《如此世道》中英国文艺复兴喜剧人物传统的融合与发展

Integration and Development of the Characters of English Renaissance Comedy in The Way of the World

浪漫喜剧中的贵族绅士和讽刺喜剧中的机智骗子被认为是英国文艺复兴喜剧传统中两个主要的人物形象。然而,贵族绅士虽然风度翩翩,但缺乏个人才能,无力解决喜剧冲突;机智骗子虽然足智多谋,但身份卑微,缺乏贵族风尚。威廉·康格里夫在《如此世道》中,不仅继承和发扬了文艺复兴喜剧传统主人公的优良特征,还根据《教育漫话》中的资产阶级教育观和英国宪政制度中的契约精神,创造出一位资产阶级绅士米拉贝尔。他在行为举止上既有贵族绅士的翩翩风度,在个人能力上又有骗子人物的精明强干,在喜剧中以契约“智服”恶棍,惩恶扬善。这一人物形象不仅是康格里夫的创新,更是时代精神的彰显。

The aristocratic gentleman in Romantic Comedy and the witty trickster in Satirical Comedy are the main characters in the traditions of English Renaissance Comedy.However,the aristocratic gentleman is kind and nice but unable to solve dramatic conflicts whereas the witty trickster is clever and resourceful but somewhat coarse and uncivil.In his famous comedy The Way of the World,William Congreve creates a new character-Mirabell,a capitalist gentleman,by developing the good characteristics of traditional protagonists in English Renaissance Comedy,emulating qualities mentioned in Some Thoughts Concerning Education and impersonating the spirit of contract.He is not only as gentle and noble as an aristocratic gentleman but also as sophisticated and shrewd as a witty trickster.In the comedy,Mirabell outwits the wicked opponent by contract,punishing the evil and praising the good.This character is not only the innovation of Congreve but also the embodiment of the period.