为整个故事的叙述重点作者侧重描写的以及读者关注的都是侦探如何

论西方侦探小说的模式

英语2043 刘晓俊200407144

摘要：这里从艾伦·坡和柯南·道尓的《莫格街血案》、《窃信案》、《四签名》、《血字的研究》等侦探小说入手，对这西方传统侦探小说这一小说样式的独特模式的四个要素及各个要素在小说中所起的作用进行了详细剖析。

关键词：爱伦·坡；柯南·道尓；西方侦探小说；模式

一、引言

追根溯源，西方侦探也有着悠久的历史渊源，解谜、探索、惩恶扬善是人类具有的天性。希腊悲剧《俄狄浦斯王》中,对于杀害国王的凶手的追索，以及整个剧中笼罩的悲情气氛已隐含着现代侦探小说的原型；莎士比亚悲剧《哈姆雷特》也同样包含着解谜的成分。而侦探小说真正诞生的时间应该是1841年4月，美国作家埃德加·爱伦·坡在费城一家杂志上的《莫格街血案》的发表。他的同类型的5部短篇小说创立了西方侦探小说的基本模式。他被认为是西方侦探小说的鼻祖，他的模式对侦探小说的发展产生了重大的影响。目前，侦探小说仍是通俗文学中最受欢迎的体裁之一，据统计，侦探小说在欧美的图书销量占到图书总数的15％到25％。而《福尔摩斯探案集》的一版再版，使柯南·道尓塑造的福尔摩斯成为世界上最知名的虚拟人物。

二、侦探小说的定义及其传统要素

侦探小说是西方通俗文学的一种体裁，与哥特式小说、犯罪小说以及由它们衍生出来的间谍小说、警察小说、悬疑小说同属于惊险神秘小说的范畴。侦探小说主要写具有惊人推理、判断智力的人物，根据一系列的线索，解破犯罪（多是凶杀）的疑案。它的结构，情节，人物，甚至环境都有一定的格局和模式，因此它也是一种模式文学。

侦探小说的传统要素为：

1．似乎毫无破绽的刑事案件

2．旁证所指的遭误控的嫌疑犯

3．愚笨警察的拙劣工作

4．侦探更敏锐的观察力和更强的思维能力

5．令人惊奇和意想不到的结局，侦探告诉人们他是如何查明谁是罪犯

侦探小说常用的一条原则是，表面上看来令人信服的证据，其实是毫不相干的。同时，通常的套路是，那些可推导出问题的符合逻辑的答案的线索，在侦探得到它们并通过对这些线索的符合逻辑的解释而推断出问题的答案的同时，也清楚地呈现在读者面前。

三、侦探小说的模式

通过分析侦探小说的创始人美国作家爱伦·坡的几部侦探小说，不难发现他的侦探小说的四个基本要素：悬疑的气氛、离奇的情节、固定的人物和特定的背景。爱伦·坡侦探小说模式的四个要素为后世的西方侦探小说家纷纷效仿,并得到了发扬光大,使侦探小说从涓涓细

流发展成为汤汤大河,出现了《福尔摩斯探案集》这样广泛流传，经久不衰，具有世界影响的巨著。随着道尓的侦探小说的不断问世，侦探小说的模式越发有了清晰地轮廓。

1. 悬疑的气氛

侦探小说具有神秘的悬疑性，这是侦探小说最突出的美学特征，是它的魅力之源。爱伦·坡和柯南·道尓在他们的侦探小说中竭力渲染案件的扑朔迷离,制造出一种紧张悬疑的气氛, 吸引读者的眼球，加快读者的呼吸，让读者欲罢不能。解谜、破案,成了读者最大的期待,也成了推动情节发展的动力。小说往往以一桩罪案开始,然后逐渐揭开犯罪的秘密。

他们的侦探小说中设置的谜案往往并不复杂,或是谋杀,或是与某种阴谋相关的罪行,但却不吝笔墨进行气氛的渲染,或是暴力血腥的场面,或是神秘悬疑的气氛,通过此种方法,呈现给读者的似乎是一道不可破解的谜。随着情节的发展,读者与侦探一样按照自己的思路解谜,读者往往陷入困境,而侦探却能高屋建瓴,拨开疑云,使真相大白。在侦探小说里,罪行是被描述的对象,而受害者只是一个引子,解谜、破案成为整个故事叙述的重点。作者侧重描写的以及读者关注的,都是侦探如何层层突破,从纷繁芜杂的真象和假象中抓住具有说服力的证据,抽丝剥茧,最后找到幕后的罪犯。

（1）All these details I observed afterwards. At present my attention was centred upon the single grim motionless figure which lay stretched upon the boards, with vacant sightless eyes staring up at the discoloured ceiling. ……His hands were clenched and his arms thrown abroad, while his lower limbs were interlocked as though his death struggle had been a grievous one. On his regid face there stood an expression of horror, and as it seemed to me, of hatred, such as I have never seen upon human features. This malignant and terrible contortion, combined with the low forehead, blunt nose, and prognathous jaw gave the dead man a singularly simious and ape-like appearance, which was increased by his writing, unnatural posture. I have seen death in many forms, but never has it appeared to me in a more fearsome aspect than in that dark grimy apartment, which looked out upon one of the main arteries of suburban London.（A Study in Scarlet）

(2)”Extraordinary Murders.——This morning, about three o’clock, the inhabitants of the Quartier St.Roch were aroused from sleep by a succession of terrific shrieks,……a spectacle presented itself which struck every one present not less with horror than with astonishment.”

“The apartment was in the wildest disorder——the furniture were broken and thrown about in all directions. There was only one bedstead; and from this the bed had been removed, and thrown into the middle of the floor, on a chair lay a razor, besmeared with blood.……”

“Of Madame L’Ecpanye no traces were here seen; but an unusual quanity of soot being observed in the fireplace, a search was mad in the chimney, and the corpse of the daughter, head downward, was dragged there from; it having been thus forced up the narrow aperture for a considerable distance. The body was quite warm, up examing it, many excoriations were discovered. Upon the face were many severe scratches, and, upon the throat, dark bruises, and deep indentatio ns of fingernails, as if the deceased had been throttled to death”

“……where lay the corpse of the old lady, with her throat so entirely cut that, upon an attemt to raise her, the head feel off.”

“……the door of the chamber in which was found the body of Mademoiselle L. was locked on the inside when the party reached it.”……upon forcing the door no person was seen. The windows,