英國(guó)文學(xué)Unit1Chaucer課件

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Unit1GeoffreyChaucer

GeoffreyChaucer

(1343-1400)

theCanterburyTales

GeoffreyChaucer(1340?-1400)II.GeoffreyChaucer

LiterarycareerTheFrenchperiod(TheBookoftheDuchess)TheItalianperiod(TroilusandCriseyde)Thematureperiod(TheCanterburyTales)diplomat,soldier,scholar,ControlleroftheCustoms,JusticeofthePeaceandKnightoftheShire(MemberofParliament).thefatherofEnglishpoetry

borninamiddleclassfamily,sonofawell-to-dowinemerchant.LifeofChaucerCanterburyTalesArich,tapestryofmedievalsociallifecombiningelementsofallclasses,fromnoblestoworkers,frompriestsandnunstodrunkardsandthieves.WhenTheCanterburyTaleswerewritten:ChristianitywasthedominantsocialforcethroughoutwesternEurope,includingEngland.

TheFeudalSystemwasthewayoflifeinMedievaltimesandifyoufailedtofollowityoucouldbekilledfortreason.Ifyouworkedhardenoughanddidenoughgooddeedsyoucouldadvanceinthesystembutitwasuncommontoadvancepastaknightornoble

MiddleAges:GeneralTimeline476C.E.FallofRome1066C.E.NormaninvasionofBritain1095-1291C.E.

Crusades1306-1321Dante’sDivineComedy1386C.E.ChaucerbeginswritingCanterburyTales1455C.E.PrintingPressBeowulf

Composedsometimebetween850C.E.900C.E.1453FallofByzantineEmpirewithinvasionofOttomanTurks306C.E.ConstantinecomestopowerinEasternRomanEmpire;beginningofByzantineEmpire1347BubonicPlague450C.E.Anglo-SaxonsinvadeEngland1375-1400SirGawain&GreenKnightGeoffreyChaucer’s

TheCanterburyTalesHistoryoftheTalesGeoffreyChaucerbeganwritingthetalesaround1387ADUncompletedmanuscriptpublished1400AD,theyearhediedFirstbookofpoetrypurposelywrittenintheEnglishlanguageSetaprecedentandpoetsfromShakespearetoDrydenandKeatstoEliotowehimadebtofgratitude

Begun:1386Planned:120talesCompleted:22and2fragmentsRemaining:80manuscriptsMosthighlydecorated:EllesmereManuscriptVarietyofgenres:generalprologueisestatessatirePilgrimageasaframingdevicefortalesConventionalspringtimeopeningErnestandgame–

instructionandentertainmentPilgrimage

VerypopulartogoonpilgrimagePilgrimsoftenwanttoRomeorJerusalemCanterburyCathedral:shrinetoThomasaBecketReasonsHopeofheavenlyrewardPenance苦修；懺悔

PubsPeoplewentingroupsforsafetyCanterburyCathedral:pilgrimagedestinationintheMedievalTimesApilgrimageisareligiousjourneyundertakenforpenanceandgrace.Aspilgrimageswent,CanterburywasnotaverydifficultdestinationforanEnglishpersontoreach.Itwas,therefore,verypopularinfourteenth-centuryEngland,asthenarratormentions.PilgrimstraveledtovisittheremainsofSaintThomasBecket,archbishopofCanterbury,whowasmurderedin1170byknightsofKingHenryII.PilgrimsUpperclass(Knight,Squire,churchpeople)Learnedprofessions(Physician,ManofLaw)Landedgentry(Franklin)Medievalmanorpeople(Miller,Reeve城鎮(zhèn)（或地區(qū)）長(zhǎng)官)Mercantileclass(Shipman,Merchant)Guildsmen(Haberdasher男子服飾經(jīng)銷商；雜貨商，Dyer,etc.)Laborer(Plowman)EgyptAswanMosque埃及阿斯旺清真寺Synagogue:aJewishcongregationorthehouseofworshipforthatpurpose,aJewishinstitutionforprayer,study,andsocializing

猶太會(huì)堂;猶太教堂ChauceristhefirstgreatpoetwhowroteinthecurrentEnglishlanguage.HisproductionofsomuchexcellentpoetryisanimportantfactorinestablishingEnglishastheliterarylanguageofthecountry.AndhemadethedialectofLondonthefoundationforModernEnglishspeech.That’swhyJohnDrydoncalledhim“theFatherofEnglishPoetry.”

GeoffreyChaucer(1343-1400)Originally,OldEnglishpoemsaremainlyalliterativeverseswithfewvariations.ChaucerintroducedfromFrancetherhymedstanzasofvarioustypestoEnglishpoetrytoreplaceit.InTheCanterburyTales,heemployedheroiccoupletwithtrueeaseandcharmforthefirsttimeinthehistoryofEnglishliterature.AheroiccoupletisatraditionalformforEnglishpoetry,particularlyforepicandnarrativepoetry.Itcorrespondstoatwolinestanzainiambicpentameter.(押韻抑揚(yáng)五音步)Theheroiccoupletbecametheprincipalmetreusedindramaaboutthemid-17thcentury,andtheformwasperfectedbyJohnDrydenandAlexanderPopein18thcentury.HeroicCouplet

(英雄雙韻體)Iambicpentameterconsistsoflineswithfivefeet(hence"pentameter")inwhichtheiambisthedominantfoot(hence"Iambic").

da-DUMda-DUMda-DUMda-DUMda-DUM

ShallIcom-PAREtheeTOaSUMmer'sDAYTheCanterburyTalesArtistryofLanguageChaucerwroteinEnglishItwasbecomingmoresolidandwidespreadHeusedverse,whichwasthenorm,butvarieditaccordingtohispurposeDespiteborrowingmuchofhismaterial,hisuseoflanguageinjectsthesetaleswithnewlifeTheprioressTheWifeofBathTheKnightTheOxfordClerkChaucerChaucer:Heisacharacterinhisownnovel,andhewritesinthefirstpersonasanoutsideobservertravelingwiththepilgrimsontheirwaytoCanterbury.PrologueRepresentawiderangeof14thcenturyEnglishsociety3GroupsRepresent:

AgriculturalfeudalismLandownershipandserviceKnight’syeomanFranklinUrbanizationChangeinfeudalstructureDoctorGuildsmenTheChurchOneofthemostpowerfulelementsinmedievalsociety9ofpilgrimsbelongtoclergyTheGeneralPrologue

-Occasion-Time-Sketchesofthepilgrims-Purpose-Motivation-SatireTheCanterburyTales(MiddleEnglish12C.C.E-16C.C.E.)1

WhanthatAprillwithhisshouressoote

WhenAprilwithitssweet-smellingshowers2

ThedroghteofMarchhathpercedtotheroote,

HaspiercedthedroughtofMarchtotheroot,Andbathedeveryveyneinswichlicou

Andbathedeveryvein(oftheplants)insuch liquidOfwhichvertuengendredistheflour;

Bythepowerofwhichthefloweriscreated;WhanZephiruseekwithhissweetebreeth

WhentheWestWindalsowithitssweetbreath,

7.Inspiredhathineveryholtandheeth

Ineveryholtandheath,hasbreathedlifeinto8.Thetendrecroppes,andtheyongesonne

Thetendercrops,andtheyoungsun9.HathintheRamhishalfcoursyronne,

HasrunitshalfcourseinAries,10.Andsmalefowelesmakenmelodye,

Andsmallfowlsmakemelody,

10

Thatslepenalthenyghtwithopenye

Thosethatsleepallthenightwithopeneyes

11

(SoprikethhemNatureinhircorages),

(SoNatureincitesthemintheirhearts),

12

Thannelongenfolktogoononpilgrimages,

Thenfolklongtogoonpilgrimages,

13Andpalmeresfortosekenstraungestrondes,

Andprofessionalpilgrims(long)toseekforeignshores,

14

Tofernehalwes,kowtheinsondrylondes;To(goto)distantshrines,knowninvariouslands;

15

Andspeciallyfromeveryshiresende

Andspeciallyfromeveryshire'send

16

OfEngelondtoCaunterburytheywende,

OfEnglandtoCanterburytheytravel,

17

Thehoolyblisfulmartirfortoseke,

Toseektheholyblessedmartyr,

18

Thathemhathholpenwhanthattheywereseeke.

Whohelpedthemwhentheyweresick.

ThePrologue:C-E當(dāng)四月帶來(lái)它那甘美的驟雨，

讓三月里的干旱濕到根子里，

讓漿汁滋潤(rùn)每棵草木的莖脈，

憑其催生的力量使花開出來(lái)；

當(dāng)和風(fēng)甜美的氣息挾著生機(jī)，

吹進(jìn)樹林和原野上的嫩芽里，

年輕的太陽(yáng)也已進(jìn)入白羊座，

已把白羊座一半的路程走過(guò)，

而小鳥小雀唱著各自的曲調(diào)——

整夜里它們都睜著眼睛睡覺(jué)——（這是大自然撥弄出它們心聲）；這時(shí)候人們也就渴望去朝圣，游方僧也就渴望去異地他鄉(xiāng)，去各地知名于世的神龕圣堂。無(wú)論英格蘭各郡的東西南北，

人們尤其要去的是坎特伯雷，

去拜謝恩澤萬(wàn)民的殉難圣徒，因?yàn)槿藗冇胁r(shí)他給予救助。ThenpeoplelongtogoonpilgrimagesAndpalmerslongtoseekthestrangerstrandsOffar-offsaints,hallowedinsundrylands,Andspecially,fromeveryshire’sendOfEngland,downtoCanterburytheywendToseektheholyblissfulmartyr,quickTogivehishelptothemwhentheyweresick,就在這時(shí)節(jié)，就在其中的一天，我正住在薩瑟克的泰巴旅店，已經(jīng)滿心虔誠(chéng)地準(zhǔn)備好登程，專誠(chéng)去坎特伯雷那地方朝圣。在那天傍晚，有二十九位旅客來(lái)到了這客店，他們形形色色，全都是在路上彼此萍水相逢，全都是跨著坐騎要前去朝圣，而坎特伯雷是他們?nèi)サ牡胤?。IthappenedinthatseasonthatonedayInSouthwark,atTheTabard,asIlayReadytogoonpilgrimagesandstartForCanterbury,mostdevoutatheart,AtnighttherecameintothathostelrySomenineandtwentyinacompanyOfsundryfolkhappeningthentofallInfellowship,andtheywerepilgrimsallThattowardsCanterburymeanttoride旅店的房間和馬廄都很寬敞，把我們個(gè)個(gè)安頓得十分舒適。不久后太陽(yáng)從地平線上消失，我同他們每個(gè)人都作了交談，很快就成了他們當(dāng)中的一員。大家約定來(lái)日上路要起個(gè)早，而路上的情形，下面我會(huì)說(shuō)到。Theroomsandstablesoftheinnwerewide;Theymadeuseasy,allwasofthebest,And,briefly,whenthesunhadgonetorest,I’dspokentothemalluponthetripAndwassoononewiththeminfellowship,PledgedtoriseearlyandtotakethewayToCanterbury,asyouheardmesay.但是既然我有很充裕的時(shí)間，在我進(jìn)一步細(xì)述這故事之前，我覺(jué)得比較合情合理的做法是根據(jù)我對(duì)他們各人的觀察，把我看到的情況全告訴你們：他們是什么人，屬于哪個(gè)階層，甚至還要說(shuō)說(shuō)他們穿的衣裳——現(xiàn)在我就從一位騎士開始講。Butnonetheless,whileIhavetimeandspace,Beforemystorytakesafurtherpace,ItseemsareasonablethingtosayWhattheirconditionwas,thefullarrayOfeachofthem,asitappearedtome,Accordingtoprofessionanddegree,Andwhatappareltheywereridingin;AndataKnightIthereforewillbegin.這位騎士是個(gè)勇敢的男子漢，從他一開始騎著馬闖蕩人間，就熱愛(ài)騎士精神和榮譽(yù)正義，就講究慷慨豁達(dá)與溫文有禮。在他君主的戰(zhàn)事中表現(xiàn)英勇，他南征北戰(zhàn)處處都留下行蹤，在基督徒世界或在異教之邦，他都因?yàn)橛杏職舛鴤涫茼灀P(yáng)TherewasaKnight,amostdistinguishedman,WhofromthedayonwhichhefirstbeganTorideabroadhadfollowedchivalry,Truth,honour,freedomandallcourtesy.Hehaddonenoblyinhissovereign’swar,Andriddenintobattle,nonemorefarAswellinChristendomasinheathenplaces,Andeverhonouredforhisnoblegraces.攻下亞歷山大城時(shí)他就在場(chǎng)；他在普魯士的多次慶功宴上，比各國(guó)騎士?jī)?yōu)先，坐上了首席；與身份同他一樣的基督徒比，他在立陶宛、俄羅斯戰(zhàn)功最大；圍攻阿爾赫西拉斯他也參加，并且馳騁在柏爾馬利亞作戰(zhàn)；他與人一起把阿塔利亞攻占，也把阿亞斯攻克；在地中海上他率領(lǐng)大批高貴的戰(zhàn)士出航。WhenwetookAlexandria,hewasthere.HeoftensatattableinthechairOfhonour,aboveallnations,wheninPrussia.OnLithuaniahehadridden,andRussia,NoChristianmansooften,ofhisdegree.InfarGranadaatthesiegewasheOfAlgeciras,andinBenamarin.AtAyasandAttaliawashewhenTheywerewon;andintheMediterraneanSeaHehadbeenwithmanyanoblearmy.他曾十五次投入殊死的戰(zhàn)斗，又為我們的信仰，三次把敵手殺死在特萊姆森的比武場(chǎng)上。他一度侍奉帕拉希亞的君王，在那段時(shí)間里我們這位騎士征討土耳其異教徒的另一支：每次贏得最高榮譽(yù)的總是他。盡管他極其勇敢卻世事洞達(dá)，舉止的溫和簡(jiǎn)直就像是姑娘；一生中他不管遇到什么對(duì)象，也從來(lái)都不曾說(shuō)過(guò)一句粗話。這騎士真是忠貞、完美又溫雅。InfifteenmortalbattleshehadbeenAndfoughtforourfaithatTlemcenThreetimesinthelists,andalwayskilledhisfoe.ThissamedistinguishedknighthadbeenalsoAtonetimewiththelordofPalatiaAgainstanotherheatheninTurkey;Hewasofsovereignvalueinalleyes.Andthoughsodistinguished,hewaswiseAndinhisbearingmodestasamaid.HeneveryetaboorishthinghadsaidInallhislifetoany,comewhatmight;Hewasatrulyperfectgentle-knight.現(xiàn)在我告訴你們他那副裝備：他的馬雖好，衣著卻并不華美。穿的是一襲粗布的無(wú)袖長(zhǎng)衣，已被他鎖子甲弄得滿是污跡；因?yàn)樗沁h(yuǎn)征后剛乘船歸來(lái)，接著便上路來(lái)進(jìn)行這次朝拜。黃杲炘譯選自《坎特伯雷故事》，譯林出版社(1999)Speakingofhisequipment,hepossessedFinehorses,buthewasnotgailydressed.HeworeafustiantunicstainedanddarkWithsmudgeswherehisarmourhadleftmark;Hehadjustcomebackfromhisvoyage,Andnowwasgoingonthispilgrimage.TheKni