Mining literature for deeper meanings - Amy E. Harter

發掘文學的深層意義 - Amy E. Harter

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Jessica Ruby

譯者: Clement Fu 審譯者: Geoff Chen

We often hear that studying literature

常言道：修讀文學

involves finding a deeper meaning to a text.

是找尋篇章的深層意義

When writing about literary works,

賞析文學作品的時候

we're expected to mentally dive below the surface

我們常要窺探文字的底層

in order to come back up with big ideas.

領會表層之下的大意念

But you may find yourself looking

但更多時候，自己可能

at the flat page of a book,

只是對著書本的頁發呆

wondering how deep it can really go?

想著究竟可以發掘得有多深？

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

究竟我們怎樣拈來好主意，寫成好文章？

Well, there are two crucial thinking steps

其實有兩個重要的思考步驟

that can lead us in the right direction:

引領我們走向正確的方向：

practicing insight

訓練洞察力

and acknowledging complexity.

和了解複雜性

Insight is the ability to arrive

洞察力就是

at an intuitive understanding of a big idea

沿著蛛絲馬跡

using only small clues to get there.

邁向廣闊意念的直覺了解

If you're practicing insight,

若你訓練洞察力

you'll able to use observations

就能運用觀察

about character behavior to figure out

窺看人物角色的表現和行為

their true emotions and motivations.

發掘出他們真正的情感和動機

Pay attention to little things

見微知著

because they add up to what is really meaningful.

零碎的碎片，加起來就湊成有意義的圖畫

For example, if you consider a character

例如，《傲慢與偏見》中的角色

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

達西先生（Mr. Darcy）公然表達

who openly declares his dislike for Miss Lizzy Bennet,

對伊麗莎白（Miss Lizzy Bennet）的不滿

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

起初，你可能以為達西先生只是個刻薄的人

But, using your powers of insight,

不過，運用你的洞察力

you're noticing other smaller things -

你會發現到其他微小的事

how Darcy's eyes linger on Lizzy's face

達西先生怎樣凝望伊麗莎白的臉，雙眼流轉

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

伊麗莎白在身邊時，他怎樣侷促不安

Add to the mix your knowledge that Mr. Darcy

加上你對達西先生的認識

is in a much higher social class than Lizzy,

知道他的社會地位遠高於伊麗莎白

and your sense of insight should be telling you

洞察得出的直覺會告訴你

that there's something more here.

當中另有內文

In this case, it will tell you

這個例子來說，洞察所見

that Darcy's surface behavior is in conflict

達西先生的表現

with his true feelings of attraction

與內心的愛慕之情自相矛盾

because the difference in wealth between himself and Lizzy

因為兩人貧富懸殊

makes him feel that it'll never work.

令他深信，兩人的愛情不會開花結果

Thinking about all those small clues

思考著這些微小的痕跡

gives us insight about some of the big, abstract ideas

讓我們洞察到較大較廣的意念

within the novel that we can approach in an essay:

從而可以在文章中探討這本小說當中

appearances versus reality,

表面與真實

the power of wealth and social stratification,

財富與社會階層的影響力

and the unpredictable nature of love and attraction.

以及傾慕與愛戀不可計算的本質

Look at that! Deeper meaning.

看看！這就是深層意義

The second step to a sophisticated analysis

深入分析的第二步驟

is acknowledging complexity.

就是了解複雜性

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

直認不諱吧：人生也好，文學也好

situations are complicated

情景錯錝複雜

due to social forces like relationships,

不同的社會拉力交戰：感情

moral codes,

道德標準

personal desires,

個人求慾

and power structures.

及權力結構

This means that there are, at any given time,

換句話說，任何時刻

multiple factors that shape what is true.

甚麼是真的，都由多個因素左右

In order to acknowledge complexity in your writing,

要在寫作中認識到複雜性

refrain from making broad generalizations about a text

就要避免對作品作出 一概而論的空泛立論

or establishing quick, simple judgements about a character.

或是對人物角色 作出膚淺簡單的判斷

Explore each facet of your subject carefully

仔細探索人物不同的面

and make sure to consider multiple influences on events.

並考慮事件中不同的因素影響

Explain the tension of multiple forces

解釋不同影響力當中的交煎

that create the story.

怎樣創造出整個故事

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

例如，在托妮·莫里森（Toni Morrison）的小說 《寵兒》（Beloved）中

where the protagonist has killed her own child

主角殺死了自己的親生女

rather than allow her to grow up in slavery,

好讓她不必在奴隸制度中長大，終生成奴

might sound like this,

簡單的分析可能會是：

"Sethe murdered her own daughter.

「柴特（Sethe）謀殺了親女

This act was wrong,

大錯特錯

and causes the ghost of the child

以致女兒的靈魂

to haunt her throughout the novel."

一直縈繞在她背後，陰魂不散」

These observations are simplistic.

這些觀察太過簡單

They don't acknowledge all the different forces

並不能充分考慮不同的影響力

that contribute to what the character has done.

怎樣塑造人物角色所做的一切

Try something like this instead,

試一下這樣說：

"A culture of slavery disturbs the ability

「奴隸主義成風、根深柢固

to determine what is morally right.

甚至蒙蔽了是非對錯的道德判斷

Sethe's past experiences with violence

柴特過去慘受暴力的經歷，揮之不散

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

加深了她對自己孩子未來命運的恐懼

and transform the murder into a protective act.

從而將殺害親兒的行為，視作愛子之切

As the novel progresses,

隨著劇情發展

Sethe is haunted both by the angry spirit of her daughter

不但她的女兒陰魂不散

and by the memories of everything else

之後一直縈繞著柴特的，也是她自己

slavery took from her."

過去被奴隸制度所奪走一切的回憶」

Here, we see those influential forces at work,

這裏，我們見到不同的影響力怎樣糾纏

and we've shown off our ability to understand

我們也展示了自己

the complicated nature of the human experience,

了解人生經歷複雜多變的能力

which, again, allows us to access

再一次讓我們接觸到較大的題材

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

浮現故事深層的意義

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

關於這故事的意念 像是說：母子之情

the consequences of injustice,

不公義的遺禍

and the question of whether or not

以至思索

ethics can even exist in a corrupted moral system.

禮崩樂壞的制度中 還能否談論道德的存在

It's impossible to sit down

要寫出一篇賞析文學作品的絕世文章

and write an amazing essay about literature

非要先透徹思考清楚

without first thinking about it.

才能下筆

Before you hit the keys,

敲下鍵盤之前

go back to the text

不妨先將目光放回篇章上

and fish out the small moments,

仔細蒐集微小的片段

the complicated moments in the story.

故事中複雜的時刻

Line them up in your mind,

在腦海中先羅列清楚

practice insight,

洞察玄機

acknowledge complexity,

認清交纏

arrive at some big ideas.

理出些頭緒

Before you know it,

柳暗花明

the deeper meaning will be close at hand.

不知不覺間，深層意義就在前方