第六章 英国批判现实主义

第六章英国批判现实主义一．Background Knowledge

背景知识

With the development of capitalism , there arouse a powerful working class . From the thirties of the 19th century , the struggle between the workers and capitalists became the fundamental contradiction in English social life .

随着资本主义的发展，工人阶级也变得强大。从19世纪30年代开始，工人和资产家间的斗争成为英国社会基本矛盾。

England became a typical capitalist country .Having consolidated its position at home , the British bourgeoisie strengthened its policy of colonial expansion in all parts of the world , successively competing for markets with other powerful countries of the world . The great misery of the workers led to an upsurge of labor movements and the organization of the workers into unions . In 1836 arose the working-class movement known as Chartism . So England was experiencing at the same time an aggravation of contradictions both at home and abroad .

此时的英国是典型的资本主义国家，对内剥削，对外开辟海外殖民地和占领市场。工人遭受的巨大苦难使他们联合起来进行反抗。1836年掀起的一场声势浩大的工人阶级运动，被称为宪章运动。所以英国国内外的矛盾都在恶化。

Time period of critical realism coincides with the reign of Queen

Victoria from 1836 to 1901 , which is also called the Victorian Age . The crying social contradictions were reflected in the poetry and prose of the time .

批判现实主义的时间跨度与维多利亚女王的统治时间相吻合，大致从1836年到1901年，这一时期也被叫做维多利亚时期。这一时代的社会矛盾被反映在诗歌和散文中。

二．Literary Features of Critical Realism

批判现实主义文学特征

1. Chartist literature is one of the literary features that showed the growing force of the working class .During the Chartist movement , the Chartist writers introduced a new theme into literature ----the struggle of the proletariat for its rights .The famous Chartist representatives included Ernest Jones ,Thomas Cooper and William James Linton .

宪章文学展现了工人阶级的日益强大。在宪章运动中,宪章作家引进了一种新的文学主题，即无产阶级为权利斗争的主题。著名的宪章文学代表有欧内斯特·琼斯,托马斯·库柏和威廉·詹姆·林顿。

2. Critical Realistic literature occupied a great important place in the 19th century literature .The 19th century realistic novels become “the epic of the bourgeois society ”。The most excellent realists are Dickens and Thackeray , the two realistic novelists .

批判现实主义文学在19世纪文学中占有重要地位。19世纪的小说成为了“资产阶级的史诗”。最具代表性的批判现实主义小说家

是狄更斯和萨克雷。

3. As women became more and more aware of their own rights and abilities , more and more women writers stood on the stage of literature .Those women writers included the BrontëSisters , Mrs.Gaskell ,and George Eliot .

随着妇女权利和能力意识的觉醒，越来越多的女性作家登上文学舞台。这些女性作家有勃朗特姐妹，盖斯凯尔夫人和乔治·艾略特。三．Literary Terms

文学术语

1.Critical Realism

批判现实主义文学

（1）Critical realism reveals the corrupting influence of the rule of cash upon human nature . The English critical realists of the 19th century not only gave a satirical portrayal of the bourgeoisie and all the ruling classes , but also showed profound sympathy for the common people .

批判现实主义揭示了金钱控制一切对人性的恶劣影响。批判现实主义者不仅讽刺地描述了资产阶级和其他统治阶级，还表达了对普通大众的深切同情。

（2）But the critical realists did not find a way to eradicate the social evils they knew so well . They often start with a powerful exposure of the ugliness of the bourgeois world in their works , but their novels usually have happy endings or an impotent compromise at the end .