吴伟仁《英国文学史及选读》(重排版)笔记和考研真题详解-约瑟夫

第12章约瑟夫?艾迪

12.1复习笔记

I.Joseph Addison(1672-1719)(约瑟夫·艾迪生)

1.Life(生平)

Joseph Addison,the son of a scholarly clergyman,was educated at Charterhouse School and then at Oxford University,both with Steele,his fast friend.Addison was the stronger character, the better student,the more quiet and resourceful.At Oxford,Addison soon became known as a writer of verses.His great interest in and talent for political writing won him patronage from several statesmen to travel on the Continent while studying French and politics of European states.Four years later,he returned and rose to fame by writing a poem celebrating the English Duke of Marlborough.Soon he became a member of Parliament and later was sent to Ireland as Secretary of State.When he died,all England mourned for him and a great funeral was held by night in Westminster Abbey.

约瑟夫·艾迪生出身于一个牧师家庭，父亲博学多识。他在查特豪斯学校和牛津大学接受教育，这两个时期都和挚友斯蒂尔一起度过。与斯蒂尔相比，艾迪生更刚强、学习更出色、更内敛和足智多谋。在牛津期间，艾迪生很快就以写诗出名。他对政治写作极感兴趣也很有天赋，因此赢得了一些政治家的资助，游历欧洲大陆，学习法语并熟悉欧洲国家的政治。四年后他回国，因一首赞扬马尔堡公爵的诗声名鹊起。不久他便成了议员，后来又去爱尔兰做国务大臣。他死后，举国哀悼，夜晚人们在威斯敏斯特教堂举行了盛大的葬礼。

2.Literary Achievements(文学成就)

Addison’s chief contribution to literature lies in his essays written for The Tatler and The Spectator.He collaborated with Steele in publishing The Spectator from1711to1712.The essays published in The Spectator dealt with the customs,manners,morals,literature and other current topics of the time.Steele and Addison preached moderation,reason,self-control,civility, refinement and good taste,all which the newly ruling bourgeoisie needed urgently while establishing its social order.

主要文学贡献是他为《闲谈者》和《旁观者》写的文章。1711—1712年，他和斯蒂尔合办《旁观者》。《旁观者》发表的文章与风俗、世态、道德、文学及其他时下流行话题有关。

在文章中，斯蒂尔和艾迪生宣传节制、理性、自我约束、文明、文雅和高品位，这些品质都是发展中的资产阶级建立社会秩序亟需的。

3.Writing Style(写作风格)

Addison’s familiar and elegant prose remained for over a century the model for most writers. Dr.Johnson regarded his prose as“the model of the middle style;on grave subjects not formal, on light occasions not groveling;pure without scrupulosity,and exact without apparent elaboration,always equable,and always easy,without glowing words or printed sentences.”

艾迪生平易近人、高雅洗练的散文是一个多世纪以来大部分作家写作的典范。约翰逊博士称他的散文是“中庸风格的典范，讨论严肃的话题不正式，轻松的时候又不卑躬屈膝，纯粹而无顾虑，精确又无匠气，总是那么平和从容，毫无华丽辞藻和刻板教条。

Ⅱ.Richard Steele(1672-1729)(理查德·斯蒂尔)

1.Life(生平)

Richard Steele was born in Dublin,in the same year as Addison,and was educated at the same school and university as Addison.At Oxford,Steele dropped his college work,ran away and joined the army.After returning from the wars,he tried his hand at a few plays and a book.In 1709,he started a paper called The Tatler,which contained news,gossip,stories of everyday life, and jokes on all sorts of people.Two years later,he discontinued it and started another paper named The Spectator,combining the daily paper with the familiar essays to offer entertainment and enlightenment.

理查德·斯蒂尔生于都柏林，和艾迪生同龄，并和他在同一所学校上学。在牛津期间，斯蒂尔丢掉学业，参军入伍。从战场上回来，他试着写了些剧本和一本书。1709年，斯蒂尔创办了《闲谈者》报，内容包括新闻、小道消息、日常故事和各种人的玩笑。两年后，《闲谈着》停刊，他又创办了《旁观者》，将日报和亲近人心的随笔结合，旨在娱乐和教化读者。

2.Analysis of Major Character in The Spectator《旁观者》主要人物分析

The essays of The Spectator presented the character and doings of Sir Roger,a country gentleman of old-fashioned manners,is simple-minded,kind-hearted,and somewhat pompous. His foibles,which were described with a gentle humor,made a setting for his virtues of simplicity, honesty and piety which pointed an example to the world of fashion.

《旁观者》中的随笔展现了罗杰爵士这个人物及其行为。罗杰爵士是因循守旧的老乡绅，

单纯善良，爱摆架子。文章笔调幽默地描写了他的小缺点，衬托出了他单纯、诚实、虔诚的

美德，为上流社会树立了榜样。

12.2考研真题与典型题详解

I.Fill in the blanks.

1.Joseph Addison and Sir Richard Steele are always remembered together because they started a journalistic tradition that is still alive in Britain and the United State.Their collaboration on a series of essays for“The Tatler”and“______”strongly influenced18th century English taste and opinion.（天津外国语2010研）

【答案】The Spectator

【解析】约瑟夫·艾迪生和理查德·斯蒂尔是英国著名的散文家，两人最重要的贡献是创办两

份著名的杂志《闲谈者》与《旁观者》

2.______is Alexander Pope’s poem which indicates the poet’s political and philosophical viewpoint.It deals with man’s relation to the universe,to society,to himself and to happiness.【答案】An Essay on Man

【解析】《人论》是蒲柏的一首哲理诗，在这首诗中蒲柏表达了他的政治哲学思想。

3.Joseph Addison and Richard Steele developed the form of letter-writing to the verge of the ______novel.

【答案】epistolary

【解析】约瑟夫·艾迪生和理查德·斯蒂尔经常一起被提起，两人最重要的贡献是创办两份著

名的杂志《闲谈者》（The Tatler）与《旁观者》（The Spectator）以及发展了书信体写作形式。

4.______,i.e.the Iliad of Dunces or dullards,is a brilliant satirical poem in4books written by Alexander Pope,provoked by The obald’s criticism of his edition of Shakespeare.

【答案】The Dunciad

【解析】《群愚史诗》共四册，是亚历山大·蒲柏最优秀的讽刺作品。他讽刺了同时期所有与

蒲柏为敌的文学人士。

5.Alexander Pope’s______is a manifesto of English neo-classicism in which Alexander Pope put forward his aesthetic theories.It was a comprehensive study of theories of literary criticism.【答案】An Essay on Criticism

【解析】《批评论》是亚历山大·蒲柏对文学批评理论的全面研究，叙述了古典主义诗歌的原

理，对同时期的作家们产生了深远的影响，倡导了古典主义标准，在英国普及了新古典主义。II.Multiple Choices

1.An Essay on Criticism is a didactic poem written in______.

A.alliteration

B.heroic couplet

C.sonnet

D.blank verse

【答案】B

【解析】《批评论》是蒲柏著名的诗歌，阐明了自己的文学观点，全诗采用了英雄双韵体。

2.In the18th century,satire was much used in writing,and English literature of this age produced some excellent satirists,such as the following writers except______.

A.Alexander Pope

B.Jonathan Swift

C.Henry Fielding

D.Daniel Defoe

【答案】D

【解析】亚历山大·蒲柏是18世纪英国最伟大的诗人；杰出的启蒙主义者。他的诗作《夺发

记》和一些讽刺诗被称为讽刺诗的最高境界；乔纳森·斯威夫特为英国18世纪杰出的政论家

和讽刺小说家，写了很多具有代表性的讽刺文章。其代表作是《格列佛游记》，一部杰出的

游记体讽刺小说；亨利·菲尔丁是18世纪最杰出的英国小说家，戏剧家。他的许多作品讽刺

和抨击当时的社会陋习；丹尼尔·笛福是一位英国作家，新闻记者，小册子作者。英国启蒙

时期现实主义小说的奠基人，被誉为“小说之父”。他的作品反映当时追求冒险，倡导个人奋斗的社会风气。

3.______was the most important English poet in the first half of the18th century.

A.Richard Steele

B.Joseph Addison

C.Alexander Pope

D.Samuel Richardson

【答案】C

【解析】蒲柏是18世纪上半期英国最主要的新古典主义诗人；理查德·斯蒂尔和约瑟夫·艾迪生是新古典主义时期齐名的散文家；塞缪尔·理查森是新古典主义时期重要的小说家。

Ⅲ.Explain the following term.

British neoclassicism（南开大学2009研）

Key:British neoclassicism:In English literature,the stylistic trend between the Restoration and the advent of romanticism at the beginning of the19th century is referred to as neoclassicism. The term“neoclassicism”is derived from the convictions of the leading poet-critics of the age that literary theory and practice should follow the models established by Greek and Latin writers. These critics held that writers should emphasize types rather than individual characteristics; adhere to“nature”by aspiring to order and regularity;and strictly observe the unities of time, place,and action in dramatic composition.Major British neoclassicists are John Dryden, Alexander Pope and Samuel Johnson.

IV.Read the following quotation and answer the questions.（南开大学2007研）

1.What idea do these lines indicate that the poet has?

Key:As a classical poet in the period of English Enlightenment,Alexander Pope addresses man’s ability to think and reason,and shows his concern of human beings and nature in the poem.

（题目中的诗歌节选自英国启蒙时期的伟大诗人亚历山大·蒲柏的An Essay on Man《人

论》的第一章。《人论》是首哲理诗，反映了诗人的哲学、伦理观点，表现了启蒙思想家的思想特点。）

2.What philosophy do these lines express?Do you agree with the writer’s idea that“whatever is, is right”?Why or why not?

Key:These lines are concerned with the natural order God has decreed for man.Because man cannot know God’s purposes,he cannot complain about his position in the Great Chain of Being and must accept that“Whatever is,is right”.

In my opinion,this assumption could be right if it is based on an underlying assumption that people do everything according to the order of the nature.Otherwise,it is a fallacy.

（本题考查节选诗句中所包含的哲学思想，即：存在的即是合理的，因为造物主所创造的一切都有其内在的秩序与和谐，只是人类不能理解和领悟。答题时可以根据自己的理解对这种哲学思想进行评价。参考译文：整个自然都是艺术，不过你不领悟／一切偶然都是规定，只是你没有看清；/一切不协，是你不理解的和谐/一切局部的祸，乃是全体的福。/高傲可鄙，只因它不近情理／凡存在的都合理，这就是清楚的道理。（王佐良译）)

V.Short answer questions

1.Why is Alexander Pope known as representative of the Enlightenment?（国际关系学院2007研）

Key:Alexander Pope was one of the first to introduce rationalism into England.He believed in the necessity of universal education,especially that of social morality,classic culture and scientific knowledge.He also assumed the role of champion of traditional civilization:of reason,classical learning,sound art,good taste and public virtue,and undertook it as his duty to“correct”and enlighten people through his poetry.His An Essay on Man is an important work of enlightenment.

2.What great work did Joseph Addison and Richard Steele do for English literature?

Key:①Addison and Steele’s chief contribution to English literature is the two periodicals:The Tatler and The Spectator.They are important historical landmarks in the development of periodical literature in England.②Their essays afford a new code of social morality for the rising bourgeoisie.The general propose is“to enliven morality with wit,and to temper wit with morality”.They preach moderation,reason,self-control,civility,refinement and good taste,of all which the newly ruling bourgeoisie stood in pressing need while stabling its social order.③They