现代狄奥尼索斯与过气的边沁主义者:再论《芭巴拉少校》中的安德鲁·安德谢夫

A Modern Dionysus and Old-fashioned Benthamite:Rethinking the Image of Andrew Undershaft in Major Barbara

以往的研究者在分析安德鲁·安德谢夫这个人物形象的时候,往往把这位现代工业大亨视为一个狄奥尼索斯式的神祇人物,他意志坚定,无往不胜,可以任意改变他人的信仰,显示出现代工业资产阶级惊人的影响力,这种做法固然无可非议,但批评家往往止步于此,未能进一步揭示出这位披着古代神话外衣的现代大工业家的思想面目:他在本质上是边沁式功利主义者;他革新制度的雄心壮志、他的利己主义伦理观、他对基督教的极度蔑视、他的快乐优先论、他对个人主义性质的自助精神的推崇、他重视物质享受而轻视情感需求,与19世纪资产阶级主导意识形态——边沁主义——保持着惊人的一致。

In analyzing the character of Andrew Undershaft in Major Barbara, previous critics tend to regard the modern industrial tycoon as a Dionysian figure, a godlike man with strong will, being invincible in every aspect, and even able to covert his opponent＇s faith at wills, thus showing the striking power of modern industrialist bourgeoisie. This kind of critical attempt is justified, but they make no further investigation into the ideological outlook of the modern industrialist in ancient costumes： his belief is in essence the Benthamite Utilitarianism; his ambition to reform obsolete institutions, his egoist ethics, his contempt for Christianity, his emphasis on pleasure and denial of pain, his individualist notion of self-making man, and his priority of material comfort over emotional demands from man, exactly correspond to the basic tenets of Benthamite Utilitarianism, the dominant ideology of bourgeoisie during the first half of the 19th century.