中世纪作为方法:艾柯中世纪历史小说的叙事模因及其新生

The Middle Ages as Method:The Narrative Meme of Eco’s Historical Fiction and Its Renewal

意大利当代著名作家艾柯以对中世纪美学、文化的研究开始其学术生涯,并在一生当中创作了多部富有中世纪色彩的历史小说。艾柯对中世纪历史文化的吸收和文学征用不只是题材或背景层面的,而是建基于对中世纪历史文化的准确研究和对中世纪思维模式的悉心操演。中世纪的引用之法与后现代互文性结合,对怪物和异境的想象通达并呼应着当代的现实和伦理要求。艾柯小说把谎言和虚构作为一种创造性、肯定性的力量,扩展我们的认识,激发对虚构的真实性的信仰。

The famous contemporary Italian writer Umberto Eco began his academic career with the study of medieval aesthetics and culture,and created many historical fictions endowed with medieval styles in his life.The middle ages do not only serve as material or context in Eco’s fictions,but also work as the target of research and then a model for imitation.The use of citation of medieval ages is combined with postmodern intertextuality,the imagination of monsters and legendary lands extends to contemporary reality and responds to our ethical requirements.Eco’s novels consider lying and fiction as a creative force which can produce positive effects,and increase our understanding and inspire our faith in fictional reality.