北京航空航天大学外国语学院《821英语语言文学》（英语语言文学专业）历年考研真题及详解



2012年北京航空航天大学822英美文学考研真题及详解

I.Defineandexemplifythefollowingterms(20／150，5×4)

1Symbol

2Tragedy

3Aestheticdistance

4Ambiguity

5Paradox

II.EssayQuestionsandLiteraryAnalysis(30／150，3×10)

1InShakespeare’sHamlet,thetragicheroHamletseemstobedelayinghisrevenge.Why?

Pleasegiveyour

explanationsbyin-depthanalysiswithtextualevidences.

2Howdo

youunderstandtheEnlightenmentSpirit?Pleaseillustrateyourpointsby

analyzingatleasttwoliteraryworksfromtheEnglisheighteenthcentury.

3HowdoyouunderstandthenatureoftheAmerican

Dream?PleaseanalyzethethemeofAmericanDreamasrevealedinliteraryworks

withatleasttwoexamples.

Ⅲ.Literary

Translation(40／150,2×20)

1Translate

thefollowingEnglishintoChinese.

Nowomancanbetoorich

ortoothin.This

sayingoftenattributedtothelateDuchessofWindsorembodiesmuchoftheodd

spiritofourtimes.Beingthinisdeemedassuchavirtue.The

problemwithsuchaviewisthatsomepeopleactuallyattempttolivebyit.I

myselfhavefantasiesofslippingintonarrowdesignerclothes.Consequently,I

havebeenonadietforthebetter—orworse—partofmylife.Being

richwouldn’tbebadeither,butthatwon’thappenunlessanunknownrelative

diessuddenlyinsomedistantland,

leavingmemillionsofdollars.

2Translate

thefollowingChineseintoEnglish.

人有时非常矛盾。本来活得好好的，各方面的环境都不错，然而当事者却常常心存厌倦。对人类这种因生命的平淡和缺少激情而苦恼的心态，有时是不能用不知足来解释的。我曾对住在森林的一对夫妻羡慕不已，因为森林里有清新的空气，有大片的杉树、竹林，有幽静的林间小道，有鸟语和花香。然而，当这对夫妇知道有人羡慕他们的住所时，却神情诧异。他们认为这儿没有多少值得观光和留恋的景致，远不如城市丰富有趣。

IV.Literary

SelectionsandAnalysis(60／150，6×10)

1

WHENthesweetshowers

ofAprilfallandshoot,

Downthrowthedrought

ofMarchtopiercetheroot,

Bathingeveryveinin

liquidpower

Fromwhichthere

springstheendangeringoftheflower,

WhenalsoZephyruswith

hissweetbreath

Exhalesanairinevery

groveandheath

Uponthetendershoots,and

theyoungsun

Hishalf-courseinthe

signoftheRamhasrun,

Andthesmallfowlare

makingmelody

Thatsleepawaythe

nightwithopeneye

Thenpeoplelongtogo

onpilgrimages.

a.Identify

theauthorandtheworkfromwhichthepassageisselected.

b.Why

istheworkregardedasamasterpiece?

c.Comment

onthelanguagestyleofthewriter.

2

Andyetnothinghad

changedsincethemomentswhenhehadbeenkissingher:orrather,nothing

inthesubstanceofthings.Buttheessenceofthingshadchanged.

…

Theseandotherofhis

wordswerenothingbuttheperfunctorybabbleofthesurfacewhilethedepths

remainedparalyzed.Heturnedaway,andbentover

achair.[She]followedhimtothemiddleoftheroomwherehewas,

andstoodtherestaringathimwitheyesthatdidnotweep.Presently

shesliddownuponherkneesbesidehisfoot,andfromthis

positionshecrouchedinaheap.

‘Inthenameofour

love,forgiveme!’shewhisperedwithadrymouth.‘I

haveforgivenyouforthesame!’

And,as

hedidnotanswer,shesaidagain—

Forgivemeasyouare

forgiven!Iforgiveyou,Angel.‘

‘You—yes,you

do.‘

Butyoudonotforgive

me?’

‘O[…],forgiveness

doesnotapplytothecase!Youwereoneperson:nowyouare

another.MyGod—howcanforgivenessmeetsucha

grotesque—prestidigitationasthat!’

Hepaused,contemplating

thisdefinition:thensuddenlybrokeintohorriblelaughter—as

unnaturalandghastlyasalaughinhell.

‘Don’t—don’t!Itkills

mequite,that!’sheshrieked.‘Ohavemercy

uponme—havemercy!’

Hedidnotanswer:and,sickly

white,shejumpedup.

a.Identify

theauthorandtheworkfromwhichthepassageisselected.

b.Analyze

thesignificanceofthebook’ssubtitle.

c.Analyze

thepersonalityoftheheroineandhero.

3

Shebecameawareofsomethingabouther.With

aneffortsherousedherselftoseewhatitwasthatpenetratedher

consciousness.Thetallwhitelilieswerereelinginthe

moonlight,andtheairwaschargedwiththeirperfume,as

withapresence.Mrs.

Morelgaspedslightlyinfear.She

touchedthebig,pallidflowersontheirpetals,then

shivered.Theyseemedtobestretchinginthemoonlight.She

putherhandintoonewhitebin:thegoldscarcelyshowedonherfingersby

moonlight.Shebentdowntolookatthebinfulofyellowpollen：but

itonlyappeareddusky.Thenshedrankadeepdraughtofthescent.It

almostmadeherdizzy.

Mrs.Morelleanedonthegardengate,looking

out,andshelostherselfawhile.Shedidnot

knowwhatshethought.Exceptforaslightfeelingofsickness,and

herconsciousnessinthechild,herselfmeltedoutlikescentintotheshiny,pale

air.Afteratimethechild,too,melted

withherinthemixing-potofmoonlight,andshe

restedwiththehillsandliliesandhouses,allswum

togetherinakindofswoon.

a.Identify

theauthorandtheworkfromwhichthepassageisselected.

b.Define

theauthor’srealismwiththeanalysisoftheabovetext.

c.What

isthemeofhiswork?Alsoexplaintheauthor’sunderstandingofsexuality.

4

Thefoundersofanewcolony,whatever

Utopiaofhumanvirtueandhappinesstheymightoriginallyproject,have

invariablyrecogniseditamongtheirearliestpracticalnecessitiestoallota

portionofthevirginsoilasacemetery,andanother

portionasthesiteofaprison.Inaccordancewiththisrule,it

maysafelybeassumedthattheforefathersofBostonhadbuiltthefirstprison-house

somewhereinthevicinityofCornhill,

almostasseasonablyastheymarked

outthefirstburial-ground,onIsaacJohnson’slot,andround

abouthisgrave,whichsubsequentlybecamethenucleusofallthe

congregatedsepulchresintheoldchurchyardofKing’sChapel.Certain

itisthat,somefifteenortwentyyearsafterthe

settlementofthetown,thewoodenjailwasalreadymarkedwithweather-stains

andotherindicationsofage,whichgaveayetdarkeraspecttoitsbeetle-browed

andgloomyfront.Therustontheponderousiron-workofitsoaken

doorlookedmoreantiquethananythingelseintheNewWorld.Like

allthatpertainstocrime,itseemednevertohaveknownayouthfulera.Before

thisuglyedifice,andbetweenitandthewheel-trackofthestreet,was

agrass-plot,muchovergrownwithburdock,pig-weed,apple-peru,and

suchunsightlyvegetation,whichevidentlyfoundsomethingcongenialinthe

soilthathadsoearlybornetheblackflowerofcivilisedsociety,a

prison.But,ononesideoftheportal,and

rootedalmostatthethreshold,wasawildrose-bush,covered,in

thismonthofJune,withitsdelicategems,whichmight

beimaginedtooffertheirfragranceandfragilebeautytotheprisonerashe

wentin,andtothecondemnedcriminalashecameforthtohisdoom,in

tokenthatthedeepheartofNaturecouldpityandbekindtohim.

Thisrose-bush,

byastrangechance,has

beenkeptaliveinhistory:butwhetherithadmerelysurvivedoutofthe

sternoldwilderness,solongafterthefallofthegiganticpinesand

oaksthatoriginallyovershadowedit-orwhether,asthereis

fairauthorityforbelieving,ithadsprungupunderthefootstepsofthe

saintedAnnHutchinson,assheenteredtheprison-door—weshallnottake

uponustodetermine.Findingitsodirectlyonthethresholdofour

narrative,whichisnowabouttoissuefromthatinauspiciousportal,we

couldhardlydootherwisethanpluckoneofitsflowers,andpresent

ittothereader.Itmayserve,letushope,to

symbolisesomesweetmoralblossom,

thatmaybefoundalongthetrack,or

relievethedarkeningcloseofataleofhumanfrailtyandsorrow.

……

Butthepointwhichdrewalleyes,and,as

itwere,transfiguredthewearer,—sothatbothmenandwomen,who

hadbeenfamiliarlyacquaintedwithHesterPrynne,werenow

impressedasiftheybeheldherforthefirsttime,—wasthatscarletletter,so

fantasticallyembroideredandilluminateduponherbosom.It

hadtheeffectofaspell,takingheroutoftheordinaryrelationswith

humanity,andinclosingherinaspherebyherself.

a.Identify

theauthoroftheworkfromwhichthepassageisselected.

b.Whatisthestructureofthestory?

c.What

arethesymbolicmeaningsoftheletterbornebytheheroine?

d.What

arethesymbolicmeaningsofthefourmajorprotagonists?

e.Comment

ontheselectedpassages.

5

Therewas,of

course,acatch.

“Catch-22?”inquiredYossarian.

“Ofcourse,”ColonelKorn

answeredpleasantly,afterhehadchasedthemightyM.P.s

outwithaninsouciantflickofhishandandaslightlycontemptuous—most

relaxed,asalways,whenhecouldbemostcynical.His

rimlesssquareeyeglassesglintedwithslyamusementashegazedatYossarian.“After

all,wecan’tsimplysendyouhomeforrefusingtoflymore

missionsandkeeptherestofthemenhere,canwe?That

wouldhardlybefairtothem.”

a.Identify

theauthorfromwhichthepassageisselected.

b.Whatistheabsurdruleorregulationinthenovel?

c.What

writingtechniqueisthenovelfamousfor?

6

TheApparitionofthese

facesinthecrowd:Petalsonawet,blackbough.

a.Identify

theauthorandtheworkfromwhichthepassageisselected.

b.What

literaryschooldoesthepoetbelongto?Pleasegiveadefinitionofthat

school.

c.Please

analyzethepoem.

参考答案及解析

I.Defineandexemplifythefollowingterms

1Asymbolisanobjectthatrepresents,stands

for,orsuggestsanidea,visualimage,belief,action,ormaterialentity.

Symbolstaketheformofwords,sounds,gestures,orvisual

imagesandareusedtoconveyideasandbeliefs.Forexample,aredoctagonmay

beasymbolfor“STOP”.Onamap,apictureofatentmightrepresenta

campsite.Numeralsaresymbolsfornumbers.Personalnamesaresymbols

representingindividuals.Aredrosesymbolizesloveandcompassion.

2Tragedyisaformofdramabasedonhuman

sufferingthatinvokesinitsaudienceanaccompanyingcatharsisor

pleasureintheviewing.Whilemanycultureshavedeveloped

formsthatprovokethisparadoxicalresponse,thetermtragedyoftenrefersto

aspecifictraditionofdramathathasplayedauniqueandimportantrole

historicallyintheself-definitionofWesterncivilization.Thattraditionhas

beenmultipleanddiscontinuous,yetthetermhasoftenbeenusedtoinvokea

powerfuleffectofculturalidentityandhistoricalcontinuity—“theGreeksand

theElizabethans,inoneculturalform;HellenesandChristians,inacommon

activity,”asRaymondWilliamsputsit.

3Aestheticdistancereferstothegapbetweena

viewer’sconsciousrealityandthefictionalrealitypresentedinawork

ofart.Whenareaderbecomesfullyengrossedin

theillusorynarrativeworldofabook,theauthorhasachievedaclose

aestheticdistance.Iftheauthorthenjarsthereaderfromtherealityofthe

story,essentiallyremindingthereadertheyarereadingabook,theauthoris

saidtohave“violatedtheaestheticdistance.”Thenotionofaesthetic

distancederivesfromanarticlebyWilliamBulloughpublishedin1912.Inthat

article,hebeginswiththeimageofapassengeronashipobservingfogat

sea.Ifthepassengerthinksofthefogintermsofdangertotheship,the

experienceisnotaesthetic,buttoregardthebeautifulsceneindetached

wonderistotakelegitimateaestheticattitude.Onemustfeel,butnottoo

much.Bulloughwrites,“Distance…isobtainedbyseparatingtheobjectandits

appealfromone’sownself,byputtingitoutofgearwithpracticalneedsand

ends.Therebythe‘contemplation’oftheobjectbecomesalonepossible.

Authorsoffilm,fiction,drama,andpoetry

evokedifferentlevelsofaestheticdistance.Forinstance,WilliamFaulkner

tendstoinvokeacloseaestheticdistancebyusingfirst-personnarrativeand

streamofconsciousness,whileErnestHemingwaytendstoinvokeagreater

aestheticdistancefromthereaderthroughuseofthirdpersonnarrative.

4Ambiguityisanattributeofanyconcept,idea,

statementorclaimwhosemeaning,intentionorinterpretationcannotbe

definitivelyresolvedaccordingtoaruleorprocessconsisting

ofafinitenumberofsteps.

Theconceptofambiguityisgenerallycontrasted

withvagueness.Inambiguity,specificanddistinctinterpretationsare

permitted(althoughsomemaynotbeimmediatelyapparent),whereaswith

informationthatisvague,itisdifficulttoformanyinterpretationatthe

desiredlevelofspecificity.

Contextmayplayaroleinresolvingambiguity.

Forexample,thesamepieceofinformationmaybeambiguousinonecontextand

unambiguousinanother.

5Aparadoxisastatementthatapparentlycontradictsitself

andyetmightbetrue.Mostlogicalparadoxesareknownto

beinvalidargumentsbutarestillvaluableinpromoting

criticalthinking.

Someparadoxeshaverevealederrorsin

definitionsassumedtoberigorous,andhavecausedaxiomsofmathematicsand

logictobere-examined.OneexampleisRussell'sparadox,whichquestions

whethera“listofallliststhatdonotcontainthemselves”wouldinclude

itself,andshowedthatattemptstofoundsettheoryontheidentificationof

setswithpropertiesorpredicateswereflawed.Others,suchasCurry's

paradox,arenotyetresolved.

ExamplesoutsidelogicincludetheShipof

Theseusfromphilosophy(questioningwhetherashiprepairedovertimeby

replacingeachofitswoodenpartswouldremainthesameship).Paradoxescan

alsotaketheformofimagesorothermedia.Forexample,M.C.Escherfeatured

perspective-basedparadoxesinmanyofhisdrawings,withwallsthatare

regardedasfloorsfromotherpointsofview,andstaircasesthatappearto

climbendlessly.

Incommonusage,theword“paradox”oftenrefers

tostatementsthatareironicorunexpected,suchas“theparadoxthatstanding

ismoretiringthanwalking”.

II.EssayQuestionsandLiteraryAnalysis

1Therearemany

reasonsastowhyHamletmightbedelayingtherevenge.OneofHamlet’smany

reasonscouldbethat

heisafraidof

theconsequenceafterkilling.Heworriesthatthekillingwillcause

turbulencetohiscountry.Hecannotdecidetotakesuchrevenge.Hamletis

quitereligiousseeingthathefearshisfaitifmurderingClaudiusduringhis

prayer,“NowmightIdoitpat,nowheisa-praying,andnowI’lldo’t-andso

goestoheaven,andamIreneged.Thatwouldbescanned.Avillainkillsmy

father,andforthat,IhissolesondothissamevillainsendtoHeaven.”This

showstheaudiencethatHamletisreligiousandthathefearstheresultof

killing,HamletknowsthatifhekillsClaudiuswhileheprays,Claudiuswill

gotoheaven,andHamletwillhavetosufferthesinofkilling.Anotherreason

astowhyHamletpostponedtherevenge,couldbethathedidn’twanttohurt

hismotherGertrude,especiallyafterhisfatherwarnedhimnottohurtherin

anyway“Iwillspeakdaggerstoherbutusenon”,thisindicatesHamlets

protectionoverhismother,hewill“speakindaggers”talktoherwithasharp

tonebut“usenon”tohurthismother.ItcouldbesaidthatHamletdidn’twant

tokillClaudiusbecausehedidn’twanttoseehismothersufferalossofanother

lovedone.

2Enlightenmentreferstoaprogressive

intellectualmovementbeginninginFranceandthenspreadthroughoutEurope.It

isanexpressionofstruggleofthethenprogressiveclassofbourgeoisie

againstfeudalism.Thephrasewasfrequentlyemployedbywritersoftheperiod

itself,convincedthattheywereemergingfromcenturiesofdarknessand

ignoranceintoanewageenlightenedbyreason,science,educationanda

respectofhumanity.Theenlightenersfoughtagainstclassinequality,stagnation,

prejudice,andothersurvivalsoffeudalism.Theyattemptedtoplaceall

branchesofscienceattheserviceofmankindbyconnectingthemwiththe

actualdeedsandrequirementsofthepeople.Theyacceptedbourgeois

relationshipsasrightfulandreasonablerelationshipsamongpeople.Asto

works,Defoe’sRobinsonCrusoeandSwift’sGulliver’sTravelsare

representativeworksofEnlightenment.Theyfullyrevealtheenlightenment

spiritofthatage.

3AmericanDreammeansthatAmericaisaplace

fullofopportunitiestobesuccessfulandifpeopleworkhardandarediligent

enough,theycangetthewealthandfamethattheywant;wealth,material

possessionandpowerarethecorevaluesofAmericanDream.GatsbyinThe

GreatGatsbyandWillyinDeathofaSalesmanaretworepresentatives

ofthevictimsofAmericanDream.Gatsbygetsmoneybydoingillegalbusiness

andlivesluxuriouslifewhichmakeshimlonelyandmeaningless,finally,he

waskilled;thus,hisAmericandreamisshattered.WhileWillyisasalesman

andheiseagertobesuccessful,butheisfrustratedbytheenvironmentand

peoplearoundhim,beingnotabletostandsuchreality,hecommitssuicide;

hisAmericandreamisshatteredaswell.

Ⅲ.Literary

Translation

1Translate

thefollowingEnglishintoChinese.

女人钱再多也不多，女人再瘦也不瘦。这句常被认为是已故温莎公爵夫人说的话，很大程度上体现了时代精神的怪异———瘦被视为难得的优点。此观点的问题在于有些人实际上力图身体力行。我自己就幻想能轻松套上瘦小的时装，结果不管对自己生活有无好处，一味节食。有钱也不是什么坏事，但这种情况不会落在我身上———除非某个遥远国度有个不认识的亲戚突然死了，留给我几百万美元遗产。

2Translate

thefollowingChineseintoEnglish.

Peopleareforeverinadilemma.Theyliveafairlygood

lifeandtheircircumstancesareasgoodascanbe,butfromtimetotimethey

growtiredofallthis.Onecanhardlyattributethismentality,arisingfrom

life’smonotonyandlackofpassion,toinsatiabilityonthepartofhumans.I

usedtoenvyamarriedcouplewholivedinaforest,wheregrovesoffirtrees

andbamboosflourished,withquietandsecludedcobblestonepathsmeandering

throughthewoods,birdschirpingbeautifullyandflowerspermeatingfragrance.

Yetwhentheyrealizedthattheyhadunwittinglybecomeanobjectofadmiration

owingtotheuniquelocationoftheirhouse,theyweretrulyperplexed.In

theireyes,therewaslittleintheforestwhichdeservedtobeseenormadesuch

afussaboutwhencomparedtothefunandabundantlifeametropoliscan

provide!

IV.Literary

SelectionsandAnalysis

1

a.Theauthoris

GeoffreyChaucer,andtheworkisselectedfromTheCanterburyTales.

b.Becauseinthiswork,Chaucershowsatrue-to-life

panoramaofhisthentime.Takingfromthestandofrising

bourgeoisie,Chauceraffirmsmenandopposesthedogmaof

asceticismpreachedbythechurch.Hepraisesman’senergy,intellect,quick

witandloveforlife.Histalesexposeandsatirizetheevilsofhistime,

attackdegenerationofthenobleandthecorruptionofthechurch.Thisworkis

fullofbeautifulthoughtsandlanguage,soitisregardedasamasterpiece.

c.Chaucer’slanguageisvividandexact.His

verseisamongthesmoothestinEnglishliterature.Chaucer’scontribution

toEnglishpoetryisthatheintroducedfromFrancethe

rhymedstanzaofvarioustypes,especiallytheheroiccouplettoEnglish

poetry.HedidmuchinmakingtheLondondialectthestandardforthemodern

Englishspeech.Heisgoodattheterzarima,whichmakeshislanguageahigh

style.Chaucerisamasteroflanguage.

2

a.TheauthorisThomas

Hardy,andthepassageisselectedfromTessoftheD’Urbervilles.

b.ThesubtitleofthebookisAPureWoman

whichshowsthegreatsympathyofThomasHardy.Andfromthissubtitle

wecanseethatHardyconfirmstheinnerpurityofTess,at

thesametime,hecriticizespeople’shypocrisyandtheharshreality.

c.Tessisabeautifulyoungwomanwhoisintelligent,

naïve,passionateandkind-hearted.Sheistrappedintoherfateand

cannotgetout.SheisunfortunateanddeducedbyAlec,

whoistheevilrepresentativeinthebookandkilledbyTessdesperatelyin

theend.Asaresult,Tessissentencedtodeath.

AngelistheverymanthatTessloves,buthe

doesnotcherishherloveforhim,andheabandonsTesswhenheknowsthatTess

isdeducedbyAlec.Althoughheisafreethinkingyoungmanandatypical19th-century

progressive,believinginthenobilityofman,hestickstothetraditional

valuesfirmly,whichmakehimmean,selfish,narrow-mindedandunableto

forgive.

3

a.TheauthorisD.H.

Lawrence,andthepassageisselectedfromSonsandLovers.

b.D.H.Lawrencewasoneoftheheirsofthegenre

ofrealism,especiallypsychologicalrealism.Throughoutthisnovel,Lawrence

reflectsthereality,criticizestherealityandfullyembodiestherealist

thoughtsofhis.Intheabovetext,Lawrenceshowstherealisticdepictionof

Mrs.Morel’sactionsandfeelings,whichistruetolife.

c.Thisworkistakenasatypicalexampleand

livelymanifestationofOedipuscomplexinfiction,astheresultof

Lawrence’slong-rangestudyofpsychoanalysistheoriesof

SigmundFreud.Butthethemeofthenovelisusuallysaidtoconcerntheeffect

ofmaternalloveonthedevelopmentofason.Atthesametime,Lawrence

criticizesthedehumanizationcausedbyindustrialization,underwhich

spiritualloveandphysicallovecannotbeintegratedwitheachother.

4

a.Theauthoris

NathanielHawthorne,andthepassageisselectedfromTheScarletLetter.

b.Theauthoremploysakindofcircular

narrativestructure（环形叙事结构）andgivespeopleakindofcompleteness.

c.Thescarletletter“A”hasseveralsymbolic

meaningsthroughoutthestory.Atthebeginning,itsymbolizes“adultery”

whichindicatesthesinthattheheroinehascommitted;later,itbecomes“able”,

becauseoftheheroine’sabilityandgoodness;atlast,itsymbolizes“angel”,

whichconfirmstheheroine’sinnermoralityandpurity.

d.Hester