英美文学选读-上古及中世纪英国文学简介.doc

PART ONE: ENGLISH LITERATURE An Introduction to Old and Medieval English Literature 上古及中世纪英国文学简介 Since historical times, England, where the early inhabitants were Celts, has been conquered three times. 自从有人类历史记载以来,英伦三岛遭遇过三次外族入侵。It was conquered by the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons, and the Normans. England was not much affected by the Roman Conquest, but she felt the full weight of the other two conquests. 1.The Anglo-Saxons brought to England the Germanic language and culture, while 2.the Normans brought a fresh wave of Mediterranean civilization, which includes Greek culture, Roman law, and the Christian religion. It is the cultural influences of 3.these two conquests that provided the source for the rise and growth of English literature.。盎格鲁一萨克森人将日尔曼族语言及文化根植在岛上,而诺曼底人则带来了地中海文明的清新浪潮,所谓地中海文明包括希腊文化,罗马的法律,以及基督教。正是这两次外族入侵所附带的文化影响为日后英国文学的兴起与发展提供了富足的源泉。 The period of Old English literature extends from about 450 to 1066, the year of the Norman conquest of England. 英国文学史的上古时期起于大约公元450年,止于1066年,即诺曼征服的那一年。The Germanic tribes from the Northern Europe brought with them not only the Anglo-Saxon language, the basis of Modern English, but also a specific poetic tradition, which is both bold and strong, mournful and elegiac in spirit. 这些日尔曼族部落来自北欧,带来了盎格鲁一萨克森语言,也就是现代英语的原形基础,除此之外,还带来了特别的诗歌传统。他们的诗歌神韵中集合了粗狂豪勇的气度及悲情哀挽的风格。Generally speaking, the Old English poetry that has survived can be divided into two groups: the religious group and the secular one. 总体来讲,流传至今的英国上古诗歌可分为两大类:宗教诗和世俗诗。The poetry of the religious group is mainly on biblical themes. Genesis A, Genesis B and Exodus are poems based on the Old Testament; 宗教诗的主题大多以《圣经》为基础。比如《创世纪甲本》与《创世纪乙本》以及《出埃及记》都源于《圣经》的《旧约全书》; whereas The Dream of the Rood comes from the New Testament. 而《十字架之梦》则以《新约全书》为典故。In this poem, Christ is portrayed as the young warrior striding to embrace death and victory, while the rood (cross) itself takes on the burden of his suffering. 在《十字架之梦》这首诗中,耶稣基督被刻画成一位青年战士,勇往直前,拥抱死亡与胜利,而那善良的十字架自身则承受起基督所有的苦难与重负。In