Mining literature for deeper meanings - Amy E. Harter

挖掘文学里更深的主旨 - 艾米E.哈特(Amy E. Harter)

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Jessica Ruby

翻译人员: Bighead Ge 校对人员: Xiang Li

We often hear that studying literature

我们常常听说学习文学

involves finding a deeper meaning to a text.

需要咬文嚼字

When writing about literary works,

写文学作品时

we're expected to mentally dive below the surface

我们更希望语句的表达超过字面意思

in order to come back up with big ideas.

通过深化 获得更有意义的主旨

But you may find yourself looking

但你可能会发现

at the flat page of a book,

你会看着薄薄一张纸

wondering how deep it can really go?

思考真正的意思有多深

How do we reach those ideas that turn into great essays?

那些变成文章的想法我们要怎么理解

Well, there are two crucial thinking steps

想法上，要朝着正确的方向走

that can lead us in the right direction:

有两个很重要的步骤

practicing insight

磨练眼光

and acknowledging complexity.

复杂的认知

Insight is the ability to arrive

眼光能帮助你

at an intuitive understanding of a big idea

在很少线索的情况下

using only small clues to get there.

直观了解一个复杂的概念

If you're practicing insight,

如果你磨练眼光

you'll able to use observations

你就会善于观察

about character behavior to figure out

人物的表现来理解

their true emotions and motivations.

他们内心的情绪与动机

Pay attention to little things

注意细节

because they add up to what is really meaningful.

因为它们会起决定性作用

For example, if you consider a character

譬如你在分析

like Mr. Darcy from <i>Pride and Prejudice</i>,

《傲慢与偏见》里面的达西先生

who openly declares his dislike for Miss Lizzy Bennet,

他公开表示了对利兹 贝内特的厌恶

you might, at first, assume he's just a mean guy.

一开始你也许会认为他有点不正常

But, using your powers of insight,

但当你去思考后

you're noticing other smaller things -

就会发现一些细节

how Darcy's eyes linger on Lizzy's face

譬如 达西的目光怎样在利兹脸上游走

and how he seems all flustered when she's around.

以及当她在身边时他有多心慌

Add to the mix your knowledge that Mr. Darcy

把这些加进来 就能发现

is in a much higher social class than Lizzy,

达西先生的社会地位比利兹高不少

and your sense of insight should be telling you

你的眼光会告诉你

that there's something more here.

这里其实有更多故事可以挖掘

In this case, it will tell you

在这个故事里

that Darcy's surface behavior is in conflict

你会发现达西的言行不一致

with his true feelings of attraction

这来自于他跟利兹

because the difference in wealth between himself and Lizzy

财富上的差距

makes him feel that it'll never work.

这让他觉得于事无补

Thinking about all those small clues

仔细思考这些蛛丝马迹

gives us insight about some of the big, abstract ideas

就能总结出 大的 抽象的结论

within the novel that we can approach in an essay:

在这个小说里有点像个 论点

appearances versus reality,

外表和现实相反

the power of wealth and social stratification,

财富的力量与社会阶层的力量

and the unpredictable nature of love and attraction.

爱的不可预测性和强大的吸引力

Look at that! Deeper meaning.

看吧 这就是挖掘出来的深层含义

The second step to a sophisticated analysis

通向复杂分析的第二步

is acknowledging complexity.

是理解复杂

Let's face it. In both life and literature,

我们来看看吧

situations are complicated

在生活和文学中 情况都很复杂

due to social forces like relationships,

这来自于人际关系间的社会力量

moral codes,

道德守则

personal desires,

个人追求

and power structures.

和权力架构

This means that there are, at any given time,

这表示 任何时候

multiple factors that shape what is true.

很多因素决定了什么是对的

In order to acknowledge complexity in your writing,

为了在写作提到复杂性

refrain from making broad generalizations about a text

对于一个题材不要泛泛而谈

or establishing quick, simple judgements about a character.

或者很快就武断地对一个人物做出简单的评价

Explore each facet of your subject carefully

仔细的研究你手上主题的各个角度

and make sure to consider multiple influences on events.

确认要从各个角度来考虑影响

Explain the tension of multiple forces

解释下 多方的张力

that create the story.

可以创造故事

For example, a basic analysis of Toni Morrison's <i>Beloved<i>,

例如 一个对 托妮·莫里森 <宠儿>的简单分析

where the protagonist has killed her own child

在这个故事里面 主角宁愿把自己孩子杀了

rather than allow her to grow up in slavery,

也不愿让她长成一个奴隶

might sound like this,

听起来就像这样

"Sethe murdered her own daughter.

''赛斯谋杀了她自己的女儿

This act was wrong,

这种行为是错误的

and causes the ghost of the child

这导致她孩子的冤魂

to haunt her throughout the novel."

在整部小说中都困扰着她''

These observations are simplistic.

这种观察都是肤浅的

They don't acknowledge all the different forces

他们没有考虑

that contribute to what the character has done.

那些导致这个人物做出这些行径的各种来由

Try something like this instead,

转而试试下面这样吧

"A culture of slavery disturbs the ability

''文化奴役干扰了对于

to determine what is morally right.

关于是非的道德的判断的能力

Sethe's past experiences with violence

赛斯过去的暴力经历

reinforce the fear she has for her child's fate,

增强了她对她孩子命运由于未知的恐惧

and transform the murder into a protective act.

也导致了谋杀到保护性行为的转变

As the novel progresses,

随着小说发展

Sethe is haunted both by the angry spirit of her daughter

赛斯对孩子的气愤

and by the memories of everything else

和其他被奴役带走的东西的记忆

slavery took from her."

一起困扰着她

Here, we see those influential forces at work,

这儿 我们能看到对于工作有影响的力量

and we've shown off our ability to understand

我们已经证明了我们的理解能力

the complicated nature of the human experience,

我们所经历的事情之复杂

which, again, allows us to access

使得我们可以接触到

those big ideas that reveal the deeper meaning of a story,

故事的深层次想法

ideas, in this case, like the parameters of maternal instinct,

在这里 是母性的体现

the consequences of injustice,

不公正的后果

and the question of whether or not

和 道德是否可以存在一个

ethics can even exist in a corrupted moral system.

不健全的道德体系中这样一个问题

It's impossible to sit down

就直接这么坐下来

and write an amazing essay about literature

不仔细思考 构思去 就能写一篇出色的关于文学的论文

without first thinking about it.

这是不可能的

Before you hit the keys,

在你正中要点前

go back to the text

先回到文本

and fish out the small moments,

然后抓住那些

the complicated moments in the story.

故事里细小而复杂而细节 瞬间

Line them up in your mind,

把它们在大脑里排列好

practice insight,

锻炼思维 眼光

acknowledge complexity,

去承认 发现复杂性

arrive at some big ideas.

然后就能触及那些重要的内涵了

Before you know it,

在你知道它之前

the deeper meaning will be close at hand.

更深的主旨其实就在你手边了