斯威夫特《格列佛游记》寓意问题

The Symbolic Meaning of Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels

十八世纪爱尔兰都柏林圣帕特里克大教堂大教长斯威夫特创作了世界名著《格列佛游记》,它作为一部讽喻小说,四卷书各卷寓意为何,历来众说纷纭。近年来国内亦有所讨论(如刘小枫和洪涛)。本文首先简要介绍斯威夫特从政经历及为爱尔兰人争取权利的斗争,其次依次讨论各卷寓意,重点放在第三卷的现代高科技治理术及其反抗主题,第四卷之以慧骃乌托邦反衬欧洲现代文明中的非理性因素。最后作者指出,作为一位有良知的作家,斯威夫特代表了当时欧洲文明自我批判的深度。

In the eighteenth century,Jonathan Swift(1667-1745),Dean of St.Patrick’s Cathedral,Dublin,Ireland,wrote the world classic"Gulliver’s Travels".As a satirical novel,the symbolic meaning of each of the four volumes of the book has always been argued.There have also been discussions in China in recent years(such as Liu Xiaofeng and Hong Tao).In this article the author first briefly introduces Swift’s political experience and his struggle for the rights of the colonial Irish people.Secondly,he discusses the meaning of each volume in turn,focusing on the modern high-tech governance and its revolt problem in volume 3,the utopia of Houyhnhnms against the irrational factors in modern European civilization(as Yahoos)in volume 4.Finally,the author points out that as a conscious writer,Swift represents the depth of self-criticism in European civilization at that time.