昆体良的《雄辩术原理》:古典修辞学与中国英语教育

Quintilian’s Institutes of Oratory: Classical Rhetoric and English Language Education in China

对修辞学、古典文学和教育史的学生来说,昆体良的《雄辩术原理》是非常有名的,它受到那些研究公开演讲和写作的英语教师和学者的关注。尽管该书写于2000年前的古罗马,但书中满满的真知灼见在今天和昆提良时代一样适用。本文首先介绍了昆提良及其名著的历史背景,然后考察了他的综合性演讲教育计划,他对演讲与写作共生关系的阐述,以及他认为可代表交际伦理理想的"好人讲好话(和写好文)"这一观念。本文同时探讨了很多中国英语教育工作者所关心的问题,这些问题也应该引起世界各地从事英语教学和研究人员关注。

Well known to students of rhetoric,classics,and the history of education,Quintilian’s Institutes of Oratory also merits the attention of EFL teachers and scholars who deal with public speaking and written composition.Although created in ancient Rome 2,000 years ago,the Institutes is replete with insights that are as applicable today as in Quintilian’s time.After providing historical background on Quintilian and his masterwork,this article examines his comprehensive program of speech education,his explication of the symbiotic relationship between speech and writing,and his notion of the good person speaking(and writing)well as the ideal of ethical communication.In the process,it touches upon numerous issues germane to English language educators in China and to EFL teaching and research in general.