作为文字的图像——论后现代小说中的图像修辞

The Picture as Text: On Image Rhetoric in Postmodern Novel

传统小说中的图文关系是松散而和谐的,删掉插图对阅读文本不会产生重要影响,而且图一般都为文服务,它们的意义所指也是明确的;而后现代小说的图文关系则是紧密而对抗的,删掉插图,文本就无法正常阅读,图不是文的傀儡,而要凸显自身的意义和价值,图像与文字所指意义的关系常常是解构性的和不明确的。这种由《项狄传》开创的'语像写作'手法,在后现代小说中仍以文字叙事为主导,但图像在小说发展中逐渐展现出与文字相同的地位,不再是小说中可有可无的噱头。图像突破了媒介差异直接参与到叙事流中,以'图像修辞'的方式呈现出一种媒介融合的叙事风景,对读者提出了新的要求。这印证了现代社会表达的'语言危机',也预示着文字叙事在纸媒上所能达到的极限。

There is a loose but harmonious relationship between text and illustrations in classical novels. A deletion of an illustration will not bring important impact on the understanding of the novel and illustration is generally subordinate to text, and what an illustration or a text refers to is clear. However, the relationship between text and image in postmodern novels is close but rivalrous. A deletion of any illustration can make text unreadable. In this sense, illustration is no longer the puppet of text. Contrarily, it highlights its own significance and value, and the relationship between the referential meaning of illustration and text is often unclear and deconstructive. This new method of postmodern novel is called ＂iconographical writing＂, which is first found in Tristram Shandy and in which text is still given a dominant role in storytelling although lots of illustrations are used to promote storyline. But with the development of the novel writing skills, illustration gradually gains the same role with text. Illustration has broken the boundary of media differences and has been adopted in narration, no longer being a dispensable part in the novel. The use of text and illustration at the same time shows a kind of media convergence in the form of image rhetoric and puts forward new requirements to the readers. This confirms the ＂language crisis＂ in modern society, which means language cannot fully express what one intends to express, and which also predicts the limit that text narration can reach in the paper media.