新时期的联结困境——《关于美》对福斯特“唯有联结”思想的回应

Predicament in Getting Connected in the New Era:On Beauty's Response to Forsterian Idea of “Only Connect”

20世纪初,E.M.福斯特在《霍华兹庄园》(1910)中借玛格丽特之口发出"唯有联结"的呼声;21世纪初,扎迪·史密斯在《关于美》(2005)中对这一呼声给予了回应和反思。后者通过描述自由主义的贝尔西一家和保守主义的基普斯一家,通过对这两家人的对比、冲突与互动揭示了新时期种族联结、政治联结、人际与自我联结的困境,反映了自由人文主义思想的理想化和社会进步的局限,暗示年轻一代仍需付出更大的努力来实现个体完善、政治公平和社会公正。

In the early 20th century, E. M. Forster expressed the ideal of＂ only connect...＂ through the voice of Margret in Howards End （1910） ; in the early 21st century, Zadie Smith responded to and reflected upon that ideal in On Beauty （2005）. Through the contrast, conflict and interaction between two families--the liberal Belseys and the conservative Kipps, the latter novel reveals the dilemma in racial, political, interpersonal and intrapersonal connection in the new era, throwing light on the fact that some of the liberal humanist ideas are utopian, that the social progress is still limited, thus the young should work harder to achieve self-refinement, political fairness and social justice through their effort.