古物主义的政治:司各特《古董家》对共同体的“琐碎”建构

The Politics of Antiquarianism:Fragmentary Construction of the Community in Scott’s The Antiquary

沃尔特·司各特在《古董家》中塑造了古董家奥尔德巴克这个颇具讽刺意味的形象,但是小说的古物收藏的内容和细致入微的风格都颇受非议。前者被认为枯燥乏味,后者被认为分散零碎,与当时英国的政治历史需求相距甚远。然而,司各特的古物叙事并不一定是一种逃避,古物收藏以具体的实践将空洞抽象的民族/国家概念实体化,充实了对共同体的想象,可以说是以“琐碎”的方式建构了共同体。同时,它所展现的碎片化、地方化倾向,对于当时英国的宏大历史叙事也是一种反拨。除了具体的古物之外,小说中呈现的作为过去“遗迹”的“活死人”和口口相传的民谣,都在以琐碎化的方式想象个体化和有温度的共同体。司各特的古物收藏以“琐碎”的方式想象了共同体,建构了国家或民族的身份。

In The Antiquary,Walter Scott created an interesting and ironic figure Jonathan Oldbuck,but its antiquarian content and its minutely descriptive style met with various criticism.The former is considered dull,and the latter triffling and far removed from the needs of the current British politics.However,Scott’s antiquarian narrative is not necessarily an escapist effort,its antiquarianism in a sense helped construct the national identity by materializing the empty and abstract concept of nation/state with concrete particulars.It can be described as a“trivial”attempt to construct the community,greatly adding to the grand narrative of patriotism of the time.In addition to the specific collected objects,the“living dead”and the ballads,as the“relics”of the past,also help with the imagining of an individualized and warm community in a trivial way.