铸造有良心的民族语言与文化——评萨克雷小说《名利场》

The Forging of National Conscience in Language and Culture: On Thackeray's The Vanity Fair

"民族良心"作为文化命题,是构建民族特性、文化身份和行为准则的过程。本文聚焦《名利场》中女主人公利蓓加·夏泼扔弃《英语大辞典》这一举动,指出萨克雷将约翰逊博士的词典看作民族知识、文化乃至道德象征,深刻意识到英语起着对内凝聚民族向心力,对外与其他民族相区隔的重要作用。他在小说中着力描述了英国人对民族语言和文化缺乏自信的现实,揭示出英国公共媒介浮夸虚伪、良心丧失的斑斑劣迹,旨在警醒并敦促国民,尤其是掌握文字的人,应努力铸造有良心的语言文字,探寻同质认同,守卫民族文化。《名利场》的创作本身就是萨克雷追寻有良心的文化之举,反映了维多利亚早期渐入英国国民意识的民族良心,形成了与英国文化观念的互动。

National conscience, as a cultural proposition, is a cognitive process that elicits the common code of conduct based on national and cultural identity. With a focus on The Vanity Fair, the essay discusses Rebecca Sharp＇s act of discarding Dr. Johnson＇s dictionary. Reading A Dictionary of the English Language as a symbol of national knowledge, culture and even morality, the paper argues for the function of English language in building up the national consciousness of Britain distinct from other nations. In Thackeray＇s description, British people is unconfident of national language and culture and the public media is featured with hypocrisy and the loss of conscience. In his novel, Thackeray intends, to urge his fellow countrymen to adopt a homogenous language and culture with national conscience.