“爱”因何“无可忍”——评《爱无可忍》的理性主题

Why Does "Love" Have to Be "Endured"?——On the Theme of Reason in Enduring Love

麦克尤恩的小说《爱无可忍》探讨了理性与爱情、宗教、艺术等多重关系。这部作品戏剧化地呈现了爱情如何与理性背离的主题,并借用理性与爱情这个显性主题含蓄地表达了作者的反宗教立场。小说在肯定以科学为代表的理性精神相对合法性的同时,也考察了它的局限性及其与人文艺术精神的冲突、对话与融合的可能性。一方面,麦氏崇尚科学,一方面他也难以摒弃自己艺术创作的冲动。麦克尤恩的这部作品在一定程度上反映了其本人的个性冲突以及他试图调和此类冲突的努力。

Ian McEwan＇ s Enduring Love explores the multi-level relationships between reason, love, rehgion and art. The novel dramatizes the theme of how love runs counter to reason, and at the same time, appropriates this overt theme to express his anti-religion stand in a covert way. While acknowledging the relative legitimacy of rationality as represented by science, the novel examines its limitations, its conflict with arts and the possibility of dialogue and conciliation between them. On the one hand, McEwan adores scientific spirit; on the other hand, he is deeply driven by his artistic impulse. It is argued that the novel, to a certain extent, reflects the two divisive impulses in his personality and his attempts to reconcile them.