《天边外》与《雷雨》的比较研究

The Comparative Study of Beyond the Horizon and Thunderstorm

曹禺的《雷雨》与奥尼尔的《天边外》确实有诸多相似之处,在主题、故事情节与人物塑造等方面,显现得尤为明显、突出。这种巧合绝非偶然,似说明《雷雨》对《天边外》有所借鉴与承袭。不过,曹禺在创作《雷雨》时,已对此进行了妥善处置,即根据创作主旨,把我国传统戏剧的传奇性与国外戏剧中的一切有益成分,诸如人物命运的偶然性与巧合性等予以很好地融合。这种对国外戏剧成功的借鉴、吸收与本土化,最终成为助推《雷雨》成为我国现代戏剧奠基之作的合力之一。

There are many similarities between Thunderstorm by Cao Yu and Beyond the Horizon by O' Neill, especially outstanding in the theme,plot,characterization. This coincidence is not an accident,which seems to indicate that Thunderstorm has some reference and inheritance from Beyond the Horizon. However,when Cao Yu was writing Thunderstorm,he had dealt with it properly. That is to say,according to the creative gist,he integrated the legendary of Chinese traditional drama with all the beneficial elements in foreign dramas,such as the contingency and coincidence of characters destiny. The successful reference,absorption and localization of foreign drama eventually become one of the driving forces for Thunderstorm to become the foundation of modern drama in China.