“外省人”意象与英格兰共同体形塑——再读《米德尔马契》

The Image of Provincial People and Community Building in Middlemarch

《米德尔马契》的众多人物组合成了"外省人"意象,即外省小镇周边生活的普通、平庸、理想破灭、忍受生活、享受关爱、默默无闻的非英雄人物。19世纪英国的许多知识分子通过写作参与共同体建构,也是其中之一。虽然金钱联结和工具理性主宰并异化了人类社会的很多方面,但外省人保持了坚忍、奉献和同情之心,维护传统,构筑共同体基石。通过书写普通民众的日常生活和心路历程,艾略特强调非英雄小人物为主体的新历史观念,明确了英格兰共同体的主体身份。

The image of provincial people in Middlemarch indicates the ordinary and unhistoric people living outside the capital with broken dreams. Intellectuals contribute to the building of community through writing in the 19th century England, including George Eliot. Though cash-nexus and rationalism dominate and alienate social life, provincial people maintain the traditional elements and lay the foundation for community-building. In terms of new history, Eliot stresses the significance of marginalized provincial people in the evolution of history, and regards them as the subject of the process of constructing Englishness.