英国文学史及选读Part-III-Geoffrey-Chaucer

I.GeoffreyChaucerGeoffreyChaucer(c.1343–October25,1400)wasanEnglishauthor,poet,philosopher,bureaucratcourtier(朝臣),anddiplomat.Althoughhewrotemanyworks,heisbestrememberedforhisunfinishedframenarrative(框架叙事;框架叙述)TheCanterburyTales.SometimescalledthefatherofEnglishliterature,Chauceriscreditedbysomescholarswithbeingthefirstauthortodemonstratetheartisticlegitimacy(合法性;合理性)ofthevernacularEnglishlanguage,ratherthanFrenchorLatin.第一页，共65页。GeoffreyChaucer第二页，共65页。1.ThreeperiodsofChaucer'sliteraryactivity→EarlyWorks(1)EarlyWorksThefirstperiodincludeshisearlywork(to1370),whichisbasedlargelyonFrenchmodels,especiallytheRomandelaRoseandthepoemsofGuillaumedeMachaut.Chaucer'schiefworksduringthistimearetheBookoftheDuchess,anallegorical(寓言的,讽喻的)lamentwrittenin1369onthedeathofBlanche,wifeofJohnofGaunt,andapartialtranslationoftheRomandelaRose.第三页，共65页。ThreeperiodsofChaucer'sliteraryactivity→ItalianPeriod(2)ItalianPeriodChaucer'ssecondperiod(uptoc.1387)iscalledhisItalianperiodbecauseduringthistimehisworksweremodeledprimarilyonDanteandBoccaccio(薄伽丘).第四页，共65页。ThreeperiodsofChaucer'sliteraryactivity→ItalianPeriodMajorworksofthesecondperiodincludeTheHouseofFame,recountingtheadventuresofAeneasafterthefallofTroy;TheParliamentofFowls,whichtellsofthematingoffowlsonSt.Valentine'sDayandisthoughttocelebratethebetrothalofRichardIItoAnneofBohemia;andaprosetranslationofBoethius‘(波埃修斯)Deconsolationephilosophiae(《哲学的慰藉》).第五页，共65页。ThreeperiodsofChaucer'sliteraryactivity→ItalianPeriodAlsoamongtheworksofthisperiodaretheunfinishedLegendofGoodWomen,apoemtellingofnineclassicalheroines,whichintroducedtheheroiccouplet(tworhyminglinesofiambicpentameter)intoEnglishverse;theprosefragmentTheTreatiseontheAstrolabe,writtenforhissonLewis;andTroilusandCriseyde,basedonBoccaccio'sFilostrato,oneofthegreatlovepoemsintheEnglishlanguage.InTroilusandCriseyde,Chaucerperfectedtheseven-linestanzalatercalledrhymeroyal.第六页，共65页。＊rhymeroyal(皇家韵诗;君王诗体)aformofverseintroducedintoEnglishbyChaucer,consistingofseven-linestanzasofiambicpentameter(抑扬格五音步)inwhichtherearethreerhymes,thefirstlinerhymingwiththethird,thesecondwiththefourthandfifth,andthesixthwiththeseventh(rhymingababbcc).第七页，共65页。＊rhymeroyal(皇家韵诗;君王诗体)JamesIofScotlandusedrhymeroyalforhispoemTheKingisQuair(《国王的诗书》),anditisbelievedthatthenameofthestanzaderivesfromthisroyaluse.ChaucerfirstusedtherhymeroyalstanzainhislongpoemsTroilusandCriseydeandParlementofFoules.Alongwiththecouplet,itwasthestandardnarrativemetreinthelateMiddleAges.第八页，共65页。＊rhymeroyal---exampleThedoublesorweofTroilustotellen,ThatwasthekingPriamussoneofTroye,Inlovinge,howhisaventuresfellenFrowotowele,andafteroutofIoye,Mypurposis,erthatIpartefroye,Thesiphone,thouhelpmefortendyteThisewofulvers,thatwepenasIwryt第九页，共65页。＊rhymeroyal---exampleTheyfleefrommethatsometimedidmeseekWithnakedfoot,stalkinginmychamber.Ihaveseenthemgentle,tame,andmeek,ThatnowarewildanddonotrememberThatsometimetheyputthemselfindangerTotakebreadatmyhand;andnowtheyrange,Busilyseekingwithacontinualchange.第十页，共65页。ThemostcommonmeterinEnglishverse.Itconsistsofalinetensyllableslongthatisaccented(重读)oneverysecondbeat.Itisapoetrypatterninwhicheachlinehas10syllables,beginningwithanunstressedsyllableandastressedsyllable,followedbyanotherpairofunstressedandstressedsyllables,andsoon–untiltherearefivepairsofsyllables(ortensyllablesinall).

＊iambicpentameter(抑扬格五音步)

第十一页，共65页。＊iambicpentameter-anexample.Iwillnotfail:'tistwentyyearstillthen.

..IhaveforgotwhyIdidcalltheeback.

-----RomeoandJuliet

第十二页，共65页。ThreeperiodsofChaucer'sliteraryactivity→TheCanterburyTales(3)TheCanterburyTalesToChaucer'sfinalperiod,inwhichheachievedhisfullestartisticpower,belongshismasterpiece,TheCanterburyTales(writtenmostlyafter1387).Thisunfinishedpoem,about17,000lines,isoneofthemostbrilliantworksinallliterature.第十三页，共65页。2.Majorworks

•TheParliamentofFowls鸟禽议会TheBooksoftheDuchess

悼公爵夫人TroilusandCriseyde

特罗伊拉斯和克莱希德TheCanterburyTales

坎特伯雷故事集TheHouseofFame

声誉之堂第十四页，共65页。3.Chaucer's

InfluenceChaucerisknownformetricalinnovation,inventingtherhymeroyal,andhewasoneofthefirstEnglishpoetstousethefive-stressline,theiambicpentameter.Thearrangementofthesefive-stresslinesintorhymingcouplets(押韵两行诗;押韵对

),firstseeninhisLegendofGoodWomen,becameoneofthestandardpoeticformsinEnglish.Hisearlyinfluenceasasatiristisalsoimportant.

第十五页，共65页。Chaucer's

InfluenceThepoetryofChaucer,alongwithotherwritersoftheera,iscreditedwithhelpingto

standardizetheLondonDialectoftheMiddleEnglishlanguagefromacombinationoftheKentishandMidlandsdialects.Thisisprobablyoverstated;theinfluenceofthecourt,chancery(大法官法庭)andbureaucracy(官僚体制；官僚系统)—ofwhichChaucerwasapart—remainsamoreprobableinfluenceonthedevelopmentofStandardEnglish.第十六页，共65页。II.TheCanterburyTales

Writtensometimeinthe1380s,TheCanterburyTales--thefirstselectionofshortstoriesinEnglish---isaboutagroupofpilgrimswhoagreetotellstorieswhiletheytraveltogethertoCanterbury,theseatoftheEnglishChurch(stillCatholic)andthesiteoftheshrinededicatedtoThomasaBeckett,whowasmartyredforhisfaith.Originally,heproposed124stories;heactuallywrote24.第十七页，共65页。第十八页，共65页。

TheCanterburyTales→varietyofmedievalgenres&superbcharacterization

Thepilgrims'talesincludeavarietyofmedievalgenresfromthehumorousfabliau（讽刺性寓言诗）totheserioushomily（布道）,andtheyvividlyindicatemedievalattitudesandcustomsinsuchareasaslove,marriage,andreligion.ThroughChaucer'ssuperbpowersofcharacterizationthepilgrims—suchastheearthywifeofBath,thegentleknight,theworldlyprioress(大女修道院副院长,小女修道院院长),theevilsummoner(法院传票送达员)—comeintenselyalive.第十九页，共65页。TheCanterburyTales→SubjectmatterSubjectmatter:sex,lust,greed,jealousy,nativecunning(tricksters骗子,魔术师),thecredulousness(轻信,老实)ofthestupid,maritalproblems,infidelity,corruptionofthechurch.第二十页，共65页。TheCanterburyTales→framenarrativeTheideaofaframestory(storywithinastory)comesfromalongtradition:TheArabianNights(《天方夜谭》/《一千零一夜》)

andTheDecameron（《十日谈》）.ChaucerreadTheDecameronwhenhevisitedItaly.第二十一页，共65页。TheCanterburyTales→framenarrativeAframestory(alsoframetale,framenarrative,etc.)employsanarrativetechniquewherebyanintroductorymainstoryiscomposed,atleastinpart,forthepurposeofsettingthestage(设置舞台布景或场所)forafictitious(虚构的；想象的)narrativeororganizingasetofshorterstories,eachofwhichisastorywithinastory.Theframestoryleadsreadersfromthefirststoryintothesmalleronewithinit.

第二十二页，共65页。TheCanterburyTales→framenarrativeSomenovelssuchasMaryShelley‘sFrankenstein(1818)andEmilyBrontë’sWutheringHeights(1847)employanarrativestructureinwhichthemainactionisrelayedatsecondhandthroughanenclosing(包含的，圈起的)framestory.

第二十三页，共65页。CanterburyCathedralCanterburyCathedralisoneoftheoldestandmostfamousChristianstructuresinEnglandandformspartofaWorldHeritageSite.ItistheCathedraloftheAnglicanArchbishopofCanterbury,thePrimate(首席主教，大主教)ofallEnglandandreligiousleaderoftheChurchofEngland.TheCathedraliscurrentlyinamajorfundraisingdrivetoraiseaminimumof£50milliontofundrestoration.第二十四页，共65页。第二十五页，共65页。第二十六页，共65页。第二十七页，共65页。ThomasBecket(St.)ThomasBecket,St.ThomasofCanterbury(c.1118–December29,1170)wasArchbishopofCanterburyfrom1162to1170.HeisveneratedasasaintandmartyrbyboththeRomanCatholicChurchandtheAnglicanChurch.HeengagedinaconflictwithKingHenryIIovertherightsandprivilegesoftheChurchandwasassassinatedbyfollowersofthekinginCanterburyCathedral.第二十八页，共65页。ThomasBecket第二十九页，共65页。ThomasBecketCandle第三十页，共65页。TheBookofOneThousandandOneNights(1)TheBookofOneThousandandOneNights(alsoknownasTheArabianNights)isacollectionofstoriescompiledoverthousandsofyearsbyvariousauthors,translatorsandscholars.ThesecollectionsoftalestracetheirrootsbacktoAncientArabiaandAncientPersia.Thoughanoriginalmanuscripthasneverbeenfoundseveralversionsdatethecollection'sgenesistosomewherebetweenAD800-900.第三十一页，共65页。TheBookofOneThousandandOneNights(2)WellknownstoriesfromTheNightsinclude"Aladdin,""AliBabaandtheFortyThieves,"and"TheSevenVoyagesofSinbadtheSailor."Themainframestoryconcernsakingandhisnewbride.Theking,Shahryar(沙亚尔),upondiscoveringhisformerwife'sinfidelityhadherexecutedandthendeclaredallwomentobeunfaithful.Hebeginstomarryasuccessionofvirginsonlytoexecuteeachonethenextmorning.Eventuallythevizier（大臣)cannotfindanymorevirgins.第三十二页，共65页。TheBookofOneThousandandOneNights(3)Scheherazade([ʃɪ,hɪərə‘zɑ:də]山鲁佐德),thevizier'sdaughter,offersherselfasthenextbrideandherfatherreluctantlyagrees.Onthenightoftheirmarriage,Scheherazadetellsthekingatale,butdoesnotendit.Thekingisthusforcedtokeepheraliveinordertoheartheconclusion.Thenextnight,assoonasshefinishesthetale,shebegins(andonlybegins)another.Soitwentfor1,001nights.第三十三页，共65页。TheDecameron(1)TheDecameronisacollectionof100novellasbyItalianauthorGiovanniBoccaccio,probablybegunin1350andfinishedin1353.Itisamedievalallegoricalwork.ManynotablewriterssuchasShakespeareandChauceraresaidtohaveborrowedfromTheDecameron.第三十四页，共65页。TheDecameron(2)TheDecameronisstructuredinaframenarrative,orframetale.BoccacciobeginswithadescriptionoftheBlackDeathandleadsintoanintroductionofagroupofsevenyoungwomenandthreeyoungmenwhofleefromplague-riddenFlorencetoavillainthe(then)countrysideofFiesolefortwoweeks.Topassthetime,eachmemberofthepartytellsonestoryforeachoneofthenightsspentatthevilla.第三十五页，共65页。TheDecameron(3)Althoughfourteendayspass,twodayseachweekaresetaside:onedayforchoresandoneholydayduringwhichnoworkisdone.Inthismanner,100storiesaretoldbytheendofthetendays.Butthestoriesarelooselyconnectedandthereisnorelationbetweenthestoryandthestoryteller.第三十六页，共65页。III.TheGeneralPrologue→firstofitskind

TheGeneralPrologueisasplendidmasterpieceofrealisticportrayal,thefirstofitskindinthehistoryofEnglishliterature.Theconceitofthepoem,assetoutinthe858linesofMiddleEnglishwhichmakeupthegeneralprologue,isthatofareligiouspilgrimage.ChaucerisintheTabardInn,inSouthwark,wherehemeetsamotleycrewofmiddle-classfolkfromvariouspartsofEngland.Coincidentally,theyareallonthewaytoCanterbury,thesiteoftheShrineofSaintThomasàBecket.第三十七页，共65页。TheGeneralPrologue→realisticportrayalofpilgrimsThepilgrimsarepeoplefromvariouspartsofEngland,representativesofvariouswalksoflifeandsocialgroups,withvariousinterests,tastesandpredilections(嗜好,偏好).InthePrologue,Chaucerseekstodescribetheir'condition',their'array‘(穿着;打扮),andtheirsocial'degree':第三十八页，共65页。TheGeneralPrologue→socialorderTheorderinwhichthepilgrimsareintroducedplacestheminasocialorder,placingthenobilityinfront,thecraftsmeninthemiddle,andthepeasantsattheend.Acanon(在大教堂中任职的教士)andhisyeomanlaterjointhepilgrimageandtelloneofthetales.第三十九页，共65页。TheGeneralPrologue→EstatesSatireWhilethegenreoftheCanterburyTalesasawholeisa"framenarrative,"theGeneralPrologueconstitutesanexampleof"Estates(社会阶层;社会等级)Satire",agenrethatsatirizesthecorruptionthatoccurswithinthethreemedievalsocialestates(clergy,nobility,andpeasantry).第四十页，共65页。TheGeneralPrologue→basisforChaucer’smirrorofsocietyTheGeneralPrologueisthebasisforChaucer’smirrorofsociety.Theideathattherearesomanycharacterswiththeirownstoriestotellisrepresentativeofarealsociety.第四十一页，共65页。TheGeneralPrologue→writtenintheheroiccouplet(英雄双韵体;英雄双行体)Theprologueandmostofthestoriesarewrittenintheheroiccouplet,i.e.apairofrhymingiambicpentameterlines.Afrequently-citedexampleillustratingtheuseofheroiccoupletsisthispassagefromCooper'sHillbyJohnDenham,partofhisdescriptionoftheThames:

OcouldIflowlikethee,andmakethystream

Mygreatexample,asitismytheme!

Thoughdeep,yetclear,thoughgentle,yetnotdull,

Strongwithoutrage,withouto'erflowingfull.

第四十二页，共65页。TheGeneralPrologue→writtenintheheroiccoupletHeroicCoupletreferstolinesofiambicpentameterwhichrhymeinpairs:aa,bb,cc,andsoon.Theadjective“heroic”wasappliedinthelaterseventeenthcenturybecauseofthefrequentuseofsuchcoupletsinheroicpoemsanddramas.ThisverseformwasintroducedintoEnglishpoetrybyGeoffreyChaucer.FromtheageofJohnDrydenthroughthatofSamuelJohnson,theheroiccoupletwasthepredominantEnglishmeasure(韵律;音步)forallthepoetickinds;somepoets,includingAlexanderPope,useditalmosttotheexclusionofothermeters.第四十三页，共65页。IV.PopularBallads→aformofverse,oftenanarrativesettomusicAballadisaformofverse,oftenanarrativesettomusic.BalladswereparticularlycharacteristicofthepopularpoetryandsongoftheBritishIslesfromthelatermedievalperioduntilthe19thcenturyandusedextensivelyacrossEuropeandlatertheAmericas,AustraliaandNorthAfrica.Manyballadswerewrittenandsoldassinglesheetbroadsides(海报).第四十四页，共65页。PopularBallads→Traditionalpoeticformofballads

Normallyashortnarrativearrangedintofourlinestanzas

withamemorablemeter.Typicalballadmeterisafirstandthirdlinewithfourstresses(iambictetrameter)andthenasecondandfourthlinewiththreestresses(iambictrimeter).Therhymeschemeistypicallyababorabcb.Oftenusescolloquialismstoenhancethestorytelling(andsometimestoaltertherhymescheme).Aballadisusuallymeanttobesungorrecitedinmusicalformandusuallyhasarefrain(副歌;迭句;反复句).第四十五页，共65页。PopularBallads→thebest-knownuserEmilyDickinsonisprobablythebest-knownuserofballadmetre,becauseitissocommoninherpoetry,especiallyinherbest-knownpieces:Because/Icould/notstop/forDeath,Hekind/lystopped/forme;TheCa/rriageheld/butjust/OurselvesAndIm/morta/lity.—fromEmilyDickinson'spoem#712第四十六页，共65页。PopularBallads→OriginanddevelopmentofballadsThoughtheEnglishballadswereprobablycomposedduringthe500yearsperiodfrom1300to1700,fewofthemwereprintedbeforethe18thandsomenotuntilthe19thcenturies.Themajorityoftheballads,however,datetothe17thand18thcenturies;althoughsomeprobablyhaveveryancientinfluences,onlyahandfulcanbedefinitivelytracedtobefore1600.Moreover,fewofthetunescollectedareasoldasthewords.第四十七页，共65页。PopularBallads→BorderballadsBorderballadsareasubgenreoffolkballadscollectedintheareaalongtheAnglo-Scottishborder,especiallythoseconcernedwithborderreivers(抢夺者;掠夺者)andoutlaws(反叛者;亡命之徒),orwithhistoricaleventsintheBorders.Inthenumerousborderballadstheage-longstrugglebetweentheScotsandtheEnglishisreflected.第四十八页，共65页。PopularBallads→TypesofballadsTherearevariouskindsofballads,historical,legendary,fantastical,lyricalandhumorous.第四十九页，共65页。PopularBallads→Subjectstypicaltomanyballadsromance,supernaturalexperiences,historicalevents,morality,riddles,murder,andfolkheroes.Ononeextreme,somerecountidentifiablehistoricalpeople,inknownevents.Ontheother,somedifferfromfairytalessolelybytheirbeingsongsandinverse;somehavebeenrecastinproseformasfairytales.OfparamountimportancearethebeautifulballadsaboutRobinHoodandthoseaboutKingArthur.Afewballadsareratherbawdy(低级下流的；猥亵的).

第五十页，共65页。RobinHood→alegendaryEnglishoutlawofthe12thcenturyalegendaryEnglishoutlawofthe12thcentury,heroofmanyballads,whorobbedtherichtogivetothepoor:apopularmodelofcourage,generosityandjustice,aswellasofskillinarchery.HelivedinSherwoodForestwiththefairMaidMarian,thestoutLittleJohn,thepriestFriarTuck,themusicianAllan-a-Dale,andotherswhohelpedhimrobrichlandlordsandthwart(反对;阻挠;挫败)hischiefenemy,thesheriffofNottingham.Cf.

OutlawsoftheMarsh,AllMenAreBrothers,MenoftheMarshes,orTheMarshesofMountLiang

第五十一页，共65页。BBCRobinHood第五十二页，共65页。MaidMarian第五十三页，共65页。LittleJohn第五十四页，共65页。Much—theMiller’sson第五十五页，共65页。TheSheriff第五十六页，共65页。RobinHood→SherwoodForestandNottinghamshireHisbandconsistsof"sevenscore"(140)groupoffellowoutlawedyeomen–calledhis"MerryMen".RobinHoodandhisband'stalesareusuallyassociatedwiththeareaSherwoodForestandNottinghamshire,thoughmosthistorianspointtowardshimhavingbeenaYorkshireman.Hehasbeenthesubjectofnumerousmovies,books,comicsandplays.第五十七页，共65页。RobinHood→continuallyreshapedandredrawnRobinHoodstoriesaredifferentineveryperiodoftheirhistory.Robiniscontinuallyreshapedandredrawn,madetoexemplifythosevaluesdeemedimportantbythestorytelleratthetime.TheballadsofRobinHoodgainedgreatpopularityinthesecondhalfofthe14thcentury,atthetimeofthestruggleofthepeasantsandartisans(工匠,技工)againsttheirmastersandexploiters.第五十八页，共65页。RobinHoodandAllenAdale(1)AllenaDale'sfirstnameisspelledmanydifferentways--Allin,Allen,AllanandAlan.AlthoughacommoncharacterinmostRobinHoodnovelsandchildren'sbooks,Allenonlyappearsinoneballad--thisone.It'sarelativelylateballad--firstappearinginthelate17thcentury,butthestoryofRobinhelpingatroubledloverisn'tquiteasnew.第五十九页，共65页。RobinHoodandAllenAdale(2)InaproseL