美國文學(xué) 超驗(yàn)主義

NewEnglandTranscendentalism1Importantterms(1)

Transcendentalism:TranscendentalismisphilosophicalandliterarymovementthatflourishedinNewEnglandfromabout1836to1860.Itoriginatedamongasmallgroupofintellectualswhowerereactingagainsttheorthodoxy(正統(tǒng)的)ofCalvinismandtherationalismoftheUnitarianChurch(唯一神論教派),developinginsteadtheirownfaithcenteringonthedivinityofhumanityandthenaturalworld.2Importantterms(1)TranscendentalismderivedsomeofitsbasicidealisticconceptsfromromanticGermanphilosophy,andfromsuchEnglishauthorsasColeridge,andWordsworth.ItsmysticalaspectswerepartlyinfluencedbyIndianandChinesereligiousteachings.3Importantterms(1)Althoughtranscendentalismwasneverarigorouslysystematicphilosophy,ithadsomebasictenetsthatweregenerallysharedbyitsadherents.ThebeliefsthatGodisimmanentineachpersonandinnature(每人都有內(nèi)在的神性)andthatindividualintuitionisthehighestsourceofknowledgeledtoanoptimisticemphasisonindividualism,self-reliance,andrejectionoftraditionalauthority.4Importantterms(1)TheideasoftranscendentalismweremosteloquentlyexpressedbyRalphWaldoEmersoninsuchessaysasNature(1836),andSelf-RelianceandbyHenryDavidThoreauinhisbookWalden.5Importantterms(2)Individualism:Individualismisamoral,political,andsocialphilosophy,whichemphasizesindividualliberty,theprimaryimportanceoftheindividual,andthe“virtuesofself-reliance”.Itassumesthatapersoncanbesociallyandculturallyfreeof

upbringing.6Importantterms(2)Individualismclaimstheabilitytooppose“authority”,andtoallmannerofcontrolsovertheindividual(反對一切壓抑個人的支配行為),especiallywhenexercisedbythepoliticalstateor“society”.Itisthusdirectlyopposedtocollectivism(集體主義),socialpsychologyandsociology,whichconsidertheindividual’srapporttothesocietyorcommunity.7Importantterms(3)AmericanRenaissance:ThenameisgiventoaflourishingofdistinctivelyAmericanliteratureintheperiodbeforetheCivilWar.ThisrenaissanceisrepresentedbytheworkofRalphWaldoEmerson,H.D.Thoreau,NathanielHawthorne,HermanMelville,andWaltWhitman.ItsmajorworksareHawthorne’sTheScarletLetter(紅字，1850),Melville‘sMoby-Dick(白鯨，1851),andWhitman’sLeavesofGrass(草葉集，1855).TheAmericanRenaissancemayberegardedasadelayedmanifestationofRomanticism(浪漫主義的延續(xù)),especiallyinEmerson’sphilosophyofTranscendentalism.8大家有疑問的，可以詢問和交流可以互相討論下，但要小聲點(diǎn)9

ImportantfeaturesofNewEnglandTranscendentalism

(1)Firstly,theTranscendentalistsplacedemphasisonspirit精神,ortheOversoul超靈,asthemostimportantthingintheuniverse.TheOversoulwasanall-pervadingpowerforgoodness(超靈是善良的體現(xiàn)),omnipresentandomnipotent(無處不在，無所不能),fromwhichallthingscameandofwhichallwereapart.Itexistedinnatureandmanalikeandconstitutedthechiefelementoftheuniverse.(是宇宙構(gòu)成的主要元素)10ImportantfeaturesofNewEnglandTranscendentalism(2)Secondly,theTranscendentalistsstressedtheimportanceoftheindividual.Tothemtheindividualwasthemostimportantelementofsociety.Astheregenerationofsociety(社會的再生)couldonlycomeaboutthroughtheregenerationoftheindividual,his

perfection(自我完善),hisself-culture(自我休養(yǎng))andself-improvement,andnotthefrenziedefforttogetrich,shouldbecomethefirstconcernofhislife.11ImportantfeaturesofNewEnglandTranscendentalism(2)Theidealtypeofmanwastheself-reliantindividualwhomEmersonneverstoppedtalkingaboutallhislife.TheTranscendentalistslikeEmersonandThoreauweretellingpeopletodependuponthemselvesforspiritualperfectioniftheycaredtomaketheeffortbecause,intheiropinion,theindividualsoulcommunedwiththeOversoulandwasthereforedivine.Nowthisnewnotionoftheindividualandhisimportancerepresented,obviously,anewwayoflookingatman.12ImportantfeaturesofNewEnglandTranscendentalism(2)Itwasalsoareactionagainsttheprocessofdehumanization(磨滅人性)thatcameinthewakeofdevelopingcapitalism.TheindustrializationofNewEnglandwasturningmenintononhumans.Peoplewerelosingtheirindividualityandwerebecominguniform.TheTranscendentalistssawtheprocessinprogressand,bytryingtoreasserttheimportanceoftheindividual,emphasizedthesignificanceofmenregainingtheirlostpersonality.13ImportantfeaturesofNewEnglandTranscendentalism(3)Thirdly,theTranscendentalistsofferedafreshperceptionofnatureassymbolicoftheSpiritorGod(自然是超靈或上帝的體現(xiàn)).Naturewas,tothem,notpurelymatter.Itwasalive,filledwithGod’soverwhelmingpresence.ItwasthegarmentoftheOversoul(自然是超靈的外衣).Thereforeitcouldexerciseahealthyandrestorativeinfluenceonthehumanmind(自然能夠影響人類心靈的健康和恢復(fù)).WhattheTranscendentalistsseemedtobesayingwas,“Gobacktonature,sinkyourselfbackintoitsinfluence,andyou’llbecomespirituallywholeagain.”14RalphWaldoEmerson

AsthemosteloquentspokesmanofNewEnglandTranscendentalism,RalphWaldoEmerson(1803--1882)hashadgreatinfluenceforcenturiesextendingbeyondtheliterarycommunitytotheAmericanpeopleatlarge其思想已成為美國傳統(tǒng)文化意識的一部分.15RalphWaldoEmersonEmersonwasborninBoston,thesonofaUnitarianminister唯一神教牧師whodiedwhenEmersonwaseightyearsold.HeattendedHarvard,studiedtheology,andbecameaUnitarianministerhimselfin1829.Inthatyearhewasalsomarried,buthisbelovedwife,Ellen,diedonlysixteenmonthslater.In1832,EmersonfeltobligedtoresignhisministryAfteratriptoEurope,wherehemettheEnglishwritersWordsworth,Coleridge,andCarlyle,hesettledinthevillageofConcord,Massachusetts.Heremarriedandbeganhislifelongcareeraslecturerandwriter.AtConcordhebecameamemberoftheTranscendentalClub16RalphWaldoEmersonAtConcordhewassurroundedbyaremarkablegroupofmenandwomen,includingHenryDavidThoreau.ItwasatConcordthatEmersoncomposedhisfirstbook,Nature(1836).Emerson’saddress演講calledTheAmericanScholar(1837)hasbeenaninspirationtogenerationsofyoungAmericans,butEmersondidnotachievenationalfameuntilhisEssays:Essays,FirstSeries(隨筆：第一卷，1841),SecondSeries(隨筆：第二卷，1844),RepresentativeMen(代表人物，1849),TheConductofLife

（生活的準(zhǔn)則）andsoon.17RalphWaldoEmersonEmerson’sNature,regardedastheBibleofNewEnglandTranscendentalism,isalyricalexpressionoftheharmonyEmersonfeltbetweenhimselfandnature.Emersondefinesnatureasanall-encompassingdivineentityinherentlyknowntousinourunfetteredinnocence(人與自然有一種天然的和諧對應(yīng)關(guān)系),ratherthanasmerelyacomponentofaworldruledbyadivine,separatebeing，learnedbyusthroughpassed-onteachingsinourexperience(自然并不只是作為世界的一部分，與我們所知的經(jīng)驗(yàn)相分離。通過個人直覺從自然中獲取知識）

Self-RelianceisalsoatthecoreofEmerson’sideas

，thatthepotentialpowersoftheself-reliantindividualaresignificant（自立的個人潛能巨大）18QuotationformNature

Ourageisretrospective（向后看的，懷舊）.Itbuildsthesepulchersofthefathers（建筑在祖先的墳?zāi)怪稀匆耘f的事物為基礎(chǔ)）.Itwritesbiographies,histories,andcriticism.TheforegoinggenerationsbeheldGodandnaturefacetoface（先人們可以同上帝與自然面對面），we,throughtheireyes(我們卻需利用先人做媒介感悟上帝與自然).Whyshouldnotwealsoenjoyanoriginalrelationtotheuniverse?Whyshouldnotwehaveapoetryandphilosophyofinsight(內(nèi)?。゛ndnotoftradition,andareligionbyrevelation（心靈啟示）tous,andnotthehistoryoftheirs?QuotationformNature……whyshouldwegropeamongthedrybonesofthepast（我們?yōu)楹我诤翢o生氣的歷史廢墟中摸索）,orputthelivinggenerationintomasqueradeoutofitsfadedwardrobe（讓當(dāng)代人穿上褪色過時的舊服裝出丑）?Thesunshinestodayalso.Thereismorewoolandflaxinthefields.Therearenewlands,newmen,newthoughts.Letusdemandourownworksandlawsandworship.HenryDavidThoreau

Thoreau(1817-1862)wasborninConcord,MassachusettsandheattendedHarvardbutherefusedallthecareers.Sohemadehishomewithhisfather,heassistedhiminhistradeofpencilmaker.ThenhemetEmersonandlivedwithEmersonfortwoyears,doingchoresandkeepingthehouse.TherehewrotethegreatessayCivilDisobedience(論公民之不服從，1849).21HenryDavidThoreauThoreau’smostmemorablegesturewashismovetoWaldenPond.HelivedfortwoyearsandtwomonthsinacabinhebuiltwithhisownhandsonapieceoflandownedbyEmerson.ThatexperiencegavehimthematerialforoneofthegreatestofAmericanclassics,Walden(1854).Thoreaudiedatforty-four,havingpublishedrelativelylittleofwhathehadwritten.22HenryDavidThoreau

Waldendetails詳盡描述Thoreau'slifefortwoyearsandtwomonthsintheforestaroundtheshoresofWaldenPond.Herecountshisdailylifeinthewoodsandcelebratesnatureandtheindivi