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1、英美文学名词解释Terms in English and American Literature1. 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
2、materialism and commercialism of an industrialized society. It was also a reaction against the Victorian convention of art for moralitys sake, or art for moneys 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
3、of “art for arts 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
4、 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。3. 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
5、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。 4. 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
6、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 Darwins 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 i
7、nherited attributes, their habits were conditioned by social and economic forces. American naturalism was evolved from realism when the authors tone in writing became less serious and less sympathetic but more ironic and more pessimistic. It was no more than a gloomy philosophical approach to realit
8、y, or to human existence. Dreiser was a leading figure of this school.6. American Puritanism (美国清教主义)Puritanism is the practices and beliefs of the Puritans. The American puritans, like their English brothers, are idealists. They accepted the doctrine of predestination, original sin and total deprav
9、ity, and limited atonement through a special infusion of grace form God. But due to the grim struggle for living in the new continent, they become more and more practical. American puritanism is so much a part of the national atmosphere rather that a set of tenets.美国清教主义：他们相信宿命论、原罪说、全体堕落和有限的赎罪。7. Am
10、erican Realism (美国现实主义)In American literature, the Civil War brought the Romantic Period to an end. The Age of Realism came into existence. George Eliot introduce realism into England, and William Dean Howells introduced it into the United States. It came as a reaction against the lie of romanticism
11、 and sentimentalism. Realism turned from an emphasis on the strange toward a faithful rendering of the ordinary, a slice of life as it is really lived. It has been chiefly concerned with the commonplaces of everyday life among the middle and lower classes, and it offers an objective rather than an i
12、dealistic view of human nature and human experience. Realistic literature finds the drama and tension beneath the surface of ordinary life. Later, many writers, notably Henry James, turned to psychological realism that closely examined the complex workings of the mind.美国现实主义：在美国文学史上，内战宣告了浪漫主义的终结和现实主
13、义的开始。现实主义反对浪漫主义和感伤主义的谎言，它从一个陌生的世界转向了普通人的真实生活的描写。它所关心的是普通的下层劳动人民而非理想中的人类本性和现实经历。8. American Romanticism (美国浪漫主义)The Romantic Period covers the first half of the 19th century. A rising America with its ideals of democracy and equality, the booming economy, the flourishing publications, and a variety o
14、f foreign influences made its literary expansion possible and inevitable. Romantics shared some characteristics: moral enthusiasm, individuality and intuitive perception. Irving played an important role in inspiring American romanticism with his masterpieces Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy H
15、ollow. American romanticism culminated around the 1840s, which can be called “Transcendentalism or American Renaissance”. One of the major figure in this period was Emerson. His Nature had been called “the manifesto of American Transcendentalism”. In the poetry aspect, Whitman and Dickson were two m
16、ajor American poets in this period. In the novel aspect, Hawthorne and Melville belonged to another type of romanticism. They placed increasing value on the free expression on emotion and the psychic states of their characters. The New England poets, such as Longfellow and Bryant formed a different school from Whitman, Dickson, Thoreau and Poe.9. Angry Young Men (愤怒的青年)The Angry Young Men is a journalistic catchphrase applied to
