考研英美文学名词解释

英美文学名词解释TermsinEnglishandAmericanLiterature

1.Aestheticism/theAestheticismMovement（唯美主义）

AEuropeanphenomenonduringthemiddIeofthe19thcenturythathad

itschiefheadquartersinFrance.ThismovementwasintroducedtoI

ateVictorianEngIandmainlyWaIterPaterasareactionagainst

themateriaIismandcommerciaIismofanindustriaIizedsociety.11wasaI

soareactionagainsttheVictorianconventionofartfor

moraIity'ssake,orartformoney'ssake.Themajortenetsofthismov

emeritincIudethebeIiefintheautonomyofaworkofart,the

emphasisoncraftandartistry—thetheoryof“artforartyss

ake”.ThemostoutstandingVictorianrepresentativesofthis

movementincIudedOsearWiIde.

2.AIlegory（寓言）

Ataleinverseorproseinwhichcharacters,actions,ors

ettingsrepresentabstractideasormoraIquaIities.AnaIIegoryis

astorywithtwomeanings,aIiteraImeaningandasymboIicme

aning.a寓言：用诗歌或散文讲的故事，在这个故事中人物、事件或背景往往代表抽象的概

念或道德品质。所有的寓言都是一个具有双重意义、文学内涵或象征意义的故事。

3.AIIiteration（头韵）

ItistherepetitionofthesameinitiaIconsonantsoundwi

thinaIineoragroupofwordsinpoetry.In01dEngIishaliiter

ativemeter,aIIiterationistheprincipalorganizingdeviceoft

heverseline,suchasinBeo”"/九A头韵：在一组词的开头或重读音节中

对相同辅音或不同元音的重复。a

4.AlIusion：Areferencetoaperson,aplace,anevent,or

aIiteraryworkthatawriterexpectsthereadertorecognize

andrespondto.AnaIIusionmaybedrawnfromhistory,geog

raphy,Iiterature,orreligion.4典故：文学作品中作家希望读者能够认识或

做出反应的一个人物、地点、事件或文学作品。典故或来自历史、地理、文学或宗教。

5.AmericanNaturaIism（美国自然主义）

TheAmericannaturaIismacceptedthemorenegativeinterpretationof

Darwin'sevolutionarytheoryandusedittoaccountforthebe

haviorofthosecharactersinIiteraryworkswhowereregarded

asmoreorIesscompIexcombinationsofinheriteda11ribute

s,theirhabitswereconditionedbysociaIandeconomicforces.Amer

icannaturaIismwasevoIvedfromrealismwhentheauthor'stone

inwritingbecameIessseriousandlesssympatheticbutmorei

ronicandmorepessimistic.ItwasnomorethanagIoomyphiIos

ophicaIapproachtoreality,ortohumanexistence.Dreiserwasa

IeadingfigureofthisschooI.

6.AmericanPuritanism（美国清教主义）

PuritanismisthepracticesandbeIiefsofthePuritans.T

heAmericanpuritans,liketheirEngIishbrothers,areideaIists.

Theyacceptedthedoctrineofpredestination,originaIsinandtota

Idepravity,andIimitedatonementthroughaspecialinfusionofg

raceformGod.ButduetothegrimstruggIeforIivinginthenew

continent,theybecomemoreandmorepracticaI.Americanpur

itanismissomuchapartofthenationaIatmosphererather

thatasetoftenets.

美国清教主义：他们相信宿命论、原罪说、全体堕落和有限的赎罪。

7.AmericanReaIism（美国现实主义）

InAmericanIiterature,theCiviIWarbroughttheRomanticPeriodtoan

end.TheAgeofReaIismcameintoexistence.GeorgeEliotintroduce

realismintoEngIand,andWiIIiamDeanHoweIIsintroducedit

intotheUnitedStates.ItcameasareactionagainsttheIieofro

manticismandsentimentaIism.ReaIismturnedfromanemphasi

sonthestrangetowardafaithfuIrenderingoftheordinary,asIi

ceofIifeasitisrealIyIived.11hasbeenchiefIyconeerned

withthecommonpIacesofeverydayIifeamongthemiddIeandIowercIa

sses,anditoffersanobjectiveratherthananidealisticviewofh

umannatureandhumanexperience.Realisticliteraturefindst

hedramaandtensionbeneaththesurfaceofordinarylife.Lat

er,manywriters,notabIyHenryJames,turnedtopsychoIogicaIreaIi

smthatcloselyexaminedthecompIexworkingsofthemind.

美国现实主义：在美国文学史上，内战宣告了浪漫主义的终结和现实主义的开始。现实主义

反对浪漫主义和感伤主义的谎言，它从一个陌生的世界转向了普通人的真实生活的描写。它

所关心的是普通的下层劳动人民而非理想中的人类本性和现实经历。

8.AmericanRomanticism（美国浪漫主义）

TheRomanticPeriodcoversthefirsthaIfofthe19thcentury.Ar

isingAmericawithitsideaIsofdemocracyandequaIity,theboom

ingeconomy,thefIourishingpubIications,andavarietyoffo

reigninfIuencesmadeitsIiteraryexpansionpossibleandinevitab

Ie.Romanticssharedsomecharacteristics:moraIenthusiasm,indiv

iduaIityandintuitiveperception.IrvingpIayedanimportantroI

eininspiringAmericanromanticismwithhismasterpiecesRipVanWi

nkleandTheLegendofSleepyHol/ow.Americanromanticism

cuIminatedaroundthe1840s,whichcanbecalled“Transee

ndentaiismorAmericanRenaissanceOneofthemajorfigure

inthisperiodwasEmerson.HisNaturehadbeencaIIed“theman

ifestoofAmericanTranscendentaIism”Inthepoetryaspect,

WhitmanandDicksonweretwomaJorAmericanpoetsinthisperi

od.InthenoveIaspect,HawthorneandMeIviIIebeIongedtoanother

typeofromanticism.TheyplacedincreasingvaIueonthefree

expressiononemotionandthepsychicstatesoftheircharacters.

TheNewEngIandpoets,suchasLongfeIlowandBryantformeda

differentschooIfromWhitman,Dickson,ThoreauandPoe.

9.AngryYoungMen（愤怒的青年）

TheAngryYoungMenisajournaIisticcatchphraseappIiedtoanu

mberofBritishpIaywrightsandnoveIistsfromthemid-1950s.Th

eirworksmainlyexpressthebitternessoftheIowercIassest

owardstheestabIishedsociopoIiticaIsystemandtowardsthem

ediocrityandhypocrisyofthemiddleandupperclasses.The

pIaywrightJohn0sbornewasthearchetypaIexampIeofthesea

ngryyoungmenwithhissignaturepIayLookBackinA

ngerin1956.

10.Antagonist（反面人物）：

Apersonorforceopposingtheprotagonistinanarrative;a

rivaloftheheroorheroine.

反面人物：一个故事中和主人公相对立的人物或一种力量，是男女主人公的对手。

11.AmericanTranscendentaIism（美国超验主义）

AmericanTranscendentaIismismorethananattitudeoftransce

ndentaIists.To“transcend“somethingistoriseaboveit,topas

sbeyonditsIimits.ThetranscendentaIistsspeakforcuIturalr

ejuvenationandagainstthemateriaIismofAmericansociety.ThemaJ

orfeaturesofAmericanTranscendentaIismare:1.TranscendentaIis

tsplaceemphasisonspirit,ortheOversouI,asthemostimportan

tthingintheUniverse.2.Theystresstheimportanceoftheindivid

uaI.Tothem,theindividuaIwasthemostimportantelementofsoci

ety.3.TheyofferafreshperceptionofnatureassymboIicoft

heSpiritorGod.Naturewas,tothem,alive,filledwithGo

d'soverwheImingpresence.

12.Aphorism（警句）aAconcise,pointedstatementexpressingawiseor

cIeverobservationaboutlife.A警句：蕴含关于人生真理的明智的看法的精练的语

句。a

13.Aside（旁白）

Indrama,Iinesspokenbyacharacterinanundertoneordirec

tIytotheaudienceand.AnasideissupposedIynotheardby

otheractorsonstage.

14.Assonance（类韵）△TherepetitionofsimiIarvoweIsounds,especia

Ilyinpoetry.AssonanceisoftenempIoyedtopIeasetheearoremp

hasizecertainsounds.A类韵：在诗歌中相同或相似元音的重复，它的目的主要是

用来使句子悦耳动听或用来强调某个音。

15.Autobiography（自传）

TheIiteraryformofautobiographyisaperson'saccountof

hisorherownlife.AnautobiographyisgeneraIIywrittenin

narrativeformandincIudessomeintrospection,suchasTheA

utob/ographywrittenbyBenjaminFrankIin.

自传：一个人对他或她自己生活的描述，自传是一种叙述性的文体，多包含回忆性的描写。

16.Ballad（民谣）

。ItisareIativelyshortnarrativepoem,wri11entobesung,with

asimpleanddramaticaction.ThebaIIadsteIIoflove,death,thesu

pernaturaI,oracombinationofthese.Twocharacteristicsoft

hebaIladareincrementaIrepetitionandthebaIladstanza.Incr

ementaIrepetitionrepeatsoneormorelineswithsmaIIbutsi

gnificantvariationsthatadvaneetheaction.Theballadstanzahas

fourline;commonIy,thefirstandthirdlinescontainfourfeetor

accents,thesecondandfourthlinescontainthreefeet.BaIIadoften

openabruptIy,presentbriefdescriptionsanduseconcisediaIogues.

ThefoIkbaIIadisusuaIIyanonymousandthepresentationisimper

sonaI.TheIiterarybaIladdeliberatelyimitatestheform

andspiritofafolkbaIIad.TheRomanticpoetswereattractedtoth

isform,asLongfeIlowwithTheWreckoftheHesperus,CoIeridgewithT

heRimeoftheAncientMarine,whichisIongerandmoreeIabo

ratethanthefoIkbaIlad.

17.BaIIadStanza（民谣诗节）

Atypeoffour-Iinestanza,thefirstandthethirdIineshavef

ourstressedwordsorsyllabIes;thesecondandfourthIineshave

threestresses.

18.BeatGeneration（垮掉的一^弋）

TheBeatGenerationreferstoaIooseIy-knitgroupofpoetsand

noveIists,writinginthesecondhalfofthee1950sandearly1960s.

Theysharedasetofsocialattitudes—anti-estabIishment,a

nti-poIiticaI,anti-inteIIectuaI,opposetotheprevaiIingcuItur

al,Iiterary,andmoralvaIues,andwereinfavorofunfettereds

eIf-reaIizationandself-expression.Representativesofthe

groupwereAIIenGinsbergwithhisIongpoemHowIandJackKerouac

withhisOntheRoad.

19.BiIdungsroman（成长小说）

BiIdungsromandefinesagenreofthenoveIwhichfocusesonthe

psychoIogicalandmoraIgrowthoftheprotagonistfromyouthtoad

uIthood,andinwhichcharacters,changeisthusextremeIyim

portant.InaBiIdungsroman,thegoalismaturity.CharIesDic

kens'DavidCopperfieIdisacIassicaIBiIdungsroman.

20.Biography（传记）

AdetaiIedaccountofaperson'sIifewrittenbyanotherperson.

传记：由他人篆写的关于某人生平的详细记录。A

21.Blackcomedy/Blackhumor（黑色幽默）

ItismostIyempIoyedtodescribebaIefuI,naive,orinept

charactersinafantasticornightmarishmodernworIdpIayingoutt

heirrolesinwhatIonescocalleda“tragicfaree”,inwhichthe

evetsareoftensimu11aneousIycomic,horrifying,andabsurd.J

osephHeiIerfsCatch_22canbetakenasanexampIeoftheempI

oymentofthistechnique.

22.BIackMountainPoets（黑山派诗人）

11issometimescalledprojectivepoets（投射诗人），agroupofthemid_2

OthcenturyAmericanavant-gardeorpostmodernpoetscenteringo

nBlackMountainCoIIege.IntheessayProjectiveVerse,CharI

es0Isoncalls“forpoetryofopenfield“compositiontorepIa

cetraditionaIcIosedpoeticformswithanimprovisedformthat

shouIdrefIectexactIythecontentofthepoem.Thisessaybeeamethe

manifestofortheBIackMountainPoets,A

23.BIankVerse（无韵体诗）

Versewritteninunrhymediambicpentameter.Itistheverseform

usedinsomeofthegreatestEngIishpoetries,incIudingthat

ofWiIIiamShakespeareandJohnMiIton.a素体诗：用五音步抑扬格写的无韵

诗。

24.Byronichero（拜伦式英雄）

Byronicheroreferstoaproud,mysteriousrebeIfigureofnoble

origin.Withimmensesuperiorityinhispassionsandpowers,hewou

IdcarryonhisshouIderstheburdenofrightingaIIthew

rongsinacorruptsociety,andwouldrisesingIe-handedIyaga

instanykindoftyrannicaIruleseitheringovernment,inre

Iigion,orinmoraIprincipIeswithunconquerabIewillsa

ndinexhaustibIeenergies.

A25.Calvinism（加尔文主义）

CaIvinismreferstothereIigiousteachingsofJohnCaIvinandh

isfolIowers.CaIvintaughtthatonlycertainpersons,theelec

t,werechosenbyGodtobesaved,andthiscanbegottenonIybe

God'sgrace.CaIvinismformsthebasisforthedoctrinesand

practicesoftheHuguenots,Puritans,Presbyterians,andtheR

eformedchurches.

26.CarpeDiem（及时行乐）

AtraditiondatingbacktocIassicaIGreekandLatinpoetry

andparticuIarIypopuIaramongEngIishCavalierpoets.CarpeD

iemmeansIiteraIIy“seizetheday”,thatis,“livefortoday”.

27.Canto（篇/章）

AsectionordivisionofaIongpoem.InEngIishpoetry,Alexande

rPope'stheRapeoftheLockandByron*sDonJuanaredividedinto

cantos.

诗章：长诗的一部分。

28.Character（角色）

Inappreciatingashortstory,charactersareanindispensabIeeIe

ment.Charactersarethepersonspresentedinadramaticornarr

ativework.Forstdividescharactersintotwotypes:fIatcharact

er,whichispresentedwithoutmuchindividuaIizingdetaiI;an

droundcharacter,whichiscomplexintemperamentandmotivation

andisrepresentedwithsubtleparticuIarity.

人物：在短篇小说的欣赏中，人物是必不可少一个元素。人物是喜剧或小说中所描写的人。福

斯特把人物划分为两类，扁平型人物和圆型人物。扁平型人物往往缺乏个人化的细节描写而

圆型人物则在性格和行为动机上较为复杂。

29.CIassicism（古典主义）

Amovementortendencyinart,Iiterature,ormusicthatre

fIectstheprincipIesmanifestedintheartofancientGreeceandR

ome.ClassicismemphasizesthetraditionaIandtheuniversal,a

ndplacesvaleonreasoncIarity,baIance,andorder.Classicism,wit

hitsconcernforreasonanduniversaIthemes,istraditionallyop

posedtoRomanticism,whichisconcernedwithemotionsandpens

onaIthemes.A古典主义：一种在文学，艺术，音乐领域体现古代希腊，罗马风格的运动。

A

30.CIimax（高潮）道Thepointofgreatestintensity,interest,ors

uspenseinanarrative.A

31.Comedy（喜剧）

IngeneraI,aliteraryworkthatendshappiIywithaheaIthy,amicab

Iearmisticebetweentheprotagonistandsociety.a

32.Coneeit（奇想）

Coneeitisafar-fetchedsimiIeormetaphor,aIiteraryconceitoc

curswhenthespeakercomparetwohighlydissimiIarthings.Co

nceitisextensiveIyempIoyedinJohnDonne'spoetry.

33.ConfessionaIpoetry（自白诗）

AnautobiographicaImodeofversethatreveaIsthepoetsperso

naIprobIemswithunusuaIfrankness.ThetermisusuaIIyappI

iedtocertainpoetsoftheU.S.Fromthelate1950stotheIate19

60s,notabIyRobertLoweII,whoseLifeStudiesandFortheUnionD

eaddeaIwithhisdivorceandmentaIbreakdown.

34.ConfIict（冲突）AAstruggIebetweentwoopposingforcesorc

haractersinashortstory,noveI,play,ornarrativepoem.

冲突：故事，小说，戏剧中相对的力量和人物之间的对立。

35.Consonanee（丰南音若匀）A|treferstotherepetitionofsimiIar

consonantsoundsinagroupofwords.Sometimesthetermreferstoth

erepetitionofconsonantsoundsinthemiddIeorattheendof

words.SometimesthetermisusedforsIantrhymeinwhichinitia

Iandfinalconsonantsarethesamebutthevowelsarediffe

rent:Iitter/Ietter,green/groan.

36.CoupIet（两行诗）

TwoconsecutiveIinesofpoetrythatrhyme.AheroiccoupIetisania

mbicpentametercoupIet.

对句：两个连续押韵的诗行。英雄双行体的对句一般都为抑扬格五音步。

37.CriticalRealism（批判现实主义）

ThecriticaIreaIismofthe19thcenturyflourishedinthef

ortiesandinthebeginningoffifties.ThereaIistsfirstandf

oremostsetthemseIvesthetaskofcriticizingcapitalistsociety

fromademocraticviewpointanddeIineatedthecryingcontra

dictionsofbourgeoisreaIity.Buttheydidnotfindawaytoeradica

tesociaIevils.CharlesDiekensisthemostimportantcriticaI

reaIist.

批判现实主义：批判现实主义在19世纪40年代达到高潮。批判现实主义作家们往往把从民

主的角度批评和揭露资本主义社会的丑恶视为己任，但他们并没有找到治疗社会弊病的良

方。

38.Dadaism（达达主义）

ItreferstoaWesternEuropeanartisticandIiterarymovement（19

16-1923）thatsoughtthediscoveryofauthenticreaIitythrough

theaboIitionoftraditional,cuIturaIandaestheticformsbyatech

niqueofcomicderisioninwichirrationality,chaneeand

intuitionweretheguidingprincipIe.

39.Darwinism（达尔文主义）

ItisatermthatcomesfromCharIesDarwir\fsevoIutionarytheor

y.DarwiniststhinkthatthosewhosurviveintheworIdare

thefi11estandthosewhofaiItoadaptthemseIvestotheenvi

ronmentwiIIperish.TheybeIievethatmanhasevoIvedfromtheIower

formsofIifeandhumansarespeciaInotbecauseGodcreatedthem

butbecausetheyhavesuecessfuIIyadaptedtothechangingenviron

mentaIconditionsandhavepassedontheirsurvivaI-makingcharacter

isticsgeneticaIIy.InfIuencedbyDarwinism,someAmericannatu

raIistwritersappIyitasanexplanationofhumannatureand

sociaIreaIity.

40.Denouement（结局）

Theoutcomeofaplot.Thedenouemeritisthatpartofaplay,s

hortstory,noveI,ornarrativepoeminwhichconfIictsarer

esoIvedorunraveIed,andmysteriesandsecretsconnectedwithth

eplotareexplained.a

41.Determinism（宿命论）

DeterminismisthephiIosophicaIbeIiefthateventsareshaped

byforcesbeyondthecontroIofhumanbeings.Determinism,importan

ttotheIiteratureattheendofthenineteenthcentury,assig

nscontroIespeciaIIytoheredityandenvironment,withoutseeki

ngtheiroriginsfurtherthansciencecantrace.Determinismu

suaIIyIeadstothetragiofateofthecharactersinnovels.

42.Didacticliterature（教诲文学）

DidacticIiteratureissaidtobedidacticifitdeliberately

teachessomemoraIIessons.TheuseofIiteratureforsuchte

achingisoneofutstraditionaIjustifications.ADramaticm

onologue（戏剧独白）

43.Akindofnarrativepoeminwhichonecharacterspeaksto

oneormoreIistenerswhoserepliesarenotgiveninthepoem.

TheoccasionisusuaIIyacruciaIoneinthespeaker'spersonaI

ityasweIIastheincidentthatisthesubjectofthepoem.R

obertBrowning'sMyLastDuchessisatypicaIexampIe.

戏剧独白：在一种叙事诗里面，一个人物对其他的人物讲话但并没有交代他们的回答，这种

场合往往对反映说话人的性格特征和诗歌的主题是至关重要的。

44.Elegy（挽歌）

Apoemofmourning,usuaIlyoverthedeathofanindividuaI.Ane

Iegyisatypeoflyricpoem,usuallyformaIinIanguageandstru

cture,andsolemnorevenmeIanchoIyintone.

挽歌：为某个死去的人所做的诗，挽歌往往属于抒情诗，在语言和机构上比较正式，语气上

比较庄重甚至是哀伤的。

45.EnIightenmentMovement（启蒙运动）

EnIightenmentisaninteIIectuaImovementthatoriginates

inEuropeandcomestoEngIandinthe18”century.11stresse

sthepowerofhumanreason,theimportanceofmethodsanddisco

veriesinsteadofGod.ItspurposeistoenlightenthewhoIewor

IdwithheIightofmodernphiIosophicaIandartisticidea

s.ItceIebratesreasonorrationaIity,equaIityandscience.Itad

vocatesuniversaIeducation.A

46.Epic（史诗）

Epic,inpoetry,referstoalongworkdealingwiththeactions

ofgodsandheroes.

47.Epiphany（顿，厝）*AmomentofiIIumination,usuaIIyoccursatorn

eartheendofawork.

顿悟：对现实真谛的顿悟或洞察，通常出现在作品的结尾.

48.EpistolarynoveI（书信体小说）

AnepistoIarynoveIisaanoveItoldthroughthemediumofIetter

swrittenbyoneormoreofthecharacters.TheusuaIformistheI

e11er,butdiaryentries,newspapercIippingandotherdocumen

tsaresometimesused.TheepistoIatorynoveI'sreIianceonsub

jectivepointsofviewmakesittheforerunnerofthemodern

psychologicaInoveI.

49.Essay（散文/小品文）

Apieceofprosewriting,usuaIIyshort,thatdeaIswithasubjecti

naIimitedwayandexpressesaparticularpointorview.Anessa

ymaybeseriousorhumorous,tightIyorganizedorrambIing,restrai

nedoremotionaI.ThetwogeneraIcIassificationsofessayare

theinformaIessayandtheformaIessay.Aninformalessayisu

suaIlybrief