陶洁《美国文学选读》笔记和课后习题(含考研真题)详解(斯蒂芬 克莱恩)【圣才出品】

第10单元斯蒂芬•克莱恩

10.1 复习笔记

I. Introduction to author（作者简介）

1. Life（生平）

Stephen Crane was an American novelist, short story writer, poet and journalist. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism and Impressionism. He is recognized by modern critics as one of the most innovative writers of his generation.

斯蒂芬·克莱恩是美国小说家、短篇小说家、诗人、记者。他在短暂的一生中著作颇丰，在现实主义传统下写了许多著名作品，也成为美国自然主义和印象主义的早期范例。他被当代批评家认为是同时代最具有创意的作家。

2. Major Works（主要作品）

Maggie: A Girl of the Street (1893) 《街头女郎麦姬》

The Red Badge of Courage (1895) 《红色英勇勋章》

“The Open Boat” (1897) 《海上扁舟》

The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky (1898)《新娘来到黄天镇》

The Blue Hotel (1898) 《蓝色旅店》

Ⅱ. Selected works（选读作品）

◆The Open Boat《海上扁舟》

This story is based on Crane’s personal experiences. While traveling to Cuba to work as a newspaper correspondent during the Cuban insurrection against Spain, Crane was stranded at sea after his ship the Commodore sank off the coast of Florida. Stephen Crane and three others endured the rage of the sea for thirty hours. Billy Higgins a friend of Cranes drowned while swimming to shore. This realistic story of their life-threatening ordeal captures the emotions of four men in a fight against nature.

Th e most significant aspect of this struggle lies in the men’s attempts to help one another survive when they are confronted with danger and disaster.

故事取材于克莱恩真实的个人经历。作为一名记者，古巴起义反抗西班牙时，他在前往古巴采访途中被搁浅在海上，因为他乘的船在弗罗里达海滨沉没。斯蒂芬·克莱恩和其他三个人在海上经受住了海水长达三十个小时的暴虐。克莱恩的一个朋友比利·希金斯在游上岸的途中不幸被淹死。这个真实的故事对他们的生命造成严重的威胁，也激发了他们与自然对抗时的情感。

这种斗争最重要的意义在于人们面对危险和灾难时尽最大努力拯救别人的生命。

10.2 课后习题详解

1. What does the opening sentence imply?

Key: It implies the extremely dangerous and hard situation that they are faced with. They can only focus on the sea and do not once take their eyes off the ocean. They have to fight with the ocean with all their strength and attention.

2. How does the following outburst contribute to the theme(s) of the story? “If I am going to be drowned—if I am going to be drowned—if I am going to be drowned. Why, in the name of the seven mad gods who rule the sea, was I allowed to come thus far and contemplate sand and trees? Was I brought here merely to have my nose dragged away as I was about to nibble the sacred cheese of life? It is preposterous. If this old ninny woman, Fate, cannot do better than this, she should be deprived of the management of men’s fortunes. She is an old hen who knows not her intention. If she has decided to drown me. why did she not do it in the beginning and save me all this trouble. The whole affair is absurd....But, no, she cannot mean to drown me. She dare not drown me. She cannot drown me. Not after all this work.”

Key: The following outburst is a desperate one which shows the speaker’s rebellions and resentfulness to the seven gods of sea. He thinks that he would be unfairly treated if he is drowned. Through the story, the struggle between man and the natural world is the most apparent theme. In fact, the speaker knows that nature is powerful and ruthless, and it will not show sympathy nor punish anyone, so, he thinks that he must survive by his own efforts. He must save himself.