《英格兰,英格兰》中后现代社会的困境

The Quandaries of Postmodern Society in England,England

《英格兰,英格兰》(1998)被誉为英国后现代主义作家朱利安·巴恩斯最有意思的长篇小说。巴恩斯凭借大胆的想象为读者讲述了一个荒诞不羁的故事——杰克爵士建设了一座名为"英格兰,英格兰"的主题公园,并在此复制了代表英国历史文明的一切精华元素,吸引无数游客。巴恩斯通过这个故事揭示了后现代社会中人们面临的重重困境:(一)消费社会中一切事物的商业化;(二)现实生活的符号化;(三)个人身份和民族历史的不确定性。

England, England by an English postmodernist writer, Julian Barnes, has been regarded as his most interesting novel since its birth in 1998. With his unbounded imagination, Barnes tells us an absurd story of Sir Jack who builds a theme park named ＂England, England＂. In this park, Jack duplicates many historical sites or places of interests and great men in British history, which he thinks might represent the essence of England. It turns out to be a great commercial success. Barnes exposes the quandaries of the postmodern society by telling such a story. First, in a consumer society everything will be commercialized. Second, the real life is symbolized. Third, both individual identity and national identity are full of uncertainty.