英国文学名词术语解释

Ballad(民谣)In more exact literary terminology, a ballad is a narrative poem consisting of quatrains of iambic tetrameter alternating with iambic trimeter. Common traits of the ballad are that(a) the beginning is often abrupt ,(b) the story is told through dialogue and action (c) the language is simple or “folksy,” (d) the theme is often tragic---though comic ballads do exist, (e) the ballad contains a refrain repeated several times. The ballad became popular in England in the late 14th century and was adopted by many writers. One of the most important anthologies of ballads is F. J. Child’ s The English and Scottish Popular Ballads. 在更为精确的文学术语中，民谣指的是抑扬格四音步与抑扬格三音步诗行交替出现的四行叙事诗。民谣的共同特色包括：（a）诗歌的起首通常十分出其不意。（b）故事通过对话和行为讲述。（c）语言简单，民风十足。（d）尽管存在喜剧民谣，但大多数民谣的主题具有悲剧意味。（e）民谣通常包含重复多遍的叠句。民谣这种诗歌形式在14世纪晚期的英格兰十分盛行，从此以后许多作家对其进行模仿创作。历史上最为知名的民谣集之一为恰尔德收集出版的《英格兰和苏格兰流行歌谣》。

Epic(史诗)An epic is a long oral narrative poem that operates on a grand scale and deals with legendary or historical events of national or universal significance .Most epics deal with the exploits of a single individual and also interlace the main narrative with myths, legends, folk tales and past events; there is a composite effect, the entire culture of a country cohering in the overall experience of the poem . Epic poems are not merely entertaining stories of legendary or historical heroes; they summarize and express the nature or ideals of an entire nation at a significant or crucial period of its history. 史诗是长篇口头叙事诗，内容广泛，通常以重要传说或者重大历史事件为题材。大部分的史诗歌颂个人的英雄事迹，同时也在叙述中插入神话、传说、民间故事以及历史事件；一个民族的整体文化与全诗所讲的经历紧密联系，造成一种复合的效果。史诗不仅仅是愉悦人的传奇故事或者历史英雄事迹，它们总结以及表达了一个民族在其历史上一个重要或者关键时期的本质或者理想。

Humanism(人文主义)Broadly, this term suggests any attitude which tends to exalt the human element or stress the importance of human interests, as opposed to the supernatural , divine elements ---or as opposed to the grosser, animal elements.In a more specific sense, humanism suggests a devotion to those studies supposed to promote human culture most effectively----in particular, those dealing with the life,thought, language, and literature of ancient Greece and Rome. It proclaimed that man is the most important noble creature in the world; the goal of life is to enjoy oneself in this present world instead of afterlife. According to the humanists ; both man and world are hindered by external checks from infinite improvement. Man could mould the world according to his desires, and attain happiness by removing all external checks by the exercise of reason. In literary history the most important use of the term is to designate the revival of classical culture which accompanied the Renaissance. 这个术语广义上是指一切提升人类因素或重视人类利益，反对超自然的、超人的因素或反对粗野的、动物的因素的态度。更确切地来讲，人文主义意味着投身到最有效地促进人类文化的研究当中——特别涉及到古希腊和罗马的生活、思想、语言和文学的研究。人文主义宣称人是世界上最高贵的动物；生活的目标就是要享受现世的生活而不是期望来世。人文主义学者认为，只有外部阻碍才能阻止人类和世界的无限进步，人类可以根据自己的欲望来改造世界，并且可以通过理智的锻炼驱除外部障碍来获得幸福。文学史中，用到这个术语的最重要时刻是指文艺复兴时期对古典文化的复兴。

Renaissance(文艺复兴)The word “renaissance” means rebirth or revival. It is commonly applied to the movement or period in western civilization , which marks the transition from the