《国家客人》的文学伦理解读

The Analysis of Frank O'Connor's Guests of the Nation from the Perspective of Ethical Literary Criticism

《国家客人》是爱尔兰短篇小说家弗兰克·奥康纳最具代表性的作品,讲述了爱尔兰独立战争背景下爱尔兰士兵与英国战俘成为朋友,但是爱尔兰士兵不得不履行职责杀害朋友的悲剧。从文学伦理学批评的角度来看,英国战俘的道德选择彰显了人性的善,是对荒唐的战争杀戮的有力控诉;爱尔兰士兵深陷职责与道德的伦理两难境地,失去了对良知的坚守,成为麻木、冷漠的刽子手和战争机器上的零件。在战争面前,宗教救赎似乎显得苍白无力,人类唯有保持理性意志才能弃恶从善,做出正确的伦理选择。

Guests of the Nation is one of the most famous representatives of Frank O＇ Connor＇ s short stories. It is about the tragedy that two Irish soldiers are closely befriended with two English captives but the Irish soldiers have to kill the two friends as a kind of revenge for England. From the perspective of ethical literary criticism, Eng- lish captives＇ moral choice reveals the goodness of human nature, which is a powerful indictment of the killing in the absurdity of war; the Irish soldiers are trapped in the ethical dilemma of duty and morality, and they lose their hold for conscience and become numb, indifferent executioner and part of the war machine. In face of the war, re- ligious redemption seems feeble, and only rational will can help human repent and be good and make the right ethi- cal choice.