英美文学术语解释

1、.Postmodernism is the expression of thought and culture in art, literature, philosophy and politics in advanced capitalist period. “Post-” of “Postmodernism” is the inheritance and reaction to “modernism”. Postmodernism was originally used by artists and critics in New York in the 1960s and then emp

2、loyed by European theorists in the 1970s. Once this writing entered on the stage of history, it has brought us not only techniques such as parody, fragmentation, pastiche, collage, allegory, irony, playfulness, metafiction, but also intertextuality in history, philosophy, sociology, etc.英美文学名词解释 (20

3、13-06-29 16:58:29)标签： 原文地址：英美文学名词解释作者：kiwi01. Humanism(人文主义)Humanism is the essence of the Renaissance.2> it emphasizes the dignity of human beings and the importance of the present life. Humanists voiced their beliefs that man was the center of the universe and man did not only have the right to

4、 enjoy the beauty of the present life, but had the ability to perfect himself and to perform wonders.02. Renaissance(文艺复兴)The word “Renaissance”means “rebirth”, it meant the reintroduction into westerm Europe of the full cultural heritage of Greece and Rome.2>the essence of the Renaissance is Hum

5、anism. Attitudes and feelings which had been characteristic of the 14th and 15th centuries persisted well down into the era of Humanism and reformation.3> the real mainstream of the english Renaissance is the Elizabethan drama with william shakespeare being the leading dramatist.03. Metaphysical

6、poetry(玄学派诗歌)Metaphysical poetry is commonly used to name the work of the 17th century writers who wrote under the influence of John Donne.2>with a rebellious spirit, the Metaphysical poets tried to break away from the conventional fashion of the Elizabethan love poetry.3>the diction is simple

7、 as compared with that of the Elizabethan or the Neoclassical periods, and echoes the words and cadences of common speech.4>the imagery is drawn from actual life.04. Classcism(古典主义)Classcism refers to a movement or tendency in art, literature, or music that reflects the principles manifested in t

8、he art of ancient Greece and Rome. Classicism emphasizes the traditional and the universal, and places value on reason, clarity, balance, and order. Classicism, with its concern for reason and universal themes, is traditionally opposed to Romanticism, which is concerned with emotions and personal th

9、emes.05. Enlightenment(启蒙运动)Enlightenment movement was a progressive philosophical and artistic movement which flourished in france and swept through western Europe in the 18th century.2> the movement was a furtherance of the Renaissance from 14th century to the mid-17th century.3>its purpose

10、was to enlighten the whole world with the light of modern philosophical and artistic ideas.4>it celebrated reason or rationality, equality and science. It advocated universal education.5>famous among the great enlighteners in england were those great writers like Alexander pope. Jonathan swift

11、.etc.06.Neoclassicism(新古典主义)In the field of literature, the enlightenment movement brought about a revival of interest in the old classical works.2>this tendency is known as neoclassicism. The Neoclassicists held that forms of literature were to be modeled after the classical works of the ancient

12、 Greek and Roman writers such as Homer and Virgil and those of the contemporary French ones.3> they believed that the artistic ideals should be order, logic, restrained emotion and accuracy, and that literature should be judged in terms of its service to humanity.07. The Graveyard School(墓地派诗歌)Th

13、e Graveyard School refers to a school of poets of the 18th century whose poems are mostly devoted to a sentimental lamentation or meditation on life. Past and present, with death and graveyard as themes.2>Thomas Gray is considered to be the leading figure of this school and his Elegy written in a

14、 country churchyard is its most representative work.08. Romanticism(浪漫主义)1>In the mid-18th century, a new literary movement called romanticism came to Europe and then to England.2>It was characterized by a strong protest against the bondage of neoclassicism, which emphasized reason, order and

15、elegant wit. Instead, romanticism gave primary concern to passion, emotion, and natural beauty.3>In the history of literature. Romanticism is generally regarded as the thought that designates a literary and philosophical theory which tends to see the individual as the very center of all life and

16、experience. 4> The English romantic period is an age of poetry which prevailed in England from 1798 to 1837. The major romantic poets include Wordsworth, Byron and Shelley.09. Byronic Hero(拜伦式英雄)Byronic hero refers to a proud, mysterious rebel figure of noble origin.2> with immense superiority

17、 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 would rise single-handedly against any kind of tyrannical rules either in government, in religion, or in moral principles with unconquerable wills and inexhaust

18、ible energies.3> Byrons chief contribution to English literature is his creation of the “Byronic Hero”10. Critical Realism(批判现实主义)Critical Realism is a term applied to the realistic fiction in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.2> It means the tendency of writers and intellectuals in the p

19、eriod between 1875 and 1920 to apply the methods of realistic fiction to the criticism of society and the examination of social issues.3> Realist writers were all concerned about the fate of the common people and described what was faithful to reality.4> Charles Dickens is the most important c

20、ritical realist.11. Aestheticism（美学主义）The basic theory of the Aesthetic movement- “art for arts sake” was set forth by a French poet, Theophile Gautier, the first Englishman who wrote about the theory of aestheticism was Walter Pater.2> aestheticism places art above life, and holds that life shou

21、ld imitate art, not art imitate life.3> According to the aesthetes, all artistic creation is absolutely subjective as opposed to objective. Art should be free from any influence of egoism. Only when art is for arts sake, can it be immortal. They believed that art should be unconcerned with contro

22、versial issues, such as politics and morality, and that it should be restricted to contributing beauty in a highly polished style.4> This is one of the reactions against the materialism and commercialism of the Victorian industrial era, as well as a reaction against the Victorian convention of ar

23、t for moralitys sake, or art for moneys sake.美学运动的基本原则”为艺术而艺术”最初由法国诗人西奥费尔.高缔尔提出,英国运用该美学理论的第一人是沃尔特.佩特.美学主义崇尚艺术高于生活,认为生活应模仿艺术,而不是艺术模仿生活.在美学主义看来,所有的艺术创作都是绝对主观而非客观的产物.艺术不应受任何功利的影响,只有当艺术为艺术而创作时,艺术才能成为不朽之作.他们还认为艺术不应只关注一些热点话题如政治和道德问题,艺术应着力于以华丽的风格张扬美.这是对维多利亚工业发展时期物质崇拜的一种回应,也是向艺术为道德或为金钱而服务的维多利亚传统的挑战.12.The V

24、ictorian period(维多利亚时期) In this period, the novel became the most widely read and the most vital and challenging expression of progressive thought. While sticking to the principle of faithful representation of the 18th century realist novel, novelists in this period carried their duty forward to cri

25、ticism of the society and the defense of the mass.2> although writing from different points of view and with different techniques, they shared one thing in common, that is, they were all concerned about the fate of the common people. They were angry with the inhuman social institutions, the decay

26、ing social morality as represented by the money-worship and Utilitarianism, and the widespread misery, poverty and injustice.3>their truthful picture of peoples life and bitter and strong criticism of the society had done much in awakening the public consciousness to the social problems and in th

27、e actual improvement of the society.4> Charles Dickens is the leading figure of the Victorian period.13. Modernism(现代主义)Modernism is comprehensive but vague term for a movement , which begin in the late 19th century and which has had a wide influence internationally during much of the 20th centur

28、y.2> modernism takes the irrational philosophy and the theory of psycho-analysis as its theoretical case.3> the term pertains to all the creative arts. Especially poetry, fiction, drama, painting, music and architecture.4> in England from early in the 20th century and during the 1920s and 1

29、930s, in America from shortly before the first world war and on during the inter-war period, modernist tendencies were at their most active and fruitful.5>as far as literature is concerned, Modernism reveals a breaking away from established rules, traditions and conventions. fresh ways of looking

30、 at mans position and function in the universe and many experiments in form and style. It is particularly concerned with language and how to use it and with writing itself.14. Stream of consciousness(意识流)(or interior monologue)In literary criticism, Stream of consciousness denotes a literary techniq

31、ue which seeks to describe an individuals point of view by giving the written equivalent of the characters thought processes. Stream of consciousness writing is strongly associated with the modernist movement. Its introduction in the literary context, transferred from psychology, is attributed to Ma

32、y Sinclair. Stream of consciousness writing is usually regarded as a special form of interior monologue and is characterized by associative leaps in syntax and punctuation that can make the prose difficult to follow, tracing as they do a characters fragmentary thoughts and sensory feelings. Famous w

33、riters to employ this technique in the English language include James Joyce and William Faulkner.学术界认为意识流是一种通过直接描述人物思维过程来寻求个人视角的文学写作技巧。意识流是现代主义运动的体现，它首先出现在心现学领域，由梅.辛克拉提出的，后引进文学领域。意识流写作通常被认为是一种特殊形式的内心独白.它的特别是联想性,以句法和标点的跳跃,文章的晦涩难懂为特征.来表现人物的片断思维和感官性直觉.比较著名的使用此技巧的有乔伊斯.福克纳.15. American Puritanism(美国清教主义)

34、 Puritanism was a religious reform that arose within the Church of England in the late 16th century. Under siege from church and crown, it sent an offshoot in the third and fourth decades of the 17th to the northern English colonies in the new world-a migration that laid the foundation for the relig

35、ious, intellectual, and social order of New England. Puritanism, however, was not only a historically specific phenomenon coincident with the founding of new England, it was also a way of being in the world-a style of response to lived experience-that has reverberated through American life ever sinc

36、e. Doctrinally, puritans adhered to the five points of Calvinism as codified at the synod of dort in 1619:1) Unconditional election: the idea that God had decreed at the synod of damned and who was saved from before the beginning of the world;2) limited atonement: the idea that Christ died for the e

37、lect only;3) Total depravity: humanitys utter corruption since the fall;4) Irresistible grace: regeneration as entirely a work of God, which cannot be re3sisted and to which the sinner contributes nothing;5) The perseverance of the saints: the elect, despite their backsliding and faintness of heart,

38、 cannot fall away from grace. 清教主义是16世纪晚期在英国教会内进行的一场宗教改革.在教会和皇权的双重压力之下,清教的一个分支于17世纪30,40年代迁至美洲新大陆的北方殖民地,他们为新英格兰奠定了宗教、知识和社会秩序的基础。清教主义不仅符合新英格兰成立的特定历史，而且一直反映了美国生活的一种生活方式。从教义上说，清教徒遵循加尔文派于1619年多特宗教会议上制定的五条信条：1）无条件拣选：神没有任凭人在罪中灭亡，而是在创世以前就拣选了一群人旅行拯救； 2）有限救赎： 基督的死只是为了特定数目的选民而死； 3） 完全堕落：自从亚当偷吃善恶果后，整个人类都堕落了；4）

39、不可抗拒的恩典：圣灵的能力在罪人心里运行，一直到他认罪悔改方休；5）圣徒的坚守：圣徒是神所挑选的，无论他们如何退步，始终在神的感召下。16. American Romanticism(美国浪漫主义) Romanticism refers to an artistic and intellectual movement originating in Europe in the late 18th century and characterized by a heightened interest in nature, emphasis on the individuals expression

40、of emotion and imagination, departure from the attitudes and forms of classicism, and rebellion against established social rules and conventions. The romantic period in American literature stretches from the end of the 18th century through the outbreak of the civil war. It was an age of great westwa

41、rd expansion, of the increasing gravity of the slavery question, of an intensification of the spirit of embattled sectionalism in the south, and of a powerful impulse to reform in the north. In literature it was Americas first great creative period, a full flowering of the romantic impulse on Americ

42、an soil. Although foreign influences were strong, American romanticism exhibited from the very outset distinct features of its own. First, American romanticism was in essence the expression of “a real new experience”and contained “an alien quality” for the simple reason that “the spirit of the place

43、” was radically new and alien. Second, puritan influence over American romanticism was conspicuously noticeable. Emerging as new writers of strength and creative power were the novelists Hawthorne, Melville, the poets Dickinson, Whitman, the essayists Thoreau, Emerson. These American writers had mad

44、e a great literary period by capturing on their pages the enthusiasm and the optimism of that dream.浪漫主义是于18世纪晚期发起于欧洲的一场艺术性及思想性的运动，它注重自然，强调个人情感表达与想像力，向既定的社会制度和传统挑战，与古典主义形式相分离。美国的浪漫主义时期从18世纪末一直延续到内战爆发前。这个时期发生了大规模的西迁运动，日益严峻的奴隶问题，南部各州的地方保护主义的是益盛行以及北部呼声愈演愈烈火的革新运动。在文学上，这个时期是美国第一次伟大的创作时期，浪漫主义的种子在北美的土壤里生根发

45、芽。尽管受到欧洲浪漫主义运动的影响，美国浪漫主义文学仍然呈现出自己的独特风格。第一，美国浪漫主义在本质上是一个“全新的经历“的表达，因这个新大陆充满着生机和活力而使美国的浪漫主义蕴含异国的气质；第二，清教主义对美国浪漫主义有着显著的影响，作为新生创作力量的有小说家霍桑，麦尔维尔。诗人狄金森和惠特曼，散文家梭罗，爱默生。这些美国作家充满热情地记录下这个伟大时代的乐观主义精神。 17. Transcendentalism(超验主义) Transcendentalism is literature, philosophical and literary movement that flourishe

46、d in new England from about 1836 to 1860. it is the summit of American Romanticism. it originated among a small group of intellectuals who were reacting against the orthodoxy of Calvinism and the rationalism of the Unitarian Church, developing instead their own faith centering on the divinity of hum

47、anity and the natural world. Transcendentalism derived some of its basic idealistic concepts from romantic German philosophy, and from such English authors as Coleridge and Wordsworth. Its mystical aspects were partly influenced by Indian and Chinese religious teachings. Although Transcendentalism w

48、as never a rigorously systematic philosophy, it had some basic tenets that were generally shared by its adherents. The beliefs that God is immanent in each person and in nature and that individual intuition is the highest source of knowledge led to an optimistic emphasis on individualism, self-relia

49、nce, and rejection of traditional authority. The ideas of Transcendentalism were most eloquently expressed by Ralph waldo Emerson in such essays as Nature, and by Henry David Thoreau in his book Walden.超验主义是从1836至1860于新英格兰发起的一场文学,哲学以及艺术运动.即浪漫主义的顶点.由于一小群知识分子反对加尔文教派和唯一神论教派理性的形式主义,他们从而提出人与自然的神圣这一信念.超验主

50、义受到德国浪漫主义哲学以及英国浪漫主义作家柯勒律治和沃兹华斯的影响,还在一定程度上受到东方古典哲学和宗教的影响.尽管超验主义思想并不能算是严格意义上的哲学, 但是它还是有一些基本原则的.超验主义者认为人人都有内在的神性,只有通过接触自然才能使神性与人的天性相互融合.从而超验主义十分强调个人主义,自立,拒绝传统权威思想.超验主义思想在爱默生的<论自然> 和梭罗的<瓦尔登湖>等书中表现得淋漓尽致.18. the Age of Realism(现实主义时期)1).Realism was a reaction against Romanticism and paved the

51、way to Modernism; 2).During this period a new generation of writers, dissatisfied with the Romantic ideas in the older generation, came up with a new inspiration. This new attitude was characterized by a great interest in the realities of life. It aimed at the interpretation of the realities of any

52、aspect of life, free from subjective prejudice, idealism, or romantic color. Instead of thinking about the mysteries of life and death and heroic individualism, peoples attention was now directed to the interesting features of everyday existence, to what was brutal or sordid, and to the open portray

53、al of class struggle;3) so writers began to describe the integrity of human characters reacting under various circumstances and picture the pioneers of the far west, the new immigrants and the struggles of the working class; 4) Mark Twain Howells and Henry James are three leading figures of the Amer

54、ican Realism.19. American Naturalism(美国自然主义文学)The American naturalists accepted the more negative interpretation of Darwins evolutionary theory and used it to accout for the behavior of those characters in literary works who were regarded as more or less complex combinations of inherited attributes,

55、 their habits conditioned by social and economic forces.2) naturalism is evolved from realism when the authors tone in writing becomes less serious and less sympathetic but more ironic and more pessimistic. It is no more than a gloomy philosophical approach to reality, or to human existence.3>Dre

56、iser is a leading figure of his school.20. Naturalism(自然主义) Naturalism is a literary movement related to and sometimes described as an extreme form of realism but which may be more appropriately considered as a parallel to philosophic Naturalism. 2) as a more deliberate kind of realism Naturalism us

57、ually involves a view of human beings as passive victims of natural forces and social environment. In Naturalism a more documentary-like approach is in evidence, with a great stress on how environment and heredity shape people. 3) As a literary movement, Naturalism was initiated in France. 4) Natura

58、list fiction aspired to a sociological objectivity, offering detailed and fully researched investigations into unexplored concerns of modern society.21. Local Colorism(乡土文学)Generally speaking, the writings of local colorists are concerned with the life of a small, well-defined region or province. Th

59、e characteristic setting is the isolated small town.2) 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, they 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.3)