何为叙事的“隐性进程”?如何发现这股叙事暗流?

What is “Covert Progression” and How to Uncover it?

从亚里士多德对情节的关注到当代学者对叙事进程的探讨,批评家们往往聚焦于以情节中不稳定因素为基础的单一叙事运动。然而,在不少叙事作品中,在情节发展的后面,还存在一个隐性的叙事进程,它与情节发展呈现出不同甚至相反的走向,在主题意义上与情节发展形成一种补充性或颠覆性的关系。这种"隐形进程"不同于以往批评家所探讨的情节本身的深层意义——既有别于莫蒂默所说的表层故事之下的"第二故事",又有别于罗尔伯杰所说的"短篇小说"的象征意义,与马什所说的"隐匿情节"也有本质不同。"隐性进程"往往具有不同程度的反讽性,这种反讽是作品从头到尾的一股反讽性潜流,不同于以往批评家所关注的反讽类型。本文首先通过与以往的批评关注相比较,并结合读者反应,说明什么是叙事的"隐性进程",然后探讨如何才能成功地发现叙事的"隐性进程"。

Starting from Aristotle, critical attention has tocusea on one texma~ mowm^m--ul~ plot development. But in many fictional narratives, there exist dual narrative dynamics, namely, a ＂covert progression＂ behind the plot development. The former parallels the latter, implicitly complementing or subverting it in thematic significance. The ＂covert progression＂ differs from the deeper levels of meaning as investigated by previous critics. The present study discusses the basic features of the ＂covert progression＂ in relation to, among other things, what Mortimer calls ＂second story＂ and what Marsh calls ＂submerged plot,＂ as well as in relation to reader＇s response. Further, it discusses the various methods that can be used to help uncover the covert progression.