非洲现代文学的语言论争——兼论非洲本土语言文学价值的反思与重构

Language Debate in Modern African Literature:A Reflection on and Reconstruction of the Value of African Native Language Literature

非洲文学创作中的语言问题长期悬而未决,系源自于欧洲殖民者在直接或间接统治过程中实行的差异化语言政策。非洲本土语言文学的产生与发展,很大程度上受到殖民当局制定的语言与文化政策,以及殖民代理机构的介入性影响。后殖民理论回避本土语言文学,使其在现代文学批评话语中未能获得应有的合法地位,但非洲语言与文学内在的政治属性为包括本土语言作家在内的非洲作家开启了颠覆殖民权力与权威的可能性。本文拟论证非洲现代文学之生成,是非洲的本土语言文学与使用西方语言书写的文学在后殖民语境中相互激荡影响、相互补充渗透的结果;在非洲的“去殖民化”进程中,二者共同作为积极的政治性因素,参与了重构非洲身份与主体性的集体表述。

The language problems in African literary creation have been long-standing,and this can be ascribed to the differentiation language policies carried out by European colonists in direct or indirect ruling.Therefore,the initiation and development of African native language literature was largely shaped by the language and cultural policies issued by colonial authorities,and by the intervention of their agents.Postcolonial theories have averted African native language literature,making it fail to obtain its proper position in modern literary criticism.However,the inherent political attribute of African languages and literature makes it possible for African writers,including those writing in native languages,to subvert colonial power and authority.This paper is to demonstrate that the emergence of modern African literature results from the mutual penetration and interaction between the literature in African native languages and that in western languages in the post-colonial context.Moreover,in the course of“decolonization”in Africa,both kinds of literature,as active political factors,have been engaging in the collective presentation for the reconstruction of African identity and subjectivity.