《摩尔·弗兰德斯》与早期犯罪叙述合法性问题

Moll Flanders and the Justification of Early Criminal Narratives

18世纪初期是英国犯罪小说发展史上的关键时期,特定的时代氛围促成了它的发生和成长,但犯罪叙述的合法性问题却是困扰小说家的难题。笛福为《摩尔·弗兰德斯》找到的合法性理由是"真实""有用""有益",但实际上这3个理由都不过是托词,不能提供足够的叙述合法性,然而我们也不能否认其必要性。在犯罪小说发展初期,以多种办法招揽读者非常重要。或许读者最初会抱着实用目的阅读小说,但很快就会被故事本身所吸引。只有当犯罪小说和阅读市场都发展到成熟阶段时,它才不再需要借助"真实""有用""有益"这样的理由为自己寻找辩护。

The early 18^(th) century was a crucial period for the development of British crime fiction,during which particular social factors contributed to its inception and growth. However,how to justify criminal narratives was a problem for the authors then. Daniel Defoe legitimized his Moll Flanders on three grounds,that is,"truthful","morally healthy"and"practically helpful". Actually,all the three reasons are invalid to justify his narrative of crime stories,but their necessity cannot be denied. In the early period of criminal narratives,it was very important to attract readers or customers. Possibly,early readers would begin their reading for practical interests,but before long they would be more interested in the romance and fiction of criminal narrative. Only after the maturity of both criminal writing and the reader/consumer market could the authors be extricated from justifying their criminal narratives on moral or utilitarian grounds.