耶鲁学派、解构主义及耶鲁学者——J.希利斯·米勒先生访谈

The Yale School, Deconstruction, and Yale Scholars: An Interview with J. Hillis Miller

J.希利斯·米勒(1928—2021)是当今世界文学批评和文学理论研究领域里最重要的人物之一。其著作与学术生涯有着世界性的影响。他在哈佛大学获得博士学位,而后执教于约翰·霍普金斯大学,耶鲁大学和加州大学尔湾校区,2002年荣退。1986年他作为美国现代语言学会会长,为美国的学术和学术组织做出了重要贡献。作为耶鲁学派的重要代表人物,他与德里达、保罗·德曼、杰弗里·哈特曼和哈罗德·布鲁姆这些当代文学界的巨擘过从甚密。宁一中博士于1997至1998年在他指导下做博士后研究。本访谈就是当时他对米勒先生进行多次访谈的一部分。在这个访谈中,米勒对耶鲁学派做了总体评价,对保罗·德曼、哈罗德·布鲁姆以及法国哲学家加盟的耶鲁"五人帮"做了细致的阐述。诚然,作为同事和密友,他对这几位学者的人格魅力、学术活动等了解得更多更深。从对他的访谈中,我们得以了解解构主义之发轫以及所谓"解构主义宣言"写作之来由;了解由德曼二战期间在纳粹报纸上撰写文章而引起的美国学界唇枪舌剑的辩论;得以知道布鲁姆传奇般的天赋,也让我们能窥他们之间友谊之一斑,这种友谊促成了美国耶鲁学派的建立。因此,访谈内容具有很高的史料价值,为我们了解美国文学理论和文学批评的历史发展提供了珍贵的资料,也为我们做文学研究提供了宝贵的背景资料。如今,这五位学界大师都已作古,这些出自米勒本人的资料便尤显珍贵。哲人其萎,这个访谈也权作对他们的庄严纪念吧。

J. Hillis Miller(1928-2021) is one of the most prominent figures in literary criticism and theory of the world today. His works and academic career have had wide international influence. After receiving his Ph. D. from Harvard University, he taught at Johns Hopkins University, Yale University and the University of California at Irvine. He retired as professor emeritus in 2002. Miller was president of the Modern Language Association of America in 1986 and contributed significantly to professional academic institutions and organizations throughout his career. As an important representative of the Yale School, he had close relationships with Derrida, Paul de Man, Geoffrey Hartman and Harold Bloom, all were brilliant figures in the contemporary literary world. Dr. Ning Yizhong did postdoctoral research under his supervision at UCI from 1997 to 1998. This is part of his long interviews with Professor Miller during that time. In this interview, Miller talked about the Yale School in general, with the French philosopher Jacques Derrida joining them and forming the "Gang of Five", and Jacques Derrida, Paul de Man and Harold Bloom in particular. As their colleague and close friend, Miller certainly knew more and deeper about them, their personality, their academic activities and what they were involved in. From these talks, we come to know the origin of the "Manifesto of Deconstruction", the heated debate on the wartime writings by Paul de Man, Bloom’s legendary genius, their friendship which help to build the Yale School, to name just a few. Consequently, these talks are of great historical values as far as the history of western literary criticism and theory is concerned, and they are also of practical values for literary studies, for they can serve as a unique and significant background which Miller alone can provide, now that all the five of them have passed away. In this sense, this interview also serves a solemn memorial to them all.