“平凡悲剧”与“本质现实主义”——关于尤金·奥尼尔后期剧作中的两个问题

"Ordinary Tragedy" and "Natural Realism":Two Issues in Eugene O’Neill’s Later Dramas

尤金·奥尼尔以其具有深沉悲剧美的表现主义的剧作奠定了在美国戏剧史乃至世界戏剧史上的崇高地位,而其后期剧作则发生了被评论者称为"回归(现实主义)"的某种逆转。一是在悲剧性问题上,主要表现普通人以及日常生活中的悲剧性,呈现"平凡悲剧"的特征;二是在现实主义问题上,不再是"照相式"或"反映论式"的现实主义,而是直击生活和人类灵魂的本质,具有极强的"穿透性"力量,可以称作"本质现实主义"。奥尼尔后期剧作,是其早期剧作的有力升华,而非一般论者所认为的对传统悲剧和现实主义的简单"回归"。

Eugene O’Neill owed his prestigious position in the history of American dramas as well as that of the world’s dramas to his deep tragic expressionism.But his later dramas were reviewed by his critics as "returning to realism".On the one hand,his tragic expression was mainly characterized by the common tragedy of common people in everyday life.On the other hand,his realism was no longer the one of photography or reflection,but the natural realism of directly touching the essence of life and human spirit with a powerful penetration.His later works were sublimation of his early creation rather than the simple returning to the traditional tragedy and realism as reviewed by critics.