英美文学文学术语

文学术语汇编1Literatureoftheabsurd:（荒诞派文学）Thetermisappliedtoanumberofworksindramaandprosefictionwhichhaveincommonthesensethatthehumanconditionisessentiallyabsurd,andthatthisconditioncanbeadequatelyrepresentedonlyinworksofliteraturethatarethemselvesabsurd.ThecurrentmovementemergedinFranceaftertheSecondWorldWar,asarebellionagainstessentialbeliefsandvaluesoftraditionalcultureandtraditionalliterature.Theyholdthebeliefthatahumanbeingisanisolatedexistentwhoiscastintoanalienuniverseandthehumanlifeinitsfruitlesssearchforpurposeandmeaningisbothanguishandabsurd.Theateroftheabsurd:（荒诞派戏剧）belongstoliteratureoftheabsurd.TworepresentativesofthisschoolareEugeneIonesco,FrenchauthorofTheBaldSoprano（1949）（此作品中文译名＜秃头歌女＞）,andSamuelBeckett,IrishauthorofWaitingforGodot（1954）（此作品是荒诞派戏剧代表作＜等待戈多〉）.Theyprojecttheirrationalism,helplessnessandabsurdityoflifeindramaticformsthatrejectrealisticsettings,logicalreasoning,oracoherentlyevolvingplot.Blackcomedyorblackhumor:（黑色幽默）itmostlyemployedtodescribebaleful,naive,orineptcharactersinafantasticornightmarishmodernworldplayingouttheirrolesinwhatIonescocalleda“tragicfhrce”，inwhichtheeventsareoftensimultaneouslycomic,horrifying,andabsurd.JosephHeller’sCatch-22（美国著名作家约瑟夫海勒＜二十二条军规〉）canbetakenasanexampleoftheemploymentofthistechnique.文学术语汇编2AestheticismortheAestheticMovement（唯美主义）：itbegantoprevailinEuropeatthemiddleofthe19thcentury.Thetheoryof“artforart’ssake”wasfirstputforwardbysomeFrenchartists.Theydeclaredthatartshouldservenoreligious,moralorsocialpurpose.ThetwomostimportantrepresentativesofaestheticistsinEnglishliteratureareWaltPaterandOscarWilde.Allegory（寓言）：ataleinverseorproseinwhichcharacters,actions,orsettingsrepresentabstractideasormoralqualities,suchasJohnBunyan’sThePilgrim’sProgress.Anallegoryisastorywithtwomeanings,aliteralmeaningandasymbolicmeaning.Fable（寓言）：isashortnarrative,inproseorverse,thatexemplifiesanabstractmoralthesisorprincipleofhumanbehavior.Mostcommonisthebeastfable,inwhichanimalstalkandactlikethehumantypestheyrepresent.ThefablesinWesternculturesderivemainlyfromthestoriesattributedtoAesop,aGreekslaveofthesixthcenturyB.C.Parable（寓言）：isaveryshortnarrativeabouthumanbeingspresentedsoastostressanalogywithagenerallessonthatthenarratoristryingtobringhometohisaudience.Forexample,theBiblecontainslotsofparablesemployedbyJesusChristtomakehisflockunderstandhispreach.（注意以上三个词在汉语中都翻译成语言，但是内涵并不相同，不要搞混）Alliteration（头韵）：therepetitionoftheinitialconsonantsounds.InOldEnglishalliterativemeter,alliterationistheprincipalorganizingdeviceoftheverseline,suchasinBeowulf.Consonanceistherepetitionofasequenceoftwoormoreconsonantsbutwithachangeintheinterveningvowel,suchas“liveandlove”.Assonanceistherepetitionofidenticalorsimilarvowel,especiallyinstressedsyllables,inasequenceofnearbywords,suchas“childofsilence”.Allusion（典故）isareferencewithoutexplicitidentification,toaliteraryorhistoricalperson,place,orevent,ortoanotherliteraryworkorpassage.Mostliteraryallusionsareintendedtoberecognizedbythegenerallyeducatedreadersoftheauthor’stime,butsomeareaimedataspecialgroup.Ambiguity（复义性）：SinceWilliamEmpson（燕卜荪）publishedSevenTypesofAmbiguity（《复义七型》），thetermhasbeenwidelyusedincriticismtoidentifyadeliberatepoeticdevice：theuseofasinglewordorexpressiontosignifytwoormoredistinctreferences,ortoexpresstwoormorediverseattitudesorfeeling.文学术语汇编3Antihero（反英雄）：thechiefcharacterinamodernnovelorplaywhosecharacteristotallydifferentfromthetraditionalheroes.Insteadofmanifestinglargeness,dignity,power,orheroism,theantiheroispetty,passive,ineffectualordishonest.Forexample,theheroineofDefoe’sMollFlandersisathiefandaprostitute.Antithesis（对照）：（afigureofspeech）Anantithesisisoftenexpressedinabalancedsentence,thatis,asentenceinwhichidenticalorsimilarsyntacticstructureisusedtoexpresscontrastingideas.Forexample,“Marriagehasmanypains,butcelibacy（独身生活）hasnopleasures.”bySamuelJohnsonobviouslyemploysantithesis.Archaism（拟古）：theliteraryuseofwordsandexpressionsthathavebecomeobsoleteinthecommonspeechofanera.Forexample,thetranslatorsoftheKingJamesVersionofBiblegaveweightanddignitytotheirprosebyemployingarchaism.Atmosphere（氛围）：theprevailingmoodorfeelingofaliterarywork.Atmosphereisoftendeveloped,atleastinpart,throughdescriptionsofsetting.Suchdescriptionshelptocreateanemotionalclimatetoestablishthereader’sexpectationsandattitudes.文学术语汇编4Ballad（民谣）：itisasong,transmittedorally,whichtellsastory.Itoriginatedandwascommunicatedorallyamongilliterateoronlypartlyliteratepeople.Itexistsinmanyvariantforms.Themostcommonstanzaform,calledballadstanzaisaquatraininalternatefour-andthree-stresslines;usuallyonlythesecondandfourthlinesrhyme.AlthoughmanytraditionalballadsprobablyoriginatedinthelateMiddleAge,theywerenotcollectedandprinteduntiltheeighteenthcentury.Climax:asarhetoricaldeviceitmeansanascendingsequenceofimportance.Asaliteraryterm,itcanalsorefertothepointofgreatestintensity,interest,orsuspenseinastory’sturningpoint.Theactionleadingtotheclimaxandthesimultaneousincreaseoftensionintheplotareknownastherisingaction.Allactionaftertheclimaxisreferredtoasthefallingaction,orresolution.Thetermcrisisissometimesusedinterchangeablywithclimax.Anticlimax（突降）：itdenotesawriter’sdeliberatedropfromtheseriousandelevatedtothetrivialandlowly,inordertoachieveacomicorsatiriceffect.ItisarhetoricaldeviceinEnglish.BeatGeneration（垮掉一代）：itreferstoaloose-knitgroupofpoetsandnovelists,writinginthesecondhalfofthe1950sandearly1960s,whosharedasetofsocialattitudes一antiestablishment,antipolitical,anti-intellectual,opposedtotheprevailingcultural,literary,andmoralvalues,andinfavorofunfetteredself-realizationandself-expression.RepresentativesofthegroupincludeAllenGinsberg,JackKerouacandWilliamBurroughs.AndmostfamousliterarycreationsproducedbythisgroupshouldbeAllenGinsberg'slongpoemHowlandJackKerouac’sOntheRoad.文学术语汇编5Biography（传记）：adetailedaccountofaperson’slifewrittenbyanotherperson,suchasSamuelJohnson’sLivesoftheEnglishPoetsandJamesBoswell’sLifeofSamuelJohnson.Autobiography（自传）：aperson’saccountofhisorherownlife,suchasBenjaminFranklin’sautobiography.Blankverse（无韵体）：Versewritteninunrhymediambicpentameter.ItistheverseformusedinsomeofthegreatestEnglishpoetry,includingthatofWilliamShakespeareandJohnMilton.Aparody（模仿）imitatestheseriousmannerandcharacteristicfeaturesofaparticularliterarywork,orthedistinctivestyleofaparticularauthor,orthetypicalstylisticandotherfeaturesofaseriousliterarygenre,anddeflatestheoriginalbyapplyingtheimitationtoalowlyorcomicallyinappropriatesubject.文学术语汇编6CelticRevivalalsoknownastheIrishLiteraryRenaissance（爱尔兰文艺复兴）identifiestheremarkablycreativeperiodinIrishliteraturefromabout1880tothedeathofWilliamButlerYeatsin1939.TheaimofYeatsandotherearlyleadersofthemovementwastocreateadistinctivelynationalliteraturebygoingbacktoIrishhistory,legend,andfolklore,aswellastonativeliterarymodels.ThemajorwritersofthismovementincludeWilliamButlerYeats,LadyGregory,JohnMillingtonSyngeandSeanO’Caseyandsoon.Characters（人物）arethepersonsrepresentedinadramaticornarrativework,whoareinterpretedbythereaderasbeingendowedwithparticularmoral,intellectual,andemotionalqualitiesbyinferencesfromthedialogues,actionsandmotivations.E.M.Forsterdividescharactersintotwotypes：flatcharacter,whichispresentedwithoutmuchindividualizingdetail;androundcharacter,whichiscomplexintemperamentandmotivationandisrepresentedwithsubtleparticularity.ChivalricRomance（ormedievalromance）（骑士传奇或中世纪传奇）isatypeofnarrativethatdevelopedintwelfth-centuryFrance,spreadtotheliteraturesofothercountries.Itsstandardplotisthatofaquestundertakenbyasingleknightinordertogainalady’sfavor;frequentlyitscentralinterestiscourtlylove,togetherwithtournamentsfoughtanddragonsandmonstersslain.Itstressesthechivalricidealsofcourage,loyalty,honor,mercifulnesstoanopponent,andelaboratemanners.Comedy:（喜剧）ingeneral,aliteraryworkthatendshappilywithahealthy,amicablearmisticebetweentheprotagonistandsociety.Farce（闹剧）isatypeofcomedydesignedtoprovoketheaudiencetosimpleandheartylaughter.Todosoitcommonlyemployshighlyexaggeratedtypesofcharactersandputsthemintoimprobableandludicroussituations.Confessionalpoetry（自白派诗歌）designatesatypeofnarrativeandlyricverse,givenimpetusbyRobertLowell’sLifeStudies,whichdealswiththefactsandintimatementalandphysicalexperiencesofthepoefsownlife.ConfessionalpoetrywaswritteninrebellionagainstthedemandforimpersonalitybyT.S.ElliotandtheNewCriticism.TherepresentativewritersofconfessionalschoolincludeRobertLowell,AnneSextonandSylviaPlathandsoon.CriticalRealism:（批判现实主义）Thecriticalrealismofthe19thcenturyflourishedinthefoutiesandinthebeginningoffifties.Therealistsfirstandforemostsetthemselvesthetaskofcriticizingcapitalistsocietyfromademocraticviewpointanddelineatedthecryingcontradictionsofbourgeoisreality.Buttheydidnotfindawaytoeradicatesocialevils.RepresentativewritersofthistrendincludeCharlesDickensandWilliamMakepeaceThackerayandsoon.Drama:（戏剧）Theformofcompositiondesignedforperformanceinthetheater,inwhichactorstaketherolesofthecharacters,performtheindicatedaction,andutterthewrittendialogue.（Thecommonalternativenameforadramaticcompositionisaplay.）文学术语汇编7DramaticMonologue:（戏剧独白）amonologueisalengthyspeechbyasingleperson.Dramaticmonologuedoesnotdesignateacomponentinaplay,butatypeoflyricpoemthatwasperfectedbyRobertBrowning.Byusingdramaticmonologue,asingleperson,whoispatentlynotthepoet,uttersthespeechthatmakesupthewholeofthepoem,inaspecificsituationatacriticalmoment.Forexample,RobertBrowning’sfamouspoem“MyLastDuchess”waswrittenindramaticmonologue.Elegy（哀歌或挽歌）：apoemofmourning,usuallyoverthedeathofanindividual.Anelegyisatypeoflyricpoem,usuallyformalinlanguageandstructure,andsolemnorevenmelancholyintone.Enlightenment启蒙运动）：ThenameappliedtoanintellectualmovementwhichdevelopedinWesternEuropeduringtheseventeenthcenturyandreacheditsheightintheeighteenth.Thecommonelementwasatrustinhumanreasonasadequatetosolvethecrucialproblemsandtoestablishtheessentialnormsinlife,togetherwiththebeliefthattheapplicationofreasonwasrapidlydissipatingtheremainingfeudaltraditions.ItinfluencedlotsoffamousEnglishwritersespeciallythoseneoclassicwriters,suchasAlexanderPope.Epic（史诗）：itisalongversenarrativeonaserioussubject,toldinaformalandelevatedstyle,andcenteredonaheroicorquasi-divinefigureonwhoseactionsdependsthefateofatribe,anation,orthehumanrace.Epiphany:（顿悟）IntheearlydraftofAPortraitoftheArtistasaYoungMan,JamesJoyceemployedthistermtosignifyasuddensenseofradianceandrevelationthatonemayfeelwhileperceivingacommonplaceobject."Epiphany”nowhasbecomethestandardtermforthedescription,frequentinmodernpoetryandprosefiction,ofthesuddenflareintorevelationofanordinaryobjectorscene.Epithet（移就）:asatermincriticism,epithetdenotesanadjectiveoradjectivalphraseusedtodefineadistinctivequalityofapersonorthing.Thismethodwaswidelyemployedinancientepics.Forexample,inHomer’sepic,theepithetlike"thewine-darksea”canbefoundeverywhere.Essay:（散文）anyshortcompositioninprosethatundertakestodiscussamatter,expressapointofview,persuadeustoacceptathesisonanysubject,orsimplyentertain.Theessaycanbedividedastheformalessayandtheinformalessay（familiaressay）.Euphemism（委婉语）：Aninoffensiveexpressionusedinplaceofabluntonethatisfelttobedisagreeableorembarrassing,suchas"passaway”insteadof"die”Expressionism（表现主义）：aGermanmovementinliteratureandtheotherartswhichwasatitsheightbetween1910and1925-thatis,intheperiodjustbefore,during,andafterWWI.Theexpressionistartistorwriterundertakestoexpressapersonalvision-usuallyatroubledortenselyemotionalvision-ofhumanlifeandhumansociety.Thisisdonebyexaggeratinganddistorting.Werecognizeitseffects,directorindirect,onthewritingandstagingofsuchplaysasArthurMiller’sDeathofaSalesmanaswellasonthetheateroftheabsurd.Freeverse（自由体诗）：Liketraditionalverse,itisprintedinshortlinesinsteadofwiththecontinuityofprose,butitdiffersfromsuchversebythefactthatitsrhythmicpatternisnotorganizedintoaregularmetricalform-thatis,intofeet,orrecurrentunitsofweakandstrongstressedsyllables.Mostfreeversealsohasirregularlinelengths,andeitherlacksrhymeorelseusesitonlyoccasionally.WaltWhitmanisarepresentativewhoemployedthispoemformsuccessfully.文学术语汇编8Gothicnovel:（哥特式小说）Itisatypeofprosefiction.ThewritersofthistypeoffictionsmostlysettheirstoriesinthemedievalperiodandinaCatholiccountry,especiallyItalyorSpain.Thelocalewasoftenagloomycastle.Thetypicalstoryfocusedonthesufferingsimposedonaninnocentheroinebyacruelvillain.Thistypeoffictionsmadebountifuluseofghosts,mysteriousdisappearances,andothersupernaturaloccurrences.Theprincipleaimofsuchnovelswastoevokechillingterrorandthebestofthistypeopeneduptothefictiontherealmoftheirrationalandoftheperverseimpulsesandnightmarishterrorsthatliebeneaththeorderlysurfaceofthecivilizedmind.SomefamousnovelistslikedtoemploysomeGothicelementsintheirnovels,suchasEmilyBronte’sWutheringHeights.Graveyardpoets（墓园派诗歌）:Atermappliedtoeighteenth-centurypoetswhowrotemeditativepoems,usuallysetinagraveyard,onthethemeofhumanmortality,inmoodswhichrangefrompensivenesstoprofoundgloom.ThevogueresultedinoneofthemostwidelyknownEnglishpoems,ThomasGray’s“ElegyWritteninaCountryChurchyard”.HarlemRenaissance（哈莱姆文艺复兴）：aperiodofremarkablecreativityinliterature,music,dance,painting,andsculpturebyAfrican-Americans,fromtheendoftheFirstWorldWarin1917throughthe1920s.AsaresultofthemassmigrationstotheurbanNorthinordertoescapethelegalsegregationoftheAmericanSouth,andalsoinordertotakeadvantageofthejobsopenedtoAfricanAmericansatthebeginningoftheWar,thepopulationoftheregionofManhattanknownasHarlembecamealmostexclusivelyBlack,andthevitalcenterofAfricanAmericancultureinAmerica.DistinguishedwriterswhowerepartofthemovementincludedLangstonHughesandJeanToomer.TheGreatDepressionof1929andtheearly1930sbroughttheperiodofbuoyantHarlemculture-whichhadbeenfosteredbyprosperityinthepublishingindustryandtheartworld-effectivelytoanend.HeroicCouplet（英雄双韵体）referstolinesofiambicpentameterwhichrhymeinpairs:aa,bb,cc,andsoon.Theadjective“heroic”wasappliedinthelaterseventeenthcenturybecauseofthefrequentuseofsuchcoupletsinheroicpoemsanddramas.ThisverseformwasintroducedintoEnglishpoetrybyGeoffreyChaucer.FromtheageofJohnDrydenthroughthatofSamuelJohnson,theheroiccoupletwasthepredominantEnglishmeasureforallthepoetickinds;somepoets,includingAlexanderPope,useditalmosttotheexclusionofothermeters.Hyperbole（夸张）:thisfigureofspeechcalledhyperboleisboldoverstatement,ortheextravagantexaggerationoffactorofpossibility.Itmaybeusedeitherforseriousorironicorcomiceffect.Understatement轻描淡写）：thisfigureofspeechdeliberatelyrepresentssomethingasverymuchlessinmagnitudeorimportancethanitreallyis,orisordinarilyconsideredtobe.Theeffectisusuallyironic.Imagism（意象派）：itw