偏向与偏差:《约翰生传》中的塞缪尔·约翰生及其文明观

Inclination and Deviation:Samuel Johnson’s View of Civilization in The Life of Samuel Johnson

塞缪尔·约翰生是18世纪英国重要的文学家,在文学批评、诗歌创作和词典编纂等领域有着杰出成就。然而,作为当时英国文坛和知识界的一位风云人物,约翰生看待世界其他文明时所持的态度却值得商榷。出于个性、信仰、政治主张等因素,约翰生对原始文明的评价不高,并对库克等人的环球航行及成果抱以近似不屑的态度;他对卢梭及其“高贵野蛮人”之说进行了批驳,集中体现了他的文明观。然而,回顾约翰生的创作历程,亦可发现他并非一味排斥“原始”或“野性”元素,例如他曾写过关于阿比西尼亚人的作品。总之,虽然约翰生对“新世界”并不怀有很高期待,但他也反对杀掠和奴役。因此,约翰生的观点主要是出于西方文明的高傲与漠视,并拒绝进行可行的、潜在的沟通,这是其文明观中较为明显的偏见、偏差之处。

As a great writer of the 18th century,Samuel Johnson contributed a lot to literary criticism,poem writing and lexicography.However,despite his important status and influence in the contemporary literary arena,Johnson’s attitude towards other civilizations is still open to discussion.Because of his personality,belief and political inclination,he generally denied the meaning and significance of the primitive civilization and also refused to acknowledge Cook’s circumnavigations and outcomes.Meanwhile,he was fiercely opposed to Rousseau’s“Noble Savage”,which also showed Johnson’s view of civilization.However,a review of his writings reveals that he did not completely reject the‘primitive’or‘savage’elements,for he had some works on the Abyssinian people.To conclude,although Johnson did not have high expectation of the new world,his original idea was not extermination or slavery.His view could rather be considered as the arrogance and indifference of the western civilization,lacking the feasible and potential communication,due to the inclination and deviation in Johnson’s view of civilization.