废墟·花园·“高明的目光”——华兹华斯《废毁的茅舍》引发的思考

A Reflection on William Wordsworth's “The Ruined Cottage"

从一定意义上来讲,文学不仅要反映生活,更是要教会阅读。本文通过对华兹华斯的《废毁的茅舍》一诗的分析,探讨了两种目光:“廉价的目光”和“高明的目光”,亦即两种阅读方式。从广义上讲,高明的目光有助于洞见人性的基本规律及事物之间的内在联系;从狭义上讲,这种目光对于文学研究和文学创作都不可或缺。文章还试图探讨如何获得高明的目光并提出内在的耕耘是首要的途径。

Literature is not merely a reflection of life; to a certain extent, it is also an instruction on reading. This essay, through an analysis of Wordsworth's “The Ruined Cottage', discusses two kinds of eye: “an unworthy eye' and “ a better eye', and argues that they reflect two ways of reading. In a broad sense, “a better eye' helps one penetrate “ the primary laws of our nature'; in a narrow sense, it is indispensable to both literary creation and criticism. The essay also attempts at a discussion on how to obtain such “ a better eye', and concludes that inward cultivation is the primary way.