王江英国文学史及选读(Lecture 1).docx

王江 英国文学史及选读(Lecture 1) 英国文学 英国文学史及选读 主讲人：王江 (重庆邮电大学外国语学院) 英国文学 History and Anthology of English Literature 英国文学 英国文学 英国文学 The Flea Mark but this flea, and mark in this, How little that which thou denies me is; Me it sucked first, and now sucks thee, And in this flea our two bloods mingled be; Thou knowst that this cannot be said A sin, or shame, or loss of maidenhead, Yet this enjoys before it woo, And pampered swells with one blood made of two, And this, alas, is more than we would do. Oh stay, three lives in one flea spare, Where we almost, nay more than married are. This flea is you and I, ant this Our marriage bed and marriage temple is; Though parents grudge, and you, we are met, And cloistered in the living walls of jet. small wingless jumping insect feeding on human and other blood over-indulge be unwilling to allow secluded or sheltered 英国文学 Though use make you apt to kill me, Let not to that, self-murder added be, And sacrilege, three sins in killing three. habit violation of what is sacred Cruel and sudden, hast thou since Purpled thy nail in blood of innocence? Wherein could this flea guilty be, Except in that drop which it sucked from thee? Yet thou triumphst, and sayst that thou Findst not thy self nor me the weaker now; Tis true; then learn how false fears be; Just so much honour, when thou yieldst to me, Will waste, as this fleas death took life from thee. Let us go then, you and I, When the evening is spread out against the sky Like a patient etherised upon a table. (From “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T. S. Eliot 英国文学 What is Literature? Literature is a subject of man, for man, and by man. Man is a product of social relations, in which we can see the relations between man and man, man and nature, man and society, and finally man and God. All these relations can be found in literary works. Literary works, however, are different from works of history and philosophy. Literary works represent the relations by employing language tools. Think of The Dream of Red Mansions (also trans. as The Dream of the Red Chamber or The Story of Stone by 曹雪芹. History records facts which actually occurred, and philosophy does its exploitation in abstract terms. When we read literary works, we enjoy the charm brought forth by language. Literature is closely connected with history. If we know nothing of history, it is impossible for us really to understand a literary work. Now Lets read John Donnes short poem “The Flea,” and see what we can get about Donnes age from the poem. 英国文学 Requirements for this course: 1. Class attendance; 2. A wide reading before and after class; 3. Remembering some important facts; 4. Class discussion. Reference books for this class:1. 陈嘉、宋文林 著 大学英国文学史(2卷本),商务印书馆，1996年。 2. 陈嘉 编英国文学作品选读(3卷本),商务印书馆，1981年版，2003年重 印。 3. Margaret Drabble, ed. 牛津英国文学词典(第6版),外语教学与研究出版 社，2005年。 4. 罗经国 编注新编英国文学选读(2卷本),北京大学出版社，1996年。 2 1996 5.M. H. Abrams, gen. ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York and London: Norton, 1993, 2005. (The best reference book) 吴伟仁 编英国文学史及选读(2卷本),外语教学与研究出版社，1988年版， 2005年重印。 Text book: 王守仁：英国文学选读(第三版),高等教育出版社，2011. 刘炳善：英国文学简史A Short History of English Literature, 河 南人民出版社，1993年。 英国文学 英国文学 英国文学 英国文学 An Outline of English History from 6 Cent. B.C. to 14851. The Celts, the earliest settlers of the British Isles, migrated to the British isles at about 600 B.C. from the upper Rhineland. 2. About 400 to 300 B.C. the Brythons (Bretons), one branch of the Celts, came to the British isles and from them came the name Britain. 3. From 55 B. C. to 407 A.D. the British isles were under the rule of Roman empire. Julius Caesar (102-44 B.C.) crossed the Dover Strait in 55 B. C., but Caesar himself only stayed there for a few weeks. Though the Romans built temples, roads, walls, and military camps, they made little influence on the cultural life of Celts. 4. About 450 A.D., Angles, Saxons, and Jutes invaded the British Isles. They settled in England, and drove the Celts into Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. 5. From the late 8th century to the early 11th century, British isles were constantly invaded by the Danes. Alfred the Great of Wessex (849-899) led the Anglo-Saxon kings to defeat the invaders by uniting their forces. 英国文学 1. Harold, the last Saxon king, with help from William, Duke of Normandy, expelled the Danes from England. As an expression of gratitude for protecting his kingdom, Harold promised William to give his kingdom to him. So, in 1066 Normans under the leadership of William from northern France conquered England. This is known as the Norman Conquest. 2. The Anglo-Saxons were heathens upon their arrival in Britain. In 597 Pope Gregory the Great sent St. Augustine to England to convert the Anglo-Saxons. Within a century all England was Christianized. Churches were established and monks became the most learned in the country. Heathen mythology was gradually replaced by Christian religion. The Norton Anthology of English Literature gives a slightly different datum of the historical periods as follows: 43-ca. 420: Roman invasion and occupation of Britain. Ca. 450: Anglo-Saxon Conquest. 597: St. Augustine arrives in Kent; beginning of Anglo-Saxon conversion to Christianity.第 7 页 共 7 页