文化即秩序:康拉德海洋故事的寓意

Culture Is Order: The Moral of Conrad's Sea Stories

康拉德作品的文化意义远远超出了阿契贝、赛义德和伊格尔顿等人的研究所见。从18世纪以来,英国文坛一直在讨论社会/国家秩序的传统,而康拉德的写作可以看作这一传统的延续,其间不无对秩序话语的改写。如果不着眼于这一传统,就无从深入理解康拉德的文化思想,也无从解读其海洋故事背后的文化语境。从康拉德对"混乱的废铁堆"的拒斥中,我们可以瞥见他对秩序/文化的向往,对"治理"与"合作"的向往,而这在他的《台风》《阴影线》和《"水仙号"》中都得到了生动的体现。

The cultural significance of Joseph Conrad＇s works goes far beyond the conclusions made by such scholars as Chinua Achebe, Edward Said, and Terry Eagleton. Ever since the 184 century, there has existed on the arena of English literature a tradition of discussions and debates regarding the order of a society or a country. Conrad＇s writings can be looked upon as a continuation of that tradition, and as an effort to rewrite the existing discourses on order. The failure to take into account that tradition will result in a shallow understanding of Conrad＇s thoughts on culture, and in the danger of consigning to oblivion the cultural context of his sea stories. From his objection to ＂the chaos of scraps of iron＂ we can see his longing for culture/order, along with his longing for government and co-operation, which finds vivid expression in his Typhoon, The Shadow-Line and The Nigger of the＂Narcissus.＂