荣光与虚无——从二元对立视角解读《长日留痕》

Glory and Nihility ——Binary opposition in The Remains of the Day

小说《长日留痕》主人公史蒂文斯展现出相互矛盾的性格倾向:对职业生活忘我投入,对个人生活十分漠视;对贵族极尽谦卑,对下属趾高气扬;职场上对下层人士冷若冰霜,退休后对陌生人彬彬有礼。小说的主题也尽显相互对立:个人的得与失,昔日的荣光与今日的虚无,达林顿府昔日的荣耀与今日的落魄,大英帝国昔日的繁荣昌盛与今日的式微衰败。从二元对立视角分析小说人物性格与主题,也是探究主人公史蒂文斯悲剧命运成因的有效视角。

In the novel, Stevens has his internal conflicts. He absolutely devoted himself into his profes- sion while he ignored his responsibilities in his personal life. He was humble to the noble while he ap： peared superior to his workmates. In the past, he treated his workmates or the lower coldly but at pres- ent he is polite even to the strangers. There are pairs of themes which forms binary opposition. These binary oppositions are personal losing vs. finding, individual bygone achievement vs. his present hum- bleness, Darlington Hall＇s bygone reputation vs. its present emptiness, Great Britain＇s past thriving and prosperity vs. its downfall at present. The protagonist＇ characters and the novel＂ themes are interpreted from the prospective of binary opposition, which is effective to explore the reasons of Stevens＇ tragic fate.