寓意陷阱与《农夫皮尔斯》的不确定性

Allegorical Trap and the Uncertainty of Piers Plowman

寓意模式通常意味着意义的确定性。这种倾向造成了阅读寓意文学的"陷阱",它诱使读者把文学作品简单化为宣传品。然而寓意作品里表层结构与深层结构之间必然存在的距离使两个层面不可能等同,从而总是在颠覆着寓意模式在意义上的确定性。英国中世纪文学中最杰出的寓意作品《农夫皮尔斯》在人物、事件、场景、意象等几乎所有方面都突出运用寓意的形式和手法,但同时又总是在不断地超越寓意模式的局限。兰格伦那种包容矛盾与冲突的对话式想象力使他能客观地表达各种思想而不强行把它们统一在一种超级话语之下,从而深刻地反映了现实社会的丰富性和精神探索本质上的不确定性。

The allegorical mode usually implies certainty in meaning. This tendency creates a trap for the reader who reads allegorical works and regards them as merely didactic. However, the inevitable distance between the surface and deep structures of the work determines that these two meaning structures cannot match, which therefore always works to subvert the certainty of meaning in an allegorical work. Piers Plowman, the best work in this mode in medieval English literature, systematically uses the allegorical form but at the same time transcends its limitation. Langland＇ s dialogieal imagination, which embraces contradictions and conflicts, enables him to present different views without imposing a super discourse to unify them. The work thereby reflects the richness of reality and the essential uncertainty of spiritual exploration.