考研英美文学名词解释.docVIP

英美文学名词解释Terms in English and American Literature 1. Aestheticism/the Aestheticism Movement (唯美主义) A European phenomenon during the middle of the 19th century that had its chief headquarters in France. This movement was introduced to late Victorian England mainly Walter Pater as a reaction against the materialism and commercialism of an industrialized society. It was also a reaction against the Victorian convention of art for morality’s sake, or art for money’s sake. The major tenets of this movement include the belief in the autonomy of a work of art, the emphasis on craft and artistry--the theory of “art for art’s sake”. The most outstanding Victorian representatives of this movement included Oscar Wilde. 2. Allegory（寓言） A tale in verse or prose in which characters, actions, or settings represent abstract ideas or moral qualities. An allegory is a story with two meanings, a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning.寓言：用诗歌或散文讲的故事，在这个故事中人物、事件或背景往往代表抽象的概念或道德品质。所有的寓言都是一个具有双重意义、文学内涵或象征意义的故事。 Alliteration (头韵)It is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound within a line or a group of words in poetry. In Old English alliterative meter, alliteration is the principal organizing device of the verse line, such as in Beowulf.头韵：在一组词的开头或重读音节中对相同辅音或不同元音的重复。  Allusion: A reference to a person, a place, an event, or a literary work that a writer expects the reader to recognize and respond to. An allusion may be drawn from history, geography, literature, or religion.典故：文学作品中作家希望读者能够认识或做出反应的一个人物、地点、事件或文学作品。典故或来自历史、地理、文学或宗教。 5. American Naturalism (美国自然主义) The American naturalism accepted the more negative interpretation of Darwin’s evolutionary theory and used it to account for the behavior of those characters in literary works who were regarded as more or less complex combinations of inherited attributes, their habits were conditioned by social and economic forces. American naturalism was evolved from realism when the author’s tone in writing became less serious and les