非洲英语文学在西方的生成和他者化建构

The Formation and Otherization of African English Literature in the West

非洲英语文学是西方非洲文学研究的核心,但常常被视为英美文学特别是英国文学的附属,贴上"英联邦""后殖民"和"新英语"等文学的标签。相关研究更是从西方视阈、文化认同和审美情趣出发,始终笼罩在西方话语之中。在后殖民理论等西方批评话语的掌控下,西方学者定义、圈划、剔筛、诠释进而建构非洲英语文学,过度关注非洲英语文学的政治因素、历史成因和文化内涵,并在阐释过程中构建出"黑人属性"和"非洲特性"等实际上是以他者文化为考量的单一想象。弄清这一点,对于我们跳出西方话语的藩篱,以中国文学文化视野平等观照非洲英语文学的内涵与外延,还原非洲文学文化的真实面貌和精神内核,具有重要意义。

African English Literature,viewed as the core of Western studies of African literatures,has often been treated as the auxiliary part of British and American literature,especially the former,and labelled as part of"Commonwealth,""Postcolonial,"and"New English"Literature.Moreover,the relevant studies have always been confined to the Western perspective,cultural identity,and aesthetic sentiments and enshrouded in the Western discourse.Under the sway of various Western critical discourses,such as postcolonial theory,Western scholars define,demarcate,filter,interpret and hence construct African English literature,expressing too much concern about the political factors,historical causes,and cultural implications in its literary works,and weaving a single imagination about"blackness"and"Africanness"virtually based on their own notion of Otherness.A clear understanding of this point is essential to our effort in breaking the bonds of Western discourse,observing,fairly and objectively,the denotation and connotation of African English literature from the perspective of Chinese literature and culture,and restoring the real style and spirit of African literature and culture.