ,
And she took snuff7 too of course that was all right because she done it herself.
Her sister,Miss Watson,a tolerable slim old maid,with goggles on,had just come to live

with her,and took a set at me now with a spellingbook. She worked me middling hard for

about an hour ,and then the widow made her ease up. I couldnt stood it much longer. Then
10

for an hour it was deadly dull,and I was fidgety. Miss Watson would say,“Dont put your feet
up there,Huckleberry; ”and “Dont scrunch up like that,Huckleberry—set up straight;”and
pretty soon she would say,“Dont gap and stretch like that,Huckleberry—why dont you try to
behave? ”Then she told me all about the bad place,and I said I wished I was there. She got
mad then,but I didnt mean no harm. All I wanted was to go somewheres;all I wanted was a
178
Unit 18 ( —1910) 马克·吐温
Mark Twain 1835

, ;
change I warnt particular. She said it was wicked to say what I said said she wouldnt say it
; ,
for the whole world she was going to live so as to go to the good place. Well I couldnt see

no advantage in going where she was going so I made up my mind I wouldnt try for it. But I
, ,
never said so because it would only make trouble and wouldnt do no good.

Now she had got a start and she went on and told me all about the good place. She said all

a body would have to do there was to go around all day long with a harp and sing forever and
ever. So I didnt think much of it. But I never said so. I asked her if she reckoned Tom Sawyer
, ,
would go there and she said not by a considerable sight. I was glad about that because I want
ed him and me to be together.

Miss Watson she kept pecking at me and it got tiresome and lonesome. By and by they

fetched the niggers in and had prayers and then everybody was off to bed. I went up to my

room with a piece of candle and put it on the table. Then I set down in a chair by the window

and tried to think of something cheerful but it warnt no use. I felt so lonesome I most wished

I was dead. The stars were shining and the leaves rustled in the woods ever so mournful and I ;
, , ,
heard an owl away off whowhooing about somebody that was dead and a whippowill and a

dog crying about somebody that was going to die and the wind was trying to whisper something
, ,
to me and I couldnt make out what it was and so it made the cold shivers run over me. Then
away out in the woods I heard that kind of a sound that a ghost makes when it wants to tell about
something thats on its mind and cant make itself understood ,and so cant rest easy in its

grave and has to go about that way every night grieving. I got so downhearted and scared I did

wish I had some company. Pretty soon a spider went crawling up my shoulder and I flipped it

off and it lit in the candle and before I could budge it was all shriveled up. I didnt need

anybody to tell me that that was an awful bad sign and would fetch me some bad luck so I was
scared and most shook the clothes off of me. I got up and turned around in my tracks three times

and crossed my breast every time and then I tied up a little lock of my hair with a thread to
keep witches away. But I hadnt no confidence. You do that when youve lost a horseshoe that
, ,
youve found instead of nailing it up over the door but I hadnt ever heard anybody say it was
any way to keep off bad luck when youd killed a spider.
, , ;
I set down again ashaking all over and got out my pipe for a smoke for the house was
all as still as death now,and so the widow wouldnt know. Well,after a long time I heard the
clock away off in the town go boom—boom—boom—twelve licks;and all still again—stiller
than ever. Pretty soon I heard a twig snap down in the dark amongst the trees—something was a
stirring. I set still and listened. Directly I could just barely hear a “meyow!meyow! ”down
there. That was good!Says I,“meyow!meyow! ”as soft as I could,and then I put out the
light and scrambled out of the window on to the shed. Then I slipped down to the ground and
, , ,
crawled in among the trees and sure enough there was Tom Sawyer waiting for me.

179
Questions for Discussion

1. Why did Huck run away from the Widow Douglas Why did he obey Tom Sawyer and

go back What does this tell you about Tom and Huck ?
2. What did “the good place”and “the bad place”mean?Why did Miss Watson get mad
when Huck said “I wished I was there. ”?Did Huck fully understand their meanings?
3. Why did Huck get downhearted and scared when he was alone in his room?Do you
think he was superstitious?Did you ever have any similar feelings when you were small?
4. What do you think of the description of the last two paragraphs?

Notes
1. light out : < 美口 > 匆匆离去,突然离开。
2. hunt me up :想方设法找到我。
3. start a band of robbers:发起组织一个强盗帮,指孩子们的幻想游戏。
4. feel all cramped up :(硬邦邦的新衣服绑在身上而)憋得实在难受。
5. Moses and the Bulrushers:摩西和蒲草箱的故事。 在 《圣经 · 旧约 》中,埃及法老
曾下令淹死所有的以色列男婴,摩西的母亲为了让儿子,将摩西装入蒲草箱,放到尼罗河中,
以逃避大屠杀。因命运安排,装着摩西的箱子竟然飘到埃及王后的花园里。善良的王后收
养了摩西,并抚养他长大成人。
6. take (put)stock in :相信,重视
7. take snuff:吸鼻烟
8. goggles:护目镜,防风镜
9. take a set at me:“set”为“趋势”,“倾向”,该短语有“故意难为我”之意。
10. She worked me middling hard for about an hour. :此句真正意思应为 “She
had me working hard as a middle school student for about an hour. ”“middling ”一
词既是马克·吐温新造的词用法,又恰到好处地反映哈克的聪明和此刻他的不耐烦。

180
Katherine Anne Porter 1890 ( —1980)
Unit 19 凯瑟琳 · 安 · 波特

Biography
Katherine Anne Porter was a Pulitzer Prizewinning American
, ,short story writer,novelist,and political activist.
journalist essayist
Her 1962 novel Ship of Fools was a bestseller in America that year,but
her short stories received much more critical acclaim. She is known for

her penetrating insight her work deals with dark themes such as betrayal ,
death and the origin of human evil.
Porter was born in Texas in 1890 as Callie Russell Porter. When she
was two ,her mother died during childbirth, so she went to live with her grandmother,
Catherine Ann,by whom Porter was much influenced. When she was sixteen,Porter ran away
and converted to Catholicism to marry John Henry Koontz. Koontz was an alcoholic who
, ,
subjected Porter to extreme physical abuse and after eight years of marriage Porter left him to
start a career as an actress in Chicago and Texas. She formally divorced Koontz in 1915 and

changed her name to Katherine Anne a respelled version of her grandmothers name. In 1930 ,
, ,
she published her first collection of short stories Flowering Judas and Other Stories which
earned her fame.
, ,
When writing fiction Porter often drew on her own life creating rich blends of reality and
imagination. She blossomed as a writer during the 1930s and 1940s. Porter started her novel

Ship of Fools in the 1940s which drew on her trip from Mexico to Germany in the 1931 and

took her about twenty years to finish. She finally published the novel in 1962 which turned her
into a widely known and read author. The novel spent twentysix weeks at the top of The New
York Times bestseller list and was made into a film starring Vivien Leigh in 1966. Porter won
more acclaim in 1965 ,when her Collected Stories won the Pulitzer Prize and National Book
Award. That year she was also appointed to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Major Works
? Collections of short stories :
Flowering Judas and Other Stories 1930 ( )
, :
Pale Horse Pale Rider Three Short Novels 1939 ( ) 181
( )
The Leaning Tower and Other Stories 1944
The Old Order:Stories of the South (1955 )
The Collected Stories of Katherine Anne Porter 1965 ( )
? Novel :
( )
Ship of Fools 1962
? Essay Collections:
The Days Before (1952 )
Collected Essays and Occasional Writings of Katherine Anne Porter 1970 ( )
? Other publications :
( )
Outline of Mexican Popular Arts and Crafts 1922
Katherine Anne Porters French Song Book (1933 )seventeen French songs with
Porters English translations
The Never Ending Wrong 1977 ( )Porters reflections upon the 1927 executions
of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti

Porters style in general


, ,
1. concise colloquial ironic and psychological

2. flawless prose good diction
3. use of Limited (Controlled)Stream of Consciousness Technique
4. use of religious symbols,images,and allusions

Synopsis of The Jilting of Granny Weatherall


The story concerns an 80yearold grannys memory of being left at the altar on her
wedding day 60 years ago and her current fear of being jilted in a similar manner by God.

Granny Weatherall is dying so most of the action occurs in her head. Porter depicted grannys

trains of thought memories and associations before her death by skillfully using the stream of
consciousness technique in a limited way so that she vividly presented grannys persistence ,
, , ,
individuality wits and wisdom the relationship with her fiance husband and her children. In
, ,
fact this method of mingling the past with the present chronological narration with inverted
order perfectly showed grannys physical condition between sober state and confusion at her

deathbed. Therefore the reader saw a full figure a genuine granny with her strong points as well
as her weaknesses. Her passivity resulted from her religious belief was the very cause of her
depression buried deep in her heart.

◆◆◆!"# D5,'5&8 16 F(%&&+ >#%'"#(%,,◆◆◆

She flicked her wrist neatly out of Doctor Harrys pudgy careful fingers and pulled the sheet
182
Unit 19 ( —1980) 凯瑟琳·安·波特
Katherine Anne Porter 1890

up to her chin. The brat ought to be in knee breeches1 . Doctoring around the country with
spectacles on his nose !“Get along now. Take your schoolbooks and go. Theres nothing wrong
with me. ”
Doctor Harry spread a warm paw like a cushion on her forehead where the forked green
vein danced and made her eyelids twitch. “Now,now,be a good girl,and well have you up
in no time. ”
“Thats no way to speak to a woman nearly eighty years old just because shes down. Id
have you respect your elders ,young man. ”

“Well,Missy,excuse me. ”Doctor Harry patted her cheek. “But Ive got to warn you,
havent I?Youre a marvel,but you must be careful or youre going to be good and sorry. ”
“Dont tell me what Im going to be. Im on my feet now,morally speaking. Its
Cornelia. I had to go to bed to get rid of her. ”
Her bones felt loose,and floated around in her skin,and Doctor Harry floated like a
balloon around the foot of the bed. He floated and pulled down his waistcoat,and swung his
glasses on a cord. “Well,stay where you are,it certainly cant hurt you. ”
“Get along and doctor your sick,”said Granny Weatherall. “Leave a well woman alone.
Ill call for you when I want you 爥 Where were you forty years ago when I pulled through
milkleg and double pneumonia3 ?You werent even born. Dont let Cornelia lead you on ,”

she shouted because Doctor Harry appeared to float up to the ceiling and out. “I pay my own

bills and I dont throw my money away on nonsense !”

She meant to wave goodby but it was too much trouble. Her eyes closed of themselves ,

it was like a dark curtain drawn around the bed. The pillow rose and floated under her pleasant
as a hammock in a light wind. She listened to the leaves rustling outside the window. No ,
: ,
somebody was swishing newspapers no Cornelia and Doctor Harry were whispering together.

She leaped broad awake thinking they whispered in her ear.
“She was never like this,never like this!”“Well,what can we expect?”“Yes,eighty
years old爥”
Well,and what if she was?She still had ears. It was like Cornelia to whisper around
doors. She always kept things secret in such a public way. She was always being tactful and
; :“So good and
kind. Cornelia was dutiful that was the trouble with her. Dutiful and good
dutiful,
”said Granny,“that Id like to spank her. ”She saw herself spanking Cornelia and
making a fine job of it.
“Whatd you say,mother?”
Granny felt her face tying up in hard knots.
“Cant a body think,Id like to know?”
“I thought you might like something. ”
“I do. I want a lot of things. First off,go away and dont whisper. ” 183

She lay and drowsed hoping in her sleep that the children would keep out and let her rest a
minute. It had been a long day. Not that she was tired. It was always pleasant to snatch a

minute now and then. There was always so much to be done let me see tomorrow. :
Tomorrow was far away and there was nothing to trouble about. Things were finished

somehow when the time came thank God there was always a little margin over for peace then :

a person could spread out the plan of life and tuck in the edges orderly . It was good to have

everything clean and folded away with the hair brushes and tonic bottles sitting straight on the
, :
white embroidered linen the day started without fuss and the pantry shelves laid out with rows
of jelly glasses and brown jugs and white stonechina jars with blue whirligigs and words painted
: , , , , , :
on them coffee tea sugar ginger cinnamon allspice and the bronze clock with the lion on

top nicely dusted off. The dust that lion could collect in twentyfour hours The box in the attic
, ,
with all those letters tied up well shed have to go through that tomorrow. All those letters —
Georges letters and Johns letters and her letters to them both —lying around for the children to

find afterwards made her uneasy. Yes that would be tomorrows business. No use to let them
know how silly she had been once.
While she was rummaging around she found death in her mind and it felt clammy and
unfamiliar. She had spent so much time preparing for death there was no need for bringing it up

again. Let it take care of itself for now. When she was sixty she had felt very old finished ,

and went around making farewell trips to see her children and grandchildren with a secret in her
: , !
mind This was the very last of your mother children Then she made her will and came down
, ,
with a long fever. That was all just a notion like a lot of other things but it was lucky too for
she had once and for all got over the idea of dying for a long time. Now she couldnt be
worried. She hoped she had better sense now. Her father had lived to be one hundred and two
years old and had drunk a noggin of strong hot toddy5 on his last birthday. He told the

reporters it was his daily habit and he owed his long life to that. He had made quite a scandal
and was very pleased about it. She believed shed just plague Cornelia a little.
“Cornelia!Cornelia!”No footsteps,but a sudden hand on her cheek. “Bless you,where
have you been? ”
“Here,Mother. ”
“Well,Cornelia,I want a noggin of hot toddy. ”
“Are you cold,darling?”
“Im chilly,Cornelia. Lying in bed stops the circulation. I must have told you a thousand
times. ”
Well,she could just hear Cornelia telling her husband that Mother was getting a little
childish and theyd have to humor her. The thing that most annoyed her was that Cornelia
, ,
thought she was deaf dumb and blind. Little hasty glances and tiny gestures tossed around
here and over her head saying,“Dont cross her,let her have her way,shes eighty years old,

184
Unit 19 Katherine Anne Porter 1890 ( —1980) 凯瑟琳·安·波特
and she sitting there as if she lived in a thin glass cage. Sometimes granny almost made up her
mind to pack up and move back to her own house where nobody could remind her every minute
, , ,
that she was old. Wait wait Cornelia till your own children whisper behind your back !
In her day she had kept a better house and had got more work done. She wasnt too old yet

for Lydia to be driving eighty miles for advice when one of the children jumped the track6 and
Jimmy still dropped in and talked things over :“Now,Mammy,youve a good business head,I
want to know what you think of this ?爥”Old. Cornelia couldnt change the furniture around
without asking. Little things,little things!They had been so sweet when they were little.
Granny wished the old days were back again with the children young and everything to be done

over. It had been a hard pull but not too much for her. When she thought of all the food she
, ,
had cooked and all the clothes she had cut and sewed and all the gardens she had made —
, , ,
well the children showed it. There they were made out of her and they couldnt get away

, ,
from that. Sometimes she wanted to see John again and point to them and say Well I didnt
, ?
do so badly did I But that would have to wait. That was for tomorrow. She used to think of
him as a man,but now all the children were older than their father,and he would be a child
beside her if she saw him now. It seemed strange and there was something wrong in the idea.
, ,
Why he couldnt possibly recognize her. She had fenced in a hundred acres once digging the
post holes herself and clamping the wires with just a negro boy to help. That changed a woman.
John would be looking for a young woman with a peaked Spanish comb in her hair and the
painted fan. Digging post holes changed a woman. Riding country roads in the winter when

women had their babies was another thing sitting up nights with sick horses and sick negroes
, !
and sick children and hardly ever losing one. John I hardly ever lost one of them John would
, ,
see that in a minute that would be something he could understand she wouldnt have to explain
anything !
It made her feel like rolling up her sleeves and putting the whole place to rights again8 .

No matter if Cornelia was determined to be everywhere at once there were a great many things
left undone on this place. She would start tomorrow and do them. It was good to be strong

enough for everything even if all you made melted and changed and slipped under your hands ,
so that by the time you finished you almost forgot what you were working for. What was it I set
? ,
out to do She asked herself intently but she could not remember. A fog rose over the valley ,
she saw it marching across the creek swallowing the trees and moving up the hill like an army of

ghosts. Soon it would be at the near edge of the orchard and then it was time to go in and light
, ,
the lamps. Come in children dont stay out in the night air.
Lighting the lamps had been beautiful. The children huddled up to her and breathed like
little calves waiting at the bars in the twilight. Their eyes followed the match and watched the
, ,
flame rise and settle in a blue curve then they moved away from her. The lamp was lit they
didnt have to be scared and hang on to mother any more. Never,never,never more. God,for
185
, , ,
all my life I thank Thee. Without Thee my God I could never have done it. Hail Mary , ,
full of grace.
I want you to pick all the fruit this year and see nothing is wasted. Theres always someone
who can use it. Dont let good things rot for want of using. You waste life when you waste
good food. Dont let things get lost. Its bitter to lose things. Now ,dont let me get to

thinking not when Im tired and taking a little nap before supper爥.
The pillow rose about her shoulders and pressed against her heart and the memory was
: , , :
being squeezed out of it oh push down the pillow somebody it would smother her if she
tried to hold it. Such a fresh breeze blowing and such a green day with no threats in it. But he

had not come just the same. 9 What does a woman do when she has put on the white veil and
? ,
set out the white cake for a man and he doesnt come She tried to remember. No I swear he
never harmed me but in that. He never harmed me but in that爥and what if he did?There was
the day,the day,but a whirl of dark smoke rose and covered it,crept up and over into the
bright field where everything was planted so carefully in orderly rows. That was hell,she knew
hell when she saw it. For sixty years she had prayed against remembering him and against losing

her soul in the deep pit of hell and now the two things were mingled in one and the thought of
him was a smoky cloud from hell that moved and crept in her head when she had just got rid of
, ,
Doctor Harry and was trying to rest a minute. Wounded vanity Ellen said a sharp voice in the
top of her mind. Dont let your wounded vanity get the upper hand of you. Plenty of girls get
jilted. You were kilted ,werent you?Then stand up to it. Her eyelids wavered and let in
streamers of bluegray light like tissue paper over her eyes. She must get up and pull the shades
down or shed never sleep. She was in bed again and the shades were not down. How could that

happen Better turn over ,hide from the light,sleeping in the light gave you nightmares.
“Mother,how do you feel now?”and a stinging wetness on her forehead. But I dont like
having my face washed in cold water!
Hapsy?George?Lydia?Jimmy? No,Cornelia and her features were swollen and full of
10

little puddles. “Theyre coming,darling,theyll all be here soon. ”Go wash your face,child,
you look funny.

Instead of obeying Cornelia knelt down and put her head on the pillow. She seemed to be
talking but there was no sound. “Well,are you tonguetied?Whose birthday is it?Are you
going to give a party ?”
Cornelias mouth moved urgently in strange shapes. “Dont do that,you bother me,
daughter. ”
“Oh no,Mother. Oh,no爥”
Nonsense. It was strange about children. They disputed your every word. “No what,
Cornelia ?”
186
“Heres Doctor Harry. ”
Unit 19 ( —1980) 凯瑟琳·安·波特
Katherine Anne Porter 1890

“I wont see that boy again. He left just five minutes ago. ”
“That was this morning,Mother. Its night now. Heres the nurse. ”
“This is Doctor Harry,Mrs. Weatherall. I never saw you look so young and happy!”
“Ah,Ill never be young again—but Id be happy if theyd let me lie in peace and
get rested. ”
She thought she spoke up loudly,but no one answered. A warm weight on her forehead,a
warm bracelet on her wrist,and a breeze went on whispering,trying to tell her something. A
shuffle of leaves in the everlasting hand of God,He blew on them and they danced and rattled.
“Mother,dont mind,were going to give you a little hypodermic. ”“Look here,daughter,
how do ants get in this bed?I saw sugar ants yesterday. ”Did you send for Hapsy too?
It was Hapsy she really wanted. She had to go a long way back through a great many
rooms to find Hapsy standing with a baby on her arm. She seemed to herself to be Hapsy also ,
, ,
and the baby on Hapsys arm was Hapsy and himself and herself all at once and there was no
surprise in the meeting. Then Hapsy melted from within and turned flimsy as gray gauze and the

baby was a gauzy shadow and Hapsy came up close and said ,“I thought youd never come,”
and looked at her very searchingly and said,“You havent changed a bit! ”They leaned forward
to kiss,when Cornelia began whispering from a long way off,“Oh,is there anything you want
to tell me?Is there anything I can do for you?”
Yes,she had changed her mind after sixty years and she would like to see George. I want
you to find George. Find him and be sure to tell him I forgot him. I want him to know I had my
husband just the same and my children and my house like any other woman. A good house too
and a good husband that I loved and fine children out of him. Better than I had hoped for even.
,,, ,,
Tell him I was given back everything he took away and more. Oh no oh God no there was
something else besides the house and the man and the children. Oh,surely they were not all?

What was it Something not given back爥 Her breath crowded down under her ribs and grew
; ,
into a monstrous frightening shape with cutting edges it bored up into her head and the agony
: , , , ,
was unbelievable Yes John get the Doctor now no more talk my time has come. 11

When this one was born it should be the last. The last. It should have been born first for

it was the one she had truly wanted. Everything came in good time. Nothing left out left over.

She was strong in three days she would be as well as ever. Better. A woman needed milk in
her to have her full health.
“Mother,do you hear me?”
“Ive been telling you—”
“Mother,Father Connollys here. ”
12

“I went to Holy Communion only last week. Tell him Im not so sinful as all that. ”
13

“Father just wants to speak with you. ”


He could speak as much as he pleased. It was like him to drop in and inquire about her soul
187

as if it were a teething baby and then stay on for a cup of tea and a round of cards and gossip.
He always had a funny story of some sort ,usually about an Irishman who made his little

mistakes and confessed them and the point lay in some absurd thing he would blurt out in the
confessional showing his struggles between native piety and original sin. Granny felt easy about
, ?
her soul. Cornelia where are your manners Give Father Connolly a chair. She had her secret
comfortable understanding with a few favorite saints who cleared a straight road to God for her.
All as surely signed and sealed as the papers for the new forty acres. Forever爥heirs and assigns

forever. Since the day the wedding cake was not cut but thrown out and wasted. The whole
bottom dropped out of the world 14
,and there she was blind and sweating with nothing under
her feet and the walls falling away. His hand had caught her under the breast,she had not
15

fallen,there was the freshly polished floor with the green rug on it,just as before. He had
cursed like a sailors parrot and said,“Ill kill him for you. ”Dont lay a hand on him,for my
sake leave something to God. “Now,Ellen,you must believe what I tell you爥. ”
So there was nothing,nothing to worry about anymore,except sometimes in the night one
of the children screamed in a nightmare,and they both hustled out and hunting for the matches
and calling,“There,wait a minute,here we are! ”John,get the doctor now,Hapsys time has
come. But there was Hapsy standing by the bed in a white cap. “Cornelia,tell Hapsy to take
off her cap. I cant see her plain. ”
Her eyes opened very wide and the room stood out like a picture she had seen somewhere.
Dark colors with the shadows rising towards the ceiling in long angles. The tall black dresser
, ,
gleamed with nothing on it but Johns picture enlarged from a little one with Johns eyes very

black when they should have been blue. You never saw him so how do you know how he

looked But the man insisted the copy was perfect ,it was very rich and handsome. For a
picture ,yes,but its not my husband. The table by the bed had a linen cover and a candle and a
crucifix. The light was blue from Cornelias silk lampshades. No sort of light at all,just frippery.
You had to live forty years with kerosene lamps to appreciate honest electricity. She felt very
strong and she saw Doctor Harry with a rosy nimbus around him.
“You look like a saint,Doctor Harry,and I vow thats as near as youll ever come to it. ”
“Shes saying something. ”
“I heard you Cornelia. Whats all this carrying on?”
“Father Connollys saying—”
Cornelias voice staggered and jumped like a cart in a bad road. It rounded corners and
turned back again and arrived nowhere. Granny stepped up in the cart very lightly16 and
, ,
reached for the reins but a man sat beside her and she knew him by his hands driving the cart.
, ,
She did not look in his face for she knew without seeing but looked instead down the road
where the trees leaned over and bowed to each other and a thousand birds were singing a Mass.

188
, ,
She felt like singing too but she put her hand in the bosom of her dress and pulled out a
Unit 19 ( —1980) 凯瑟琳·安·波特
Katherine Anne Porter 1890


rosary and Father Connolly murmured Latin in a very solemn voice and tickled her feet17 . My
God,will you stop that nonsense?Im a married woman. What if he did run away and leave me
to face the priest by myself?I found another a whole world better;I wouldnt have exchanged
my husband for anybody except St. Michael himself,and you may tell him that for me with a
thank you in the bargain.
Light flashed on her closed eyelids,and a deep roaring shook her. Coenelia,is that
lightning ?I hear thunder. Theres going to be a storm. Close all the windows. Call the children
in爥 “Mother,here we are,all of us. ”“Is that you Hapsy? ”“Oh,no,Im Lydia. We drove
as fast as we could. ”Their faces drifted above her,drifted away. The rosary fell out of her
hands and Lydia put it back. Jimmy tried to help,their hands fumbled together,and granny
closed two fingers around Jimmys thumb. Beads wouldnt do,it must be something alive. She
was so amazed her thoughts ran round and round. So,my dear Lord,this is my death and I
wasnt even thinking about it. My children have come to see me die. But I cant,its not time.
Oh,I always hated surprise. I wanted to give Cornelia the amethyst set—Cornelia,youre to
have the amethyst set,but Hapsys to wear it when she wants,and,Doctor Harry,do shut up.
Nobody sent for you. Oh,my dear Lord,do wait a minute. I meant to do something about the
Forty Acres,Jimmy doesnt need it and Lydia will later on,with that worthless husband of
hers. I meant to finish the alter cloth and sent six bottles of wine to Sister Borgia for her
dyspepsia. I want to send six bottles of wine to Sister Borgia,Father Connolly,now dont let
me forget.
Cornelias voice made short turns and tilted over and crashed. “Oh,Mother,oh,Mother,
oh,Mother爥. ”
“Im not going,Cornelia. Im taken by surprise. I cant go. ”
Youll see Hapsy again. What about her?“I thought youd never come. ”Granny made a
long journey outward,looking for Hapsy. What if I dont find her?What then?Her heart sank
down and down,there was no bottom to death,she couldnt come to the end of it. The blue
light from Cornelias lampshade drew into a tiny point in the center of her brain,it flickered
18

and winked like an eye,quietly it fluttered and dwindled. Granny laid curled down within
herself,amazed and watchful,staring at the point of light that was herself;her body was now
only a deeper mass of shadow in an endless darkness and this darkness would curl around the
light and swallow it up. God,give a sign!
19
For a second time there was no sign. Again no bridegroom and the priest in the house.
She could not remember any other sorrow,because this grief wiped them all away. Oh,no,
theres nothing more cruel than this—Ill never forgive it. She stretched herself with a deep
breath and blew out the light.

Questions for Discussion


1. What qualities does Granny possess which help her live successfully ? 189
? ,
2. Does Granny have any weaknesses If so what are they ?
3. Try to reorder the events told in the story as they flashed through Grannys mind ?
4. Explain Porters stream of consciousness technique in relation to this short story.

Notes
1. The brat ought to be in knee breeches. :“brat”为称呼小孩的贬义词。“knee
breeches”指齐膝的短(马)裤, 19 世纪和 20 世纪初,英美国家 12 岁以前男孩的普通着装。
这句话的实际意义是“这个乳臭未干的小子。”
2. Id have you respect your elders. :我会让你尊敬老人的。
3. pulled through milkleg and double pneumonia:得了产后股白肿病和双侧肺炎
又活了下来。
4. tuck in the edges orderly:tidy up the loose ends of life
5. a noggin of strong hot toddy:一小杯热甜酒;“hot toddy ”:a sweetened
mixture of whisky and hot water,usually considered good for a cold
6. jumped the track:misbehaved 出轨。
7. 爥she wanted to see John again爥:John 是她英年早逝的丈夫。
8. putting the whole place to rights again. :把整个地方收拾干净。
9. But he had not come,just the same. :“he”即 George, 60 年前将她抛弃在婚礼
殿堂的未婚夫。
10. Hapsy?George?Lydia?Jimmy?:这些都是老奶奶孩子的名字。
11. 爥my time has come:我要生了。(老奶奶想起自己临盆的时候。)
12. Father Connolly:康诺利神父
13. Holy Communion :领用圣餐,这是基督教和天主教主要仪式之一。
14. The whole bottom dropped out of the world 爥: Something very bad
occurred suddenly.

15. His Johns
16. Granny stepped up in the cart very lightly爥 :老奶奶轻盈地登上马车。这里波
特运用了一个典故:19 世纪美国女诗人艾米莉 · 迪金森的诗歌 “Because I Could Not
Stop for Death ”描写死神赶着马车来接她,她乘上马车跟死神同游人生的旅途,然后走向
坟墓与永恒。
17. tickled her feet:天主教神父在举行死亡前的仪式,包括两脚涂香油。
18. the blue light:蓝光。波特借用迪金森的另一首关于死亡的诗歌 “I Heard a Fly
Buzz—When I Died —”。
19. Again no bridegroom and the priest in the house. :这里老奶奶又回忆起当年
她在教堂等候未婚夫的情景。

190
William Faulkner 1897 ( —1962)
Unit 20 威廉 · 福克纳

Biography
William Faulkner was born in a declining noble family in New
, , ,
Albany Mississippi in 1897. From the middle school Faulkner became

fascinated with poetry. In 1918 he was enlisted into the British Army in

Toronto but he never went to the front because the war was soon over.
Then he entered Mississippi University and started to publish poetry. In

1924 the first collection of poetry The Marble Faun came out.

As one of the twentieth centurys greatest writers Faulkner earned
his fame from a series of novels that explore the Souths historical legacy ,

its fraught and often tensely violent present and its uncertain future. Most of his works are
rooted in Faulkners fictional Mississippi county ,Yoknapatawpha,the imaginary setting of
which is a microcosm of the South that Faulkner knew so well. It serves as a lens through which
, ,
he could examine the practices folkways and attitudes that had divided and united the people
of the South since the nations inception.

In his writing Faulkner was particularly interested in exploring the moral implications of
history. As the South emerged from the Civil War and Reconstruction and attempted to shed the
stigma of slavery ,its residents were frequently torn between a new and an older,more
established world order. Religion and politics frequently failed to provide order and guidance
and instead complicated and divided. Society , with its gossip , judgment, and harsh

pronouncements conspired to thwart the ambitions of individuals struggling to embrace their
identities. Across Faulkners fictional landscapes , individual characters often staged epic

struggles prevented from realizing their potential or establishing their place in the world.
Faulkner won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1949 and the Pulitzer Prize in both 1954 and 1962.
, , ,
He died in Byhalia Mississippi on July 6 1962 when he was sixtyfour. He wrote 19 novels ,
, ,
more than 120 short stories which were put into 11 collections and 6 collections of poetry.

Major Works
? Collections of poetry :
The Marble Faun 1924 ( )《大理石牧神》 191
, ( )《这片大地》
This Earth a Poem 1932
A Green Bough (1965 )《绿枝》
? Novels:
Soldiers Pay (1926 )《士兵的报酬》
The Sound and the Fury (1929 )《喧哗与骚动》
Sartoris (1929 )《沙多里斯》
As I Lay Dying (1930 )《在我弥留之际》
Light in August (1931 )《八月之光》
Absalom,Absalom!(1936 )《押沙龙,押沙龙!》
The Hamlet (1940 )《村子》
The Town (1957 )《小镇》
The Mansion (1959 )《大宅》
? Short stories:
A Rose for Emily (1930 )《献给艾米莉的一朵玫瑰》
That Evening Sun (1931 )《夕阳》
Dry September (1931 )《干旱的九月》
Barn Burning (1938 )《烧牲口棚》
The Bear (1942 )《熊》

Faulkners Style in General


1. “Yoknapatawpha Series”—Most of his novels and short stories set in Yoknapatawpha
County,an allegory or a parable of the Old South,geographically identical to,Lafayette
County,of which his hometown of Oxford,Mississippi is the county seat.
2. experimental style—meticulous attention to diction and cadence; complex,
unintelligible syntax;use of “stream of consciousness ”;multiple pointsofview;overlaps of
time and space;special identity pointofview (Children,freaks or idiots tell the story. );
highly emotional,subtle,rational,complex and sometimes Gothic or grotesque stories of a wide
variety of characters including former slaves or descendants of slaves,poor white,agrarian,or
workingclass Southerners,and Southern aristocrats
3. use of symbols,images and Montage
4. use of mythic and Biblical allusions

Synopsis of A Rose for Emily


A Rose for Emily was the first short story that Faulkner published in a major magazine. It
, ,
appeared in the April 30 1930 issue of Forum. Despite the earlier publication of several novels ,
when Faulkner published this story he was still struggling to make a name for himself in the
United States. Few critics recognized in his prose the hallmarks of a major new voice. Slightly
192
Unit 20 ( —1962) 威廉·福克纳
William Faulkner 1897

revised versions of the story appeared in subsequent collections of Faulkners short fiction —in
( ) ( )—which helped to increase its visibility.
These 13 1931 and then Collected Stories 1950
Today,the muchanthologized story is among the most widely read and highly praised of
Faulkners work. Beyond its lurid appeal and somewhat Gothic atmosphere,Faulkners “ghost
story ,”as he once called it,gestures to broader ideas,including the tensions between North and
South ,complexities of a changing world order,disappearing realms of gentility and aristocracy,
and rigid social constraints placed on women. Ultimately,it is the storys chilling portrait of
abnormal psychology and necrophilia(恋尸癖)that draws readers into the cold,dusty world of
Emily Grierson.

◆◆◆: <1-# 61( E/5,+◆◆◆


, :
WHEN Miss Emily Grierson died our whole town went to her funeral the men through a

sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument the women mostly out of curiosity to see the

inside of her house which no one save an old manservant —a combined gardener and cook—
had seen in at least ten years.
, ,
It was a big squarish frame house that had once been white decorated with cupolas and

spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies set on what had
once been our most select street. But garages and cotton gins had encroached and obliterated
even the august names of that neighborhood ;only Miss Emilys house was left,lifting its
stubborn and coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and the gasoline pumps—an eyesore
among eyesores. And now Miss Emily had gone to join the representatives of those august
names where they lay in the cedarbemused cemetery among the ranked and anonymous graves
of Union and Confederate soldiers who fell at the battle of Jefferson.
, , , ;
Alive Miss Emily had been a tradition a duty and a care a sort of hereditary obligation
upon the town ,dating from that day in 1894 when Colonel Sartoris,the mayor—he who
fathered the edict that no Negro woman should appear on the streets without an apron—

remitted her taxes,the dispensation dating from the death of her father on into perpetuity. Not
that Miss Emily would have accepted charity. Colonel Sartoris invented an involved tale to the
, ,
effect that Miss Emilys father had loaned money to the town which the town as a matter of

business preferred this way of repaying. Only a man of Colonel Sartoris generation and

thought could have invented it and only a woman could have believed it.
When the next generation,with its more modern ideas,became mayors and aldermen,this
arrangement created some little dissatisfaction. On the first of the year they mailed her a tax
, ,
notice. February came and there was no reply. They wrote her a formal letter asking her to
call at the sheriffs office at her convenience. A week later the mayor wrote her himself , 193

offering to call or to send his car for her and received in reply a note on paper of an archaic
, , ,
shape in a thin flowing calligraphy in faded ink to the effect that she no longer went out at

all. The tax notice was also enclosed without comment.
They called a special meeting of the Board of Aldermen. A deputation waited upon her ,
knocked at the door through which no visitor had passed since she ceased giving chinapainting
lessons eight or ten years earlier. They were admitted by the old Negro into a dim hall from
which a stairway mounted into still more shadow. It smelled of dust and disuse —a close,dank

smell. The Negro led them into the parlor. It was furnished in heavy leathercovered furniture.

When the Negro opened the blinds of one window they could see that the leather was cracked ;
, ,
and when they sat down a faint dust rose sluggishly about their thighs spinning with slow
motes in the single sunray. On a tarnished gilt easel before the fireplace stood a crayon portrait
of Miss Emilys father.
They rose when she entered —a small,fat woman in black,with a thin gold chain descen
ding to her waist and vanishing into her belt,leaning on an ebony cane with a tarnished gold
head. Her skeleton was small and spare;perhaps that was why what would have been merely

plumpness in another was obesity in her. She looked bloated,like a body long submerged in
motionless water,and of that pallid hue . Her eyes,lost in the fatty ridges of her face,looked

like two small pieces of coal pressed into a lump of dough as they moved from one face to ano
ther while the visitors stated their errand.
She did not ask them to sit. She just stood in the door and listened quietly until the
spokesman came to a stumbling halt. Then they could hear the invisible watch ticking at the end
of the gold chain.
Her voice was dry and cold. “I have no taxes in Jefferson. Colonel Sartoris explained it to
me. Perhaps one of you can gain access to the city records and satisfy yourselves. ”
“But we have. We are the city authorities,Miss Emily. Didnt you get a notice from the
sheriff,signed by him? ”
“I received a paper,yes,”Miss Emily said. “Perhaps he considers himself the sheriff 爥I
have no taxes in Jefferson. ”
“But there is nothing on the books to show that,you see We must go by the—”
“See Colonel Sartoris. I have no taxes in Jefferson. ”
“But,Miss Emily—”
“See Colonel Sartoris. ”(Colonel Sartoris had been dead almost ten years. )“I have no
taxes in Jefferson. Tobe! ”The Negro appeared. “Show these gentlemen out. ”

194

So she vanquished them horse and foot4 ,just as she had vanquished their fathers thirty
Unit 20 ( —1962) 威廉·福克纳
William Faulkner 1897

years before about the smell.


That was two years after her fathers death and a short time after her sweetheart —the one
we believed would marry her —had deserted her. After her fathers death she went out very
little;after her sweetheart went away,people hardly saw her at all. A few of the ladies had the
temerity to call,but were not received,and the only sign of life about the place was the Negro
man—a young man then—going in and out with a market basket.
“Just as if a man—any man—could keep a kitchen properly,”the ladies said;so they were
not surprised when the smell developed. It was another link between the gross,teeming
world and the high and mighty Griersons. 5
, , , ,
A neighbor a woman complained to the mayor Judge Stevens eighty years old.
“But what will you have me do about it,madam?”he said.
“Why,send her word to stop it,”the woman said. “Isnt there a law?”
“Im sure that wont be necessary,”Judge Stevens said. “Its probably just a snake or a rat
that nigger of hers killed in the yard. Ill speak to him about it. ”
The next day he received two more complaints,one from a man who came in diffident
deprecation. “We really must do something about it,Judge. Id be the last one in the world to
bother Miss Emily,but weve got to do something. ”That night the Board of Aldermen met—
three graybeards and one younger man,a member of the rising generation.
“Its simple enough,”he said. “Send her word to have her place cleaned up. Give her a
certain time to do it in,and if she dont 爥”
“Dammit,sir,”Judge Stevens said,“will you accuse a lady to her face of smelling bad?”
So the next night,after midnight,four men crossed Miss Emilys lawn and slunk about the
house like burglars,sniffing along the base of the brickwork and at the cellar openings while one
of them performed a regular sowing motion with his hand out of a sack slung from his shoulder.

They broke open the cellar door and sprinkled lime there and in all the outbuildings. As they
, ,
recrossed the lawn a window that had been dark was lighted and Miss Emily sat in it the light
, 6
behind her and her upright torso motionless as that of an idol . They crept quietly across the
lawn and into the shadow of the locusts that lined the street. After a week or two the smell went
away.
That was when people had begun to feel really sorry for her. People in our town ,
, , ,
remembering how old lady Wyatt her greataunt had gone completely crazy at last believed
that the Griersons held themselves a little too high for what they really were. None of the young
men were quite good enough for Miss Emily and such. We had long thought of them as a

tableau7 Miss Emily a slender figure in white in the background ,her father a spraddled
silhouette in the foreground,his back to her and clutching a horsewhip,the two of them

framed by the backflung front door. So when she got to be thirty and was still single,we were
not pleased exactly,but vindicated;even with insanity in the family she wouldnt have turned
195
down all of her chances if they had really materialized9 .
, ;
When her father died it got about that the house was all that was left to her and in a way ,

people were glad. At last they could pity Miss Emily. Being left alone and a pauper she had ,
become humanized. Now she too would know the old thrill and the old despair of a penny
more or less10 .
The day after his death all the ladies prepared to call at the house and offer condolence and
, ,
aid as is our custom Miss Emily met them at the door dressed as usual and with no trace of
grief on her face. She told them that her father was not dead. She did that for three days with ,
, ,
the ministers calling on her and the doctors trying to persuade her to let them dispose of the
, ,
body. Just as they were about to resort to law and force she broke down and they buried her
father quickly.
We did not say she was crazy then. We believed she had to do that. We remembered all
, ,
the young men her father had driven away and we knew that with nothing left she would have

to cling to that which had robbed her as people will.


SHE was sick for a long time. When we saw her again her hair was cut short making her,

look like a girl with a vague resemblance to those angels in colored church windows —sort of
tragic and serene.

The town had just let the contracts for paving the sidewalks and in the summer after her
fathers death they began the work. The construction company came with riggers and mules and

machinery and a foreman named Homer Barron a Yankee, —a big,dark,ready 11

man with a
big voice and eyes lighter than his face. The little boys would follow in groups to hear him cuss

the niggers and the niggers singing in time to the rise and fall of picks. Pretty soon he knew
everybody in town. Whenever you heard a lot of laughing anywhere about the square Homer ,
Barron would be in the center of the group. Presently we began to see him and Miss Emily on
Sunday afternoons driving in the yellowwheeled buggy and the matched team of bays from
the livery stable. 12

At first we were glad that Miss Emily would have an interest because the ladies all said ,
“Of course a Grierson would not think seriously of a Northerner,a day laborer. ”But there were
still others,older people,who said that even grief could not cause a real lady to forget noblesse
oblige —without calling it noblesse oblige. They just said,“Poor Emily. Her kinsfolk should
13

come to her. ”She had some kin in Alabama;but years ago her father had fallen out with them
over the estate of old lady Wyatt,the crazy woman,and there was no communication between
the two families. They had not even been represented at the funeral.

196
And as soon as the old people said ,“Poor Emily,” the whispering began. “Do you
Unit 20 ( —1962) 威廉·福克纳
William Faulkner 1897

?”they said to one another. “Of course it is. What else could 爥”This
suppose its really so
behind their hands;rustling of craned silk and satin behind jalousies closed upon the sun of
Sunday afternoon as the thin,swift clopclopclop of the matched team passed:“Poor Emily. ”
She carried her head high enough—even when we believed that she was fallen. It was as if
she demanded more than ever the recognition of her dignity as the last Grierson;as if it had
wanted that touch of earthiness to reaffirm her imperviousness. 14 Like when she bought the

rat poison the arsenic. That was over a year after they had begun to say “Poor Emily,”and
while the two female cousins were visiting her.
“I want some poison,”she said to the druggist. She was over thirty then,still a slight
woman,though thinner than usual,with cold,haughty black eyes in a face the flesh of which
was strained across the temples and about the eyesockets as you imagine a lighthousekeepers
face15 ought to look. “I want some poison,”she said.
“Yes,Miss Emily. What kind?For rats and such?Id recom—”
“I want the best you have. I dont care what kind. ”
The druggist named several. “Theyll kill anything up to an elephant. But what you
want is—”
“Arsenic,”Miss Emily said. “Is that a good one?”
“Is 爥 arsenic?Yes,maam. But what you want—”
“I want arsenic. ”
The druggist looked down at her. She looked back at him,erect,her face like a strained
flag . “Why,of course,
16
”the druggist said. “If thats what you want. But the law requires
you to tell what you are going to use it for. ”
Miss Emily just stared at him,her head tilted back in order to look him eye for eye,until
he looked away and went and got the arsenic and wrapped it up. The Negro delivery boy

brought her the package the druggist didnt come back. When she opened the package at home

there was written on the box under the skull and bones :“For rats. ”

So the next day we all said ,“She will kill herself ”;and we said it would be the best
thing. When she had first begun to be seen with Homer Barron,we had said,“She will marry
him. ”Then we said,“She will persuade him yet, ”because Homer himself had remarked—he
liked men,and it was known that he drank with the younger men in the Elks Club—that he was
not a marrying man. Later we said,“Poor Emily ” behind the jalousies as they passed on
Sunday afternoon in the glittering buggy,Miss Emily with her head high and Homer Barron with
his hat cocked and a cigar in his teeth,reins and whip in a yellow glove.
Then some of the ladies began to say that it was a disgrace to the town and a bad example
197
to the young people. The men did not want to interfere ,but at last the ladies forced the
Baptist minister—Miss Emilys people were Episcopal—to call upon her . He would never
17

divulge what happened during that interview,but he refused to go back again. The next Sunday
they again drove about the streets,and the following day the ministers wife wrote to Miss
Emilys relations in Alabama.
So she had bloodkin under her roof again and we sat back to watch developments. At first
nothing happened. Then we were sure that they were to be married. We learned that Miss Emily

had been to the jewelers and ordered a mans toilet set in silver with the letters H. B. on each
piece. Two days later we learned that she had bought a complete outfit of mens clothing ,

including a nightshirt and we said ,“They are married. ”We were really glad. We were glad
because the two female cousins were even more Grierson than Miss Emily had ever been.
So we were not surprised when Homer Barron —the streets had been finished some time
since—was gone. We were a little disappointed that there was not a public blowingoff ,but 18

we believed that he had gone on to prepare for Miss Emilys coming,or to give her a chance to
get rid of the cousins. (By that time it was a cabal,and we were all Miss Emilys allies to
help circumvent the cousins. )Sure enough,after another week they departed. And,as we
19

had expected all along,within three days Homer Barron was back in town. A neighbor saw the
Negro man admit him at the kitchen door at dusk one evening.
And that was the last we saw of Homer Barron. And of Miss Emily for some time. The

Negro man went in and out with the market basket but the front door remained closed. Now

and then we would see her at a window for a moment as the men did that night when they

sprinkled the lime but for almost six months she did not appear on the streets. Then we knew

that this was to be expected too as if that quality of her father which had thwarted her womans
life so many times had been too virulent and too furious to die.

When we next saw Miss Emily she had grown fat and her hair was turning gray. During
the next few years it grew grayer and grayer until it attained an even pepperandsalt irongray ,
when it ceased turning. Up to the day of her death at seventyfour it was still that vigorous iron

gray like the hair of an active man.

From that time on her front door remained closed save for a period of six or seven years ,

when she was about forty during which she gave lessons in chinapainting. She fitted up a
studio in one of the downstairs rooms ,where the daughters and granddaughters of Colonel
Sartoris contemporaries were sent to her with the same regularity and in the same spirit that they
were sent to church on Sundays with a twentyfivecent piece for the collection plate. Meanwhile
her taxes had been remitted.

Then the newer generation became the backbone and the spirit of the town and the painting
20
pupils grew up and fell away and did not send their children to her with boxes of color and
tedious brushes and pictures cut from the ladies magazines. The front door closed upon the last
198
Unit 20 ( —1962) 威廉·福克纳
William Faulkner 1897


one and remained closed for good. When the town got free postal delivery Miss Emily alone
refused to let them fasten the metal numbers above her door and attach a mailbox to it. She
would not listen to them.
, , ,
Daily monthly yearly we watched the Negro grow grayer and more stooped going in and

out with the market basket. Each December we sent her a tax notice which would be returned

by the post office a week later unclaimed. Now and then we would see her in one of the
downstairs windows —she had evidently shut up the top floor of the house—like the carven
torso of an idol in a niche ,looking or not looking at us,we could never tell which. Thus she
21

passed from generation to generation—dear,inescapable,impervious,tranquil,and perverse.


And so she died. Fell ill in the house filled with dust and shadows,with only a doddering
Negro man to wait on her. We did not even know she was sick;we had long since given up
trying to get any information from the Negro. He talked to no one,probably not even to her,
for his voice had grown harsh and rusty,as if from disuse.
She died in one of the downstairs rooms,in a heavy walnut bed with a curtain,her gray
head propped on a pillow yellow and moldy with age and lack of sunlight.


THE Negro met the first of the ladies at the front door and let them in with their hushed ,
sibilant voices and their quick ,curious glances,and then he disappeared. He walked right
through the house and out the back and was not seen again.

The two female cousins came at once. They held the funeral on the second day with the

town coming to look at Miss Emily beneath a mass of bought flowers with the crayon face of

her father musing profoundly above the bier and the ladies sibilant and macabre22 and the very
old men—some in their brushed Confederate uniforms—on the porch and the lawn,talking of
Miss Emily as if she had been a contemporary of theirs,believing that they had danced with her
and courted her perhaps,confusing time with its mathematical progression,as the old do,to
whom all the past is not a diminishing road but,instead,a huge meadow which no winter ever
quite touches,divided from them now by the narrow bottleneck of the most recent decade of
years.
Already we knew that there was one room in that region above stairs which no one had seen

in forty years and which would have to be forced. They waited until Miss Emily was decently
in the ground before they opened it.
The violence of breaking down the door seemed to fill this room with pervading dust. A

thin acrid pall as of the tomb seemed to lie everywhere upon this room decked and furnished as
: , ,
for a bridal upon the valance curtains of faded rose color upon the roseshaded lights upon

the dressing table upon the delicate array of crystal and the mans toilet things backed with
199
tarnished silver,silver so tarnished that the monogram was obscured. Among them lay a
23

collar and tie,as if they had just been removed,which,lifted,left upon the surface a pale
crescent in the dust. Upon a chair hung the suit,carefully folded;beneath it the two mute shoes
and the discarded socks.
The man himself lay in the bed.

For a long while we just stood there looking down at the profound and fleshless grin. The
body had apparently once lain in the attitude of an embrace ,but now the long sleep that
, ,
outlasts love that conquers even the grimace of love had cuckolded him. 24 What was left
of him,rotted beneath what was left of the nightshirt,had become inextricable from the bed in
which he lay;and upon him and upon the pillow beside him lay that even coating of the patient
and biding dust.
Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head. One of us lifted
something from it ,and leaning forward,that faint and invisible dust dry and acrid in the

nostrils we saw a long strand of irongray hair.

Questions for Discussion


1. Who is the narrator and what is his relationship to the story ?

2. What is the time sequence in the story and why is it divided into five sections ?

3. What do you infer is Faulkners attitude towards Emily Grierson Why do you think the
author called his story A Rose for Emily ?
Notes
1. fathered the edict :制订了法规
2. leaning on an ebony cane with a tarnished gold head :撑着一根乌木拐杖,拐
杖头上的镶金早已失去了光泽。
3. of that pallid hue:肿胀发白
4. horse and foot:one and all,completely
5. It was another link between the gross,teeming world and the high and
mighty Griersons. :那是芸芸众生的世界与高贵强大的格里尔森家族的另一种联系。
6. her upright torso motionless as that of an idol:她那挺直的身躯一动不动,就像
一尊塑像。
7. a tableau :舞台造型。这里把格里尔森家族看作画中人物。
8. a spraddled silhouette:叉开腿站立的侧影。 spraddle 是方言,为 spread 与
straddle 两词的合并,意为 to stand with the legs spread wide apart.
9. if they had really materialized :如果机会真的出现的话。 materialize:to appear
unexpectedly.

200
10. know the old thrill 爥more or less. :体会到多一分钱就激动喜悦、少一分钱便痛
Unit 20 ( —1962) 威廉·福克纳
William Faulkner 1897

苦失望的那种人皆有之的心情。
11. ready:quick in perceiving ,intelligent
12. driving in the yellowwheeled buggy 爥livery stable :一起驾着轻便马车出游,
那辆黄轮车配上从马房中挑出的栗色辕马,十分相称。
13. noblesse oblige:(法语)the obligation of a member of the nobility to behave
with honor and dignity;贵人举止。
14. as if it had wanted 爥her imperviousness:需要同世俗的接触来重新肯定她那
不受任何影响的性格。
15. a lighthouse keepers face:比喻,指脸上带有一种因紧张而扭曲的表情。
16. a strained flag :一面拉紧了的旗子,指爱米丽小姐脸上那种严厉、紧张的表情。
17. but at last the ladies 爥call upon her. :但妇女们终于迫使浸礼会牧师—爱米丽
小姐一家人属于圣公会—去拜访她。
18. a public blowingoff:a long talking about ones feelings 一番送行告别的
热闹
19. By that time it was 爥 the cousins. :这时已经形成了一个秘密小集团,我们都站
在爱米丽小姐一边,帮她踢开这一对堂姐妹。
20. fall away:leave
21. like the carven 爥in a niche:像神龛中的一个偶像的雕塑躯干
22. the ladies sibilant and macabre:sibilant 意为 a hissing sound ;macabre 意
为 gruesome,ghastly;妇女们叽叽喳喳地谈论着死亡。
23. monogram:a design of one or more letters,esp. Initials embroidered on
clothing or printed on stationary 姓名字母图案
24. but now the long sleep 爥cuckolded him. :那比爱情更持久的、那战胜了变态之
爱的死亡早已降临他。

201
Ernest Hemingway 1899 ( —1961)
Unit 21 厄内斯特 · 海明威

Biography
, ,
Ernest Hemingway was born in Oak Park Illinois in the summer
of 1899. He later portrayed his middleclass parents rather harshly ,
condemning them for their conventional morality and values. As a young

man he left home to become a newspaper writer in Kansas City. Early in
1918 ,he joined the Italian Red Cross and served as an ambulance driver
in Italy during World War Ⅰ, in which the Italians allied with the
British,French and Americans against Germany and AustriaHungary.
Hemingways experiences then affected him profoundly and later inspired

one of his most celebrated novels A Farewell to Arms. When he got shot and was transferred to

a hospital in Milan he fell in love with a Red Cross nurse named Agnes von Kurowsky. Scho

lars are divided over Agness role in Hemingways life and writing but there is little doubt that
his relationship with her informed the relationship between Lieutenant Henry and Catherine
Barkley in A Farewell to Arms.
, ,
After his recovery Hemingway spent several years as a reporter during which time he
, ,
developed the clear concise and emotionally evocative writing style that generations of authors

after him would imitate. In September 1921 he married his first of four wives and settled in
Paris. Hemingways reputation as a writer was most firmly established by the publication of The
Sun Also Rises in 1926 and A Farewell to Arms in 1929.

Most critics maintain that his writing weakened after World War Ⅱ when his physical and
mental health declined. Despite terrible bouts of depression ,Hemingway did muster enough
energy to write The Old Man and the Sea,one of his most beloved stories,in 1952. This novella
earned him a Pulitzer Prize,and three years later Hemingway was awarded the Nobel Prize in
Literature. Still,not even these accolades could soothe the devastating effects of a lifetime of
debilitating depression. On July 2,1961,Hemingway killed himself in his home in Ketchum,Idaho.

Major Works
? Novels :
202
The Sun Also Rises 1926 ( )
Unit 21 ( —1961) 厄内斯特·海明威
Ernest Hemingway 1899

( )
A Farewell to Arms 1929
For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940 )
Across the River and Into the Trees 1950 ( )
The Old Man and the Sea 1952 ( )
? Collections of short stories :
( )
In Our Time 1925
Cat in the Rain (1925 )
Men Without Women (1927 )
The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1932 )
Winner Take Nothing (1933 )

Hemingways Style in General



1. a flat understated newspaper style —tight and reportorial prosestyle based on simple
, ,
sentences a restrictive vocabulary precise imagery and an impersonal dramatic tone
2. simple and direct daily language with precise diction (concrete words instead of
abstract ones ),telegraphic dialogues,vivid,real monologues and deliberate repetition
3. description of the setting in which the emotion is well blended with the scenery
4. expression of emotions merely by actions and images
5. economic and concise
6. avoiding symbols except the indispensable ones

Synopsis of A Farewell to Arms


Frederick Henry is an American officer serving in an ambulance unit
for the Italian Army during World War Ⅰ. While recovering from a
,he is cared for by
wound in a British base hospital in northern Italy
Catherine Barkley,a Red Cross nurse he had met earlier,near the front,
and they engage in an affair. Then Frederick goes back to the front.

Following the Battle of Caporetto Frederick and his close friend Major
Alessandro Rinaldi assist the locals in fleeing the invading German /

Austrian armies. Along the forced march several people die or are left
behind due to exhaustion. When the two ambulance drivers are finally able to report to a local

army base the commandant assumes they are both deserters from the front. Rinaldi is executed
; , ,
by the Italian military enraged Frederick knocks out the kerosene lamps and flees jumping
into the river. Wanted by the Italian army ,Frederick evades capture and meets up with
Catherine. They flee Milan to hide out on a lake on the ItalianSwiss border. Fearing arrest by
the police, Catherine persuades Frederick to flee to Switzerland by rowboat; after some
adventures,they land successfully in Switzerland. Claiming to be tourists trying to evade the
203

war the two are allowed to remain in neutral Switzerland. Catherines pregnancy progresses but
due to the conditions around them , the pregnancy becomes complicated and Catherine is
hospitalized. Their child is stillborn,and Catherine dies shortly afterward. Frederick leaves,
shocked,and wanders the empty streets.

◆◆◆: N%(#K#,, '1 :(/-◆◆◆


Chapter 41

One morning I awoke about three oclock hearing Catherine stirring in the bed.
“Are you all right,Cat?”
“Ive been having some pains,darling. ”
“Regularly?”
“No,not very. ”
“If you have them at all regularly well go to the hospital. ”
I was very sleepy and went back to sleep. A little while later I woke again.
“Maybe youd better call up the doctor,”Catherine said. “I think maybe this is it. ”
I went to the phone and called the doctor. “How often are the pains coming?”he asked.
“How often are they coming,Cat?”
“I should think every quarter of an hour. ”
“You should go to the hospital,then,”the doctor said. “I will dress and go there right
away myself. ”
I hung up and called the garage near the station to send up a taxi. No one answered the
phone for a long time. Then I finally got a man who promised to send up a taxi at once.
Catherine was dressing. Her bag was all packed with the things she would need at the hospital
and the baby things. Outside in the hall I rang for the elevator. There was no answer. I went
downstairs. There was no one downstairs except the nightwatchman. I brought the elevator up
myself ,put Catherines bag in it,she stepped in and we went down. The nightwatchman
opened the door for us and we sat outside on the stone slabs beside the stairs down to the
driveway and waited for the taxi. The night was clear and the stars were out. Catherine was very
excited.
“Im so glad its started,”she said. “Now in a little while it will be all over. ”
“Youre a good brave girl. ”
“Im not afraid. I wish the taxi would come,though. ”
We heard it coming up the street and saw its headlights. It turned into the driveway and I
helped Catherine in and the driver put the bag up in front.
“Drive to the hospital,”I said.
204 We went out of the driveway and started up the hill.
Unit 21 Ernest Hemingway 1899 ( —1961) 厄内斯特·海明威
At the hospital we went in and I carried the bag. There was a woman at the desk who wrote
, , , ,
down Catherines name age address relatives and religion in a book. She said she had no
religion and the woman drew a line in the space after that word. She gave her name as Catherine
Henry.
“I will take you up to your room,”she said. We went up in an elevator. The woman
stopped it and we stepped out and followed her down a hall. Catherine held tight to my arm.
“This is the room,”the woman said. “Will you please undress and get into bed?Here is a
nightgown for you to wear. ”
“I have a nightgown,”Catherine said.
“It is better for you to wear this nightgown,”the woman said.
I went outside and sat on a chair in the hallway.
“You can come in now,”the woman said from the doorway. Catherine was lying in the
narrow bed wearing a plain,squarecut nightgown that looked as though it were made of rough
sheeting. She smiled at me.
“Im having fine pains now,”she said. The woman was holding her wrist and timing the
pains with a watch.
“That was a big one,”Catherine said. I saw it on her face.
“Wheres the doctor?”I asked the woman.
“Hes lying down sleeping. He will be here when he is needed. ”
“I must do something for Madame,now,”the nurse said. “Would you please step out
again?”
I went out into the hall. It was a bare hall with two windows and closed doors all down the
corridor. It smelled of hospital. I sat on the chair and looked at the floor and prayed for
Catherine.
“You can come in,”the nurse said. I went in.
“Hello,darling,”Catherine said.
“How is it?”
“They are coming quite often now. ”Her face drew up. Then she smiled.
“That was a real one. Do you want to put your hand on my back again,nurse?”
“If it helps you,”the nurse said.
“You go away,darling,”Catherine said. “Go out and get something to eat. I may do this
for a long time the nurse says. ”
“The first labor is usually protracted,”the nurse said.
“Please go out and get something to eat,”Catherine said. “Im fine,really. ”
“Ill stay awhile,”I said.
The pains came quite regularly,then slackened off. Catherine was very excited. When the
pains were bad she called them good ones. When they started to fall off she was disappointed
205
and ashamed.
“You go out,darling,”she said. “I think you are just making me selfconscious. ”Her
face tied up. “There. That was better. I so want to be a good wife and have this child without
any foolishness. Please go and get some breakfast,darling,and then come back. I wont miss
you. Nurse is splendid to me. ”
“You have plenty of time for breakfast,”the nurse said.
“Ill go then. Goodby,sweet. ”
“Goodby,”Catherine said,“and have a fine breakfast for me too. ”
“Where can I get breakfast?”I asked the nurse.
“Theres a café down the street at the square,”she said. “It should be open now. ”
Outside it was getting light. I walked down the empty street to the café. There was a light
in the window. I went in and stood at the zinc bar and an old man served me a glass of white
wine and a brioche. The brioche was yesterdays. I dipped it in the wine and then drank a glass
of coffee.
“What do you do at this hour?”the old man asked.
“My wife is in labor at the hospital. ”
“So. I wish you good luck. ”
“Give me another glass of wine. ”
He poured it from the bottle slopping it over a little so some ran down on the zinc. I drank

this glass paid and went out. Outside along the street were the refuse cans from the houses
waiting for the collector. A dog was nosing at one of the cans.
“What do you want?”I asked and looked in the can to see if there was anything I could
pull out for him;there was nothing on top but coffeegrounds,dust and some dead flowers.
“There isnt anything,dog,”I said. The dog crossed the street. I went up the stairs in the
hospital to the floor Catherine was on and down the hall to her room. I knocked on the door.
; ,
There was no answer. I opened the door the room was empty except for Catherines bag on a
chair and her dressinggown hanging on a hook on the wall. I went out and down the hall ,
looking for somebody. I found a nurse.
“Where is Madame Henry?”
“A lady has just gone to the delivery room. ”
“Where is it?”
“I will show you. ”
She took me down to the end of the hall. The door of the room was partly open. I could

see Catherine lying on a table covered by a sheet. The nurse was on one side and the doctor
stood on the other side of the table beside some cylinders. The doctor held a rubber mask
attached to a tube in one hand.

206
“I will give you a gown and you can go in,”the nurse said. “Come in here,please. ”
Unit 21 ( —1961) 厄内斯特·海明威
Ernest Hemingway 1899

She put a white gown on me and pinned it at the neck in back with a safety pin.
“Now you can go in,”she said. I went into the room.
“Hello,darling,”Catherine said in a strained voice. “Im not doing much. ”
“You are Mr. Henry?”the doctor asked.
“Yes. How is everything going,doctor?”
“Things are going very well,”the doctor said. “We came in here where it is easy to give
gas for the pains. ”
“I want it now,”Catherine said. The doctor placed the rubber mask over her face and
turned a dial and I watched Catherine breathing deeply and rapidly. Then she pushed the mask
away. The doctor shut off the petcock.
“That wasnt a very big one. I had a very big one a while ago. The doctor made me go
clear out,didnt you,doctor? ”Her voice was strange. It rose on the word doctor.
The doctor smiled.
“I want it again,”Catherine said. She held the rubber tight to her face and breathed fast. I
heard her moaning a little. Then she pulled the mask away and smiled.
“That was a big one,”she said. “That was a very big one. ,
Dont you worry darling.
You go away. Go have another breakfast. ”
“Ill stay,”I said.
We had gone to the hospital about three oclock in the morning. At noon Catherine was still
in the delivery room. The pains had slackened again. She looked very tired and worn now but
she was still cheerful.
“Im not any good,darling,”she said. “Im so sorry. I thought I would do it very easily.
Now—theres one—”she reached out her hand for the mask and held it over her face. The
doctor moved the dial and watched her. In a little while it was over.
“It wasnt much ,” Catherine said. She smiled. “Im a fool about the gas. Its
wonderful. ”
“Well get some for the home,”I said.
“There one comes,”Catherine said quickly. The doctor turned the dial and looked at his
watch.
“What is the interval now?”I asked.
“About a minute. ”
“Dont you want lunch?”
“I will have something pretty soon,”he said.
“You must have something to eat,doctor,”Catherine said. “Im so sorry I go on so long.
Couldnt my husband give me the gas? ”
“If you wish,”the doctor said. “You turn it to the numeral two. ”
“I see,”I said. There was a marker on a dial that turned with a handle. 207
“I want it now,”Catherine said. She held the mask tight to her face. I turned the dial to
number two and when Catherine put down the mask I turned it off. It was very good of the
doctor to let me do something.
“Did you do it,darling?”Catherine asked. She stroked my wrist.
“Sure. ”
“Youre so lovely. ”She was a little drunk from the gas.
“I will eat from a tray in the next room,” the doctor said. “You can call me any
moment. ”While the time passed I watched him eat,then,after a while,I saw that he was
lying down and smoking a cigarette. Catherine was getting very tired.
“Do you think Ill ever have this baby?”she asked.
“Yes,of course you will. ”
“I try as hard as I can. I push down but it goes away. There it comes. Give it to me. ”
At two oclock I went out and had lunch. There were a few men in the café,sitting with
coffee and glasses of kirsch or marc on the tables. I sat down at a table. “Can I eat?
”I asked
the waiter.
“It is past time for lunch. ”
“Isnt there anything for all hours?”
“You can have choucroute. ”
“Give me choucroute and beer. ”
“A demi or a bock?”
“A light demi. ”
The waiter brought a dish of sauerkraut with a slice of ham over the top and a sausage
buried in the hot winesoaked cabbage. I ate it and drank the beer. I was very hungry. I
watched the people at the tables in the café. At one table they were playing cards. Two men at

the table next me were talking and smoking. The café was full of smoke. The zinc bar where I
, ; ,
had breakfasted had three people behind it now the old man a plump woman in a black dress

who sat behind a counter and kept track of everything served to the tables and a boy in an
apron. I wondered how many children the woman had and what it had been like.
When I was through with the choucroute I went back to the hospital. The street was all
clean now. There were no refuse cans out. The day was cloudy but the sun was trying to come
through.

I rode upstairs in the elevator stepped out and went down the hail to Catherines room ,
where I had left my white gown. I put it on and pinned it in back at the neck. I looked in the
glass and saw myself looking like a fake doctor with a beard. I went down the hail to the
delivery room. The door was closed and I knocked. No one answered so I turned the handle and
went in. The doctor sat by Catherine. The nurse was doing something at the other end of the
room.
208
Unit 21 Ernest Hemingway 1899( —1961) 厄内斯特·海明威
“Here is your husband,”the doctor said.
“Oh,darling,I have the most wonderful doctor,”Catherine said in a very strange voice.
“Hes been telling me the most wonderful story and when the pain came too badly he put me all
the way out. Hes wonderful. Youre wonderful,doctor. ”
“Youre drunk,”I said.
“I know it,”Catherine said. “But you shouldnt say it. ”Then “Give it to me. Give it to
me. ”She clutched hold of the mask and breathed short and deep,pantingly,making the
respirator click. Then she gave a long sigh and the doctor reached with his left hand and lifted
away the mask.
“That was a very big one,”Catherine said. Her voice was very strange. “Im not going to
die now,darling. Im past where I was going to die. Arent you glad? ”
“Dont you get in that place again. ”
“I wont. Im not afraid of it though. I wont die,darling. “
“You will not do any such foolishness,”the doctor said. “You would not die and leave
your husband. ”
“Oh,no. I wont die. I wouldnt die. Its silly to die. There it comes. Give it to me. ”
After a while the doctor said,“You will go out,Mr. Henry,for a few moments and I will
make an examination. ”
“He wants to see how I am doing,”Catherine said. “You can come back afterward,
darling,cant he,doctor? ”
“Yes,”said the doctor. “I will send word when he can come back. ”
I went out the door and down the hall to the room where Catherine was to be after the baby
came. I sat in a chair there and looked at the room. I had the paper in my coat that I had bought
when I went out for lunch and I read it. It was beginning to be dark outside and I turned the
light on to read. After a while I stopped reading and turned off the light and watched it get dark
outside. I wondered why the doctor did not send for me. Maybe it was better I was away. He
probably wanted me away for a while. I looked at my watch. If he did not send for me in ten
minutes I would go down anyway.

Poor poor dear Cat. And this was the price you paid for sleeping together. This was the

end of the trap. This was what people got for loving each other. Thank God for gas anyway.
? ,
What must it have been like before there were anaesthetics Once it started they were in the
millrace. Catherine had a good time in the time of pregnancy. It wasnt bad. She was hardly
ever sick. She was not awfully uncomfortable until toward the last. So now they got her in the

end. You never got away with anything. Get away hell It would have been the same if we had
been married fifty times. And what if she should die?She wont die. People dont die in
childbirth nowadays. That was what all husbands thought. Yes,but what if she should die?She
wont die. Shes just having a bad time. The initial labor is usually protracted. Shes only
209
having a bad time. Afterward wed say what a bad time and Catherine would say it wasnt really
? ,
so bad. But what if she should die She cant die. Yes but what if she should die She cant? ,
I tell you. Dont be a fool. Its just a bad time. Its just nature giving her hell. Its only the first
, , ?
labor which is almost always protracted. Yes but what if she should die She cant die. Why
? ?
would she die What reason is there for her to die Theres just a child that has to be born the ,
byproduct of good nights in Milan. It makes trouble and is born and then you look after it and

get fond of it maybe. But what if she should die She wont die. But what if she should die ?

She wont. Shes all right. But what if she should die She cant die. But what if she should
? , ?
die Hey what about that What if she should die ?
The doctor came into the room.
“How does it go,doctor?”
“It doesnt go,”he said.
“What do you mean?”
“Just that. I made an examination—”He detailed the result of the examination. “Since
then Ive waited to see. But it doesnt go. ”
“What do you advise?”
“There are two things. Either a high forceps delivery which can tear and be quite dangerous
besides being possibly bad for the child,and a Caesarean. ”
“What is the danger of a Caesarean?”What if she should die!
“It should be no greater than the danger of an ordinary delivery. ”
“Would you do it yourself?”
“Yes. I would need possibly an hour to get things ready and to get the people I would
need. Perhaps a little less. ”
“What do you think?”
“I would advise a Caesarean operation. If it were my wife I would do a Caesarean. ”
“What are the after effects?”
“There are none. There is only the scar. ”
“What about infection?”
“The danger is not so great as in a high forceps delivery. ”
“What if you just went on and did nothing?”
“You would have to do something eventually. Mrs. Henry is already losing much of her
strength. The sooner we operate now the safer. ”
“Operate as soon as you can,”I said.
“I will go and give the instructions. ”
I went into the delivery room. The nurse was with Catherine who lay on the table,big
under the sheet,looking very pale and tired.

210
“Did you tell him he could do it?”she asked.
Unit 21 Ernest Hemingway 1899( —1961) 厄内斯特·海明威
“Yes. ”
“Isnt that grand. Now it will be all over in an hour. Im almost done,darling. Im going
all to pieces. Please give me that. It doesnt work. Oh,it doesnt work! ”
“Breathe deeply. ”
“I am. Oh,it doesnt work any more. It doesnt work!”
“Get another cylinder,”I said to the nurse.
“That is a new cylinder. ”
“Im just a fool,darling,”Catherine said. “But it doesnt work any more. ”She began to
cry. “Oh,I wanted so to have this baby and not make trouble,and now Im all done and all
gone to pieces and it doesnt work. Oh,darling,it doesnt work at all. I dont care if I die if it
will only stop. Oh,please,darling,please make it stop. There it comes. Oh Oh Oh! ”She
breathed sobbingly in the mask.
“It doesnt work. It doesnt work. It doesnt work. Dont mind me,darling. Please dont
cry. Dont mind me. Im just gone all to pieces. You poor sweet. I love you so and Ill be

good again. Ill be good this time. Cant they give me something If they could only give me
something. ”
“Ill make it work. Ill turn it all the way. ”
“Give it to me now. ”
I turned the dial all the way and as she breathed hard and deep her hand relaxed on the
mask. I shut off the gas and lifted the mask. She came back from a long way away.
“That was lovely,darling. Oh,youre so good to me. ”
“You be brave,because I cant do that all the time. It might kill you. ”
“Im not brave any more,darling. Im all broken. Theyve broken me. I know it now. ”
“Everybody is that way. ”
“But its awful. They just keep it up till they break you. ”
“In an hour it will be over. ”
“Isnt that lovely?Darling,I wont die,will I?”
“No. I promise you wont. ”
“Because I dont want to die and leave you,but I get so tired of it and I feel Im going to
die. ”
“Nonsense. Everybody feels that. ”
“Sometimes I know Im going to die. ”
“You wont. You cant. ”
“But what if I should?”
“I wont let you. ”
“Give it to me quick. Give it to me!”
Then afterward,“I wont die. I wont let myself die. ”
211
“Of course you wont. ”
“Youll stay with me?”
“Not to watch it. ”
“No,just to be there. ”
“Sure. Ill be there all the time. ”
“Youre so good to me. There,give it to me. Give me some more. Its not working!”
I turned the dial to three and then four. I wished the doctor would come back. I was afraid
of the numbers above two.
Finally a new doctor came in with two nurses and they lifted Catherine onto a wheeled
stretcher and we started down the hall. The stretcher went rapidly down the hall and into the
; ,
elevator where every one had to crowd against the wall to make room then up then an open
door and out of the elevator and down the hall on rubber wheels to the operating room. I did not
recognize the doctor with his cap and mask on. There was another doctor and more nurses.
“Theyve got to give me something,”Catherine said. “Theyve got to give me something.
Oh please,doctor,give me enough to do some good! ”
One of the doctors put a mask over her face and I looked through the door and saw the
bright small amphitheatre of the operating room.
“You can go in the other door and sit up there,”a nurse said to me. There were benches
behind a rail that looked down on the white table and the lights. I looked at Catherine. The
mask was over her face and she was quiet now. They wheeled the stretcher forward. I turned
away and walked down the hall. Two nurses were hurrying toward the entrance to the gallery.
“Its a Caesarean,”one said. “Theyre going to do a Caesarean. ”
The other one laughed,“Were just in time. Arent we lucky?”They went in the door that
led to the gallery.
Another nurse came along. She was hurrying too.
“You go right in there. Go right in,”she said.
“Im staying outside. ”
She hurried in. I walked up and down the hall. I was afraid to go in. I looked out the
window. It was dark but in the light from the window I could see it was raining. I went into a
room at the far end of the hall and looked at the labels on bottles in a glass case. Then I came
out and stood in the empty hall and watched the door of the operating room.
A doctor came out followed by a nurse. He held something in his two hands that looked
like a freshly skinned rabbit and hurried across the corridor with it and in through another door.
I went down to the door he had gone into and found them in the room doing things to a new
born child. The doctor held him up for me to see. He held him by the heels and slapped him.
“Is he all right?”
212
“Hes magnificent. Hell weigh five kilos. ”
Unit 21 ( —1961) 厄内斯特·海明威
Ernest Hemingway 1899

I had no feeling for him. He did not seem to have anything to do with me. I felt no feeling
of fatherhood.
“Arent you proud of your son?”the nurse asked. They were washing him and wrapping

him in something. I saw the little dark face and dark hand but I did not see him move or hear
him cry. The doctor was doing something to him again. He looked upset.
“No,”I said. “He nearly killed his mother. ”
“It isnt the little darlings fault. Didnt you want a boy?”
“No,”I said. The doctor was busy with him. He held him up by the feet and slapped
him. I did not wait to see it. I went out in the hail. I could go in now and see. I went in the
door and a little way down the gallery. The nurses who were sitting at the rail motioned for me
to come down where they were. I shook my head. I could see enough where I was.

I thought Catherine was dead. She looked dead. Her face was gray the part of it that I
, ,
could see. Down below under the light the doctor was sewing up the great long ,forcep

spread thickedged ,wound. Another doctor in a mask gave the anaesthetic. Two nurses in
masks handed things. It looked like a drawing of the Inquisition. I knew as I watched I could
, ,
have watched it all but I was glad I hadnt. I do not think I could have watched them cut but
I watched the wound closed into a high welted ridge with quick skillfullooking stitches like a

cobblers and was glad. When the wound was closed I went out into the hall and walked up
and down again. After a while the doctor came out.
“How is she?”
“She is all right. Did you watch?”
He looked tired.
“I saw you sew up. The incision looked very long. ”
“You thought so?”
“Yes. Will that scar flatten out?”
“Oh,yes. ”
After a while they brought out the wheeled stretcher and took it very rapidly down the
hallway to the elevator. I went along beside it. Catherine was moaning. Downstairs they put her
in the bed in her room. I sat in a chair at the foot of the bed. There was a nurse in the room. I
got up and stood by the bed. It was dark in the room. Catherine put out her hand. “Hello,
darling,”she said. Her voice was very weak and tired.
“Hello,you sweet. ”
“What sort of baby was it?”
“Sh—dont talk,”the nurse said.
“A boy. Hes long and wide and dark. ”
“Is he all right?”
“Yes,”I said. “Hes fine. ” 213
I saw the nurse look at me strangely.
“Im awfully tired,”Catherine said. “And I hurt like hell. Are you all right,darling?”
“Im fine. Dont talk. ”
“You were lovely to me. Oh,darling,I hurt dreadfully. What does he look like?”
“He looks like a skinned rabbit with a puckeredup oldmans face. ”

“You must go out,”the nurse said. “Madame Henry must not talk. ”
“Ill be outside. ”
“Go and get something to eat. ”
“No. Ill be outside. ”I kissed Catherine. She was very gray and weak and tired.
“May I speak to you?”I said to the nurse. She came out in the hall with me. I walked a
little way down the hall.
“Whats the matter with the baby?”I asked.
“Didnt you know?”
“No. ”
“He wasnt alive. ”
“He was dead?”
“They couldnt start him breathing. The cord was caught around his neck or something. ”
“So hes dead. ”
“Yes. Its such a shame. He was such a fine big boy. I thought you knew. ”
“No,”I said. “You better go back in with Madame. ”
I sat down on the chair in front of a table where there were nurses reports hung on clips at
the side and looked out of the window. I could see nothing but the dark and the rain falling
across the light from the window. So that was it. The baby was dead. That was why the doctor

looked so tired. But why had they acted the way they did in the room with him They supposed
he would come around and start breathing probably. I had no religion but I knew he ought to
have been baptized. But what if he never breathed at all. He hadnt. He had never been alive.
Except in Catherine. Id felt him kick there often enough. But I hadnt for a week. Maybe he
was choked all the time. Poor little kid. I wished the hell Id been choked like that. No I
didnt. Still there would not be all this dying to go through. Now Catherine would die. That
was what you did. You died. You did not know what it was about. You never had time to
learn. They threw you in and told you the rules and the first time they caught you off base they
killed you. Or they killed you gratuitously like Aymo2 . Or gave you the syphilis3 like Rinaldi4 .
But they killed you in the end. You could count on that. Stay around and they would kill you.
Once in camp I put a log on top of the fire and it was full of ants. As it commenced to
, ;
burn the ants swarmed out and went first toward the center where the fire was then turned back
and ran toward the end. When there were enough on the end they fell off into the fire. Some got

214
, ,
out their bodies burnt and flattened and went off not knowing where they were going. But
Unit 21 Ernest Hemingway 1899( —1961) 厄内斯特·海明威
most of them went toward the fire and then back toward the end and swarmed on the cool end
and finally fell off into the fire. I remember thinking at the time that it was the end of the world
and a splendid chance to be a messiah5 and lift the log off the fire and throw it out where the
ants could get off onto the ground. But I did not do anything but throw a tin cup of water on the

log so that I would have the cup empty to put whiskey in before I added water to it. I think the
cup of water on the burning log only steamed the ants.
So now I sat out in the hall and waited to hear how Catherine was. The nurse did not come

out so after a while I went to the door and opened it very softly and looked in. I could not see
at first because there was a bright light in the hall and it was dark in the room. Then I saw the

nurse sitting by the bed and Catherines head on a pillow and she was all flat under the sheet.

The nurse put her finger to her lips then stood up and came to the door.
“How is she?”I asked.
“Shes all right,”the nurse said. “You should go and have your supper and then come
back if you wish. ”
I went down the hall and then down the stairs and out the door of the hospital and down the
dark street in the rain to the café. It was brightly lighted inside and there were many people at

the tables. I did not see a place to sit and a waiter came up to me and took my wet coat and hat
and showed me a place at a table across from an elderly man who was drinking beer and reading
the evening paper. I sat down and asked the waiter what the plat du jour6 was.
“Veal stew—but it is finished. ”
“What can I have to eat?”
“Ham and eggs,eggs with cheese,or choucroute . ” 7

“I had choucroute this noon,”I said.


“Thats true,”he said. “Thats true. You ate choucroute this noon. ”He was a middle
aged man with a bald top to his head and his hair slicked over it. He had a kind face.
“What do you want?Ham and eggs or eggs with cheese?”
“Ham and eggs,”I said,“and beer. ”
“A demiblonde ?”8

“Yes,”I said.
“I remembered,”he said. “You took a demiblonde this noon. ”
I ate the ham and eggs and drank the beer. The ham and eggs were in a round dish —the
ham underneath and the eggs on top. It was very hot and at the first mouthful I had to take a
drink of beer to cool my mouth. I was hungry and I asked the waiter for another order. I drank
several glasses of beer. I was not thinking at all but read the paper of the man opposite me. It
was about the break through on the British front. When he realized I was reading the back of his

paper he folded it over. I thought of asking the waiter for a paper but I could not concentrate.
It was hot in the café and the air was bad. Many of the people at the tables knew one another.
215
There were several card games going on. The waiters were busy bringing drinks from the bar to
the tables. Two men came in and could find no place to sit. They stood opposite the table where
I was. I ordered another beer. I was not ready to leave yet. It was too soon to go back to the
hospital. I tried not to think and to be perfectly calm. The men stood around but no one was

leaving so they went out. I drank another beer. There was quite a pile of saucers now on the

table in front of me. The man opposite me had taken off his spectacles put them away in a

case folded his paper and put it in his pocket and now sat holding his liqueur glass and looking

out at the room. Suddenly I knew I had to get back. I called the waiter paid the reckoning9 ,

got into my coat put on my hat and started out the door. I walked through the rain up to the
hospital.
Upstairs I met the nurse coming down the hall.
“I just called you at the hotel,”she said. Something dropped inside me.
“What is wrong?”
“Mrs. Henry has had a hemorrhage . ” 10

“Can I go in?”
“No,not yet. The doctor is with her. ”
“Is it dangerous?”
“It is very dangerous. ”The nurse went into the room and shut the door. I sat outside in the
hall. Everything was gone inside of me. I did not think. I could not think. I knew she was
, ,
going to die and I prayed that she would not. Dont let her die. Oh God please dont let her
die. Ill do anything for you if you wont let her die. Please,please,please,dear God,dont
let her die. Dear God,dont let her die. Please,please,please dont let her die. God please
make her not die. Ill do anything you say if you dont let her die. You took the baby but dont
, , ,
let her die. That was all right but dont let her die. Please please dear God dont let her die.
The nurse opened the door and motioned with her finger for me to come. I followed her
into the room. Catherine did not look up when I came in. I went over to the side of the bed.
The doctor was standing by the bed on the opposite side. Catherine looked at me and smiled. I
bent down over the bed and started to cry.
“Poor darling,”Catherine said very softly. She looked gray.
“Youre all right,Cat,”I said. “Youre going to be all right. ”
I took her hand.
“Dont touch me,”she said. I let go of her hand. She smiled. “Poor darling. You touch
me all you want. ”
“Youll be all right,Cat. I know youll be all right. ”
“I meant to write you a letter to have if anything happened,but I didnt do it. ”
“Do you want me to get a priest or any one to come and see you?”
216
“Just you,”she said. Then a little later,“Im not afraid. I just hate it. ”
Unit 21 ( —1961) 厄内斯特·海明威
Ernest Hemingway 1899

“You must not talk so much,”the doctor said.


“All right,”Catherine said.
“Do you want me to do anything,Cat?Can I get you anything?”
Catherine smiled,“No. ”Then a little later,“You wont do our things with another girl,
or say the same things,will you? ”
“Never. ”
“I want you to have girls,though. ”
“I dont want them. ”
“You are talking too much,”the doctor said. “Mr. Henry must go out. He can come back
again later. You are not going to die. You must not be silly. ”
“All right,”Catherine said. “Ill come and stay with you nights,”she said. It was very
hard for her to talk.
“Please go out of the room,”the doctor said. “You cannot talk. ”Catherine winked at
me,her face gray. “Ill be right outside,
”I said.
“Dont worry,darling,”Catherine said. “Im not a bit afraid. Its just a dirty trick. ”
“You dear,brave sweet. ”
I waited outside in the hall. I waited a long time. The nurse came to the door and came
over to me. “Im afraid Mrs. Henry is very ill,”she said. “Im afraid for her. ”
“Is she dead?”
“No,but she is unconscious. ”
It seems she had one hemorrhage after another. They couldnt stop it. I went into the room

and stayed with Catherine until she died. She was unconscious all the time and it did not take
her very long to die.
, ,
Outside the room in the hall I spoke to the doctor,“Is there anything I can do tonight?”
“No. There is nothing to do. Can I take you to your hotel?”
“No,thank you. I am going to stay here a while. ”
“I know there is nothing to say. I cannot tell you—”
“No,”I said. “Theres nothing to say. ”
“Goodnight,”he said. “I cannot take you to your hotel?”
“No,thank you. ”
“It was the only thing to do,”he said. “The operation proved—”
“I do not want to talk about it,”I said.
“I would like to take you to your hotel. ”
“No,thank you. ”
He went down the hall. I went to the door of the room.
“You cant come in now,”one of the nurses said.
“Yes I can,”I said. 217
“You cant come in yet. ”
“You get out,”I said. “The other one too. ”
But after I had got them out and shut the door and turned off the light it wasnt any good.
It was like saying goodby to a statue. After a while I went out and left the hospital and walked
back to the hotel in the rain.

Questions for Discussion


1. What stylistic features are there in the excerpt ?

2. Whats the function of the narrators monologue soliloquy )?
3. Unlike many other war stories ,however,A Farewell to Arms does not glorify the
experience of combat or offer us portraits of heroes as they are traditionally conceived. What is

the novels attitude toward war Is it fair to call A Farewell to Arms an antiwar novel ?
4. Discuss the various ways in which characters seek solace from the pains of a war

ravaged world. In the end what does the novel suggest about such comforts ?
Notes
1. puckeredup :噘着嘴的
2. Aymo :艾莫,全名 Bartolomeo Aymo ,亨利中尉手下的一名救护车司机。
3. syphilis:梅毒
4. Rinaldi:雷那蒂军医,意大利部队的外科医生,亨利中尉的密友
5. messiah :弥赛亚,救世主,救星
6. the plat du jour:(法语)今天的主菜
7. choucroute:(法语)酸泡菜
8. a demiblonde:一杯淡啤酒
9. the reckoning :收银员
10. hemorrhage:大出血

218
Eugene Glastone ONeill 1888 ( —1953)
Unit 22 尤金 · 格拉斯通 · 奥尼尔

Biography
Eugene ONeill was born in a hotel room in New York City on
October 16 ,1888 to James and Ella ONeill. James was a successful
touring actor and ONeills mother, Ella, accompanied her husband
touring around the country. Eugene spent most of his childhood on the
road with his family. ONeill was educated at boarding schools in his

early years and then attended Princeton University for a year from 1906

to 1907. Over the next six years he shipped to sea lived destitute on the
, ,
waterfronts of New York Buenos Aires and Liverpool became alcoholic

and attempted suicide. At age 24 ONeill finally began to recover from this state and held a job
as a reporter for the New London Daily Telegraph. Then he became extremely ill with

tuberculosis and had to be hospitalized for six months. While in the hospital Eugene began to
reevaluate his life in what he later termed his “rebirth ”. After his hospitalization,ONeill
studied the techniques of play writing at Harvard University from 1914 to 1915 under the famous
theater scholar George Pierce Baker. In 1916 ,ONeills first play Bound East for Cardiff
appeared,which brought him fame. Then ONeill worked as a dramatist and playwright,and
won many prizes. Beyond the Horizon,Anna Christie,Strange Interlude,and Long Days
Journey into Night won Pulitzer Prize for drama 4 times. In 1936 ,ONeill received the Nobel
Prize in literature.
All of ONeills plays are written from a personal point of view and reflect on the tragedy of
the human condition. There is no doubt that ONeills early history contributed to his writing.

Like ONeill as a boy many of his characters are caught in destructive situations and paths that

they cannot escape. Before ONeill most American Drama was farce or melodrama. ONeill
embraced the theater as a venue to work out serious social issues and ideas. He transformed the
American Theater into a serious and important cultural institution. ONeill has been compared to
virtually every literary figure in the Western world and is considered the first great American

playwright. His plays deal specifically with the American tragedy rooted in American history
and social movements. ONeill had broad vision and was sometimes criticized when this vision
seemed to exceed his skill. His dramas are marked by expressionistic theatrical techniques and
219
symbolic devices that function to express religious and philosophical ideas. ONeill even used
the Ancient Greek Chorus as a device to comment on the action of many of his plays. By

bringing psychological depth poetic symbolism and expressionistic technique to the American

theatre ONeill raised the standards of American theatre. Most of his plays are tragedies ,
: ,
dealing with the basic issues of human existence and predicament life and death illusion and
disillusion,alienation and communication,dream and reality,self and society,desire and
frustration etc.

The last twenty years of his life ONeill battled a crippling nervous disorder similar to
Parkinsons disease. He died in a hotel room in 1953. ONeill completed 30 long plays and 20
shorter ones.
ONeills famous remarks :
“I am far from being a pessimist 爥On the contrary,in spite of my personal scars,Im
tickled to death at life!

“I knew it. I knew it. Born in a hotel room and died in a hotel room. ”
Major Works
? Fulllength plays :
, —Pulitzer Prize,1920
Beyond the Horizon 1918
Anna Christie,1920 —Pulitzer Prize,1922
The Emperor Jones,1920
The Hairy Ape,1922
Desire Under the Elms,1924
Strange Interlude,1928 —Pulitzer Prize
Long Days Journey Into Night, written 1941 , first performed 1956 —Pulitzer
Prize 1957
? Oneact plays :

Bound East for Cardiff 1914

In The Zone 1917

The Long Voyage Home 1917
Moon of the Caribbees,1918
A Wife for a Life,1913
Where the Cross Is Made,1918
The Dreamy Kid ,1918

ONeills Style in General


1. being tragic and pessimistic
2. realistic & naturalistic→expressionistic & symbolic use of techniques with abstract and
220
Unit 22 Eugene Glastone ONeill 1888( —1953) 尤金·格拉斯通·奥尼尔

symbolic stage sets such as music lighting
3. psychological realism
4. mysticism

5. use of monologues elements of the ancient Greek tragedies

6. use of dialect particular accent or manner of speech

Synopsis of The Hairy Ape


In eight highly expressionistic scenes the play depicts the awakening consciousness of
, ,
Yank a stoker on a transatlantic liner. Scenery dialogue and characters are distorted in order to
underline the message of the play. The stokers are variously depicted as caged animals ,
prisoners and robots. Yank is at first content to be part of the ships machinery that makes it go.
, ,
But when Mildred Douglas the spoiled daughter of a steel magnate takes a guided tour of the

stoke hole she recoils from him in terror calling him a “filthy beast ”. From that point on,
insulted and hurt,Yank begins to brood,wondering who he is and what kind of world he lives
in. In a Fifth Avenue Sunday morning scene,it becomes clear that he literally does not exist for
the rich people leaving the Church. Trying to find where he belongs,he finally verbalizes his
question to a policeman,who tells him indifferently to go to hell. He wanders to a zoo,talks to
a gorilla,with whom he feels kinship,opens the cage to shake hands with it and free it,and is
crushed to death by the real hairy ape.
Yank is often seen as the common man (or the American workingman)or the proletarian
masses asserting their humanity and searching for their rightful place in repressive capitalistic

society. But on a psychological rather than social plane Yank can be viewed as any man or ,
, ; ,
everyman seeking his own identity knowing this he will know all he needs to know of the
world. But the play is a series of rejections and the question is never answered.

Characters
Robert Smith ,“Yank”—the plays antagonist,works as a stoker on a Transatlantic Ocean
Liner. The play follows his quest to find a sense of belonging in modern,industrial society.
Yank was born in New York City and was brought up in a lower class family. Yank,a burly,
sometimes menacing figure,has difficulty with thought. He is known to take the physical
position of Rodins “The Thinker”when processing information or dealing with a problem.
In the beginning of The Hairy Ape,Yank seems fairly content as,if not proud to be a
fireman,he defends the ship as his home and insists that the work he does is vital—it is the
force that makes the ship go twentyfive knots an hour. Mildred Douglass reaction to Yank is
the catalyst which makes Yank come to class awareness. His attempt to get revenge on Mildred
Douglas widens to revenge on the steel industry and finally the entire Bourgeois. Throughout 221
“ ” “ ”
this struggle Yank defines belonging as power. When he thinks he belongs to something he
gains strength ,when Yank is rejected by a group,he is terribly weak. However,Yank is
rejected by all facets of society:his fellow stokers,Mildred,the street goers of 5th Ave. ,The
I. W. W. ,and finally the ape in the zoo. Yank symbolizes the struggle of modern man within
industrial society—he cannot break class or ideological barriers,nor create new ones. Yank is
the outsider,and eventually just the freak at the zoo for people to cage and point at.
Mildred Douglas—is the pale and feeble daughter of the owner of Nazareth Steel. She has
been lavishly spoiled and enjoyed every possible privilege money can buy. In college,Mildred
studied sociology and is on a crusade to help the poor. Mildred has previously worked with the
disadvantaged people in New Yorks Lower East Side. Mildreds Aunt is accompanying her to
Europe where she will embark on more service projects. While on the Ocean Liner Mildred asks
permission to visit the lower portions of the ship to view how the “other half”(Yank and the
) ,
stokers live. As if on a trip to the zoo she wears a bright white dress down into the stoke

hole ignoring the Engineers warning that will get dirty from the coal dust.

Although Mildred should be considered the antagonist of The Hairy Ape she is equally
victimized by class as Yank. Though Mildred has more education and cultural experience than

Yank she still cannot escape her cultural identity. Mildred describes herself as the waste of her
, ,
fathers steel company as she has felt the benefits but not the hard work that brought them.

She shares with Yank the need to find a sense of usefulness or belonging. Thus Yank and
Mildred desperately search to find an identity that is their own.
Paddy —is an old Irishman who likes to drink heavily,and he is known for his rendition of
“Whiskey Johnny”and spouting philosophy and stories of the past when intoxicated. Although
Paddy is quite a thinker,ONeill describes Paddys facial features as “extremely monkey—with
the sad,patient pathos of that animal in his small eyes”. Of the men on the ship Paddy could be
considered the “extrememonkey”because he has been doing labor jobs longer than most of the
firemen—labor jobs fit for monkeys.
Paddy brings historical perspective to The Hairy Ape. His extensive monologue in Scene
One details how shipping used to be aboard Clipper Ships. Without Paddys presence the
audience would not have as much perspective about the revolution brought about by machines.

Paddy has experienced life on the sea that was free where he was empowered and valued.
, ,
Paddy unlike many of the men knows what it is like to not do slave labor.
Yanks continual references to Paddy as “dead”and “old”and not “belonging”with the
other men aboard the Ocean Liner reveals Yanks own rejection of freedom. The acceptance and
attachment to the modernship machine enslaves men like Yank. The need for belonging ,
222
without the knowledge of what else to belong to ,is dangerous as exemplified by Yanks
Unit 22 ( —1953) 尤金·格拉斯通·奥尼尔
Eugene Glastone ONeill 1888

encounter with Mildred.

◆◆◆!"# .%5(+ :9# ◆◆◆


A Comedy of Ancient and Modern Life in Eight Scenes
Scene I
(An excerpt)
The firemens forecastle of a transatlantic liner an hour after sailing from New York for the
, ,
voyage across. Tiers of narrow steel bunks three deep on all sides. An entrance in rear. 1
Benches on the floor before the bunks. The room is crowded with men ,shouting,cursing,
, —a confused,inchoate
laughing singing 2
uproar swelling into a sort of unity,a meaning—the
bewildered,furious,baffled defiance of a beast in a cage. Nearly all the men are drunk. Many
bottles are passed from hand to hand. All are dressed in dungaree pants ,heavy ugly shoes.

Some wear singlets,but the majority are stripped to the waist.


The treatment of this scene,or any other scene in the play,should by no means be natura
listic. The effect sought after is a cramped space in the bowels of a ship,imprisoned by white
steel. The lines of bunks,the uprights supporting them,crossing each other like the steel
framework of a cage. The ceiling crushes down upon the mens heads. They cannot stand
upright. This accentuates the natural stooping posture which shoveling coal and the
resultant overdevelopment of back and shoulders muscles have given them. 4 The men
themselves should resemble those pictures in which the appearance of Neanderthal Man is
guessed at. 5 All are hairychested ,with long arms of tremendous power and low,receding
brows above their small,fierce,resentful eyes. All the civilized white races are represented,but
except for the slight differentiation in color of hair,skin,eyes,all these men are alike.
The curtain rises on a tumult of sound. Yank is seated in the foreground. He seems

broader fiercer ,more truculent,more powerful,more sure of himself than the rest. They
respect his superior strength—the grudging respect of fear. Then,too,he represents to them a
selfexpression,the very last word in what they are,their most highly developed individual.

: , !
Voices Gif me trink dere you
Ave a wet !
Salute !
Gesundheit !
Skoal !

Drunk as a lord God stiffen you !
Heres how !
Luck ! 223
, !
Ho Froggy Where the devil have you been ?
La Touraine.

I hit him smash in yaw py Gott !

Yank :(for the first time seeming to take notice of the uproar about him,turns around
threateningly—in a tone of contemptuous authority )Choke off dat noise!Where dyuh get dat
beer stuff?Beer,hell!Beers for goils and—Dutchmen. Me for somepn wit a kick to it!
Gimme a drink, one of youse guys. (Several bottles are eagerly offered. He takes a

tremendous gulp at one of them;then,keeping the bottle in his hand,glares belligerently at the
owner,who hastens to acquiesce in this robbery by saying ‘All righto,Yank. Keep it and have
another. ’Yank contemptuously turns his back on the crowd again. For a second there is an
embarrassed silence. Then—)

Voices :

Yank :(again turning around scornfully)Aw hell!Nix on dat old sailing ship stuff!All
dat bulls dead,see?And youre dead,too,yuh damned old Harp,ony yuh dont know it.
Take it easy,see. Give us a rest. Nix on de loud noise. (With a cynical grin)Cant youse see
Im tryin to tink? 8


Yank :(fiercely contemptuous )Shut up,yuh lousy boob!Where dyuh get dat tripe?
Home ?Home,hell!Ill make a home for yuh!Ill knock yuh dead. Home!T hell wit home!
Where dyuh get dat tripe?Dis is home,see?What dyuh want wit home?(Proudly)I runned
away from mine when I was a kid. Ony too glad to beat it,dat was me. Home was lickings for
me,dats all. But yuh can bet your shoit no one aint never licked me since!Wanter try it,
any of youse?Huh!I guess not. (In a more placated but still contemptuous tone)Goils waitin
for yuh,huh?Aw,hell!Dats all tripe. Dey dont wait for no one. Deyd doublecross yuh for
a nickle. Deyre all tarts,get me?Treat em rough,dats me. To hell wit em. Tarts,dats
what,de whole bunch of em. 9

Long:(very drunk,jumps on a bench excitedly,gesticulating with a bottle in his hand )


Listen ere,Comrades!Yank ere is right. E says this ere stinkin ship is our ome. And e
says as ome is ell. And es right!This is ell. We lives in ell,Comrades—and right enough
well die in it. (Raging )And whos ter blame,I arsks yer?We aint. We wasnt born this
rotten way. All men is born free and ekal. Thats in the bleedin Bible,maties. But what
dthey care for the Bible—them lazy,bloated swine what travels first cabin?Thems the
224
Unit 22 Eugene Glastone ONeill 1888 ( —1953) 尤金·格拉斯通·奥尼尔
ones. They dragged us down til were ony wage slaves in the bowels of a bloody ship ,
sweatin,burnin up,eatin coal dust!Hits thems ter blame—the damned Capitalist clarss!
10

(There had been a gradual murmur of contemptuous resentment rising among the men until now
he is interrupted by a storm of catcalls,hisses,boos,hard laughter. )


Voices Turn it off !
Shut up!
Sit down!
Closa da face !
Tamn fool !
Yank :(standing up and glaring at Long )Sit down before I knock yuh down!(Long
makes haste to efface himself. Tank goes on contemptuously ) De Bible,huh?De Captlist
class,huh?Aw nix on dat Salvation ArmySocialist bull. Git a soapbox!Hire a hall!Come
and be saved,huh?Jerk us to Jesus,huh?Aw gwan!Ive listened to lots of guys like you,
see. Yuhre all wrong. Wanter know what I tink?Yuh aint no good for no one. Yuhre de
bunk. Yuh aint got no noive,get me?Yuhre yellow,dats what. Yellow,dats you. Say!
Whats dem slobs in de foist cabin got to do wit us?Were better men dan dey are,aint we?
Sure !One of us guys could clean up de whole mob wit one mit. Put one of em down here for
one watch in de stokehole,whatd happen?Deyd carry him off on a stretcher. Dem boids dont
amount to nothin. Deyre just baggage. Who makes dis old tub run?Aint it us guys?Well
den,we belong,dont we?We belong and dey dont. Dats all. (A loud chorus of approval.
Yank goes on)As for dis bein hell—aw,nuts!Yuh lost your noive,dats what. Dis is a mans
job,get me?It belongs. It runs dis tub. No stiffs need apply. But yuhre a stiff,see?Yuhre
yellow,dats you. [ ]
11

Voices :(with a great hard pride in them)


Righto!
A mans job!
Talk is cheap,Long.

Yank is right. We make it go.

Py Gott Yank say right ting !

!(They crowd around Long threateningly. )


Ill break his jaw for him
Yank :(half goodnatured again—contemptuously)Aw,take it easy. Leave him alone. He
225

aint worth a punch. Drink up. Heres how whoever owns dis.
Paddy :(who has been sitting in a blinking,melancholy daze—suddenly cries out in a
voice full of old sorrow )We belong to this,youre saying?We make the ship to go,youre
saying?Yerra then,that Almighty God have pity on us!(His voice runs into the wail of a
keen. He rocks back and forth on his bench. The men stare at him,startled and impressed in
spite of themselves. )Oh,to be back in the fine old days of my youth,ochone!Oh,there was
fine beautiful ships them days—clippers wid tall masts touching the sky—fine strong men in
them—men that was sons of the sea as if ‘twas the mother that bore them. Oh,the clean skins
of them,and the clear eyes,the straight backs and full chests of them!Brave men they was,
and bold men surely!Wed be sailing out,bound down round the Horn maybe. Wed be
making sail in the dawn,with a fair breeze,singing a chanty song wid no care to it. And astern
the land would be sinking low and dying out,but wed give it no heed but a laugh,and never a
look behind 爥. (His tone of exaltation ceases. He goes on mournfully)’Twas them days men
belonged to ships,not now. Twas them days a ship was part of the sea,and a man was part of
a ship,and the sea joined all together and made it one. (Scornfully)is it one wid this youd be,
Yank—black smoke from the funnels smudging the sea, smudging the decks—the bloody
engines pounding and throbbing and shaking—wid divil a sight of sun or a breath of clean air—
choking our lungs wid coal dust—breaking our backs and hearts in the hell of the stokehole—
feeding the bloody furnace—feeding our lives along wid the coal,Im thinking—caged in by
steel from a sight of the sky like bloody apes in the Zoo!(With a harsh laugh )Hoho,divil
mend you!Is it to belong to that youre wishing?Is it a flesh and blood wheel of the engines
youd be?12

Yank:(who has been listening with a contemptuous sneer,barks out the answer )Sure
ting!Dats me. What about it?
Paddy:(as if to himself—with great sorrow)Me time is past due. That a great wave wid
sun in the heart of it may—sweep me over the side sometime Id be dreaming of the days thats
gone!
Yank: Aw, yuh crazy Mick! (He springs to his feet and advances on Paddy
threateningly —then stops,fighting some queer struggle within himself—lets his hands fall to his
sides—contemptuously)Aw,take it easy. Yuhre aw right,at dat. Yuhre bugs,dats all—
nutty as a cuckoo. All dat tripe yuh been pullin—Aw,dats all right. Ony its dead,get me?
Yuh dout belong no more,see. Yuh dont get de stuff. Yuhre too old. (Disgustedly)But aw
say,come up for air onct in a while,cant yuh?See whats happened since yuh croaked. (He
suddenly bursts forth vehemently,growing more and more excited)Say!Sure!Sure I meant it!
What de hell—Say,lemme talk!Hey!Hey,you old Harp!Hey,youse guys!Say,listen to
me— wait a moment—I gotter talk,see. I belong and he dont. Hes dead but Im livin. Listen
to me!Sure Im part of de engines!Why de hell not!Dey move,dont dey?Deyre speed,
226
Unit 22 Eugene Glastone ONeill 1888( —1953) 尤金·格拉斯通·奥尼尔
? , ? !
aint dey Dey smash trou dont dey Twentyfive knots a hour Dats goin some Dats new!
stuff!Dat belongs!But him,hes too old. He gets dizzy. Say,listen. All dat crazy tripe about
nights and days;all dat crazy tripe about stars and moons;all dat crazy tripe about suns and
winds,fresh air and de rest of it—Aw hell! ,dats all a dope dream!Hittinde pipe of de past,
dats what hes doin. Hes old and dont belong no more. But me,Im young!Im in de pink!
I move wit it. It,get me!I mean de ting dats de guts of all dis. It ploughs trou all de tripe hes
been sayin. It blows dat up!It knocks dat dead!It slams dat offende face of de oith!It,get
me!De engines and de coal and de smoke and all de rest of it!He cant breathe and swallow
coal dust,but I kin,see?Dats fresh air for me!Dats food for me!Im new,get me?Hell in
de stokehole?Sure!It takes a man to work in hell. Hell,sure,dats my favrite climate. I eat
it up!I git fat on it!Its me makes it hot!Its me makes it roar!Its me makes it move!Sure,
ony for me everyting stops. It all goes dead,get me?De noise and smoke and all de engines
movin de woild,dey stop. Dere aint nothin no more!Dats what Im sayin. Everyting else
dat makes de woild move,somepn makes it move. It cant move witout somepn else,see?
Den yuh get down to me. Im at de bottom,get me!Dere aint nothin foither. Im de end!
Im de start!I start somepn and de woild moves!It—dats me!—de new dats moiderin de
old!Im de ting in coal dat makes it boin;Im steam and oil for de engines;Im de ting in
noise dat makes yuh hear it;Im smoke and express trains and steamers and factory whistles;
Im de ting in gold dat makes it money!And Im what makes iron into steel!Steel,dat stands
for de whole ting!And Im steel—steel—steel!Im de muscles in steel,de punch behind it!
(As he says this he pounds with his fist against the steel bunks. All the men,roused to a pitch of
frenzied selfglorification by his speech, do likewise. There is a deafening metallic roar,
through which Yanks voice can be heard bellowing)Slaves,hell!We run de whole woiks. All
de rich guys dat tink deyre somepn,dey aint nothin!Dey dont belong. But us guys,were
in de move,were at de bottom,de whole ting is us! (Paddy from the start of Yanks speech
13

has been taking one gulp after another from his bottle,at first frightenedly,as if he were afraid
to listen the desperately,as if to drown his senses,but finally has achieved complete indifferent,
even amused,drunkenness. Yank sees his lips moving. He quells the uproar with a shout)Hey,
youse guys,take it easy!Wait a moment!De nutty Harp is sayin somepn.
Paddy:(is heard now—throws his head back with a mocking burst of laughter)Hohoho
hoho
Yank :(drawing back his fist,with a snarl)Aw!Look out who yuhre giving the bark!
Paddy:(begins to sing the “Miller of Dee”with enormous good nature)
“I care for nobody,no,not I,
And nobody cares for me. ”
Yank :(goodnatured himself in a flash,interrupts Paddy with a slpa on the bare back like
a report)Dats de stuff!Now yuhre gettin wise to somepn. Care for nobody,dats de dope!
227
! ,
To hell with em all And nix on nobody else carin. I kin care for myself get me !(Eight bells

sound muffled ,vibrating through the steel walls as if some enormous brazen gong were
imbedded in the heart of the ship. All the men jump up mechanically,file through the door
silently close upon each others heels in what is very like a prisoners lockstep. Yank slaps
) ,
Paddy on the back Our watch yuh old Harp !(Mockingly)Come on down in hell. Eat up de
coal dust. Drink in de heat. Its it,see!Act like yuh liked it,yuh better—or croak yuhself.
Paddy :(with jovial defiance)To the divil wid it!Ill not report this watch. Let thim log
me and be damned. Im no slave the like of you. Ill be sittin here at me ease,and drinking,
14

and thinking,and dreaming dreams.


Yank:(contemptuously)tinkin and dreamin,whatll that get yuh?Whats tinkin got to
do wit it?We move,dont we?Speed,aint it?Fog,dats all you stand for. But we drive trou
dat,dont we?We split dat up and smash trou—twentyfive knots a hour!(Turns his back on
Paddy scornfully)Aw,yuh make me sick!Yuh dont belong!(He strides out the door in rear.
Paddy hums to himself,blinking drowsily. )

Questions for Discussion


1. Why is the play subtitled A Comedy of Ancient and Modern Life in Eight Scenes?
2. Why does ONeill choose to place Yank in the position of Rodins “The Thinker”?How
does this comment on the life of the industrial worker and Yanks capability for thought?
3. How do symbols function within the Hairy Ape?Why do you think ONeill chose to use
such heavy symbolism in the text?How do they work thematically?Give specific examples of
three symbols in the text,why does ONeill choose them and how they comment on theme.

Notes
, :一排排狭窄的钢架三层床倚壁而立。
1. Tiers of narrow steel 爥 in rear.
2. inchoate:不连贯的
3. dungaree pants:粗蓝斜纹布裤子
4. This accentuates 爥have given them. :这就更加突出了他们长期铲煤而形成过于
发达的肩背肌肉和弯腰曲背的体态。
5. resemble those pictures 爥is guessed at:与人们所猜想的旧石器时代的古人外
貌相似。
6. 这一段 Voices 是水手们挤在一起喝酒时你言我语发出的喧闹,与剧中其他 Voices
一样,没什么意义,且大多上下句互不关联,它们只是构成了背景音响,为剧情制造所需的氛
围。英语不规范,夹杂许多地方音、语法错误和外来语,表明水手们不同的国籍和低下的文
化水准。如:Gif me trink dere:Give me drink there;Ave:have;Gesundheit:(德)祝
228 你健康;Froggy:法国佬;La Touraine:(法 )都兰,法国地名;yaw:jaw;Py Gott:by
Unit 22 ( —1953) 尤金·格拉斯通·奥尼尔
Eugene Glastone ONeill 1888

God ;peer:beer;the coppers:the cops 警察;It dont pig head gif yuh :It doesnt
give you pig head. (啤酒 )喝不醉;Bloody Dutchman :残暴的荷兰佬;Dutchy:荷兰佬;
Wop :意大利佬;Py Yesus:by Jesus.
7. Yank 的英语也不规范,地方音重,发音不全,如 dyuh :do you ;goils:girls;Me
for somepn wit a kick to it:me for something with a kick to it. 我要来点带劲的(酒);
Gimme:give me;youse:your。
8. Aw:all;Nix on :不准;dat:that;old Harp :爱尔兰人;ony:only;Im tryin to
tink:Im trying to think.
9. boob :a stupis person ;tripe:nonsense;too glad to beat it:very glad to
escape home,这里 too 意为 very,beat (美俚 )意为 escape;lickings:(俚 )defeats;
shoit:shirt;wanter:want to ;Dey:they;doublecross:(俚)出卖、背叛。
10. ere:here;e:he;ome:home;ell:hell;ter:to ;arsks yer:ask you ;
ekal:equal;them lazy bloated swine what travels first cabin :那些坐头等舱的得意忘
形的懒猪们,这里 what 应为 who;thems:thosere;til:until;Hits:Its.
11. Salvation Army:救世军,一国际性准军事组织,由英国人 William Booth 于 1865
年创立,在穷人中搞宗教慈善活动。 Git:get;soapbox:街头演讲者用的临时演讲台;
jurk:猛推,这里意味”交给 ”;gwan :go away;noive:nerve;boids:birds 胆小鬼,指
坐头等舱的人;old tub:指船;den:then;stiff:(俚)dead body,fool.
12. Yerra:Youre right;Ochone:(苏格兰语)alas;clipper:快速帆船;wid :with ;
Horn :the Cape Horn 合恩角。
13. Mick:(美俚 )对爱尔兰人的戏称; nutty as a cuchoo :疯疯癫癫的; trou :
through ;knots:浬;oith :earth ;woild :world ;foither:further;woiks:works.
14. Let thim log me:让他们打我旷工好了。

229
John Steinbeck 1902 ( —1968)
Unit 23 约翰 · 斯坦贝克

Biography
, , ,
John Steinbeck born in Salinas California came from a family of
moderate means. He worked his way through college at Stanford
University but never graduated. While beginning to write fiction ,he
worked to make ends meet as a lab assistant and fruit picker. During
World War Ⅱ ,he worked as a war correspondent for the New York
Herald Tribune and later took a trip to Vietnam for the New York Daily
, ,
News. In 1930 he married Carol Henning but their marriage dissolved
in 1942. He quickly remarried and had two sons with his second wife ,

Gwyndolyn Congor before they got divorced in 1949. His third marriage to Elaine Scott in
1950 lasted until his death in 1968.
Steinbecks novels can all be classified as social novels dealing with the economic problems
, ,
of rural labour but there is also a streak of worship of the soil in his books which does not
always agree with his matteroffact sociological approach. After the rough and earthy humour
of Tortilla Flat (1935 ),he moved on to more serious fiction,often aggressive in its social
criticism. In Dubious Battle (1936 ) deals with the strikes of the migratory fruit pickers on
California plantations. This was followed by Of Mice and Men (1937 ),the story of the
imbecile giant Lennie,and a series of admirable short stories collected in the volume The Long
Valley (1938 ). In 1939 he published what is considered his best work,The Grapes of Wrath,
the story of Oklahoma tenant farmers who,struggling to survive the Dust Bowl during the Great
Depression and yet unable to earn a living from the land,moved to California where they
became migratory workers. This novel won the 1940 Pulitzer Prize and was made into a film of
the same name later that year.
, ,
Steinbeck felt a great deal for the downtrodden working class and dregs of society. His
short story The Chrysanthemums (1938 )proves that he had an understanding of the struggles
faced by women in his day. Like his novels,Steinbecks short stories feature realistic dialogue,
nerveracking dramas,and sympathetic examinations of characters trying to find happiness in the
face of poverty and oppression.

230
Unit 23 ( —1968) 约翰·斯坦贝克
John Steinbeck 1902

Major Works
? Novels :
( )
Cup of Gold 1929
To a God Unknown 1933 ( )
( )
Tortilla Flat 1935
In Dubious Battle (1936 )
The Grapes of Wrath (1939 )
Cannery Row (1945 )
East of Eden (1952 )
Sweet Thursday (1954 )
The Winter of Our Discontent 1961 ( )
? Novellas :
( )
A Red Pony 1933
Of Mice and Men (1937 )
The Pearl (1947 )
Burning Bright (1950 )
? Collections of short stories:
The Pastures of Heaven (1932 )
The Long Valley (1938 )

Steinbecks Style in General


1. writing about the downtrodden or everyman tinged with sentimentality
2. portrayal of the psyche of the characters
3. being comic and humorous
4. themes of fate and injustice
5. good at using symbols


Synopsis of The Chrysanthemums ”
, , , ,
Elisa a robust thirtyfiveyearold woman lives with her husband Henry on a ranch in

the Salinas Valley. Even though Elisa is associated with fertility and sexuality the couple has no
, ,
children. She is a hard worker her house sparkles and her flowers grow tremendous blooms.
Nevertheless,Elisa feels trapped,underappreciated,and frustrated with life. Henry is a kind,
traditional man,if slightly dimwitted. He loves his wife but doesnt really understand and
appreciate her. Still, he is an adequate businessman who runs his ranch successfully and
provides a comfortable life for his wife. His benevolent,sometimes dismissive attitude toward
his wife highlights societys inability to treat women as equals. One day,a tinker who makes his
231
, ,
living by repairing pots pans and other kitchen utensils visits the ranch. He begs for work but

Elisa initially turns him down. This tinker is a smart and charming salesman. He flatters flirts
and banters with Elisa and finally worms his way into Elisas trust. Elisa is so simpleminded that
shes easy to believe in others. Because shes so desperate to communicate with the outside
world or talk to someone who understands her ,she becomes completely unsuspecting. The
tinker takes advantage of her simplicity and cheats her. When all her efforts fail,Elisa gets
badly hurt. Her weak cry may suggest that she will give up all her longings.

◆◆◆!"# $"(+-%&'"#/*/-◆◆◆

The high greyflannel fog of winter closed off the Salinas Valley1 from the sky and from all
the rest of the world. On every side it sat like a lid on the mountains and made of the great

valley a closed pot. On the broad level land floor the gang plows bit deep2 and left the black
earth shining like metal where the shares had cut. On the foothill ranches across the Salinas
, ,
River the yellow stubble fields3 seemed to be bathed in pale cold sunshine but there was no

sunshine in the valley now in December. The thick willow scrub along the river flamed with
sharp and positive yellow leaves.
It was a time of quiet and of waiting. The air was cold and tender. A light wind blew up

from the southwest so that the farmers were mildly hopeful of a good rain before long but fog
and rain do not go together.
, ,
Across the river on Henry Allens foothill ranch there was little work to be done for the
hay was cut and stored and the orchards were plowed up to receive the rain deeply when it
should come. The cattle on the higher slopes were becoming shaggy and roughcoated.
, ,
Elisa Allen working in her flower garden looked down across the yard and saw Henry ,
her husband,talking to two men in business suits. The three of them stood by the tractor shed,
each man with one foot on the side of the little Fordson. They smoked cigarettes and studied the
machine as they talked.
Elisa watched them for a moment and then went back to her work. She was thirtyfive. Her
face was lean and strong and her eyes were as clear as water. Her figure looked blocked and
, ,
heavy in her gardening costume a mans black hat pulled low down over her eyes clodhopper
shoes ,a figured print dress almost completely covered by a big corduroy apron with four big

pockets to hold the snips,the trowel and scratcher ,the seeds and the knife she worked with.

She wore heavy leather gloves to protect her hands while she worked.
She was cutting down the old years chrysanthemum stalks with a pair of short and powerful
scissors. She looked down toward the men by the tractor shed now and then. Her face was eager
; ,
and mature and handsome even her work with the scissors was overeager overpowerful. The
chrysanthemum stems seemed too small and easy for her energy.
232
Unit 23 ( —1968) 约翰·斯坦贝克
John Steinbeck 1902


She brushed a cloud of hair out of her eyes with the back of her glove and left a smudge of
earth on her cheek in doing it. Behind her stood the neat white farm house with red geraniums
closebanked7 around it as high as the windows. It was a hardswept looking little house with

hardpolished windows and a clean mudmat on the front steps.
Elisa cast another glance toward the tractor shed. The strangers were getting into their Ford
coupe. She took off a glove and put her strong fingers down into the forest of new green
chrysanthemum sprouts that were growing around the old roots. She spread the leaves and

looked down among the closegrowing stems. No aphids were there no sowbugs or snails or
8 9
cutworms. Her terrier fingers destroyed such pests before they could get started.

Elisa started at the sound of her husbands voice. He had come near quietly and he leaned
over the wire fence that protected her flower garden from cattle and dogs and chickens.
“At it again,”he said. “Youve got a strong new crop 10
coming. ”
Elisa straightened her back and pulled on the gardening glove again. “Yes. Theyll be
strong this coming year.”In her tone and on her face there was a little smugness.
“Youve got a gift with things,”Henry observed. “Some of those yellow chrysanthemums
you had this year were ten inches across. I wish youd work out in the orchard and raise some
apples that big. ”
Her eyes sharpened. “Maybe I could do it,too. ,
Ive a gift with things all right. My
mother had it. She could stick anything in the ground and make it grow. She said it was having
planters hands that knew how to do it. ”
“Well,it sure works with flowers,”he said.
“Henry,who were those men you were talking to?”
“Why,sure,thats what I came to tell you. They were from the Western Meat Company.
I sold those thirty head of threeyearold steers. Got nearly my own price,too. ”
“Good,”she said. “Good for you. ”
“And I thought,”he continued,“I thought how its Saturday afternoon,and we might go
into Salinas for dinner at a restaurant,and then to a picture show—to celebrate,you see. ”
“Good,”she repeated. “Oh,yes. That will be good. ”
Henry put on his joking tone. “Theres fights tonight. Howd you like to go to the fights?

“Oh,no,”she said breathlessly. “No,I wouldnt like fights. ”
“Just fooling,Elisa. Well go to a movie. Lets see. Its two now. Im going to take
Scotty and bring down those steers from the hill. Itll take us maybe two hours. Well go in
town about five and have dinner at the Cominos Hotel. Like that ?”
“Of course Ill like it. Its good to eat away from home. ”
“All right,then. Ill go get up a couple of horses. ”
She said,“Ill have plenty of time to transplant some of these sets,I guess. ”
She heard her husband calling Scotty down by the barn. And a little later she saw the two
233
men ride up the pale yellow hillside in search of the steers. There was a little square sandy bed
kept for rooting the chrysanthemums. With her trowel she turned the soil over and over and ,
smoothed it and patted it firm. Then she dug ten parallel trenches to receive the sets. Back at the

chrysanthemum bed she pulled out the little crisp shoots trimmed off the leaves of each one
with her scissors and laid it on a small orderly pile.
A squeak of wheels and plod of hoofs came from the road. Elisa looked up. The country

road ran along the dense bank of willows and cottonwoods that bordered the river and up this
, ,
road came a curious vehicle curiously drawn. It was an old springwagon with a round canvas
11
top on it like the cover of a prairie schooner . It was drawn by an old bay horse and a little
greyandwhite burro. A big stubblebearded man sat between the cover flaps and drove the
, ,
crawling team. Underneath the wagon between the hind wheels a lean and rangy mongrel
12
, ,
dog walked sedately. Words were painted on the canvas in clumsy crooked letters. “Pots,
, , ,
pans knives scissors lawn mores . 13
Fixed. ”Two rows of articles,and the triumphantly
definitive “Fixed”below. 14
The black paint had run down in little sharp points beneath each
letter.
, , ,
Elisa squatting on the ground watched to see the crazy loosejointed wagon pass by. But
it didnt pass. It turned into the farm road in front of her house,crooked old wheels skirling and
squeaking. The rangy dog darted from between the wheels and ran ahead. Instantly the two
, ,
ranch shepherds flew out at him. Then all three stopped and with stiff and quivering tails with

taut straight legs with ambassadorial dignity ,they slowly circled,sniffing daintily. The
15

caravan pulled up to Elisas wire fence and stopped. Now the newcomer dog,feeling out
numbered,lowered his tail and retired under the wagon with raised hackles and bared
teeth. 16
,“Thats a bad dog in a fight when he gets started. ”
The man on the wagon seat called out
Elisa laughed. “I see he is. How soon does he generally get started?

The man caught up her laughter and echoed it heartily. “Sometimes not for weeks and
weeks,”he said. He climbed stiffly down,over the wheel. The horse and the donkey drooped
like unwatered flowers.
Elisa saw that he was a very big man. Although his hair and beard were greying he did,
not look old. His worn black suit was wrinkled and spotted with grease. The laughter had
disappeared from his face and eyes the moment his laughing voice ceased. His eyes were dark ,
17
and they were full of the brooding that gets in the eyes of teamsters and of sailors. The

calloused hands he rested on the wire fence were cracked and every crack was a black line. He
took off his battered hat.
“Im off my general road,maam,”he said. “Does this dirt road cut over across the river
to the Los Angeles highway? ”
Elisa stood up and shoved the thick scissors in her apron pocket. “Well,yes,it does,but
234
Unit 23 ( —1968) 约翰·斯坦贝克
John Steinbeck 1902

it winds around and then fords the river. 18 I dont think your team could pull through the
sand. ”
He replied with some asperity ,“It might surprise you what them beasts can pull through. ”
“When they get started?”she asked.
He smiled for a second. “Yes. When they get started. ”
“Well,”said Elisa,“I think youll save time if you go back to the Salinas road and pick
up the highway there. ”
He drew a big finger down the chicken wire and made it sing. “I aint in any hurry,
maam. I go from Seattle to San Diego and back every year. Takes all my time. About six
months each way. I aim to follow nice weather. ”
Elisa took off her gloves and stuffed them in the apron pocket with the scissors. She

touched the under edge of her mans hat searching for fugitive hairs. “That sounds like a nice
kind of a way to live ,”she said.
He leaned confidentially over the fence. “Maybe you noticed the writing on my wagon. I
mend pots and sharpen knives and scissors. You got any of them things to do? ”
“Oh,no,”she said quickly. “Nothing like that. ”Her eyes hardened with resistance.
“Scissors is the worst thing,” he explained. “Most people just ruin scissors trying to
sharpen em,but I know how. I got a special tool. Its a little bobbit kind of thing,and
patented. But it sure does the trick. ”
“No. My scissors are all sharp. ”
“All right,then. Take a pot,”he continued earnestly,“a bent pot,or a pot with a hole.
I can make it like new so you dont have to buy no new ones. Thats a saving for you. ”
“No,”she said shortly. “I tell you I have nothing like that for you to do. ”
His face fell to an exaggerated sadness. His voice took on a whining undertone. “I aint
had a thing to do today. Maybe I wont have no supper tonight. You see Im off my regular
road. I know folks on the highway clear from Seattle to San Diego. They save their things for
me to sharpen up because they know I do it so good and save them money. ”
“Im sorry,”Elisa said irritably. “I havent anything for you to do. ”
His eyes left her face and fell to searching the ground. They roamed about until they came
to the chrysanthemum bed where she had been working. “Whats them plants,maam?”
The irritation and resistance melted from Elisas face. “Oh,those are chrysanthemums,
giant whites and yellows. I raise them every year,bigger than anybody around here. ”
“Kind of a longstemmed flower?Looks like a quick puff of colored smoke?”he asked.
“Thats it. What a nice way to describe them. ”
“They smell kind of nasty till you get used to them,”he said.
“Its a good bitter smell,”she retorted,“not nasty at all. ”
He changed his tone quickly. “I like the smell myself. ”
235
“I had teninch blooms this year,”she said.
The man leaned farther over the fence. “Look. I know a lady down the road a piece,has
got the nicest garden you ever seen. Got nearly every kind of flower but no chrysanthemums.

Last time I was mending a copperbottom washtub for her thats a hard job but I do it good ),
she said to me,‘If you ever run across some nice chrysanthemums I wish youd try to get me a
few seeds. ’Thats what she told me. ”
Elisas eyes grew alert and eager. “She couldnt have known much about chrysanthemums.
You can raise them from seed,but its much easier to root the little sprouts you see there. ”
“Oh,”he said. “I spose I cant take none to her,then. ”
“Why yes you can,”Elisa cried. “I can put some in damp sand,and you can carry them
right along with you. Theyll take root in the pot if you keep them damp. And then she can
transplant them. ”
“Shed sure like to have some,maam. You say theyre nice ones?”
“Beautiful,”she said. “Oh,beautiful. ”Her eyes shone. She tore off the battered hat and
shook out her dark pretty hair. “Ill put them in a flower pot,and you can take them right with
you. Come into the yard. ”
While the man came through the picket gate19 Elisa ran excitedly along the geranium
bordered path to the back of the house. And she returned carrying a big red flower pot. The
gloves were forgotten now. she kneeled on the ground by the starting bed and dug up the sandy
soil with her fingers and scooped it into the bright new flower pot. Then she picked up the little
pile of shoots she had prepared. With her strong fingers she pressed them into the sand and
tamped around them with her knuckles. The man stood over her. “Ill tell you what to do,”she
said. “You remember so you can tell the lady. ”
“Yes,Ill try to remember. ”
“Well,look. These will take root in about a month. Then she must set them out,about a
foot apart in good rich earth like this,see?
”She lifted a handful of dark soil for him to look at.
“Theyll grow fast and tall. Now remember this:In July tell her to cut them down,about eight
inches from the ground. ”
“Before they bloom?”he asked.
“Yes,before they bloom. ”Her face was tight with eagerness. “Theyll grow right up
again. About the last of September the buds will start. ”
She stopped and seemed perplexed. “Its the budding that takes the most care, ”she said
hesitantly. “I dont know how to tell you. ”She looked deep into his eyes,searchingly. Her
mouth opened a little,and she seemed to be listening. “Ill try to tell you,
”she said. “Did you
ever hear of planting hands? ”
“Cant say I have,maam. ”
236
“Well,I can only tell you what it feels like. Its when youre picking off the buds you
Unit 23 ( —1968) 约翰·斯坦贝克
John Steinbeck 1902

dont want. Everything goes right down into your fingertips. You watch your fingers work.
They do it themselves. You can feel how it is. They pick and pick the buds. They never make

a mistake. Theyre with the plant. Do you see Your fingers and the plant. You can feel that ,
right up your arm. They know. They never make a mistake. You can feel it. When youre like

that you cant do anything wrong. Do you see that Can you understand that ?”
She was kneeling on the ground looking up at him. Her breast swelled passionately. The
mans eyes narrowed. He looked away selfconsciously. “Maybe I know ,” he said.
“Sometimes in the night in the wagon there—”
Elisas voice grew husky. She broke in on him ,“Ive never lived as you do,but I know
what you mean. When the night is dark—why,the stars are sharppointed,and theres quiet.
Why,you rise up and up!Every pointed star gets driven into your body. Its like that. Hot and
sharp and—lovely. ”
Kneeling there,her hand went out toward his legs in the greasy black trousers. Her hesitant
fingers almost touched the cloth. Then her hand dropped to the ground. She crouched low like a
fawning dog20 .
He said,“its nice,just like you say. Only when you dont have no dinner,it aint. ”
She stood up then,very straight,and her face was ashamed. She held the flower pot out to
him and placed it gently in his arms. “Here. Put it in your wagon,on the seat,where you can
watch it. Maybe I can find something for you to do. ”
At the back of the house she dug in the can pile and found two old and battered aluminum
saucepans. She carried them back and gave them to him. “Here,maybe you can fix these. ”
His manner changed. He became professional. “Good as new I can fix them. ”At the back
of his wagon he set a little anvil,and out of an oily tool box dug a small machine hammer.
Elisa came through the gate to watch him while he pounded out the dents in the kettles. His
mouth grew sure and knowing. At a difficult part of the work he sucked underlip.
“You sleep right in the wagon?”Elisa asked.
“Right in the wagon,maam. Rain or shine Im dry as a cow in there. ”
“It must be nice,”she said. “It must be very nice. I wish women could do such things. ”
“It aint the right kind of a life for a woman. ”
Her upper lip raised a little,showing her teeth. “How do you know?How can you tell? ”
she said.
“I dont know,maam,”he protested. “Of course I dont know. Now heres your kettles,
done. You dont have to buy no new ones. ”
“How much?”
“Oh,fifty centsll do. I keep my prices down and my work good. Thats why I have all
them satisfied customers up and down the highway. ”
Elisa brought him a fiftycent piece from the house and dropped it in his hand. “You might
237

be surprised to have a rival some time. I can sharpen scissors too. And I can beat the dents out
of little pots. I could show you what a woman might do. ”
He put his hammer back in the oily box and shoved the little anvil out of sight. “It would
, , , ,
be a lonely life for a woman maam and a scary life too with animals creeping under the
wagon all night. ” He climbed over the singletree ,steadying himself with a hand on the
21

burros white rump. He settled himself in the seat,picked up the lines. “Thank you kindly,
maam, ”he said. “Ill do like you told me;Ill go back and catch the Salinas road. ”
“Mind,”she called,“if youre long in getting there,keep the sand damp. ”
“Sand,maam? 爥 Sand?Oh,sure. You mean around the chrysanthemums. Sure I
will. ”He clucked his tongue. The beasts leaned luxuriously into their collars. The mongrel dog
took his place between the back wheels. The wagon turned and crawled out the entrance road

and back the way it had come along the river.
Elisa stood in front of her wire fence watching the slow progress of the caravan. Her
, ,
shoulders were straight her head thrown back her eyes halfclosed ,so that the scene came
vaguely into them. Her lips moved silently,forming the words “Goodbye—goodbye. ”Then
she whispered,“Thats a bright direction. Theres a glowing there. ”The sound of her whisper
startled her. She shook herself free and looked about to see whether anyone had been listening.

Only the dogs had heard. They lifted their heads toward her from their sleeping in the dust and
then stretched out their chins and settled asleep again. Elisa turned and ran hurriedly into the
house.
In the kitchen she reached behind the stove and felt the water tank. It was full of hot water
from the noonday cooking. In the bathroom she tore off her soiled clothes and flung them into
, ,
the corner. And then she scrubbed herself with a little block of pumice22 legs and thighs lions

and chest and arms until her skin was scratched and red. When she had dried herself she stood
in front of a mirror in her bedroom and looked at her body. She tightened her stomach and threw
out her chest. She turned and looked over her shoulder at her back.

After a while she began to dress slowly. She put on her newest underclothing and her
nicest stockings and the dress which was the symbol of her prettiness. She worked carefully on

her hair penciled her eyebrows and rouged her lips.
Before she was finished she heard the little thunder of hoofs and the shouts of Henry and
her helper as they drove the red steers into the corral. She heard the gate bang shut and set
herself for Henrys arrival.
His step sounded on the porch. He entered the house calling ,“Elisa,where are you?”
“In the room,dressing. Im ready. Theres hot water for your bath. Hurry up. Its getting
late. ”
When she heard him splashing in the tub,Elisa laid his dark suit on the bed,and shirt and
socks and tie beside it. She stood his polished shoes on the floor beside the bed. Then she went
238
Unit 23 ( —1968) 约翰·斯坦贝克
John Steinbeck 1902

to the porch and sat primly and stiffly down. She looked toward the river road where the willow
line was still yellow with frosted leaves so that under the high grey fog they seemed a thin band
of sunshine. This was the only color in the grey afternoon. She sat unmoving for a long time.
Her eyes blinked rarely.

Henry came banging out of the door shoving his tie inside his vest as he came. Elisa
stiffened and her face grew tight. Henry stopped short and looked at her. “Why—why,Elisa.
You look so nice !”
“Nice?You think I look nice?What do you mean by ‘nice!’?”
Henry blundered on. “I dont know. I mean you look different,strong and happy. ”
“I am strong?Yes,strong. What do you mean ‘strong’?”
He looked bewildered. “Youre playing some kind of a game, ”he said helplessly. “Its a
kind of a play. You look strong enough to break a calf over your knee,happy enough to eat it
like a watermelon. ”
For a second she lost her rigidity. “Henry!Dont talk like that. You didnt know what you
said. ”She grew complete again. “Im strong,
23
”she boasted. “I never knew before how
strong. ”
Henry looked down toward the tractor shed,and when he brought his eyes back to her,
they were his own again. “Ill get out the car. You can put on your coat while Im starting. ”
Elisa went into the house. She heard him drive to the gate and idle down his motor ,and
24

then she took a long time to put on her hat. She pulled it here and pressed it there. When Henry
turned the motor off she slipped into her coat and went out.
The little roadster25 bounced along on the dirt road by the river ,raising the birds and
driving the rabbits into the brush. Two cranes flapped heavily over the willowline and dropped
into the riverbed.
Far ahead on the road Elisa saw a dark speck. She knew.

She tried not to look as they passed it but her eyes would not obey. She whispered to
,“He might have thrown them off the road. That wouldnt have been much
herself sadly
trouble,not very much. But he kept the pot,
”she explained. “He had to keep the pot. Thats
why he couldnt get them off the road. ”
The roadster turned a bend and she saw the caravan ahead. She swung full around toward
her husband so she could not see the little covered wagon and the mismatched team as the car
passed them.
In a moment it was over. The thing was done. She did not look back.

She said loudly to be heard above the motor ,“It will be good,tonight,a good dinner. ”
“Now youre changed again,”Henry complained. He took one hand from the wheel and
patted her knee. “I ought to take you in to dinner oftener. It would be good for both of us. We
get so heavy out on the ranch. ”
239
“Henry,”she asked,“could we have wine at dinner?”
“Sure we could. Say!That will be fine. ”
She was silent for a while;then she said,“Henry,at those prize fights,do the men hurt
each other very much? ”
“Sometimes a little,not often. Why?”
“Well,Ive read how they break noses,and blood runs down their chests. Ive read how
the fighting gloves get heavy and soggy with blood. ”
He looked around at her. “Whats the matter,Elisa?I didnt know you read things like
that. ”He brought the car to a stop,then turned to the right over the Salinas River bridge.
“Do any women ever go to the fights?”she asked.
“Oh,sure,some. Whats the matter,Elisa?Do you want to go?I dont think youd like
it,but Ill take you if you really want to go. ”
She relaxed limply in the seat. “Oh,no. No. I dont want to go. Im sure I dont. ”Her
face was turned away from him. “It will be enough if we can have wine. It will be plenty. ”
She turned up her coat collar so he could not see that she was crying weakly—like an old
woman.

Questions for Discussion


1. What kind of woman is Elisa ?What do we know about her inner world which is
unknown to her husband or probably unknown to herself before she meets the tinker?
2. What peculiarities does Steinbeck give the tinker?What elements of his character lead
Elisa to believing him?
3. What kind of man is Henry?What is revealed through his dialogue with Elisa?
4. The chrysanthemum is an important symbol. What does it symbolize?Study the other
symbols you can find in the story.

Notes
1. Salinas Valley:在美国加州海岸山岭区,位于旧金山以南。 Steinbeck 生于
Salinas,常以 Salinas Valley 作为其故事的背景。
2. the gang plows bit deep :多铧犁深翻土地
3. stubble fields:fields with the short stumps of grain ,corn ,etc left standing
after harvesting
4. The thick willow scrub:浓密低矮的柳树丛
5. Clodhopper shoes:coarse,heavy shoes,usually worn by a plowman.
6. the snips,the trowel and scratcher:(花匠用的)平头剪,泥铲和刮痕器
7. red geraniums closebanked :紧紧排成一行的红色天竺葵
8. aphids,sowbugs,cutworms:(虫)蚜虫,地鳖,夜盗蛾
240
Unit 23 ( —1968) 约翰·斯坦贝克
John Steinbeck 1902

9. terrier fingers:毫不留情的手指。 terrier 是名词,意为 “专为猎杀小动物而驯养的


狗”。
10. crop :这里指 Elisa 种的菊花。crop 一般指庄稼,Henry 用它来指花,这一细节安
排可以看出 Henry 并不欣赏妻子种花,因为种菊花没有任何经济价值。
11. prairie schooner:(美国早期移民过大草原时用的 )大篷车,也称作 prairie
wagon.
12. a lean and rangy mongrel dog :一只身材瘦削、四肢细长的杂种狗

13. sisors lawn mores = scissors,lawn mowers,作者故意用拼写错误来表明人
物的身份。
, “ ”
14. Two rows of articles 爥 Fixed below = Two rows of articles were printed
above and the triumphantly definitive “Fixed ” was written below. Two rows of
articles:指 pots 爥lawn mores 这类东西的名称分别写成了两行。
15. with ambassadorial dignity:带着外交官一般的威严
16. raised hackles and bared teeth :脊背毛发竖立,咧嘴露出獠牙。
17. teamsters:联畜运输车司机
18. fords the river:crosses the river.
19. the picket gate:用木桩钉成的大门
20. a fawning dog :一只摇尾乞怜的狗
21. singletree:车前横木
22. pumice:浮石块
23. She grew complete again :她又恢复了原来的样子。
24. idle down his motor:让马达空转
25. roadster:双人座敞篷汽车

241
20 th Century American Poets
Unit 24 20 世纪美国诗人

Ezra Pound 1885( —1972 )


埃兹拉·庞德

Biography
, ,
Ezra Pound American poet literary critic and a major figure in the
, ,
early modernist movement was born in Haley Idaho Territory. In 1908 ,
he arrived in London to be free of the petty and suffocating American

culture and society and threw himself into the Avantgarde movements.
, , ,
In 1912 Pound together with Aldington and Doolittle decided to begin
a “movement”in poetry,called Imagism. Working as foreign editor of
several American literary magazines,Pound helped discover and shape
the work of contemporaries such as T. S. Eliot,James Joyce,Robert

Frost and Ernest Hemingway. Yet he was a controversial figure because throughout the 1930s

and 1940s he embraced Benito Mussolinis Italian Fascism and during WW Ⅱ he was paid by
the Italian government to make hundreds of radio broadcasts criticizing the United States ,
, ,
Franklin D. Roosevelt and Jews as a result of which he was arrested by American forces in
Italy in 1945 on charges of treason. He spent the rest of his life in a mental hospital in
Washington D. C.
( ),Hugh Selwyn Mauberley (1920 )and the
His bestknown works include Ripostes 1912
unfinished 120section epic,The Cantos (1917 —1969 ).

Imagism
, ,
Imagism derived from classical Chinese and Japanese poetry stressing clarity precision
and economy of language. Clarity was the very aim of Imagism:a fight against abstraction,
romanticism,rhetoric,inversion of word order,and overuse of adjectives. There were three
principles:
1. Direct treatment of the “thing”whether subjective or objective
2. To use absolutely no word that does not contribute to the presentation

242
: ,
3. As regarding rhythm to compose in the sequence of the musical phrase not in sequence
Unit 24 20 th Century American Poets 20 世纪美国诗人
of a metronome

Pounds Style in General


1. strong yet subtle , objective presentation of material without use of symbolism
or romanticism
, ,
2. a unique form of speech with odd and strange words jargon avoiding verbs and ,
using rhetorical devices such as parataxis
3. musicality
4. a simple form with multiple themes

About In a Station of the Metro


Pound once said ,“The point of Imagism is that it does not use images as ornaments. The
image itself is the speech. ”In a Station of the Metro (1913 )is a typical example. He was
inspired by an experience on the Paris Underground,about which he wrote,“I got out of a
train at,I think,La Concorde,and in the jostle I saw a beautiful face,and then,turning
suddenly,another and another,and then a beautiful childs face,and then another beautiful
face. All that day I tried to find words for what this made me feel. ”He worked on the poem for
a few years,reducing the original 31 lines to its essence in the style of a Japanese haiku—a 3
line poem with one image. Like other modernist artists of the period,Pound found inspiration in
Japanese art,but the aim was to remake—or as Pound said,“make it new ”—and blend
cultural styles instead of copying directly or slavishly. He may have been inspired by a Suzuki

Harunobu print he almost certainly saw in the British Library and probably attempted to write
haikulike verse during this period.

In this 2line poem the image itself is the speech. The two lines here do not consist of a
, :
complete sentence yet a colorful and lively picture is presented Brightness appears after the
, ;
rain crowds of people well up and down the underground station set off on the wet black
, ,
asphalt road faces of the hurrying pedestrians mix with all those colorful umbrellas raincoats ,
making it a garden full of gay flowers. This short poem attempts to “break from the
pentameter ”,incorporates the use of visual spacing as a poetic device,and does not contain any
verbs.

◆◆◆=& % 0'%'51& 16 '"# H#'(1◆◆◆

The apparition1 of these faces in the crowd ,



Petals on a wet black bough . 2

243
Questions for Discussion

1. Why does the poet call the faces of pedestrians apparition ”?
“ ” “ ”
2. What do petals and bough stand for ?
Notes
1. apparition:幽灵,幻影
2. Petals on a wet,black bough :湿漉漉黑色枝条上的花瓣

Robert Frost 1874 ( —1963 )


罗伯特·弗罗斯特

Biography
, ,
Robert Frost was born in San Francisco California but in 1885 ,
the family moved to Lawrence , Massachusetts, where he spent his
,Frost and Elinor Miriam White got married at
teenage years. In 1895
Lawrence,and later they moved to a farm in Derry,New Hampshire,
bought and given to them by grandfather. Frost worked in the farm for 9
years but returned to the field of education from 1906 to 1911 as an
English teacher. In 1912 ,he sailed with his family to Great Britain,
settling first in Beaconsfield,a small town outside London,where he made lots of friends and
published some of his poems. In 1915 ,during World War Ⅰ,Frost returned to America,and
bought a farm in Franconia,New Hampshire,where he launched a career of writing,teaching,
and lecturing. Since then he wrote many famous poems and won lots of prizes,including the
Pulitzer Prize 4 times. Frost was 86 when he read his wellknown poem The Gift Outright at the

inauguration of President John F. Kennedy on January 20 1961. He died in Boston two years
, ( ):“I had a
later. His epitaph quotes the last line from his poem The Lesson for Today 1942
lovers quarrel with the world. ”Frosts poems explore the fundamental questions of existence,
depicting with chilling starkness the loneliness of the individual in an indifferent universe and the
human reaction to natures processes.

Major Works
? 9 collections of poetry
( )—32 poems
A Boys Will 1913
North of Boston (1914 )—17 poems Mending Wall
244
Unit 24 20 th Century American Poets 20 世纪美国诗人
( )—30 poems The Road Not Taken
Mountain Interval 1916
New Hampshire (1923 )—21 poems Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening ,
Fire and Ice
( )—43 poems
Westrunning Brook 1928
A Further Range (1937 )—55 poems
A Witness Tree—11 poems
Steeple Bush —4 poems
An Afterward —1 poem

Frosts Style in General



1. didactic highly metaphorical
( )
2. oldfashioned in form blank verse with new rural images
3. satirical —Frost always has a “sympathetic humor”towards his subjects.
4. dramatic monologues or dramatic scenes

5. seriousness and honesty the complexities

6. rustic in tone / language of common speech use of rural settings and farm life

Synopsis of Mending Wall



A stone wall separates the speakers property from his neighbors. In spring the two meet
to walk the wall and jointly make repairs. The speaker sees no reason for the wall to be kept —

there are no cows to be contained just apple and pine trees. He does not believe in walls for the
sake of walls. The neighbor resorts to an old adage :“Good fences make good neighbors. ”The
speaker remains unconvinced and mischievously presses the neighbor to look beyond the old
fashioned folly of such reasoning. His neighbor will not be swayed. The speaker envisions his
neighbor as a holdover from a justifiably outmoded era ,a living example of a darkage
mentality. But the neighbor simply repeats the adage.

◆◆◆H#&75&8 >%,,◆◆◆
Something there is that doesnt love a wall ,
That sends the frozengroundswell under it
And spills1 the upper boulders2 in the sun ,
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.
5 The work of hunters is another thing :
I have come after them and made repair
Where they have left not one stone on a stone,
But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,
To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,
245
10 No one has seen them made or heard them made ,
But at spring mendingtime we find them there.
I let my neighbor know beyond the hill ;
And on a day we meet to walk the line
And set the wall between us once again.
15 We keep the wall between us as we go.
To each the boulders that have fallen to each.
And some are loaves and some so nearly balls
We have to use a spell to make them balance :
“Stay where you are until our backs are turned!”
20 We wear our fingers rough with handling them.

Oh just another kind of outdoor game ,
One on a side. It comes to little more:
There where it is we do not need the wall :
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
25 My apple trees will never get across

And eat the cones under his pines I tell him.
He only says ,“Good fences make good neighbors. ”
Spring is the mischief in me,and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
30 “Why do they make good neighbors?Isnt it
Where there are cows?But here there are no cows.
Before I built a wall Id ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out ,
And to whom I was like to give offense.
35 ,
Something there is that doesnt love a wall
That wants it down. ”I could say “Elves”to him,
But its not elves exactly,and Id rather
He said it for himself. I see him there,
Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top
40 ,
In each hand like an oldstone savage armed3 .
He moves in darkness as it seems to me ,
Not of woods only and the shade of trees.
He will not go behind his fathers saying ,
And he likes having thought of it so well
45 He says again ,“Good fences make good neighbors. ”
246
Unit 24 20 th Century American Poets 20 世纪美国诗人
Questions for Discussion
1. What is ironic about the speakers statements concerning his neighbors opinion of wall

building in Mending Wall ”?

2. What is the effect of simple language in Mending Wall ”?
Notes
: , 滚落
1. spill drop roll down
2. boulders:大圆石;巨石
3. like an oldstone savage armed :像一个全副武装的旧石器时代野人
Synopsis of Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

On the surface this poem is simplicity itself. The speaker is stopping by some woods on a

snowy evening. He or she takes in the lovely scene in nearsilence is tempted to stay longer ,
but acknowledges the pull of obligations and the considerable distance yet to be traveled before
he or she can rest for the night. Frost coined the phrase the sound of sense to emphasize the
, ,
poetic diction or word choice used throughout his work.

◆◆◆0'1995&8 )+ >117- 1& % 0&1K+ E;#&5&8◆◆◆

Whose woods these are I think I know.



His house is in the village though ;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer


To stop without a farmhouse near ,
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gave the harness bells1 a shake


To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sounds the sweep
Of easy wind2 and downy flake3 .

, ,
The woods are lovely dark and deep ,
But I have promises to keep,
247
And miles to go before I sleep ,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Questions for Discussion


“ ”
1. Discuss Robert Frosts applications of the sound of sense in this poem.
2. How to understand the last stanza ?
Notes
1. the harness bells :马挽具上的铃铛
2. easy wind:微风
3. downy flake:绒羽般的雪片

Synopsis of The Road Not Taken



The speaker stands in the woods considering a fork in the road. Both ways are equally

worn and equally overlaid with untrodden leaves. The speaker chooses one telling himself that
he will take the other another day. Yet he knows it is unlikely that he will have the opportunity
to do so. And he admits that someday in the future he will recreate the scene with a slight twist :
He will claim that he took the lesstraveled road.

◆◆◆!"# <1%7 O1' !%?#&◆◆◆

Two roads diverged1 in a yellow wood ,


And sorry I could not travel both.

And be one traveler long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth2 ;
, ,
Then took the other as just as fair3
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay


In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh I kept the first for another day !
248
Yet knowing how way leads on to way ,
Unit 24 20 th Century American Poets 20 世纪美国诗人
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh


Somewhere ages and ages hence :
, —
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood and I
I took the one less traveled by ,
And that has made all the difference.

Questions for Discussion


1. Discuss the anticipation or remorse in The Road Not Taken.
2. In both Stopping by Woods and The Road Not Taken ,there are images of solitary

travelers whose attitudes toward their journeys and their surroundings highlight poetic and

historical themes including the figure of the wanderer and the changing social landscape of New
England in the twentieth century. Please explain the symbolic meanings.

3. In both Stopping by Woods and The Road Not Taken the speaker hesitates en route.
Compare these hesitations. Do they derive from the same impulse and misgiving or are they
distinct ?
Notes

1. diverged parted 分开,分叉
2. undergrowth :bushes 灌木丛
3. as just as fair:同样公平的

249
Ralph Waldo Ellison 1914 ( —1994)
Unit 25 拉尔夫 · 华尔多 · 艾利森

Biography

Ralph Waldo Ellison was an American novelist literary critic and ,
scholar. He was born in Oklahoma City ,Oklahoma. Ellison is best

known for his novel Invisible Man which won the National Book Award
in 1953. He also wrote Shadow and Act (1964 ), a collection of
, , ( )
political social and critical essays and Going to the Territory 1986 .
A posthumous novel,Juneteenth,was published after being assembled
from voluminous notes he left after his death.
As a young man , Ellison developed an abiding interest in jazz

music he befriended a group of musicians who played in a regional

band. Ellison himself studied the cornet and trumpet and planned a career as a jazz musician.

In 1933 he left Oklahoma to begin a study of music at the Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee ,
Alabama. In 1936 he moved to New York City ,where he settled in Harlem where Ellison
befriended many of the most important AfricanAmerican writers of the era,including Langston
Hughes and Richard Wright and the eminent jazz writer and sociologist Albert Murray,with
whom he carried on a lengthy and important literary correspondence,later collected in the book
Trading Twelves. After a year editing the Negro Quarterly,Ellison served in the Merchant
Marines during World War Ⅱ. Invisible Man was published in its entirety in 1952. Employing a
shifting ,improvisational style directly based on Ellisons experience of jazz performance ,

Invisible Man ranges in tone from realism to extreme surrealism from tragedy to vicious satire
to nearslapstick comedy. Rich in symbolism and metaphor ,virtuosic in its use of multiple

styles and tones and steeped in the black experience in America and the human struggle for

individuality the novel spent sixteen weeks on the bestseller list and won the National Book
Award in 1953. Achieving one of the most sensational debuts of any novel in American history ,
Invisible Man was hailed by writers such as Saul Bellow and critics such as Irving Howe as a
landmark publication.
Invisible Man was heavily influenced by the work of a number of twentiethcentury French

writers known as the existentialists. Existentialism whose foremost proponents included Albert

250

Camus and JeanPaul Sartre explored the question of individuality and the nature of meaning in
Unit 25 ( —1994) 拉尔夫·华尔多·艾利森
Ralph Waldo Ellison 1914

a seemingly meaningless universe. Ellison adapted the existentialists universal themes to the
black experience of oppression and prejudice in America. He also engaged powerfully with the

tradition of AfricanAmerican social debate. In the character of Dr. Bledsoe the novel offers a

vehement rejection of the philosophy of Booker T. Washington which advocated that blacks
should work toward economic success as a means of achieving racial equality. It also critiques ,

through the character of Ras the Exhorter Marcus Garveys philosophy of black nationalism.
Despite —or possibly because of—the overwhelming success of Invisible Man,Ellison never
published another novel in his lifetime. Though he published two books of essays—Shadow Act
in the 1960s and Going to the Territory in the 1980s—Ellison spent his later decades laboring on
a vast novel,which he never finished. Upon his death in 1994 ,Ellison left behind more than 2 ,
000 pages of unedited, incomplete manuscript. In heavily abridged and edited form, this
manuscript was published five years after his death under the title Juneteenth,to generally
unfavorable reviews.

Ellisons Style in General


1. firstperson pointofview in flashbacks

2. skilled use of multiple styles and tones from naturalistic realism to extreme surrealism
from tragedy to vicious satire to nearslapstick comedy 粗俗的滑稽喜剧—“modern symbolism”
3. full of symbols and metaphors
4. contrasts between the Northern and Southern varieties of racism and their
alienating effect

Synopsis of Invisible Man



The narrator begins telling his story with the claim that he is an invisible man. ”Because
, , ,
of his invisibility he has been hiding from the world living underground stealing electricity
and trying to write the story of his life and invisibility. As a young man,in the late 1920s or
early 1930s,the narrator lived in the South. Because he is a gifted public speaker,the white
men in his town reward him with a briefcase containing a scholarship to a prestigious black
, ,
college but only after humiliating him. As a college student in New York he is either cheated

or taken advantage of by a lot of white and black people. Finally when witnessing the full

fledged riot in Harlem and attempting to run away from the scene of the crime he is pursued by

two policemen who suspect that his briefcase contains loot from the riots. In his attempt to

evade them the narrator falls down a manhole. The police mock him and draw the cover over

the manhole. The narrator says that he has stayed underground ever since the end of his story is
also the beginning. He states that he finally has realized that he must honor his individual
complexity and remain true to his own identity without sacrificing his responsibility to the
community. He says that he finally feels ready to emerge from underground.
251
Invisible Man addresses many of the social and intellectual issues facing AfricanAmericans
,including black nationalism,the relationship between black
early in the twentieth century
identity and Marxism,and the reformist racial policies of Booker T. Washington,as well as
issues of individuality and personal identity.

Major Characters
The narrator —The nameless protagonist of the novel. The narrator is the “invisible man”
of the title. A black man in 1930s America,the narrator considers himself invisible because
people never see his true self beneath the roles that stereotype and racial prejudice compel him to
, ,
play. Though the narrator is intelligent deeply introspective and highly gifted with language ,
the experiences that he relates demonstrate that he was naive in his youth. As the novel

progresses the narrators illusions are gradually destroyed through his experiences as a student at
, ,
college as a worker at the Liberty Paints plant and as a member of a political organization
known as the Brotherhood. Shedding his blindness,he struggles to arrive at a conception of his
identity that honors his complexity as an individual without sacrificing social responsibility.
Brother Jack —The white and blindly loyal leader of the Brotherhood ,a political
organization that professes to defend the rights of the socially oppressed. Although he initially
, , ,
seems compassionate intelligent and kind and he claims to uphold the rights of the socially

oppressed Brother Jack actually possesses racist viewpoints and is unable to see people as
anything other than tools. His glass eye and his red hair symbolize his blindness and his

communism respectively.
Tod Clifton—A black member of the Brotherhood and a resident of Harlem. Tod Clifton is
passionate, handsome, articulate, and intelligent. He eventually parts ways with the
Brotherhood,though it remains unclear whether a fallingout has taken place,or whether he has
simply become disillusioned with the group. He begins selling Sambo dolls on the street,
seemingly both perpetrating and mocking the offensive stereotype of the lazy and servile slave
that the dolls represent.
Ras the Exhorter —A stout,flamboyant,charismatic,angry man with a flair for public
agitation. Ras represents the black nationalist movement,which advocates the violent overthrow
of white supremacy. Ellison seems to use him to comment on the black nationalist leader Marcus

Garvey who believed that blacks would never achieve freedom in white society. A maverick ,
, ,
Ras frequently opposes the Brotherhood and the narrator often violently and incites riots in
Harlem.
Dr. Bledsoe —The president at the narrators college. Dr. Bledsoe proves selfish ,

ambitious and treacherous. He is a black man who puts on a mask of servility to the white

community. Driven by his desire to maintain his status and power he declares that he would see
every black man in the country lynched before he would give up his position of authority.
252
Unit 25 ( —1994) 拉尔夫·华尔多·艾利森
Ralph Waldo Ellison 1914

◆◆◆=&;5-5),# H%&◆◆◆
Prologue


I am an invisible man. No I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe nor ;


am I one of your Hollywoodmovie ectoplasms . I am a man of substance of flesh and bone ,
fiber and liquids —and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible,understand,
simply because people refuse to see me. Like the bodiless heads you see sometimes in circus
, ,
sideshows it is as though I have been surrounded by mirrors of hard distorting glass. When
they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves, or figments of their
imagination —indeed,everything and anything except me.
Nor is my invisibility exactly a matter of a biochemical accident to my epidermis2 . That
invisibility to which I refer occurs because of a peculiar disposition of the eyes of those with

whom I come in contact. A matter of the construction of their inner eyes those eyes with which
they look through their physical eyes upon reality. I am not complaining,nor am I protesting

either. It is sometimes advantageous to be unseen although it is most often rather wearing on


the nerves . Then too youre constantly being bumped against by those of poor vision. Or

again you often doubt if you really exist. You wonder whether you arent simply a phantom4

in other peoples minds. Say a figure in a nightmare which the sleeper tries with all his strength
, ,
to destroy. Its when you feel like this that out of resentment you begin to bump people back.
, ,
And let me confess you feel that way most of the time. You ache with the need to convince
, ,
yourself that you do exist in the real world that youre a part of all the sound and anguish and

you strike out with your fists you curse and you swear to make them recognize you. And ,

alas its seldom successful.

One night I accidentally bumped into a man and perhaps because of the near darkness he

saw me and called me an insulting name. I sprang at him seized his coat lapels and demanded
that he apologize. He was a tall blond man ,and as my face came close to his he looked
insolently out of his blue eyes and cursed me,his breath hot in my face as he struggled. I pulled
his chin down sharp upon the crown of my head,butting him as I had seen the West Indians do,
and I felt his flesh tear and the blood gush out,and I yelled,“Apologize!Apologize! ”But he
continued to curse and struggle,and I butted him again and again until he went down heavily,
on his knees,profusely bleeding. I kicked him repeatedly,in a frenzy because he still uttered
insults though his lips were frothy with blood. Oh yes,I kicked him!And in my outrage I got
out my knife and prepared to slit his throat,right there beneath the lamplight in the deserted
street,holding him by the collar with one hand,and opening the knife with my teeth—when it
occurred to me that the man had not seen me,actually;that he,as far as he knew,was in the
midst of a walking nightmare!And I stopped the blade,slicing the air as I pushed him away, 253
letting him fall back to the street. I stared at him hard as the lights of a car stabbed through the
, ;
darkness. He lay there moaning on the asphalt a man almost killed by a phantom. It unnerved

me. I was both disgusted and ashamed. I was like a drunken man myself wavering about on
weakened legs. Then I was amused. Something in this mans thick head had sprung out and
beaten him within an inch of his life. I began to laugh at this crazy discovery. Would he have

awakened at the point of death Would Death himself have freed him for wakeful living But I ?

didnt linger. I ran away into the dark laughing so hard I feared I might rupture myself. The
next day I saw his picture in the Daily News ,beneath a caption stating that he had been
“mugged”. Poor fool,poor blind fool,I thought with sincere compassion,mugged by an
invisible man!
Most of the time (although I do not choose as I once did to deny the violence of my days
by ignoring it)I am not so overtly violent. I remember that I am invisible and walk softly so as
not to awaken the sleeping ones. Sometimes it is best not to awaken them;there are few things
in the world as dangerous as sleepwalkers. I learned in time though that it is possible to carry on

a fight against them without their realizing it. For instance I have been carrying on a fight with
Monopolated Light & Power for some time now. I use their service and pay them nothing at all ,
, ,
and they dont know it. Oh they suspect that power is being drained off but they dont know
where. All they know is that according to the master meter back there in their power station a
hell of a lot of free current is disappearing somewhere into the jungle of Harlem. The joke of ,

course is that I dont live in Harlem but in a border area. Several years ago (before I

discovered the advantage of being invisible I went through the routine process of buying service

and paying their outrageous rates. But no more. I gave up all that along with my apartment ,
and my old way of life:That way based upon the fallacious assumption that I,like other men,
was visible. Now,aware of my invisibility,I live rentfree in a building rented strictly to
whites,in a section of the basement that was shut off and forgotten during the nineteenth
century ,which I discovered when I was trying to escape in the night from Ras the Destroyer . 5

But thats getting too far ahead of the story,almost to the end,although the end is in the
beginning and lies far ahead.
The point now is that I found a home —or a hole in the ground,as you will. Now dont
jump to the conclusion that because I call my home a “hole”it is damp and cold like a grave;
there are cold holes and warm holes. Mine is a warm hole. And remember,a bear retires to his
hole for the winter and lives until spring;then he comes strolling out like the Easter chick
breaking from its shell. I say all this to assure you that it is incorrect to assume that,because
Im invisible and live in a hole,I am dead. I am neither dead nor in a state of suspended
animation. Call me JacktheBear,for I am in a state of hibernation.
My hole is warm and full of light. Yes,full of light. I doubt if there is a brighter spot in
all New York than this hole of mine,and I do not exclude Broadway. Or the Empire State
254
Unit 25 Ralph Waldo Ellison 1914( —1994) 拉尔夫·华尔多·艾利森
Building on a photographers dream night. But that is taking advantage of you. Those two spots
—pardon me,our whole culture (an important
are among the darkest of our whole civilization
distinction,Ive heard )—which might sound like a hoax,or a contradiction,but that (by
contradiction,I mean ) is how the world moves:Not like an arrow,but a boomerang . 6

(Beware of those who speak of the spiral of history;they are preparing a boomerang. Keep a
steel helmet handy. )I know;I have been boomeranged across my head so much that I now can
see the darkness of lightness. And I love light. Perhaps youll think it strange that an invisible
, ,
man should need light desire light love light. But maybe it is exactly because I am invisible.

Light confirms my reality gives birth to my form. A beautiful girl once told me of a recurring
nightmare in which she lay in the center of a large dark room and felt her face expand until it
filled the whole room,becoming a formless mass while her eyes ran in bilious jelly up the
chimney. And so it is with me. Without light I am not only invisible,but formless as well;and
to be unaware of ones form is to live a death. I myself,after existing some twenty years,did
not become alive until I discovered my invisibility.
That is why I fight my battle with Monopolated Light & Power. The deeper reason ,I

mean It allows me to feel my vital aliveness. I also fight them for taking so much of my money

before I learned to protect myself. In my hole in the basement there are exactly 1 369 lights.
, ,
Ive wired the entire ceiling every inch of it. And not with fluorescent bulbs but with the
, , ,
older moreexpensivetooperate kind the filament type. An act of sabotage you know. Ive
, ,
already begun to wire the wall. A junk man I know a man of vision has supplied me with wire
, ,
and sockets. Nothing storm or flood must get in the way of our need for light and ever more

and brighter light. The truth is the light and light is the truth. When I finish all four walls then

Ill start on the floor. Just how that will go I dont know. Yet when you have lived invisible as
long as I have you develop a certain ingenuity. Ill solve the problem. And maybe Ill invent a

gadget to place my coffeepot on the fire while I lie in bed and even invent a gadget to warm my
bed —like the fellow I saw in one of the picture magazines who made himself a gadget to warm
his shoes!Though invisible,I am in the great American tradition of tinkers. That makes me kin
to Ford,Edison and Franklin. Call me,since I have a theory and a concept,a “thinker
tinker”. Yes,Ill warm my shoes;they need it,theyre usually full of holes. Ill do that and
more.
Now I have one radiophonograph ;I plan to have five. There is a certain acoustical
, ,
deadness in my hole and when I have music I want to feel its vibration not only with my ear
but with my whole body. Id like to hear five recordings of Louis Armstrong playing and singing
“What Did I Do to Be so Black and Blue ”—all at the same time. Sometimes now I listen to
Louis while I have my favorite dessert of vanilla ice cream and sloe gin. I pour the red liquid
over the white mound ,watching it glisten and the vapor rising as Louis bends that military
instrument into a beam of lyrical sound. Perhaps I like Louis Armstrong because hes made
255
poetry out of being invisible. I think it must be because hes unaware that he is invisible. And
my own grasp of invisibility aids me to understand his music. Once when I asked for a
, ,
cigarette some jokers gave me a reefer7 which I lighted when I got home and sat listening to

my phonograph. It was a strange evening. Invisibility let me explain ,gives one a slightly

different sense of time youre never quite on the beat. Sometimes youre ahead and sometimes

behind. Instead of the swift and imperceptible flowing of time you are aware of its nodes ,
those points where time stands still or from which it leaps ahead. And you slip into the breaks
and look around. Thats what you hear vaguely in Louis music.
Once I saw a prizefighter boxing a yokel8 . The fighter was swift and amazingly scientific.
His body was one violent flow of rapid rhythmic action. He hit the yokel a hundred times while

the yokel held up his arms in stunned surprise. But suddenly the yokel rolling about in the gale
, ,
of boxing gloves struck one blow and knocked science speed and footwork as cold as a well
diggers posterior. The smart money hit the canvas. The long shot got the nod. The yokel had
simply stepped inside of his opponents sense of time. So under the spell of the reefer I
discovered a new analytical way of listening to music. The unheard sounds came through and ,
, , ,
each melodic line existed of itself stood out clearly from all the rest said its piece and waited

patiently for the other voices to speak. That night I found myself hearing not only in time but
, ,
in space as well. I not only entered the music but descended like Dante into its depths. And
beneath the swiftness of the hot tempo there was a slower tempo and a cave and I entered it and
looked around and heard an old woman singing a spiritual as full of Weltschmerz as

flamenco9 and beneath that lay a still lower level on which I saw a beautiful girl the color of
ivory pleading in a voice like my mothers as she stood before a group of slave owners who bid

for her naked body and below that I found a lower level and a more rapid tempo and I heard
someone shout :
“Brothers and sisters,my text this morning is the ‘Blackness of Blackness’. ”
And a congregation of voices answered:“That blackness is most black,brother,most
black 爥”
“In the beginning 爥”
“At the very start,”they cried.
“爥 there was blackness 爥”
“Preach it 爥”
“爥 and the sun 爥”
“The sun,Lawd 爥”
“爥 was bloody red 爥”
“Red 爥”
“Now black is 爥”the preacher shouted.
256
“Bloody 爥”
Unit 25 ( —1994) 拉尔夫·华尔多·艾利森
Ralph Waldo Ellison 1914

“I said black is 爥”
“Preach it,brother 爥”
“爥 An black aint 爥”
“Red,Lawd,red:He said its red!”
“Amen,brother 爥”
“Black will git you 爥”
“Yes,it will 爥”
“爥 An black wont 爥”
“Naw,it wont!”
“It do 爥”
“It do,Lawd 爥”
“爥 An it dont. ”
“Halleluiah 爥”
“爥 Itll put you,glory,glory,Oh my Lawd,in the WHALES BELLY. ”
“Preach it,dear brother 爥”
“爥 An make you tempt 爥”
“Good God amighty!”
“Old Aunt Nelly!”
“Black will make you 爥”
“Black 爥”
“爥 or black will unmake you. ”
“Aint it the truth,Lawd?”
And at that point a voice of trombone timbre screamed at me,“Git out of,here,you fool!
Is you ready to commit treason? ”
And I tore myself away,hearing the old singer of spirituals moaning,“Go curse your
God,boy,and die. ”
I stopped and questioned her,asked her what was wrong.
“I dearly loved my master,son,”she said.
“You should have hated him,”I said.
“He gave me several sons,”she said,“and because I loved my sons I learned to love their
father though I hated him too. ”
“I too have become acquainted with ambivalence,”I said. “Thats why Im here. ”
“Whats that?”
“Nothing,a word that doesnt explain it. Why do you moan?”
“I moan this way cause hes dead,”she said.
“Then tell me,who is that laughing upstairs?”
“Thems my sons. They glad. ” 257
“Yes,I can understand that too,”I said.
“I laughs too,but I moans too. He promised to set us free but he never could bring hisself
to do it. Still I loved him 爥”
“Loved him?You mean 爥”
“Oh yes,but 1 loved something else even more. ”
“What more?”
“Freedom. ”
“Freedom,”I said. “Maybe freedom lies in hating. ”
“Naw,son,its in loving. I loved him and give him the poison and he withered away like
a frostbit apple. Them boys woulda tore him to pieces with they homemake knives. ”
“A mistake was made somewhere,”I said,“Im confused. ”And I wished to say other
things,but the laughter upstairs became too loud and moanlike for me and I tried to break out
of it,but I couldnt. Just as I was leaving I felt an urgent desire to ask her what freedom was
and went back. She sat with her head in her hands,moaning softly;her leatherbrown face was
filled with sadness.
“Old woman,what is this freedom you love so well?”I asked around a corner of my
mind.
, ,
She looked surprised then thoughtful then baffled. “I done forgot,son. Its all mixed

up. First I think its one thing then I think its another. It gits my head to spinning. I guess

now it aint nothing but knowing how to say what I got up in my head. But its a hard job son.
Too much is done happen to me in too short a time. Hits like I have a fever. Ever time I starts
, ;
to walk my head gits to swirling and I falls down. Or if it aint that its the boys they gits to
laughing and wants to kill up the white folks. Theys bitter,thats what they is 爥”
“But what about freedom?”
“Leave me lone,boy;my head aches!”
I left her,feeling dizzy myself. I didnt get far.
Suddenly one of the sons,a big fellow six feet tall,appeared out of nowhere and struck me
with his fist.
“Whats the matter,man?”I cried.
“You made Ma cry!”
“But how?”I said,dodging a blow.
“Askin her them questions,thats how. Git outa here and stay,and next time you got
questions like that,ask yourself! ”
He held me in a grip like cold stone,his fingers fastening upon my windpipe until I thought
I would suffocate before he finally allowed me to go. I stumbled about dazed,the music beating
hysterically in my ears. It was dark. My head cleared and I wandered down a dark narrow

258
, ,
passage thinking I heard his footsteps hurrying behind me. I was sore and into my being had
Unit 25 Ralph Waldo Ellison 1914( —1994) 拉尔夫·华尔多·艾利森
come a profound craving for tranquility ,for peace and quiet,a state I felt I could never

achieve. For one thing the trumpet was blaring and the rhythm was too hectic10 . A tomtom

beating like heartthuds began drowning out the trumpet filling my ears. 11 I longed for
12
water and I heard it rushing through the cold mains my fingers touched as I felt my way but I ,
couldnt stop to search because of the footsteps behind me.
“Hey,Ras,”I called. “Is it you,Destroyer?Rinehart?”
No answer,only the rhythmic footsteps behind me. Once I tried crossing the road,but a
speeding machine struck me,scraping the skin from my leg as it roared past.
Then somehow I came out of it,ascending hastily from this underworld of sound to hear
Louis Armstrong innocently asking,
What did I do
To be so black
And blue ?
; ,
At first I was afraid this familiar music had demanded action the kind of which I was

incapable and yet had I lingered there beneath the surface I might have attempted to act.

Nevertheless I know now that few really listen to this music. I sat on the chairs edge in a
soaking sweat,as though each of my 1 ,369 bulbs had everyone become a klieg 13
light in an
individual setting for a third degree with Ras and Rinehart in charge. It was exhausting —as
though I had held my breath continuously for an hour under the terrifying serenity that comes

from days of intense hunger. And yet it was a strangely satisfying experience for an invisible
man to hear the silence of sound. I had discovered unrecognized compulsions of my being —
even though I could not answer “yes ”to their promptings. I havent smoked a reefer since,
however;not because theyre illegal,but because to see around corners is enough (that is not
unusual when you are invisible). But to hear around them is too much;it inhibits action. And
despite Brother Jack and all that sad,lost period of the Brotherhood,I believe in nothing if not
in action.
, :
Please a definition A hibernation is a covert preparation for a more overt action. 14
, ,
Besides the drug destroys ones sense of time completely. If that happened I might forget to
dodge some bright morning and some cluck would run me down with an orange and yellow
, !
street car or a bilious bus Or I might forget to leave my hole when the moment for action pre
sents itself.
Meanwhile I enjoy my life with the compliments of Monopolated Light & Power. 15
Since you never recognize me even when in closest contact with me ,and since,no doubt,

youll hardly believe that I exist it wont matter if you know that I tapped a power line16
leading into the building and ran it into my hole in the ground. Before that I lived in the
darkness into which I was chased ,but now I see. Ive illuminated the blackness of my
invisibility —and vice versa. And so I play the invisible music of my isolation. The last
259
, ? ;
statement doesnt seem just right does it But it is you hear this music simply because music is

heard and seldom seen except by musicians. Could this compulsion to put invisibility down in
? ,
black and white be thus an urge to make music of invisibility But I am an orator a rabble
rouser 17
—Am?I was,and perhaps shall be again. Who knows?All sickness is not unto death,
neither is invisibility.
I can hear you say ,“What a horrible,irresponsible bastard!”And youre right. I leap to
agree with you. I am one of the most irresponsible beings that ever lived. Irresponsibility is part
; , ,
of my invisibility any way you face it it is a denial. But to whom can I be responsible and
why should I be,when you refuse to see me?And wait until I reveal how truly irresponsible I
am. Responsibility rests upon recognition,and recognition is a form of agreement. Take the
man whom I almost killed:Who was responsible for that near murder—I?I dont think so,and
I refuse it. I wont buy it. You cant give it to me. He bumped me,he insulted me. Shouldnt
he,for his own personal safety,have recognized my hysteria,my “danger potential”?He,let
us say,was lost in a dream world. But didnt he control that dream world—which,alas,is only
too real!—and didnt he rule me out of it?And if he had yelled for a policeman,wouldnt I
have been taken for the offending one?Yes,yes,yes!Let me agree with you,I was the
irresponsible one;for I should have used my knife to protect the higher interests of society.
Some day that kind of foolishness will cause us tragic trouble. All dreamers and sleepwalkers

must pay the price and even the invisible victim is responsible for the fate of all. But I shirked
that responsibility;I became too snarled in the incompatible notions that buzzed within my
brain. 18 I was a coward 爥

But what did I do to be so blue Bear with me. 19

Questions for Discussion


? “
1. What is your idea of what it means to be invisible Why has the question Who am I ”
become an American theme in literature ?
2. Do you think the nameless protagonist symbolizes just the Black or the modern
American Why ? ?

3. How do you view the underground cellar Why is it necessary to install so many light
bulbs there ?

4. Why is the protagonist nameless Why does the novelist make him soliloquize his story ?
What is the advantage there considering the nature of the novel ?
Notes

1. ectoplasms spirits鬼魂
2. epidermis:表皮
3. wear on the nerves:get on the nerves 使人心烦
260
Unit 25 ( —1994) 拉尔夫·华尔多·艾利森
Ralph Waldo Ellison 1914

4. phantom :幽灵,幻影
5. Ras the Destroyer:毁灭者拉斯,小说中的人物,黑人民族主义领导者。
6. boomerang :回力镖
7. reefer:大麻卷烟
8. yokel:乡巴佬,土包子
9. heard an old woman singing a spiritual as full of Weltschmerz as flamenco :
听见一位老妇在唱一首哀歌,歌中充满了吉卜赛舞曲中那种悲观厌世的调子。
10. hectic:激昂的,忙乱的

11. A tomtom beating like heartthuds began drowning out the trumpet filling
my ears. :像心跳一样咚咚的节拍盖过那喇叭声,充塞我的耳朵。
12. cold mains:sewage pipeline 污水总管道
13. klieg :白炽散光灯
14. A hibernation is a covert preparation for a more overt action. :冬眠是为下一
次更大的行动作隐蔽的准备。
15. I enjoy my life with the compliments of Monopolated Light &Power. :我享
受着照明公司给我提供的服务。
16. tapped a power line:tap :窃听,窃取;tap a power line 非法拉了一根电线
偷电。
17. a rabble rouser:一个煽动者
18. I became too snarled in the incompatible notions that buzzed within my
brain.:我脑子里纠结着各种各样不相干的念头。
19. bear with me. :耐心些,容我说完

261
J. D. Salinger 1919 ( —2010)
Unit 26 杰罗姆 · 戴维 · 塞林格

Biography
Jerome David Salinger was born in New York City in 1919. The
son of a wealthy cheese importer ,Salinger grew up in a fashionable
neighborhood in Manhattan and spent his youth being shuttled between
various prep schools before his parents finally settled on the Valley Forge
Military Academy in 1934. He graduated from Valley Forge in 1936 and
, ,
attended a number of colleges including Columbia University but did
not graduate from any of them. Salinger was interested in writing since
; ,
his teenage years. His first short story was published in 1940 and in 1951 Salinger published
, ,
his only fulllength novel The Catcher in the Rye which propelled him onto the national stage.
The Catcher in the Rye was published at a time when the burgeoning American industrial
economy made the nation prosperous and entrenched social rules served as a code of conformity
for the younger generation. Because Salinger used slang and profanity in his text and because he
, ,
discussed adolescent sexuality in a complex and open way many readers were offended and the
book was banned in some communities.

As countercultural revolt began to grow during the 1950s and 1960s The Catcher in the
Rye was then read as a tale of an individuals alienation within a heartless world. Holden seemed

to stand for young people everywhere who felt themselves beset on all sides by pressures to
grow up and live their lives according to the rules ,to disengage from meaningful human

connection and to restrict their own personalities and conform to a bland cultural norm. Many

readers saw Holden Caulfield as a symbol of pure unfettered individuality in the face of cultural
oppression.
, ,
Beginning in the early 1960s as his critical reputation waned Salinger began to publish

less and to disengage from society. In 1965 he withdrew almost completely from public life a ,
, ,
stance he has maintained up to the present. This reclusiveness ironically made Salinger even
, ,
more famous transforming him into a cult figure. To some degree Salingers cult status has
overshadowed,or at least tinged, many readers perceptions of his work. As a recluse,
Salinger ,for many,embodied much the same spirit as his precocious,wounded characters,and
many readers view author and characters as the same being. Such a reading of Salingers work
262
Unit 26 ( —2010) 杰罗姆·戴维·塞林格
J. D. Salinger 1919

clearly oversimplifies the process of fiction writing and the relationship between the author and
, ,
his creations. But given Salingers iconoclastic behavior the general view that Salinger was
himself a sort of Holden Caulfield is understandable.

Salingers Style in General



1. use of stream of consciousness technique psychological description
2. autobiographical
3. full of symbols
4. a colloquial style with lots of slang , swearing words and phrases , and even
vulgar language

Synopsis of The Catcher in the Rye



The Catcher in the Rye takes place over three days in December 1949 narrated by Holden

Caulfield a 16yearold boy from New York City who recently flunked out of prestigious
boarding schools because he doesnt apply himself. Holden is not specific about his location

while hes telling the story but he makes it clear that he is undergoing treatment in a mental
hospital or sanatorium. The story begins on the Saturday following the end of classes at the
, ,
Pencey prep school in Agerstown Pennsylvania. At Pencey the fourth school he attends he ,

has failed again and has received notice that he is being expelled but he is not scheduled to
, ,
return home to Manhattan until Wednesday. Holden visits his history teacher Spencer to say
goodbye,yet the teacher tries to scold him for his poor academic performance,which annoys
him terribly. Back in the dormitory,Holden has a fight with his roommate Stradlater,who takes
Jane Gallagher,Holdens girlfriend,out on a date. He loses and gets hurt in the nose,then he
leaves the school for New York and stays in the Edmont Hotel without telling his parents that he

is back. He tries to contact some people or do something to kill time but what he finds out is
nothing meaningful. His disappointment and depression (gloom)keeps redoubling. So finally
he decides to sneak into his own apartment building and wakes his sister,Phoebe. He is forced
to admit that he was kicked out of school,which makes her mad at him. When he tries to
explain why he hates school,she accuses him of not liking anything. He tells her his fantasy of
being “the catcher in the rye,”a person who catches little children as they are about to fall off
of a cliff. Holden goes to Phoebes school and sends her a note saying that he is leaving home
for good and that she should meet him at lunchtime at the museum. When Phoebe arrives she is,
carrying a suitcase full of clothes ,and she asks Holden to take her with him. He refuses
, ,
angrily and she cries and then refuses to speak to him. Knowing she will follow him he walks

to the zoo and then takes her across the park to a carousel. He buys her a ticket and watches

her ride it. It starts to rain heavily but Holden is so happy watching his sister ride the carousel

that he is close to tears. Holden ends his narrative here telling the reader that he is not going to
263
tell the story of how he went home and got sick. “ ”He plans to go to a new school in the fall
and is cautiously optimistic about his future.

◆◆◆!"# $%'C"#( 5& '"# <+#◆◆◆


Chapter 22

, —I knew she would—but she


When I came back she had the pillow off her head all right
still wouldnt look at me,even though she was laying on her back and all. When I came around
the side of the bed and sat down again,she turned her crazy face the other way. She was
ostracizing the hell out of me. 1 Just like the fencing team at Pencey when I left all the goddam
foils on the subway.
“Hows old Hazel Weatherfield?”I said. “You write any new stories about her?I got that
one you sent me right in my suitcase. Its down at the station. Its very good. ”
“Daddyll kill you. ”
Boy,she really gets something on her mind when she gets something on her mind.
“No,he wont. The worst hell do,hell give me hell again,and then hell send me to
that goddam military school. Thats all hell do to me. And in the first place,I wont even be
around. Ill be away. Ill be—Ill probably be in Colorado on this ranch. ”
“Dont make me laugh. You cant even ride a horse. ”
“Who cant?Sure I can. Certainly I can. They can teach you in about two minutes,”I
said. “Stop picking at that. ”She was picking at that adhesive tape on her arm. “Who gave you
that haircut?”I asked her. I just noticed what a stupid haircut somebody gave her. It was way
too short.
“None of your business,”she said. She can be very snotty sometimes. She can be quite

snotty. “I suppose you failed in every single subject again,


”she said—very snotty. It was sort
of funny,too,in a way. She sounds like a goddam schoolteacher sometimes,and shes only a
little child.
“No,I didnt,”I said. “I passed English. ”Then,just for the hell of it,I gave her a
pinch on the behind. It was sticking way out in the breeze,the way she was laying on her side.
She has hardly any behind. I didnt do it hard,but she tried to hit my hand anyway,but she
missed.

Then all of a sudden she said ,“Oh,why did you do it?”She meant why did I get the
ax 3
again. It made me sort of sad,the way she said it.
“Oh,God,Phoebe,dont ask me. Im sick of everybody asking me that,”I said. “A
million reasons why. It was one of the worst schools I ever went to. It was full of phonies. And

mean guys. You never saw so many mean guys in your life. For instance if you were having a

264

, ,
bull session in somebodys room and somebody wanted to come in nobodyd let them in if
Unit 26 ( —2010) 杰罗姆·戴维·塞林格
J. D. Salinger 1919


they were some dopey pimply guy5 . Everybody was always locking their door when somebody
wanted to come in. And they had this goddam secret fraternity that I was too yellow not to
, , ,
join. 6 There was this one pimply boring guy Robert Ackley that wanted to get in. He kept

trying to join and they wouldnt let him. Just because he was boring and pimply. I dont even
feel like talking about it. It was a stinking school. Take my word. 7 ”

Old Phoebe didnt say anything but she was listening. I could tell by the back of her neck
that she was listening. She always listens when you tell her something. And the funny part is
, ,
she knows half the time what the hell youre talking about. She really does.
I kept talking about old Pencey. I sort of felt like it.
“Even the couple of nice teachers on the faculty,they were phonies,too,”I said. “There
was this one old guy,Mr. Spencer. His wife was always giving you hot chocolate and all that
stuff,and they were really pretty nice. But you shouldve seen him when the headmaster,old
Thurmer,came in the history class and sat down in the back of the room. He was always
coming in and sitting down in the back of the room for about a half an hour. He was supposed

to be incognito or something. 8 After a while hed be sitting back there and then hed start
interrupting what old Spencer was saying to crack a lot of corny jokes9 . Old Spencerd

practically kill himself chuckling and smiling and all like as if Thurmer was a goddam prince or
something. ”
“Dont swear so much. ”
“It wouldve made you puke,I swear it would,”I said. “Then,on Veterans Day. They
have this day,Veterans Day,that all the jerks that graduated from Pencey around 1776 come
back and walk all over the place,with their wives and children and everybody. You shouldve
seen this one old guy that was about fifty. What he did was,he came in our room and knocked
on the door and asked us if wed mind if he used the bathroom. The bathroom was at the end of
the corridor —I dont know why the hell he asked us. ?
You know what he said He said he

wanted to see if his initials were still in one of the can doors. What he did he carved his

goddam stupid sad old initials in one of the can doors about ninety years ago and he wanted to
see if they were still there. So my roommate and I walked him down to the bathroom and all ,
and we had to stand there while he looked for his initials in all the can doors. He kept talking to

us the whole time telling us how when he was at Pencey they were the happiest days of his life ,
, !
and giving us a lot of advice for the future and all. Boy did he depress me I dont mean he
was a bad guy —he wasnt. But you dont have to be a bad guy to depress somebody—you can
be a good guy and do it. All you have to do to depress somebody is give them a lot of phony
advice while youre looking for your initials in some can door —thats all you have to do. I dont
know. Maybe it wouldnt have been so bad if he hadnt been all out of breath. He was all out of

breath from just climbing up the stairs and the whole time he was looking for his initials he kept
, ,
breathing hard with his nostrils all funny and sad while he kept telling Stradlater and I to get
265
, !
all we could out of Pencey. God Phoebe I cant explain. I just didnt like anything that was
happening at Pencey. I cant explain. ”
Old Phoebe said something then,but I couldnt hear her. She had the side of her mouth
right smack on the pillow,and I couldnt hear her.
“What?”I said. “Take your mouth away. I cant hear you with your mouth that way. ”
“You dont like anything thats happening. ”
It made me even more depressed when she said that.
“Yes I do. Yes I do. Sure I do. Dont say that. Why the hell do you say that?”
“Because you dont. You dont like any schools. You dont like a million things.
You dont. ”
“I do!Thats where youre wrong—thats exactly where youre wrong!Why the hell do
you have to say that? ”I said. Boy,was she depressing me.
“Because you dont,”she said. “Name one thing. ”
“One thing?One thing I like?”I said. “Okay. ”
The trouble was,I couldnt concentrate too hot. Sometimes its hard to concentrate.
“One thing I like a lot you mean?”I asked her.
She didnt answer me,though. She was in a cockeyed position way the hell over the
other side of the bed. She was about a thousand miles away. “Cmon answer me,
10
”I said.
“One thing I like a lot,or one thing I just like?”
“You like a lot. ”
“All right,”I said. But the trouble was,I couldnt concentrate. About all I could think of
were those two nuns that went around collecting dough in those beatup old straw baskets.
Especially the one with the glasses with those iron rims. And this boy I knew at Elkton Hills.
, ,
There was this one boy at Elkton Hills named James Castle that wouldnt take back something
he said about this very conceited boy,Phil Stabile. James Castle called him a very conceited
guy,and one of Stabiles lousy friends went and squealed on him to Stabile. So Stabile,with
about six other dirty bastards,went down to James Castles room and went in and locked the
goddam door and tried to make him take back what he said,but he wouldnt do it. So they
started in on him. I wont even tell you what they did to him—its too repulsive—but he still
wouldnt take it back,old James Castle. And you shouldve seen him. He was a skinny little
weaklooking guy,with wrists about as big as pencils. Finally,what he did,instead of taking
back what he said,he jumped out the window. I was in the shower and all,and even I could
hear him land outside. But I just thought something fell out the window,a radio or a desk or
something,not a boy or anything. Then I heard everybody running through the corridor and
down the stairs,so I put on my bathrobe and I ran downstairs too,and there was old James
Castle laying right on the stone steps and all. He was dead,and his teeth,and blood,were all
over the place,and nobody would even go near him. He had on this turtleneck sweater Id lent
266
Unit 26 ( —2010) 杰罗姆·戴维·塞林格
J. D. Salinger 1919

him. All they did with the guys that were in the room with him was expel them. They didnt
even go to jail.

That was about all I could think of though. Those two nuns I saw at breakfast and this boy
, ,
James Castle I knew at Elkton Hills. The funny part is I hardly even know James Castle if you
want to know the truth. He was one of these very quiet guys. He was in my math class,but he
was way over on the other side of the room,and he hardly ever got up to recite or go to the
blackboard or anything. Some guys in school hardly ever get up to recite or go to the
blackboard. I think the only time I ever even had a conversation with him was that time he asked
me if he could borrow this turtleneck sweater I had. I damn near dropped dead when he asked
, , ,
me I was so surprised and all. I remember I was brushing my teeth in the can when he asked
me. He said his cousin was coming in to take him for a drive and all. I didnt even know he
knew I had a turtleneck sweater. All I knew about him was that his name was always right ahead
, ,Cabel,W. ,Castle,Caulfield—I can still remember it. If you
of me at roll call. Cabel R.
want to know the truth,I almost didnt lend him my sweater. Just because I didnt know him
too well.
“What?”I said to old Phoebe. She said something to me,but I didnt hear her.
“You cant even think of one thing. ”
“Yes,I can. Yes,I can. ”
“Well,do it,then. ”
“I like Allie,”I said. “And I like doing what Im doing right now. Sitting here with you,
and talking,and thinking about stuff,and—”
“Allies dead—You always say that!If somebodys dead and everything,and in Heaven,
then it isnt really—”
“I know hes dead!Dont you think I know that?I can still like him,though,cant I?Just
because somebodys dead,you dont just stop liking them,for Gods sake—especially if they
were about a thousand times nicer than the people you know thatre alive and all. ”
Old Phoebe didnt say anything. When she cant think of anything to say,she doesnt say a
goddam word.
“Anyway,I like it now,”I said. “I mean right now. Sitting here with you and just
chewing the fat and horsing —” 11

“That isnt anything really!”


“It is so something really!Certainly it is!Why the hell isnt it?People never think
anything is anything really. Im getting goddam sick of it. ”
“Stop swearing. All right,name something else. Name something youd like to be. Like a
scientist. Or a lawyer or something. ”
“I couldnt be a scientist. Im no good in science. ”
“Well,a lawyer—like Daddy and all. ” 267
“Lawyers are all right,I guess—but it doesnt appeal to me,”I said. “I mean theyre all
right if they go around saving innocent guys lives all the time,and like that,but you dont do
that kind of stuff if youre a lawyer. All you do is make a lot of dough and play golf and play
bridge and buy cars and drink Martinis and look like a hotshot. 12 And besides. Even if you

did go around saving guys lives and all how would you know if you did it because you really

wanted to save guys lives or because you did it because what you really wanted to do was be a

terrific lawyer with everybody slapping you on the back and congratulating you in court when
, ,
the goddam trial was over the reporters and everybody the way it is in the dirty movies How ?
? ,
would you know you werent being a phony The trouble is you wouldnt. ”
Im not too sure old Phoebe knew what the hell I was talking about. I mean shes only a
, ,
little child and all. But she was listening at least. If somebody at least listens its not too bad.
“Daddys going to kill you. Hes going to kill you,”she said.
I wasnt listening,though. I was thinking about something else—something crazy. “You
know what Id like to be? ”I said. “You know what Id like to be?I mean if I had my goddam
choice? ”
“What?Stop swearing. ”
“You know that song ‘If a body catch a body comin through the rye’?Id like—”
“Its ‘If a body meet a body coming through the rye’!”old Phoebe said. “Its a poem.
By Robert Burns. ”
“I know its a poem by Robert Burns. ”
She was right,though. It is “If a body meet a body coming through the rye. ”I didnt
know it then,though.
“I thought it was ‘If a body catch a body,’”I said. “Anyway,I keep picturing all these
little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids,and
nobodys around—nobody big,I mean—except me. And Im standing on the edge of some
crazy cliff. What I have to do,I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff—I
mean if theyre running and they dont look where theyre going I have to come out from
somewhere and catch them. Thats all Id do all day. Id just be the catcher in the rye and all.

I know its crazy but thats the only thing Id really like to be. I know its crazy. ”

Old Phoebe didnt say anything for a long time. Then when she said something all she ,
said was,“Daddys going to kill you. ”
“I dont give a damn if he does,”I said. I got up from the bed then,because what I
wanted to do,I wanted to phone up this guy that was my English teacher at Elkton Hills,Mr.
Antolini. He lived in New York now. He quit Elkton Hills. He took this job teaching English at
N. Y. U. “I have to make a phone call,”I told Phoebe. “Ill be right back. Dont go to
sleep. ”I didnt want her to go to sleep while I was in the living room. I knew she wouldnt but
I said it anyway,just to make sure.
268
Unit 26 ( —2010) 杰罗姆·戴维·塞林格
J. D. Salinger 1919


While I was walking toward the door old Phoebe said ,“Holden!”and I turned around.
She was sitting way up in bed. She looked so pretty. “Im taking belching lessons from
this girl,Phyllis Margulies, ”she said. “Listen. ”
I listened,and I heard something,but it wasnt much. “Good,”I said. Then I went out in
the living room and called up this teacher I had,Mr. Antolini.

Questions for Discussion


, “
1. Why does Phoebe Holden Caulfields younger sister keep saying Daddyll kill you. ”?
? ?
Does Holden worry about that Why
2. What is Holdens worldview like ? Why does he call his teachers and classmates
phonies ?
3. Why does Holden call his younger sister “Old Phoebe”?Does Holden realize his own
problem s ()?
4. What is implied in Holden Caulfields decision to be a catcher in the rye ?
Notes
1. She was ostracizing the hell out of me. :她真他妈的要跟我绝交了。
2. snotty:怄人
3. get the ax:被开除
4. have a bull session :聊天

5. some dopey pimply guy :傻里傻气的、王八蛋一样的家伙。
6. And they had this goddam secret fraternity that I was too yellow not to
join.:他们还有那该死的秘密团体,我因为太胆小而不敢不加入。
7. Take my word. :你相信我。
8. He was supposed to be incognito or something. :他算微行察访吧。
9. crack a lot of corny jokes:说一些粗俗的笑话
10. She was in a cockeyed position way the hell over the other side of the
bed. :她躺在床的另一边,斜着眼看我。
11. Sitting here with you and just chewing the fat and horsing. :跟你坐在一块
儿,聊聊天,逗着。
12. All you do is make a lot of dough and play golf and play bridge and buy
cars and drink Martinis and look like a hotshot. :你只是挣许许多多钱,打高尔夫球,打
桥牌,买汽车,喝马提尼酒,摆臭架子。

269
Amy Tan 1952 ( —)
Unit 27 艾米 · 谭

Biography
( —),a famous Chinese American writer,was born
Amy Tan 1952
in Oakland,California. When Amy was 15 years old,her older brother
Peter and father both died of brain tumors within eight months of each
other. Her mother then moved Amy and her younger brother John Jr. to
Switzerland ,where Amy finished high school. During these years ,
mother and daughter argued about Amys college and career plans. Amy

eventually followed her boyfriend to San Jose City College where she
earned a bachelors and a masters degree in English and linguistics ,
despite her mothers wish that she study medicine. Her mothers and grandmothers past
, ,
experiences became the basis of her first novel The Joy Luck Club 1989 New York Times
, ,
bestseller which has been translated into 35 languages. In 1993 the book was adapted into a

commercially successful film. The Joy Luck Club and her other bestselling novels such as The
, , ,
Kitchen Gods Wife The Hundred Secret Senses The Bonesetters Daughter and Saving Fish
from Drowning all explore motherdaughter relationships and the ChineseAmerican experience.
Amy Tan is praised as an expert storyteller as her stories deeply touch the heart of the reader.

Major Works
? Novels
( )《喜福会》
The Joy Luck Club 1989
The Kitchen Gods Wife (1991 )《灶神之妻》
The Hundred Secret Senses (1995 )《百种神秘感觉》又译《灵感女孩》
The Bonesetters Daughter (2000 )《接骨师之女》
Saving Fish from Drowning (2005 )《沉没之鱼》原译《救救溺水鱼》
Rules for Virgins (2012 ;an excerpt from The Valley of Amazement)《处女规则》
The Valley of Amazement (2013 )《惊奇山谷》
? Childrens books
, ( )《月亮夫人》
The Moon Lady illustrated by Gretchen Schields 1992
Sagwa ,the Chinese Siamese Cat,illustrated by Gretchen Schields (1994 )《中国
270
Unit 27 Amy Tan 1952( —) 艾米·谭
暹罗猫》
? Nonfiction

MidLife Confidential The Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America With Three
Cords and an Attitude (with Dave Barry, Stephen King , Tabitha King , Barbara
Kingsolver)(1994 )《中年心腹话》
Mother (with Maya Angelou ,Mary Higgins Clark)(1996 )《母亲》
The Best American Short Stories 1999 (Editor,with Katrina Kenison )(1999 )
《1999 年最佳美国短篇小说》
The Opposite of Fate:A Book of Musings (G. P. Putnams Sons,2003 ,ISBN
9780399150746 )《事与愿违》又译《命运的逆反》、《命运的反面》
Hard Listening , coauthored in July 2013 , an interactive ebook about her
participation in a writer / musician band ,the Rock Bottom Remainders,published
by Coliloquy,LLC.

Amy Tans Style in General



1. autobiographical and semiautobiographical mother is the source of inspiration
2. “China themes”:motherdaughter relationship;cultural conflicts
3. subtle and truetolife description of characters and events

4. special way of initiation to understand yourself by telling about your mother
5. a frame story

Synopsis of The Joy Luck Club


The Joy Luck Club contains sixteen interwoven stories about conflicts between Chinese
immigrant mothers and their Americanraised daughters. The book hinges on Jingmeis trip to

China to meet her twin halfsisters who remained behind in China because her mother Suyuan ,
was forced to leave them on the roadside during her desperate flight during World War Ⅱ. Jing

mei was born to a different father years later in America. Suyuan intended to return to China

for her other daughters but failed to find them before her death.
Jingmei has taken her mothers place playing mahjong in a weekly gathering her mother

had organized in China and revived in San Francisco the Joy Luck Club. The other members —
, ,
Lindo Yingying and Anmei —are three of her mothers oldest friends and fellow immigrants.
They tell Jingmei that just before Suyuan died,she had finally succeeded in locating the address
of her lost daughters. They repeatedly urge Jingmei to travel to China and tell her sisters about

their mothers life. But Jingmei has her worries. The novel is composed of four sections each
of which contains four separate narratives. The mothers first recall their relationships with their

own mothers and they worry that their daughters recollections of them will never possess the

same intensity. In the second section these daughters —Waverly,Jingmei,Lena,and Rose— 271
relate their recollections of their childhood relationships with their mothers. In the third group of

stories the four daughters narrate their adult dilemmas —troubles in marriage and with their
careers. Although they believe that their mothers antiquated ideas do not pertain to their own
very American lifestyles , their search for solutions inevitably brings them back to their

relationships with the older generation. In the final group of stories the mothers struggle to offer

solutions and support to their daughters in the process learning more about themselves. Lindo
recognizes through her daughter Waverly that she has been irrevocably changed by American
culture. Yingying realizes that Lena has unwittingly followed her passive example in her
marriage to Harold Livotny. Anmei realizes that Rose has not completely understood the lessons
she intended to teach her about faith and hope. When Jingmei finally travels to China and helps

her halfsisters to know a mother they cannot remember she forges two other motherdaughter

bonds as well. Her journey represents a reconciliation between Suyuans two lives between two
cultures ,and between mother and daughter. This enables Jingmei to bring closure and
, ,
resolution to her mothers story but also to her own. In addition the journey brings hope to the
other members of the Joy Luck Club that they too can reconcile the oppositions in their lives
, ,
between past and present between cultures and between generations.

Major Characters

4 families mother and daughter ):Woo family (Suyuan and Jingmei),Hsu family (An
mei and Rose),Jong family (Lindo and Waverly),St Clare family (Yingying and Lena)
Jingmei (June)Woo
In a way,Jingmei Woo is the main character of The Joy Luck Club. Structurally,her
narratives serve as bridges between the two generations of storytellers,as Jingmei speaks both
for herself and for her recently deceased mother,Suyuan. Jingmei also bridges America and
China. When she travels to China,she discovers the Chinese essence within herself,thus
realizing a deep connection to her mother that she had always ignored. She also brings Suyuans
, , ,
story to her longlost twin daughters and once reunited with her halfsisters gains an even

more profound understanding of who her mother was. For the most part Jingmeis fears echo
those of her peers,the other daughters of the Joy Luck Club members. They have always
identified with Americans (Jingmei also goes by the English name “June ”)but are beginning
to regret having neglected their Chinese heritage. Her fears also speak to a reciprocal fear shared
, ,
by the mothers who wonder whether by giving their daughters American opportunities and
selfsufficiency,they have alienated them from their Chinese heritage.
Jingmei is representative in other ways as well. She believes that her mothers constant

criticism bespeaks a lack of affection when in fact her mothers severity and high expectations
are expressions of love and faith in her daughter. All of the other motherdaughter pairs

272

experience the same misunderstanding which in some ways may be seen to stem from cultural
Unit 27 ( —) 艾米·谭
Amy Tan 1952


differences. What Tan portrays as the traditional Chinese values of filial obedience criticism

enveloped expressions of love and the concealment of excessive emotions all clash with the
daughters “American ” ideas about autonomy , free and open speech , and selfesteem.
, ,
However by eventually creating a bridge between China and America between mothers and
daughters,Jingmei ultimately reconciles some of these cultural and generational differences,
providing hope for the other motherdaughter pairs.
Suyan Woo
Suyuan Woo is a strong and willful woman who refuses to focus on her hardships. Instead ,
she struggles to create happiness and success where she finds it lacking. It is with this mentality
that she founds the original Joy Luck Club while awaiting the Japanese invasion of China in

Kweilin. Her sense of the power of will can at times cause problems such as when Suyuan
believes that her daughter Jingmei can be a child prodigy if only the Woos can locate her talent
and nurture it well enough. This leads to a deep resentment in Jingmei. Yet it is also by virtue
of Suyuans will that she eventually locates her longlost twin daughters in China. Only her
death prevents her from returning to them.
Suyuan shares many characteristics with her fellow mothers in the Joy Luck Club fierce :
, ;
love for her daughter often expressed as criticism a distress at her daughters desire to shake
off her Chinese identity in favor of an American one;and a fear that she may be alienated from
her daughter either because of her own actions or because of their divergent ages and cultural
upbringings.

◆◆◆!"# D1+ 4*C? $,*)◆◆◆


Chapter 1 Feathers from a Thousand Li away

Jingmei Woo The Joy Luck Club


, ,
When I arrive at the Hsus house where the Joy Luck Club is meeting tonight the first
person I see is my father. “There she is!Never on time!”he announces. And it is true.

Everybodys already here seven family friends in their sixtieth and seventieth. They look up
, ,
and laugh at me always tardy a child still at thirtysix.
Im shaking,trying to hold something inside. ,
The last time I saw them at the funeral I ,
had broken down and cried big gulping sobs. They must wonder now how someone like me can

take my mothers place. A friend once told me that my mother and I were alike that we had the

same wispy hand gestures the same girlish laugh and sideways look. When I shyly told my
, ,“You dont even know little percent of me!How can
mother this she seemed insulted and said
you be me?”And shes right. How can I be my mother at Joy Luck?
“Auntie,Uncle,”I say repeatedly,nodding to each person there. I have always called 273
these old family friends Auntie and Uncle. And then I walk over and stand next to my father.
Hes looking at the Jongs pictures from their recent China trip. “Look at that,”he says

politely pointing to a photo of the Jongs tour group standing on wide slab steps. There is

nothing in this picture that shows it was taken in China rather than San Francisco or any other
city for that matter. But my father doesnt seem to be looking at the picture anyway. Its as
though everything were the same to him ,nothing stands out. He has always been politely
indifferent. But whats the Chinese word that means indifferent because you cant see any

differences Thats how troubled I think he is by my mothers death.
“Will you look at that,”he says,pointing to another nondescript picture.
The Hsus house feels heavy with greasy odors. Too many Chinese meals cooked in a too

small kitchen too many once fragrant smells compressed onto a thin layer of invisible grease. I
remember how my mother used to go into other peoples houses and restaurants and wrinkle her

nose then whisper very loudly :“I can see and feel the stickiness with my nose. ”
I have not been to the Hsus house in many years,but the living room is exactly the same
as I remember it. When Auntie Anmei and Uncle George moved to the Sunset district from
, ,
Chinatown twentyfive years ago they bought new furniture. Its all there still looking mostly
new under yellowed plastic. The same turquoise couch shaped in a semicircle of nubby tweed.
The colonial end tables made out of heavy maple. A lamp of fake cracked porcelain. Only the
, ,
scrolllength calendar free from the Bank of Canton changes every year.
, ,
I remember this stuff because when we were children Auntie Anmei didnt let us touch
any of her new furniture except through the clear plastic coverings. On Joy Luck nights my,

parents brought me to the Hsus. Since I was the guest I had to take care of all the younger

children so many children it seemed as if there were always one baby who was crying from
having bumped its head on a table leg.
“Youre responsible,”said my mother,which meant I was in trouble if anything was
spilled,burned,lost,broken,or dirty. I was responsible,no matter who did it. She and
Auntie Anmei were dressed up in funny Chinese dresses with stiff standup collars and blooming
branches of embroidered silk sewn over their breasts. These clothes were too fancy for real
, , ,
Chinese people I thought and too strange for American parties. In those days before my
, ,
mother told me her Kweilin story I imagined Joy Luck was a shameful Chinese custom like the
secret gathering of the Ku Klux Klan or the tomtom dances of TV Indians preparing for war.
, ,
But tonight theres no mystery. The Joy Luck aunties are all wearing slacks bright print

blouses and different versions of sturdy walking shoes. We are all seated around the dining
room table under a lamp that looks like a Spanish candelabra. Uncle George puts on his bifocals
and starts the meeting by reading the minutes :
“Our capital account is , , ,
$ 24 825 or about $ 6 206 a couple , $ 3,103 per person. We
sold Subaru for a loss at six and threequarters. We bought a hundred shares of Smith
274
Unit 27 ( —) 艾米·谭
Amy Tan 1952

International at seven. Our thanks to Lindo and Tin Jong for the goodies. The red bean soup
was especially delicious. The March meeting had to be canceled until further notice. We were
sorry to have to bid a fond farewell to our dear friend Suyuan and extended our sympathy to the
, ,
Canning Woo family. Respectfully submitted George Hsu president and secretary. ”
Thats it. I keep thinking the others will start talking about my mother ,the wonderful
, ,
friendship they shared and why I am here in her spirit to be the fourth corner and carry on the
idea my mother came up with on a hot day in Kweilin.
But everybody just nods to approve the minutes. Even my fathers head bobs up and down
routinely. And it seems to me my mothers life has been shelved for new business.
Auntie Anmei heaves herself up from the table and moves slowly to the kitchen to prepare
, , ,
the food. And Auntie Lin my mothers best friend moves to the turquoise sofa crosses her
, ,
arms and watches the men still seated at the table. Auntie Ying who seems to shrink even

more every time I see her reaches into her knitting bag and pulls out the start of a tiny blue
sweater.

The Joy Luck uncles begin to talk about stocks they are interested in buying Uncle Jack ,

who is Auntie Yings younger brother is very keen on a company that mines gold in Canada.
“Its a great hedge on inflation,”he says with authority. He speaks the best English ,
almost accentless. I think my mothers English was the worst ,but she always thought her
Chinese was the best. She spoke Mandarin slightly blurred with a Shanghai dialect.
“Werent we going to play mah jong tonight?”I whisper loudly to Auntie Ying,whos
slightly deaf.
“Later,”she says,“after midnight. ”
“Ladies,are you at this meeting or not?”says Uncle George.
After everybody votes unanimously for the Canada gold stock,I go into the kitchen to ask
Auntie Anmei why the Joy Luck Club started investing in stocks.
“We used to play mah jong,winner take all. But the same people were always winning,
the same people always losing,
”she says. She is stuffing wonton,one chopstick jab of gingery
meat dabbed onto a thin skin and then a single fluid turn with her hand that seals the skin into a
tiny nurses cap. “You cant have luck when someone else has skill. ,
So long time ago we
decided to invest in the stock market. Theres no skill in that. Even your mother agreed. ”
Auntie Anmei takes count of the tray in front of her. Shes already made five rows of eight
wonton each. “Forty wonton,eight people,ten each,five row more,” she says aloud to
herself ,and then continues stuffing. “We got smart. Now we can all win and lose equally. We
can have stock market luck. And we can play mah jong for fun,just for a few dollars,winner
take all. Losers take home leftovers!So everyone can have some joy. Smarthanh? ”
I watch Auntie Anmei make more wonton. She has quick,expert fingers. She doesnt
have to think about what she is doing. Thats what my mother used to complain about,that
275
Auntie Anmei never thought about what she was doing.
“Shes not stupid,”said my mother on one occasion,“but she has no spine. Last week,I
had a good idea for her. ”I said to her,“Lets go to the consulate and ask for papers for your
brother. ”And she almost wanted to drop her things and go right then. But later she talked to
someone. Who knows who?And that person told her she can get her brother in bad trouble in
China. That person said FBI will put her on a list and give her trouble in the U. S. the rest of
, ,
her life. That person said You ask for a house loan and they say no loan because your brother
, !
is a communist. I said You already have a house But still she was scared.
“Auntie Anmei runs this way and that,”said my mother,“and she doesnt know why. ”
As I watch Auntie Anmei,I see a short bent woman in her seventies,with a heavy bosom
and thin,shapeless legs. She has the flattened soft fingertips of an old woman. I wonder what
Auntie Anmei did to inspire a life long stream of criticism from my mother. Then again,it
seemed my mother was always displeased with all her friends,with me,and even with my
father. Something was always missing. Something always needed improving. Something was

not in balance. This one or that had too much of one element not enough of another.
The elements were from my mothers own version of organic chemistry. Each person is

made of five elements she told me.

Too much fire and you had a bad temper. That was like my father whom my mother
always criticized for his cigarette habit and who always shouted back that she should keep her
thoughts to herself. I think he now feels guilty that he didnt let my mother speak her mind.

Too little wood and you bent too quickly to listen to other peoples ideas unable to stand
on your own. This was like my Auntie Anmei.
, ,
Too much water and you flowed in too many directions like my myself for having started
, ,
half a degree in biology then half a degree in art and then finishing neither when I went off to

work for a small ad agency as a secretary later becoming a copywriter.
I used to dismiss her criticisms as just more of her Chinese superstitions ,beliefs that
conveniently fit the circumstances. In my twentieth,while taking Introduction to Psychology,I
tried to tell her why she shouldnt criticize so much, why it didnt lead to a healthy
learning environment.
“Theres a school of thought,”I said,“that parents shouldnt criticize children. They
should encourage instead. You know,people rise to other peoples expectations. And when you
criticize,it just means youre expecting failure. ”
“Thats the trouble,”my mother said. “You never rise. Lazy to get up. Lazy to rise to
expectations. ”
“Time to eat,”Auntie Anmei happily announces,bringing out a steaming pot of the
wonton she was just wrapping. There are piles of food on the table,served buffet style,just like
at the Kweilin feasts. My father is digging into the chow mein,which still sits in an oversize
276
Unit 27 ( —) 艾米·谭
Amy Tan 1952

aluminum pan surrounded by little plastic packets of soy sauce. Auntie Anmei must have
bought this on Clement Street. The wonton soup smells wonderful with delicate sprigs of cilantro

floating on top. Im drawn first to a large platter of chaswei sweet barbecued pork cut into

coinsized slices and then to a whole assortment of what Ive always called finger goodies —
, , , ,
thinskinned pastries filled with chopped pork beef shrimp and unknown stuffings that my
mother used to describe as “nutritious things”.
Eating is not a gracious event here. Its as though everybody had been starving. They push
, ,
large forkfuls into their mouths jab at more pieces of pork one right after the other. They are
not like the ladies of Kweilin,whom I always imagined savored their food with a certain
detached delicacy.
, ,
And then almost as quickly as they started the men get up and leave the table. As if on

cue the women peck at last morsels and then carry plates and bowls to the kitchen and dump

then in the sink. The women take turns washing their hands scrubbing them vigorously. Who

started this ritual I too put my plate in the sink and wash my hands. The women are talking

about the Jongs China trip then they move toward a room in the back of the apartment. We

pass another room what used to be the bedroom shared by the four Hsu sons. The bunk beds
with their scuffed,splintery ladders are still there. The Joy Luck uncles are already seated at the
card table. Uncle George is dealing out cards,fast,as though he learned this technique in a
casino. My father is passing out Pall Mall cigarettes,with one already dangling from his lips.
And then we get to the room in the back,which was once shared by the three Hsu girls.
Nobody says to me,“Sit here,this is where your mother used to sit. ”But I can tell even before
everyone sits down. The chair closest to the door has an emptiness to it. But the feeling doesnt
really have to do with the chair. Its her place on the table. Without having anyone to tell me ,
I know her corner on the table was the East.
, ,
The East is where things begin my mother once told me the direction from which the sun

rises where the wind comes from.
, ,
Auntie Anmei who is sitting on my left spills the tiles onto the green felt tabletop and
then says to me,“Now we wash tiles. ”We swirl them with our hands in a circular motion.
They make a cool swishing sound as they bump into one another.
, , ,
爥 Now we begin to play looking at our hands casting tiles picking up others at an easy,
comfortable pace. The Joy Luck aunties begin to make small talk,not really listening to each
other. They speak in their special language,half in broken English,half in their own Chines
dialect. Auntie Ying mentions she bought yarn at half price,somewhere out in the avenues.
Auntie Anmei brags about a sweater she made for her daughter Ruths new baby. Auntie Lin
explains how mad she got at a store clerk who refused to let her her return a skirt with a broken
zipper.
爥 Poor Auntie Anmei rubs her tiles even harder. I remember my mother telling me about
277

the Hsus trip to China three years ago. Auntie had saved $ 2000 all to spend on her brothers
family. She had shown my mother the insides of her heavy suitcases. One was crammed with
, , ,
Sees Nuts and Chews M & Ms candycoated cashews instant hot chocolate wit miniature
, :
marshmallows. The other bag contained the most ridiculous clothes all new bright California
style beachwear,baseball caps,cotton pants with elastic waists,bomber jackets,Stanford
sweatshirts,crew socks.
爥 And when their China tour finally arrived in Hangzhou,the whole family from Ningbo
was there to meet them. It wasnt just Auntie Anmeis little brother,but also his wifes
stepbrothers and stepsisters,and a distant cousin,and that cousins husband and that husbands
uncle. They had all brought their mothersinlaw and children and even their village friends who
were not lucky enough to have overseas Chinese relatives to show off 爥 Nobody wanted the
, ,
sweatshirts those useless clothes. The M & Ms were thrown in the air gone. And when the

suitcases were emptied the relatives asked what else the Hsus had brought.

Auntie Anmei and Uncle George were shaken down not just for 2000 dollars worth of
TVs and refrigerators but also for a nights lodging for 26 people in the Overlooking Lake Hotel ,

for 3 banquet tables at a restaurant that catered to rich foreigners for three special gifts for each
, ,
relative and finally for a loan of five thousand yuan in foreign exchange to a cousins socalled
uncle who wanted to buy a motorcycle but who later disappeared for good along with the
money. When the train pulled out of Hangzhou the next day ,the Hsus found themselves
depleted of some nine thousand dollars worth of goodwill. Months later,after an inspiring

Christmastime service at the First Chinese Baptist Church Auntie Anmei tried to recoup her

loss by saying it truly was more blessed to give than to receive and my mother agreed her ,
longtime friend had blessings for at least several lifetimes.
爥 Auntie Lin and my mother were both best friends and arch enemies who spent a lifetime
comparing their children. I was one month older than Waverly Jong ,Auntie Lins prized
daughter. From the time we were babies ,our mothers compared the creases in our belly
buttons,how shapely our earlobes were,how fast we healed when we scraped our knees,how
thick and dark our hair,how many shoes we wore out in one year,and later,how smart Waverly
was at playing chess,how many trophies she had won last month,how many newspapers had
printed her name,how many cities she had visited.

“You must see your sisters and tell them about your mothers death,”says Auntie Ying.
“But most important,you must tell them about her life. The mother they did not know,they
must now know. ”
“See my sisters,tell them about my mother,”I say,nodding. “What will I say?What can
I tell them about my mother?I dont know anything. She was my mother. ”
The aunties are looking at me as if I had become crazy right before their eyes.
278
Unit 27 ( —) 艾米·谭
Amy Tan 1952

“Not know your own mother?”cries Auntie Anmei with disbelief. “How can you say?
our mother is in your bones! ”
“Tell them stories of your family here. How she became success,”offers Antie Lin.
“Tell them stories she told you,lessons she taught,what you know about her mind that has
become your mind, ”says Auntie Ying. “You mother very smart lady. ”
I hear more choruses of “Tell them,tell them”as each auntie frantically tries to think what
should be passed on.
“Her kindness. ”
“Her smartness. ”
“Her dutiful nature to family. ”
“Her hopes,things that matter to her. ”
“The excellent dishes she cooked. ”
“Imagine,a daughter not knowing her own mother!”
And then it occurs to me. They are frightened. In me,they see their own daughters,just
as ignorant,just as unmindful of all the truths and hopes they have brought to America. They
see daughters who grow impatient when their mothers talk in Chinese,who think they are stupid
when they explain things in fractured English. They see that joy and luck do not mean the same
, “
to their daughters that to these closed Americanborn minds joy luck ”is not a word,it does
not exist. They see daughters who will bear grandchildren born without any connecting hope
passed from generation to generation.
“I will tell them everything,”I say simply,and the aunties look at me with doubtful faces.
“I will remember everything about her and tell them,”I say more firmly. And gradually,
one by one,they smile and pat my hand. They still look troubled,as if something were out of
balance. But they also look hopeful that what I say will become true. What more can they say?
What more can I promise?
They go back to eating their soft boiled peanuts,saying stories among themselves. They
are young girls again,dreaming of good times in the past and good times yet to come. A brother
from Ningbo who makes his sister cry with joy when he returns nine thousand dollars plus
interest. A youngest son whose stereo and TV repair business is so good he sends leftovers to
China. A daughter whose babies are able to swim like fish in a fancy pool in Woodside. Such
good stories. The best. They are the lucky ones.
And I am sitting at my mothers place at the mah jong table , on the East , where
things begin.

Questions for Discussion


1. What cultural implications are there in the sentence “They look up and laugh at me,

always tardy a child still at thirtysix. ”? 279
, ?
2. Suyuan and the aunties used to wear Qipao on their club night why Jinmei thought
those clothes were “too strange for American parties”,what is implied here?
3. What are the Five Elements? Why does Jinmei believe that was “Chinese
superstitions”?
4. Throughout The Joy Luck Club,characters think and communicate by using stories.
Why might they choose to use stories instead of direct statements?As stories seem a less efficient
way of relaying information,do the characters show stories to have some power that normal
speech lacks?

280
Louise Erdrich 1954 ( —)
Unit 28 露易丝 · 厄德里克

Biography

Louise Erdrich born Karen Louise Erdrich is an Ojibwa )
writer of novels ,poetry,and childrens books featuring Native
American characters and settings. She is widely acclaimed as one
of the most significant writers of the second wave of the Native
American Renaissance.
, ,
Erdrich was born in Little Falls Minnesota the first of seven
, , ,
children to Ralph Erdrich a GermanAmerican and his wife Rita Gourneau a Chippewa / Ojibwa
, ,
Indian. Both parents taught at a boarding school in Wahpeton North Dakota set up by the
Bureau of Indian Affairs,and her maternal grandfather,Patrick Gourneau,served as tribal
chairman for many years. Erdrich attended Dartmouth College from 1972 to 1976,and earned the
A. B. in English. There she met her future husband,anthropologist and writer Michael Dorris.
Erdrich earned the Master of Arts in the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University in 1979.
Erdrich married Michael Dorris in 1981 and they raised three adopted children and three biological
children until their separation in 1995 and Dorris suicide in 1997. Erdrich lives in Minnesota. She

is also the owner of Birchbark Books a small independent bookstore in Minneapolis that focuses
on Native American literature and the Native community in the Twin Cities.
, ,
First published in 1984 expanded in 1993 and revised in 2009 Love Medicine explores 60

years in the lives of a small group of Chippewa also known as Ojibwe or Anishinaabe )living
on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in North Dakota. The novel won the 1984 National
Book Critics Circle Award. Except for the first chapter (set in 1981 ),the narratives follow a
loose chronology. Each chapter is narrated by a different character. These narratives are
, ,
conversational as if the narrators were telling a story often from the firstperson perspective.
, ,
There are however five chapters that are told from a limited thirdperson perspective. The
conversational tone of the novel is representative of the storytelling tradition in Native American
, ,
culture. It draws from Ojibwa myths storytelling technique and culture. It also incorporates
, ,
the EuroIndian experience especially through the younger generations some of whom have
, ,
been forced by government policy to accept if not possess EuroAmerican culture. The use of
multiple themes adds to the storytelling effect of the work,which include:homecoming,a love
281
,Marie, and Nector, tricksters (in the Native American tradition ),
triangle among Lulu
abandonment,survival,connection to land,and searching for identity and selfknowledge.
Erdrichs complexly interwoven series of novels have drawn comparisons with William

Faulkners Yoknapatawpha novels. Like Faulkners Erdrichs successive novels created multiple
narratives in the same fictional area and combined the tapestry of local history with current
themes and modern consciousness. Erdrich has received many literary awards including O.
, , ,
Henry Award six times Pulitzer Prize for Fiction AnisfieldWolf Book Award National Book
, ,
Award for Fiction Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction PEN / Saul Bellow Award
for Achievement in American Fiction and so on.

Major Works
? Novels
( )《爱药》
Love Medicine 1984
The Beet Queen (1986 )《甜菜女王》
Tracks (1988 )《痕迹》
The Crown of Columbus(1991 )《哥伦布的皇冠》与丈夫合作
The Bingo Palace (1994 )《宾果宫》
Tales of Burning Love (1997 )《燃情故事集》
The Antelope Wife (1998 )《羚羊妻》
The Plague of Doves (2008 )《鸽灾》
Shadow Tag (2010 )《踩影游戏》
The Round House (2012 )《圆屋》
? Childrens literature
( )
Grandmothers Pigeon 1996
The Birchbark House (1999 )
The Range Eternal (2002 )
The Game of Silence (2005 )
The Porcupine Year (2008 )
Chickadee (2012 )
? Collection of short stories

The Red Convertible Collected and New Stories 1978 —2008 (2009)
? Poetry
( )
Jacklight 1984
Baptism of Desire 1989( )

Original Fire Selected and New Poems 2003 ( )
? Nonfiction

282

Route Two coauthored with Michael Dorris ](1990)
Unit 28 ( —) 露易丝·厄德里克
Louise Erdrich 1954

: ( )
The Blue Jays Dance A Birthyear 1995
Books and Islands in Ojibwa Country (2003 )

Erdrichs Style in General



1. use of multiple narrators multiple pointsofview )
2. textual complexities and diverse contexts
3. profound psychological analysis with poetic language
4. “community”oriented stories with no central characters
5. characters believing in Catholicism and the traditional Chippewa religion

Synopsis of Love Medicine


Love Medicine begins with June Morrissey who dies trying to walk home to the reservation
in a snow storm. Although she dies at the beginning ,the figure of June holds the novel
together. Chapter 2 to 4 acquaint readers with the love triangle among Marie,Nector,and Lulu
who are young adults in and around the year 1934. Nector was always in love with Lulu but
married Marie. Then Lulu went to Moses Pillager (Lulus cousin and wellknown medicine
man)but left him,taking her first child (Gerry Nanapush)back home when Moses refused to
move out from the wilderness.
,,, ,
In Chapters 5 6 7 and 8 Erdrich explores the complexities of parenthood and infidelity
, ; ,,
for Marie Nector and Lulu. Chapter 5 occurs in 1948 chapters 6 7 and 8 occur in 1957.

Chapter 5 deals with June being adopted by Marie and later raised by Eli. Chapter 6 is about
the death of Lulus first (legal )husband,Henry Lamartine and Lulus affair with Henrys
brother,Beverly Lamartine,during Henrys funeral. Years later,Beverly decides to go home to
the reservation and claim his son,Henry Jr. Instead,Beverly is seduced by Lulu,forgets about
claiming his son,and returns to the city. Chapter 7 is the turning point in which the love triangle
(Marie,Lulu and Nector)gets destroyed. Nector and Lulu begin an affair that lasts five years
and produces a son,Lyman Lamartine. Then,Nector decides to leave Marie and marry Lulu.
He leaves a note for Marie (which she later ignores completely),and takes a letter to Lulu. But
while Nector waits for Lulu he accidentally burns down her home. When Lulu runs in to save

her son she burns all her hair off and it never grows back.

Chapters 11 through 18 occur between the years 1980 and 1985 when Nector enters his
“second childhood ” and Marie and Lulu become friends in the retirement community. In
Chapter 18 ,Lipsha is back at the retirement community when Lulu demands that he speak with
her. She tells him about his parentage (which everyone on the reservation knows except
Lipsha). Lipsha goes to visit King (his halfbrother)to learn more about his Gerry,who does
escape prison that very night and meets Lipsha,who immediately drives Gerry to Canada.
283
Major Characters
Marie Lazarre Kashpaw (wife to Nector Kashpaw ) She has five children by Nector
(Gordie,Zelda,Aurelia,Eugene and Patsy ),and adopts her niece,June,and Junes son,
Lipsha.
Nector Kashpaw (son of Rushes Bear and Kashpaw , husband to Marie Lazarre

Kashpaw . Chairman of the community by default. He has always been in love with Lulu and
years into his marriage to Marie he has a fiveyear affair with Lulu Nanapush Lamartine and
begets Lyman Lamartine. Nector never recognizes Lyman as his son.

Lulu Nanapush Lamartine mother to Henry Lamartine Jr. , ,Lyman Lamartine,Bonita
Lamartine,Gerry Nanapush,and four other unnamed sons all with different fathers )Lulu first
marries her cousin,Moses Pillager. She leaves him and marries Morrissey. After this marriage,
she eventually marries Henry Lamartine who dies in a car accident involving a train,heavily
implied to be suicide. She also has affairs with Beverly Lamartine,Nector Kashpaw,and an
unnamed Mexican man.
( : ,
June Morrissey daughter of Maries sister halfLazarre halfMorrissey from the Pillager
, ,
line wife of Gordie Kashpaw mother of King Kashpaw and Lipsha Morrissey )June is first
adopted by Marie Kashpaw,but later is raised by Eli Kashpaw (the bachelor of the family ).
June runs away from Gordie and King,returns several times only to leave again. June dies in
the first chapter (1981 ).
Eli Kashpaw (adopted father of June,son of Rushes Bear and Kashpaw,brother of
Nector). While Nector went away to English school Eli was hidden by his mother and was
raised in traditional Indian manner. He is the bachelor of the tribe,and raised June once she ran
away to live with him.

◆◆◆41;# H#75C5&#◆◆◆
(Chapter Six Lulus Boys)
On the last day that Lulu Larmatine spent as Henrys widow ,her boys were outside
drinking beers and shooting plastic jugs. Her deceased husbands brother,Beverly,was sitting
across from her at the kitchen table. Having a name some people thought of as feminine had
, ,
turned Beverly Lamartine to building up his muscles in his youth and they still bulged hard as

ingots in some place now lost in others. His plush belly strained open the bottom button of his

black shirt and Lulu saw his warm skin peeking through. She also saw how the tattoos he and
, ,
Henry had acquired on their arms and which Lulu had always admired were now deep black
and so fuzzy around the edges that she could hardly tell what they were.

284 Beverly saw her looking at the old tattoos and pushed his sleeves up over his biceps. “Get
Unit 28 ( —) 露易丝·厄德里克
Louise Erdrich 1954

an eyeful ,”he grinned. As of old,he stretched his arms across the table,and she gazed at the
figures commemorating the two brothers drunken travels outside her life.
, , , ,
There was a doll a skull with a knife stuck in it an eagle a swallow and Beverlys
, ,
name rank and serial number. Looking at the arm made Lulu remember her husbands tattoos.

Henrys arms had been imprinted with a banner bearing some other womans name a rose with
, , , , ,
a bleeding thorn two lizards and like his brothers with his name rank and serial number.
Sometimes Lulu could not help it. She thought of everything so hard that her mind felt
warped and sodden as a door that swells up in spring. It would not close properly to keep the
troublesome trouble out.
Right now she thought of those two lizards on either one of Henrys arms. She imagined
them clenching together when he put his arms around her. Then she thought of them coupling in
the same way she and Henry did. She thought of this while looking at Beverlys lone swallow ,
a bird with outstretched wings deep as ink and bleeding into his flesh. She remembered
: ,
Beverlys trick the wings were carefully tattooed on certain muscles so that when he flexed his

arm the bird almost seemed to hover in a dive or swoop.

Lulu hadnt seen her husbands brother since the funeral in 1950 with the casket closed

because of how badly Henry had suffered in the car wreck. Drunk he had started driving the

old Northern Pacific tracks and either fallen asleep or passed out his car straddling the rails. As
hed left the bar that night everyone who had been there remembered his words.
“She comes barreling through,youll never see me again. ”
At first they had thought he was talking about Lulu. But even at the time they knew she
didnt lose temper over drinking. It was the train Henry had been thinking about. They realized
that later when the news came and his casket was sealed.
Beverly Lamartine had shown up from the Twin Cities2 one hour before his brothers
—a black swastika on torn red cloth —
service was held. He had brought along the trophy flag 3

that he had captured to revenge the oldest Lamartine,a quiet boy,hardly spoken of now,who
was killed early on while still in boot camp4 .
When the men from the veterans post had lowered Henrys casket into the grave on ropes ,
there was a U. S. Flag draped across it already. Beverly had shaken out the trophy flag. Hed
, ,
let it go on in the air and the wind seemed to suck it down the black arms of the insignia
whirling like a spider.

Watching it Lulu had gone faint. The sudden spokes of the black wheel flashed before her

eyes and shed toppled dizzily then stumbled over the edge of the grave.
The men were still lowering Henry on ropes. Lulu plunged heavily down with the trophy

flag and the ropes burned out of the pallbearers hands. The box hit bottom. People screamed

and there was a great deal of commotion during which Beverly jumped down to revive Lulu.

All together the pallbearers tugged and hoisted her out. The black garments seemed to make her
285

even denser than she was. Her round face and chubby hands were a pale dough color cold and
, ,
wet with shock. For hours afterwards she trembled uttered senseless vowels jumped at sounds

and touches. Some people assuming that she had jumped in the grave to be buried with Henry ,
thought much better of her for a while.
But most of her life Lulu had been known as a flirt. And that was putting it mildly.
Tongues less kind had more indicting things to say.
, ,
For instance besides the fact of Lulu Lamartines first husband why did each of the boys

currently hooting milk jugs out front of Henrys house look so different There were eight of
them. Some of them even had her maiden name. The three oldest were Nanapushes. The next
oldest were Morrisseys who took the name Lamartine ,and then there were more assorted
younger Lamartines who didnt look like one another,either. Red hair and blood abounded;
there was some brown. The black hair on the sevenyearold at least matched his mothers. This

boy was named Henry Junior and he had been born approximately nine months after Henry
Seniors death.
, ,
Give or take a week5 Beverly thought looking from Henry Junior out the window back
, ,
to the woman across the table. Beverly was quite certain that he and not his brother was the

father of that boy. In fact Beverly had come back to the reservation with a hidden purpose.
Beverly Lamartine wanted to claim Henry Junior and take him home.

In the Twin Cities there were great relocation opportunities for Indians with a certain
amount of natural sticktoitiveness6 and pride. Thats how Beverly saw it. He was darker than

most but his parents had always called themselves French or Black Irish and considered those
who thought of themselves as Indians quite backward. They had put the need to get ahead in
Beverly. He worked devilishly hard.
Door to door,hed sold childrens afterschool home workbooks for the past eighteen
years. The wonder of it was that he had sold any workbook set at all,for he was not an
educated man and if the customers had,as they might naturally do,considered him an example
of his products efficiency they might not have entrusted their own children to those pages of

sums and reading exercises. But they did buy the workbook sets regularly for Bevs ploy was to
use his humble appearance and faulty grammar to ease into conversation with his hardworking

getahead customers. They looked forward to seeing the higher qualities which they could not
, 7
afford inculcated in their own children. Beverlys territory was a smalltown world of earnest
, ,
dreamers. Part of Bevs pitch and the one that usually sold the books was to show the wife or
husband a walletsized school photo of his son. That was Henry Junior. The back of the photo

was inscribed To Unce Bev ”,but the customer never saw that,because the precious relic was
encased in a cardboardbacked sheet of clear plastic. This covering preserved it from thousands
of milltoughened thumbs in the workingclass sections of Minneapolis and small towns within its
286
Unit 28 ( —) 露易丝·厄德里克
Louise Erdrich 1954


onehundredmile radius. Every year or so Beverly wrote to Lulu requesting another picture. It
was sent to him in perfect goodwill. With every picture Beverly grew more familiar with his son
, ,
and more inspired in the invention of tales he embroidered day after day on front porches that
were to him the innocent stages for his routine.
His son played baseball in a sparkingwhite uniform stained across the knees with grass. He
pitched nohitters every few weeks. Teachers loved the boy for getting so far ahead of the other

students on his own initiative. They sent him on to various higher grades and he was invited to
the parties of children in the wealthy suburb of Edina. Henry Junior cleared the hurdles of class
and intellect with an ease astonishing to Beverly ,who noted to his wishful customers how
swiftly the young surpass the older generation.
“Give them wings!”he would urge,flipping softly through the cheap pulpflecked pages.
The sound of the ruffled paper was like the panic of fledglings8 before they learn how to glide.

People usually bought and only later when they found themselves rolling up a workskills book

to slaughter fly or scribbling phone numbers down on the back of Math Enrichment would they
realize that their children had absolutely no interest in taking the world by storm through
selfenlightenment.
, ,
Some days after many hours of stories the son became so real in Bevs mind that when he

came home to the apartment he half expected the boy to pounce on him before he put his key in
, ,
the door. But when the lock turned his son vanished for Elsa would be there and she was not

particularly interested in children real or not. She was a typist who changed jobs incessantly.

Groomed with exquisite tawdriness shed fashioned for Bev the image of a modern woman

living the ideal of career life. Her salary only fluctuated by pennies from firm to firm but her
importance and value as a knowerofropes welled. She believed herself indispensable,but she

heartlessly left employers hanging in their times of worst need to go on to something better.
Beverly adored her.
, ,
She was a natural blond with birdlike legs and true no chin but great blue snapping eyes.
She smoked exotically,rolling smoke off her tongue,and often told Bev that two weeks from
now he might not be seeing her again. Then she would soften toward him. The possibilities she
, ,
gave up to be with him impressed Bev so much every time that it ceased to bother him that

Elsa only showed him off to her family in Saint Cloud at the height of summer when they
admired his perfect tan.
, , ,
The boy though who was everywhere in his life and yet nowhere fit less easily into

Bevs fantasy of how he lived. The boy made him ache in hidden surprising places sometimes

at night when he lay next to Elsa his knuckles resting lightly against her emphatic spine. That
was the limit of touching she would tolerate in slumber. She even took her sleeping breath with

a certain rigid meanness holding it stubbornly and releasing it with small explosive sighs. Bev
hardly noticed,though,for beside her his mind raced through the ceilings and walls.
287

One night he saw himself traveling. He was driving his sober green car westward past the

boundaries of his salesmans territory then over the state line and on across to the casual and
, ,
lonely fields the rich dry violet hills of the reservation. Then he was home where his son

really lived. Lulu came to the door. He habitually blotted away her face and body so that in his
thoughts she was a doll of flour sacking with a curly black mop on her head. She was simply
glad that he had come at last to take the son she had such trouble providing for off her hands.
She was glad Henry Junior would be wafted into a new and better metropolitan
existence. 10
This scenario became so real through the quite hours he lay beside Elsa that Bev even

convinced himself that his wife would take to Henry Junior in spite of the way she shuddered at
children in the streets and whispered “Monkeys!
”And then,by the time the next workday was
half over,hed arrange for vacation and made an appointment to have a onceover done on
his car.

Of course Lulu was not made of flour sacking and yam. Beverly had realized that in the
, ,
immediacy of her arms. She grabbed him for a hug when he got out his car and tired by the

long trip his head whirled for a moment in a haze of yellow spots. When she released him the,
, ,
boys sauntered up pokerfaced and mildly suspicious to stand in a group around him and await
their instructions. There seemed to be so many that at first he was speechless. Each of them was
, ,
Henry Junior in a different daydream at a different age and so alike were their flat expressions
he couldnt even pick out the one whose picture sold the record number of home workbooks in
, ,
the Upper Midwestern Regional Division. Henry Junior of course was perfectly recognizable

after Lulu introduced him. After all he did look exactly like the picture in Bevs wallet. He put
, ,
his hand out and shook manfully like his older brothers which pleased Bev although he had
trouble containing a moment of confusion at the utter indifference in the boys eyes. He had to
remember the boy was meeting him for the first time. In a childs world strange grownups are
indistinguishable as trees in a forest. Even the writing on the back of those photographs was
, ,
probably now that he thought of it Lulus.
, ,
They went away started shooting their guns and the Bev was left with the unexpected

problem of the mother of his son the woman he would just as soon forget. During a moment of
, ,
adjustment however he decided to go through whatever set of manipulations were necessary.
, ,
He wanted to handle the situation in the ideal firm but diplomatic manner. And then after ,

hed recovered from the strength of her hug ha had absolutely no doubt that things would go on
according to his plan.
“My my my,”he said to Lulu now. She was buttering a piece of bread soft as the plump
undersides of her arms. “Lots water under the dam. ”
She agreed,taking alert nips of her perfectly slice. She had sprinkled a teaspoon of sugar
over it,carefully distributing the grains. That was how she was. Even with eight boys her house
288
Unit 28 ( —) 露易丝·厄德里克
Louise Erdrich 1954

was neat as a pin. The candy bowl on the table sat precisely on its doily. All her furniture was
brushed and straightened. Her coffee table held a neat stack of Fate and True Adventure
magazines. On her walls hed hung matching framed portraits of poodles ,kittens and an
11
elaborate embroidered portrait of Chief Joseph . Her windowsills were decorated with
pincushions in the shapes of plump little hats and shoes.
“I make these. ”She cupped a tiny blue sequined pump in her hand. “You have a girl
friend?Ill give it to you. Here. ”
She pushed the little shoes across the table. It skittered over the edge,fell into his lap,and
Beverly retrieved it quickly,for he saw that her hand was following. He set the blue slipper
between them without addressing her implicit question on his status—girl friend,married,or
just looking around. He was intent on bringing up the subject of Henry Junior.
“Remember that time 爥 ”he started. There he didnt know what he was going to say.
What did come out surprised him. “You and me and Henry were playing cards before you got
married and the boys were sleeping?
”He could have kicked himself for having blurted that out.
Even after all these years he couldnt touch on the memory without running a hand across his
face or whistling tunelessly to drive it from his mind. It didnt seem to have bothered her all
these years though. She picked up the story smoothly and went on.
“Oh,you men,”she laughed childingly. Her face was so little like Beverlys flour sacking
doll he wondered how he had stood imagining her that way all these years. Her mouth was

small mobile ,like a puckering flower,and her teeth were unusually tiny and white. He
remembered having the urge to lick their smoothness once. But now she was talking.
“I suppose you thought you could take advantage of a poor young woman. I dont know
who it was,you or Henry,that suggested after several too many beers that we change our
pennyante poker game to strip. Well I still have to laugh. I had you men right down to your

boxer shorts in no time flat and I was still in my dress with my shoes on my feet. ”
“You had them beads on,clip earrings,bangle bracelets,silk stockings,”Beverly pouted.
“Garters and other numerous foundation garments. Of course I did. I am a woman of
detachable parts. You should know by now. You simply werent playing in your league with
strip poker. ”

She had the grace to put a hand to her lips as they uncurved hiding the little gaptoothed
smile hed doted over at the time of that game.
“Want to know something I never told before?”she said. “It was after I won you shorts
with my pair of deuces and Henrys with my eights,and you were naked,that I decided which
one to marry. ”
Beverly was shocked at this statement,bold even for Lulu. His wind felt knocked out of
him for a moment ,because her words called up the old times so clearly,the way he felt
12

when she decided to marry his brother. Hed buried the feelings eventually in the knowledge that
289

she wasnt right for him man of the world that he was becoming. He congratulated himself for
, ,
years after on getting free of her slack ambitionless but mindlessly powerful female clutches.
Right now his reasoning had ripped wide open, however, and jealously kicked him in
the stomach.
, ,
Lulu cooed. Her voice was like a wind chime rattling. Cheap sweet maddening. “Some
men react in that situation and some dont,
”she told him. “It was reaction I looked for,if you
know what I mean. ”
Beverly was silent.

Lulu winked at him with her bold gleaming blackberry eyes. She had smooth tight skin ,

wrinkled only where she laughed always fragrantly powdered. At the time her hair was still

dark and thickly curled. Later she would burn it off when her house caught fire and it would
, ,
never grow back. Because her face was soft and yet alert vigilant as some small cats plump
and tame but with a wildness in its breast. Beverly had always felt exposed ,preyed on,
undressed around her,even before the game in which shed stripped him naked and now,as he
found,appraised him in his shame.
You got your reaction when you needed it,he wanted to say.
Yet,even in his mounting exasperation,he did not lose control and stoop to discussing
what had happened after Henrys wake,when they both went outside to get some air. He rolled
his sleeves down and fished a soft pack of Marlboros from her side of the table. She watched his

hand as he struck the match and her eyes narrowed. They were so black the iris sometimes
, ,
showed within like blue flames. He thought her heartless suddenly and wondered if she even
remembered the two of them in the shed after Henrys wake. But there was no good way he
could think of to ask without getting back down to her level.
Henry Junior came to the window ,hungry,and Lulu made a sandwich for him with
baloney and hotdog relish. The boy was seven years old,sturdy,with Lulus delicate skin and
the almost Asianlooking eyes of all the Lamartines. Beverly watched the boy with electrified

attention. He couldnt really say if anything about the child reminded him of himself unless it
was the gaze. Beverly had tried to train his gaze like a hawk to use in barroom staredowns
, ,
during his tour of duty. It came in handy as well when he made a sale although civilian life
, , ,
had long ago taken the edge off his intensity as it had his muscles his heros stubborn sagging
flesh that he could still muster in a crisis. There was a crisis now. The boy seemed to have
acquired the staredown technique naturally. Beverly was the first to look away.
“Uncle Bev,”Henry Junior said. “I always heard about the bird on your arm. Could you
make it fly?

So Beverly rolled up shirt sleeve once more and forced his blood up. He flexed powerfully,
over and over,until the boy was bored,satisfied,and fled back to his brothers. Beverly let his
arm down carefully. It was numb. The sound of the .22 reports came thick and fast for a while,
290
Unit 28 ( —) 露易丝·厄德里克
Louise Erdrich 1954

then all the boys paused to reload and set the jugs in a line against the fence and argue over
whose shot went where.
“Theyre teaching him to shoot,”explained Lulu. “We had two bucks brought down last
fall. And pheasants?Those boys will always put meat on my table. ”
She rambled on about them all,and Bev listened with relief,gathering his strength to pull
the conversation back his way again.

One of the oldest boys was going down to Haskell Junior College while another Gerry , ,
was testing the limits of the mission school system ,at twelve. Lulu pointed Gerry out among
13

the others. Bev could see Lulu most clearly in this boy. He laughed at everything,or seemed
barely to be keeping amusement in. His eyes were black,sly,snapping with sparks. He led the
rest in play without a hint of effort,just like Lulu,whose gestures worked as subtle magnets.
He was a big boy,a born leader,light on his feet and powerful. His mind seemed quick. It
would not surprise Bev to hear,after many years passed on,that this Gerry grew up to be both
a natural criminal and a hero whose face appeared on the sixoclock news.

Lulu managed to make the younger boys obey perfectly. Bev noticed while the older ones
adored her to point that they did not tolerate anything less from anyone else. As her voice

swirled on Bev thought of some Tarzan14 book he had read. In that book there was a queen
protected by bloodthirsty warriors who smoothly dispatched all of her enemies. Lulus boys had

grown into a kind of pack. They always hung together. When a shot went true their gangling

legs encased alike in faded denim 15
,shifted as if a ripple went through them collectively.
They moved in dance steps too intricate for the noninitiated eye to imitate or understand. Clearly
, , ,
they were of one soul. Handsome rangy wildly various they were bound in total loyalty not ,

by oath but by the simple unquestioning belongingness of part of one organism.
Lulu had gone silent,suddenly,to fetch something from her icebox. In that quiet moment
something about the boys outside struck Beverly as almost dangerous.
He watched them close around Henry Junior in an impenetrable mass of blackandwhite
, ,
sneakers sweatshirts baseball hats and butts of Marlin rifles. Through the chinks between the
, ,
bodies Beverly saw Gerry dark and electric as his mother kneel behind Henry Junior and arm
overarm instruct him how to cradle ,aim,and squeezefire the 22. When Henry Junior
stumbled,kicked backward by the recoil,missing the jug,the boys dusted him clean and set
him back behind the rifle again. Slowly,as he watched,Beverlys uneasy sense of menance
gave way to some sweet apprehension of their kinship. He was remembering the way he and
, ,
Henry and Slick the oldest of his brothers used to put themselves on the line for each other in
high school. People used to say you couldnt drive a knife edge between the Lamartines.
Nothing ever came between them. Nothing ever did or would.

291
Questions for Discussion

1. What do you think is Beverlys purpose of claiming Henry Junior Do you agree with
Beverly that Elsa would take to the child ?

2. What does the remembered poker game tell us about Lulu What do you think of her
personality as a whole ?
3. What are the possible effects of the time leaps in the story ?
Notes
1. flexed his arm:弯曲他的手臂
2. Twin Cities:指位于明尼苏达州 (Minnesota )东南部密西西比河两岸的明尼阿波
利斯市(Minneapolis)和圣保罗市(St. Paul)。
3. a black swastika on torn red cloth :一块红色破布上有个纳粹党的黑色十字记
4. boot camp :美国海军新兵训练营
5. Give or take a week:出入至多一周。指从贝弗利与露露同房到露露怀上小亨利之
间的时间。
6. sticktoitiveness:是 sticktoitive 的名词,意为坚定不移,坚持不懈。
7. inculcated :反复灌输
8. fledglings:刚学会飞的幼鸟
9. a knowerofropes:行家里手
10. Henry Junior would be wafted into a new and better metropolitan
existence:小亨利将被吹进一种全新且更好的大都市生活。
11. Chief Joseph :约瑟夫酋长 (1840 —1904 ),是美国西北部一印第安草原游牧部落
Nez Perce 的领袖,因武装抵抗白人入侵而著名。
12. His wind felt knocked out of him for a moment:wind :咽下的气。句意:他吓
了一跳。
13. mission school system:白人传教士为印第安人孩子办的学校
14. Tarzan :美国电影《人猿泰山》中的主人公
15. in faded denim:穿着褪色了的斜纹粗布裤子

292
293
!

, ,a term derived from Albert Camuss existentialism,which refers to the


Absurd the
modern sense of human purposelessness and the paralysis of human aspiration. Martin Esslin

coined the phrase Theatre of the Absurd in 1961 the classic work of which is Samuel Becketts
Waiting for Godot (1952 ). Other dramatists associated with it include Edward Albee,Jean
Genet and Harold Pinter.
, , “
alliteration the repetition of the initial consonants of neighboring words such as in lord
of language. ”It is also known as “head rhyme”or “initial rhyme”.
allegory,a narrative or description in which persons,places and things often point to a
parallel sequence of symbolic ideas. Allegory often takes the form of a story in which the
characters represent moral qualities.
, , ,
allusion an indirect reference to some event person place or artistic work. The writer
does not explain it and its realization relies on readers familiarity with what is mentioned. It is
an effective means to call upon the history or literary tradition which writer and reader are
supposed to share.
, ,
Angry Young Men the a group of young novelists and playwrights with lowermiddle
class or workingclass background in the mid 1950s and early 1960s ,who demonstrated a
particular disillusion over the depressing situation in Britain and launched a bitter protest against
the outmoded social and political values in their society. Kingsley Amis is a leading figure of
this group.

antagonist the most important character who opposes the protagonist or hero in an artistic
work.
antihero / antiheroine ,a protagonist who lacks conventional heroic qualities such as
, ,
idealism courage or morality. Such an individual often possesses dark personality traits such as
disagreeableness,dishonesty,and aggressiveness,yet he or she is not a villain or a satiric
figure,rather they suggest that in the 20 century the older heroic virtues have become
th

meaningless to some writers. Satan in John Miltons Paradise Lost and Rip Van Winkle created
by Washington Irving are famous antihero images.
, ,
antinovel a term coined by French critic J. P. Sartre refers to any experimental work of
fiction that avoids certain traditional elements of novelwriting like the analysis of characters
states of mind. The antinovel usually fragments and distorts the experience of its characters ,
forcing the reader to construct the reality of the story from a disordered narrative.

asides words spoken to the audience by an actor which the other actors are supposed not to
hear.

294
assonance ,the repetition of the same or similar vowels in the stressed syllables of
Appendix Glossary of Literary Terms

, “ ”
neighboring words such as sweet dream . It can substitute the end rhyme sometimes.
avantgarde,an original French military and political term indicating the pioneer of an
army or political movement. Since the late 19 century,it has been used to refer to those artists
th

and writers who revolt against tradition and make experiment with art.

"


ballad a folk song or orally transmitted poem telling some popular story in a simple and
dramatic way. It appeared in the late Middle Ages in many parts of Europe and flourished parti

cularly in Scotland from the 15 th century onward. Since the 18 th century some romantic poets
have written imitations of its form and style.
, , ,
Beat Generation the a group of authors called new Bohemian libertines whose literature

explored and influenced American culture in the postWorld War Ⅱ era who were engaged in a
, ,
spontaneous sometimes messy creativity. The Beat writers produced a body of written work
controversial both for its advocacy of nonconformity and for its nonconforming style. Allen
Ginsbergs Howl became the manifesto of The Beat Generation. Other representatives are Jack
Kerouacs On the Road and William S. Burroughss Naked Lunch.
, ,
Black humor also known as black comedy is a kind of writing that places grotesque

elements side by side with humorous ones in an attempt to shock the reader forcing him or her
to laugh at the horrifying reality of a disordered world. It is humor out of despair and laughter
out of tears. Black humor conveys anguish and fury at conditions in which institutionalized
, ,
absurdity gets the upper hand. It intends to satirize hypocrisy materialism racial prejudice and

above all the dehumanization of the individual by a modern society. Black humor prevails in
Modern American literature.

blank verse unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter. It echoes the natural rhythms of speech
, ,
and is widely used in narrative and meditative poems. Shakespeare Wordsworth and Tennyson
have written blank verse. Blank verse should not be confused with free verse which has no
regular meter.
Byronic Hero is a proud , mysterious rebel figure of noble origin. With immense
superiority in his passions and powers,this Byronic Hero would carry on his shoulders the
burden of righting all the wrongs in a corrupt society. And he would rise singlehandedly against
any kind of tyrannical rules either in government ,in religion or in moral principles with
unconquerable will and inexhaustible energies.

, , ,
canon books recognized by authority especially by critics or anthologists and perceived
295
suitable for academic study.

character the personage in a narrative or dramatic work. E. M. Forster makes a distinction
between flat and round characters. The former are simple and unchanging ;the latter are
complex and dynamic. The representation of characters is called characterization.

chronological structure the use of time references to organize the episodes of a story.
This kind of structure is important in stories in which action is significantly related to the passing
of time.

climax the most intense or highest point of action where a crisis is reached and resolution
achieved.

comedy a play usually with a happy ending chiefly aiming to amuse its audience by
representing everyday life and exploring common human failings. It dates back to the Greek

playwright Aristophanes. Shakespeare Oscar Wilde and Bernard Shaw are masters of comedy.
, ,
conceit a farfetched simile or an extended metaphor the term generally associated with
the 17th century metaphysical poets. A literary conceit occurs when the speaker compares two
highly dissimilar things. An example occurs in John Donnes A Valediction : Forbidding

Mourning in which a couple faced with absence from each other is likened to a compass.

conflict the struggle between opposing forces in a story. Conflict may be external either,
between two characters or between a character and some nonhuman force or condition. It may

also be internal. Often both types of conflict occur simultaneously the outer struggle reflecting
the inner.

connotation the further associations that a word or phrase have besides its dictionary
( )
meaning the denotation . For example the word , “bird ”denotes a flying creature,but also
implies freedom and energy.

consonance the repetition of the same or similar consonants in the neighboring words ,
such as “hot foot”. It can be regarded as the counterpart to assonance.
couplet,a style of poetry defined as a complete thought written in two lines with rhyming
ends. The most popular is the heroic couplet,which consists of two rhyming lines of iambic
pentameter usually having a pause in the middle of each line. Shakespeare likes to end a sonnet

with a couplet as in Sonnet 18 ”:So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this,and this gives life to thee.


defamiliarization the device of disrupting habitual perception of the world and making
familiar objects strange. Russian formalist Shklovsky argues that art exists in order to recover the
sensation of life which is destroyed in the automatized routine of everyday experience.

296

Deism refers to the belief that God began life but man should use reason to understand the
Appendix Glossary of Literary Terms


world around them. Deists believe in the existence of God but reject providence and revelation.
They agree that God begins the universe and leaves it to run according to its own natural laws. It

is up to man to take heed of these laws. It they do so their lives could be happy and virtuous.
“ ”
With this there comes the view that all man are entitled to share in the pursuit of happiness in
, ,
their own time. As an individual man is a blank page and he writes his own life story subject
to his surroundings.
, ,
denouement the event or events following the major climax of a plot or the unravelling
of a plots complication at the end of a story.

dramatic monologue a type of poem written as a speech in which a speaker addresses a
silent listener. Robert Brownings My Last Duchess is a case in point.


Ecocriticism a literary approach that examines the interconnections between nature and

culture specifically the cultural artifacts of languages and literature. Its basic premise is that

human culture is connected to the physical world affecting it and affected by it. As a theoretical

discourse it negotiates between the human and the nonhuman. The scope of Ecocriticism has

broadened rapidly from nature writing Romantic poetry and canonical literature to film TV, ,
theatre,animal stories,architectures,scientific narratives and an extraordinary range of literary
texts. At the same time,it has borrowed methodologies from fields of literary,social and
scientific studies.
, ,
elegy a lyric poem lamenting a dead friend or a public figure. Shelleys Adonais is on the

death of Keats and Whitman commemorates Abraham Lincoln in his When Lilacs Last in the

Dooryard Bloomd. In a broader sense an elegy may be a poem reflecting on a solemn subject ,
such as lifes shortness or its sorrows.

epic a long narrative poem celebrating the great deeds of some legendary heroes. Homers
Iliad and Odyssey are traditional epics. Virgil and Milton are two masters following Homer.
Epics typically chronicle the origins of a civilization and embody its cultural values. The Anglo
Saxon poem Beowulf is known as Englands national epic.

epiphany the term in Christian theology referring to a manifestation of Gods presence in

the world. In a literary work an epiphany is a sudden revelation of an essential truth about a
character or about the human condition. James Joyce adopts it in his novels to mean a special
moment of sudden insight.

episode an incident or scene that forms part of a narrative. Some stories consist of only
one episode;more commonly they have several,which are linked to form the plot. When a

story consists of a series of incidents which are only loosely and superficially tied together its
structure is described as episodic.
297

Existentialism a philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual

experience in a hostile or indifferent universe regards human existence as unexplainable and
stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of ones acts. Its famous

motto is existence precedes essence . ”
, ,
exposition a certain amount of information usually given at the beginning of the story ,
about the plot,about what has already happened,and the events which are to come.

&


fable a tale that conveys a moral lesson often by giving human speech and manners to
animals.

Feminism incorporates both a doctrine of equal rights for women and an ideology of social
transformation aiming to create a world for women beyond simple social equality. In general ,
Feminism is ideology of womens liberation based on the belief that women suffer injustice
because of their sex. Under this broad umbrella various kinds of Feminism offer differing

analyses of the causes or agents of female oppression. Definitions of Feminism by feminists
, , ,
tend to be shaped by their training ideology or race. So for example Marxist and socialist
feminists stress the interaction within feminism of class with gender and focus on social
distinctions between men and women. Black feminists argue much more for an integrated
analysis which can unlock the multiple systems of oppression.
figures of speech ,the rhetorical devices often used to give decorative and imaginative
expression to literature. For example,simile,metaphor,pun,irony.
flashback,a term,probably derived from the cinema,to describe any scene or episode
which is inserted to show events that happened at an earlier time.

foot a group of syllables taken as a unit of poetic meter. The foot in English verses is
counted as being either stressed or unstressed. The most common feet are the iamb (unstressed
followed by stressed,like to be )and the trochee (stressed followed by unstressed,like beat
it). The number of feet in a line determines the description of its length. A line of five feet is a
pentameter.

foreshadowing the technique of arranging events and information in a narrative in such a
way that later events are prepared for or shadowed forth beforehand.

'


genre the French word for a type or species. The term is used simultaneously for the basic
( , , ),for the categories of writing (poetry,prose,
modes of literary art lyric narrative dramatic
fiction),and for some subcategories (sonnet,picaresque novel;novella,epigram;satire,
298
Appendix Glossary of Literary Terms

; , )
comedy pastoral science fiction .
Gothic novel,the subgenre of Gothic horror,a genre or mode of literature and film that
combines fiction and horror,death,and at times romance. It originates in England in the second
half of the 18 century [Horace Walpoles The Castle of Otranto (1764 )is regarded as the
th

“first Gothic novel ”] and has much success in the 19 ,as witnessed by Mary Shelleys
th

Frankenstein and the works of Edgar Allan Poe.


Harlem Renaissance a period of outstanding literary vigor and creativity that occurred in
the United States during the 1920s. The Harlem Renaissance changed the images of literature
created by many black and white American writers. New black images were no longer obedient
and docile. Instead they showed a new confidence and racial pride. The center of this movement
was the vast black ghetto of Harlem in New York City. The leading figures are Langston

Hughes James W. Johnson etc.,
HemingwayCode Hero, one who, wounded but strong, more sensitive, enjoys the
pleasures of life (sex,alcohol,sport)in face of ruin and death,and maintains,through some
notion of a code,an ideal of himself. Barnes in The Sun Also Rises,Henry in A Farewell to
Arms and Santiago in The Old Man and the Sea are typical of HemingwayCode Heroes.

hero / heroine the main character in a novel or drama. It is interchangeably used with the
term protagonist.

hyperbole an extravagant exaggeration ,often used for emphasis or vivid descriptions.
This device is even a part of our daytoday speech:‘She has grown like a bean sprout. ’‘Im
older than the hills. ’
humanism,the essence of Renaissance,emphasizes the dignity of human beings and the
importance of the present life. Humanists voice their beliefs that man is the center of the
universe and man has both the right to enjoy the beauty of the present life and the ability to
perfect himself and to perform wonders.


imagery a literary term referring to the uses of language that evoke senseimpressions as
opposed to the language of abstract argument or exposition. The imagery comprises the set of
images that appeal to senses other than sight.

Imagism the poetic practice of a group of American and British poets between 1912 and

1917. Under the influence of Japanese haiku and some Greek lyrics these imagists prefer to

short concise and direct poems centering on single images. Key imagists include Ezra Pound , 299
, ,and William Carlos Williams.
Amy Lowell H. D.
irony,in its broadest sense,is a rhetorical device,literary technique,or event in which
what appears,on the surface,to be the case,differs radically from what is actually the case.
Irony may be divided into categories such as verbal,dramatic,and situational. Verbal irony is
a statement in which the meaning that a speaker employs is sharply different from the meaning
that is ostensibly expressed. Dramatic irony means the incongruity created when the (tragic )
significance of a characters speech or actions is revealed to the audience but unknown to the
character concerned. Situational irony is most broadly defined as a situation where the outcome
is incongruous with what was expected.

, ,
Jazz Age the period of the 1920s and 1930s is often referred to in conjunction with the
Roaring Twenties particularly in North America. With the rise of the great depression ,the
values of this age saw much decline. Perhaps the most representative literary work of the age is
Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby. Highlighting what some describe as the decadence and
, ,
hedonism as well as the growth of individualism fitzgerald is largely credited with coining the

term Jazz Age . ”

juxtaposition refers to the way that episodes or elements of a plot are located next to one
another to contribute to the design of a story.


legend stories passed down through oral tradition. They are usually unreliable accounts of
, ,
historical persons like saints warriors or popular heroes based on some kind of historical basis.
King Arthur and His Knights and Robin Hood are known legends in English tradition.

literary devices the devices commonly used in literature to give added depth to a work.
For example,imagery,symbolism,allusions,point of view.
local colorism,the writings of local colorists that are concerned with the life of a small,
welldefined region or province,usually isolated. Local colorists were consciously nostalgic
historians of a vanishing way of life,recorders of a present that faded before their eyes. Yet for
all their sentimentality,they dedicated themselves to minutely accurate descriptions of the life of
their regions,worked from personal experience to record the facts of a local environment and
suggested that the native life was shaped by the curious conditions of the local.
, ,
Lost Generation the a term first used by G. Stein to describe the postWWⅠ generation
of American writers:men and women haunted by a sense of betrayal and emptiness brought
about by the destructiveness of the war. Full of youthful idealism,these individuals sought the
300
Appendix Glossary of Literary Terms

, ,
meaning of life drank excessively had love affairs and created some of the finest American
literature to date. F. Scott Fitzgerald,Ernest Hemingway and John dos Passos are the known
representatives.
, ,
lyric any short poem expressing the speakers personal mood feeling or meditation. The
most common emotions expressed in lyrics are love and grief. Lyrics are the most extensive
, , ,
category of verse the forms of which include sonnet ode elegy and haiku.

Magic Realism ,a kind of modern fiction in which fabulous and fantastical events are
included in a narrative that otherwise maintains the “reliable ”tone of objective realistic report.
The term has been extended to works from very different cultures,designating a tendency of the
modern novel to reach beyond the confines of realism and draw upon the energies of fable,
folktale and myth while retaining a strong contemporary social relevance.
metafiction ,fiction about fiction , or more especially a kind of fiction that openly
comments on its own fiction status. The term is normally used for works that involve a

significant degree of selfconsciousness about themselves as fictions in ways that go beyond
occasional apologetic addresses to the reader. A notable modern example is John Fowles The

French Lieutenants Woman in which Fowles interrupts the narrative to explain his procedures ,
and offers the reader alternative endings.

metaphor the most important figure of speech ,in which one thing,idea or action is
referred to by a word or expression denoting another thing,idea or action which has some
common quality with the former. A comparison is usually implicit in the remark “He is a lion in
battle. ”In poetry,metaphor is often used to create new combinations of ideas.
meter,the pattern of measured soundunits recurring more or less regularly in lines of
verse. English meters are named after the feet:a diameter as two feet,a trimeter three,a
tetrameter four,a pentameter five,a hexameter six,and a heptameter seven.
metonymy,a figure of speech in which a thing or concept is called not by its own name
but rather by the name of something associated in meaning with that thing or concept. In the

expression The pen is mightier than the sword ”,pen and sword are metonyms for written ideas
and military force. A countrys capital city or some location within the city is frequently used as

a metonymy for the countrys government such as Washington D. C. , ,in the USA;Ottawa in
Canada;New Delhi in India;Downing Street in the UK and the Kremlin in Russia. Similarly,
other important places,such as Wall Street,Madison Avenue,Silicon Valley,Hollywood,
Negril,and Detroit are commonly used to refer to the industries that are located there (finance,
advertising,high technology,entertainment,tourism,and motor vehicles,respectively).
modernism ,a general term applied to the experimental and avantgarde trends in literature
301
and other arts of the early 20 th century. In fiction ,modernist writers like James Joyce and
William Faulkner , deliberately disrupted the continuity of chronological development and
favored techniques of juxtaposition and multiple point of view and attempted new ways of tracing
the consciousness of characters thoughts. In poetry ,Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot preferred
fragmentary images and complex allusions to the logical expression of thoughts. In theatre ,
Luigi Pirandello and Bertolt Brecht initiated new forms of abstraction to replace realist and
naturalist productions. Modernist writing is mainly about city life and expresses a sense of
alienation and dislocation.

myth a fictional narrative usually in supernatural or imaginative terms to express collective
attitudes to fundamental matters of life ,death,divinity and existence. Many myths explain

something about the cosmos mans condition or human society. Compared with legends myths ,
have more historical basis.


narrator one who tells the story in a certain narrative. A narrator is distinguished from the
real author. Narrators vary according to the degree of their involvement in stories. In first
, ;
person narratives they act as witnesses or participate in the events in thirdperson narratives ,

they stand out of the events an omniscient narrator does not participate in the events but enjoys
the privileges such as access to characters thoughts. Further distinction may be made between
reliable narrators who always tell the truth and unreliable narrators who do not. And a clear

distinction should be also made between Author Narrator and Character even though in some
texts these may appear to be the same.

naturalism a kind of realism with the view that human beings are passive victims of

natural forces and social circumstances. Naturalist fictions aim to be objective offering detailed
and fully researched investigations into unexplored corners of modern society. Emile Zola ,
Stephen Crance ,Theodore Dreiser,Frank Norris,George Moore and George Gissing are
representatives of such genre.

New Criticism a movement in American literary criticism from the 1930s to the 1960s ,
concentrating on the verbal complexities and ambiguities of short poems considered as self
sufficient objects without attention to their origins or effects. The name comes from John
Chrisoms book The New Criticism.

Nonfiction any prose narrative that tells about things as the actually happened or that
presents factual information about something. The purpose of this kind of writing is to give a
presumably accurate accounting of a persons life. Writers of nonfiction use the major forms of

discourse description (an impression of the subject );narration (the telling of the story );
exposition (explanatory information);persuasion (an argument to influence peoples thinking).
302
Appendix Glossary of Literary Terms

Forms: autobiography, biography, essay, story, editorial, letters to the editor found in
newspaper,diary,journal,travel literature.


Oedipus Complex a term coined by Sigmund Freud to designate a sons subconscious
feeling of love toward his mother and jealousy and hatred toward his father. D. H. Lawrences
Sons and Lovers is a case in point. Its counterpart is Electra Complex —a daughters
subconscious feeling of love toward her father and jealousy and hatred toward her mother.

Ottava Rima a form of eightline iambic stanza rhyming abababcc. Byrons Don Juan is
an outstanding example.

, ,
parable a story that takes the form of a simple allegory using humble characters and
situations to illustrate a moral.

paradox a statement or situation that contains seemingly contradictory or absurd elements
turns out to make sense.
, , ,
parody a humorous piece of writing drama or music which imitates a literary work the ,
style of a wellknown person or represents a familiar situation in an exaggerated way.

pastoral a conventional mode that celebrates the innocent life of musical shepherds and
shepherdesses in poems ,plays and prose romances. The motif is often about the love and
sorrows of shepherds who live in their innocence and idleness. Such mode can be dated back to
, , ,
the Greek idylls. Spenser Shakespeare Marlowe Milton and Shelley are masters of the genre.
, ;
pathos a feeling of deep pity for those who suffer also used of a story or passage which
evokes feelings of tenderness ,pity or sorrow. In criticism ,the pathetic and the tragic are
regarded as different. The pathetic suffer is an innocent victim and lacks the strong will and
purpose of the tragic figure.

persona the author in his role of storyteller. In some cases the persona is an unseen voice ;
“”,the pronoun referring not to a character but to the writer
in others he appears as a nameless I
himself. When the narrator of a story is an actual character,the term does not apply.
picaresque ,a kind of story that blends comedy and satire. It tells the adventures of a knave
or picaroon who is the servant of several masters. Through his experience this picaroon satirizes
the society in which he lives.

plot the pattern of events in a narrative or dramatic work. A distinction between plot and
story should be made. While story means the raw material of events having taken place in their
natural order. Plots may be tightly knit or loosely episodic. Generally ,plots will trace the 303
progress of change in which characters are caught up in a developing conflict that finally resolved.

point of view the position from which the events are witnessed and presented. Basically ,

there are two kinds of point of view firstperson narratives and thirdperson narratives. A first
person narrators point of view will often be confined to his own knowledge and experience. A
thirdperson narrator may be omniscient or limited to one character or a group of characters. In
, “ ”
modern fictions there appears multiple point of view in which events are presented from the
positions of more than one character.
postmodernism ,a general term referring to the cultural condition prevailing in the

advanced capitalist societies since the 1960s characterized by a superabundance of disconnected
images and styles. This term is ambiguous,implying either that modernism has been superseded
or that it has continued into a new phase. Compared with modernists who seek a meaning in a
chaotic world , postmodernists embrace depthless works , fragmentary sensations , eclectic
nostalgia and a liberation from the hierarchy of high and low cultures. Typical postmodern
, ,
writers include Thomas Pynchon Kurt Vonnegut Vladimir Nabokov etc. ,

prose a form of writing that is not organized according to the formal patterns of verse. Its
unit is the sentence rather than the line.

Puritanism refers to the practices and beliefs of the Puritans in the New Continent which,
affirms that the universe is wholly controlled by God. God is all and man is nothing as God causes

every birth and death bumper harvests and crushing disasters. All events within the universe
testify Gods existence and His power. All is for the best and all is just as men and women rich,
, , ,
or poor are equal in Gods sight. All the Puritans stressed hard work thrift piety and sobriety.

They embraced hardships but denied any kind of physical pleasure. The pioneering spirit and the
doityourself spirit as well as individualism among American people all somewhat originate from

Puritanism. Doctrinally puritans were greatly influenced by Calvinism.


realism a term referring both to a literary method based on detailed and faithful recording
of life and to a general attitude that rejects romances by recognizing the necessity to reflect the
actual problems of life. The dominant realist trend can be mostly found in the 19 th century
, , ,
novels and dramas. Novelists including Balzac Flaubert George Eliot Dickens and Howells ,
as well as dramatists including Ibsen and Shaw all fall into this category. Though modernism

prevails and seems to replace realism in the 20 th century realism still manages to survive as a
major current of fiction sometimes under the label of neorealism.
, ,
rhyme the identity of sound between syllables usually at the end of the verse lines. The
rhyming element may be a monosyllable (love / above ),or two syllables (whether / together ).
Although end rhymes are most often used,internal rhymes within the same line are also found.
304
Appendix Glossary of Literary Terms


Besides rhyme is not essential to poetry.
romance ,a story that depicts the adventures of idealized characters in some remote or
enchanted settings,which as a literary tendency opposes to realism. The term mainly refers to
the medieval chivalric romances concentrating on courtly love and adventures,such as the tales
about King Arthur and his knights. Later romances prefer allegory and psychological

exploration as in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Blithedale Romance. Modern science fiction and
detective story can also be regarded as variants of the romance.

Romanticism a modern term applied to the shift in Western attitudes to art and human

creativity. The Romantic Movement emerged in the 1790s in Germany and Britain and in the
1820s in France and elsewhere. It rejected the rationality of the Enlightenment and turned to
freedom of individual selfexpression ,imagination and aspiration. ,spontaneity and
Sincerity
originality became the new standards in literature. Poets such as Wordsworth,Coleridge,Keats,
Shelley and Byron,as well as novelists like Poe,and Walter Scott and Mary Shelley were
representatives of the trend. Though challenged by realism and naturalism in the second half of

the 19 th century Romanticism always has a constant presence in Western literature.

, ,
satire a literary work that criticizes human misconduct and ridicules vices stupidities and
follies. Satire relies upon witty,and often amusing verbal devices such as irony,exaggeration
and fantasy and provokes laughter as a means to the end of ridiculing what is silly or vicious.

scene the subdivision of an act in a play. It often represents actions happening in one place
at one time,and is marked off by a curtain,a blackout or a brief emptying of the stage.
science fiction,usually abbreviated to SF,a branch of fiction that explores the possible
consequences of some transformation either brought by high technology or mutation of biological

or physical reality. It often involves time and space travel extraterrestrial invasion or ecological
disaster. SF was popular during the 1950s and has important influence on some postmodernist
fictions.

selfreflexive a term referring to literary works that openly reflect on their own fictional
status and the process of composition. Selfreflexivity is one of the important features of
postmodern fictions and poetry.

soliloquy a dramatic speech articulated by one character alone on the stage. It reveals the

characters inner thoughts and feelings to the audience. Soliloquy is a form of monologue but a
monologue is not a soliloquy if the speaker is not alone.

sonnet a lyric poem consisting of 14 rhyming lines of equal length. In English it is often
in the pattern of iambic pentameters. The sonnet originated in Italy in the 14 th century and came
to be adopted in England 2 centuries later. It was a major form of love poetry and its scope was
305
then extended to religion and politics. During the romantic period the sonnet was revived and is
, , ,
still widely used now. John Donne Milton Shakespeare Wordsworth and Keats are all masters
of such genre. An English or Shakespearean sonnet consists of three quatrains and a couplet ,
rhyming abab cdcd efef gg,while an Italian or Petranrchan sonnet composes of an octave (8
lines)and sestet (6 lines),rhyming abba abba cdecde / cdcdcd.
Spenserian stanza,creation of Edmund Spenser,refers to a stanza of nine lines,with the
first eight lines in iambic pentameter and the last line in iambic hexameter,rhyming ababbcbcc.
Spensers The Faerie Queen was written in this kind of stanza.
, ,
stanza a group of verse lines forming a section of a poem. In printed poems stanzas are
separated by spaces. The term in English poetry is most often applied to groups of 4 lines.
, , ,
stream of consciousness the continuous flow of senses impressions thoughts feelings ,

and memories in the human mind or a literary device of representing such mental process. It
intervenes the summarizing and selecting narrator , mingles them with impressions and

perceptions or violates the norms of grammar ,syntax and logic. An important device of

modernist fiction and its later imitations the technique was widely adopted by James Joyce ,
Virginia Woolf and William Faulkner.

style the manner in which a writer says things. The analysis and assessment of style

involves examination of a writers choice of words his figures of speech ,the shape of his

sentences the shape of his paragraphs —indeed,of every conceivable aspect of his language and
the way in which he uses it.
, ,
symbol anything that represents something else usually an idea conventionally associated
with it. Objects ,words and images can all function as symbols to bring further significant
associations with them. Roses,mountains,voyages have been common literary symbols. A
symbol differs from a metaphor in that it is often a substantial image in its own right,around
which further significance may gather. For instance,in Melvilles Moby Dick,the White Whale
is a creature itself and at the same time it becomes a focus for many different suggested
, , ,
meanings. Poets like Coleridge Blake and Yeats as well as novelists like Melville and D. H.
Lawrence are famous for their reliance upon enigmatic symbols.
, , “ ”
synecdoche a part of something often used for the whole as when people refer to head
of cattle or assistants are referred to as “hands ”. “20 ,000 hungry mouths to feed ” is a
synecdoche because mouths are a part of the people referred to. “Australia votes ” is also a
synecdoche because Australia is a whole of which the people who voted are a part.


Terza Rima an Italian verse that consists of a series threeline stanzas in which the middle
line of each stanza rhymes with the first and third lines of the following stanza with the rhyming
306
Appendix Glossary of Literary Terms


scheme aba bcb cdc ded爥 Shellys Ode to the West Wind is a case in point.
text ,the actual wording of a written work,which is different from a readers interpretation
of its story,character, theme,etc. ;or a specific work as the object of analysis.
theme,an abstract idea that emerges from a literary works treatment of its subject.
tone ,the mood or atmosphere of a work,or the writers attitude toward the subjectmatter,
and the reader.
tragedy,a serious play representing the downfall of its protagonist. The famous Greek
tragedians include Aeschylus,Euripides and Sophocles. Aristotle made the most influential
definition of tragedy in his Poetics:the imitation of an action that is serious and complete,
achieving a catharsis through incidents arousing pity and terror. The protagonist is led into a fatal
calamity by his error. English tragedies of Shakespeares time was not based directly on Greek
examples but drew inspirations from Roman revenge tragedies. Modern tragedies are normally
about social and domestic problems.
, ,
tragicomedy a play that combines elements of tragedy and comedy either by providing a
happy ending to a possible tragic story or by more complex blending of serious and light moods.
Shakespeares later plays and some modern plays of Beckett and Pinter are seen as tragicomic.
, ,
Transcendentalism a branch of romanticism is a philosophical and literary movement
flourished in New England from the 1830s to the Civil War with Ralph Waldo Emerson and

Henry David Thoreau as the famous representatives. It exalts feeling over reason individual
expression over the restraints of law and custom. Transcendentalists spoke for cultural vitality
and against the materialism of American society. They believed in the transcendence
(superiority)of the “Oversoul”—an allpervading power for goodness from which all things
come and of which all things are a part. Emerson believed that man was a part of absolute good,
and Thoreau saw divinity in the “unspotted innocence”of nature.


understatement a device of emphasis which works paradoxically by playing down what is

important. The opposite is overstatement exaggeration.


verisimilitude the use of certain lifelike details to give an imaginative narrative work the
semblance of reality or actuality.
, ,
verse poetry or metrical composition as distinct from prose. Free verse is a special case ;
or a line of poetry or a stanza;a poem
villain ,an evil character who opposes the hero. He is cast in the role of antagonist,but not
all antagonists are villains.
307

You might also like