无声胜有声——《灰色马,灰色的骑手》中的瘟疫叙事技巧

The Sound Silence:Techniques of Pandemic Narration in Pale Horse,Pale Rider

文章基于热奈特的叙事学理论分析波特《灰色马,灰色的骑手》中的瘟疫叙述技巧。《灰色马,灰色的骑手》中关于大流感的直接叙述寥寥无几,表面上大流感的叙事声音近乎为零,但波特通过对叙事视角、顺序和时距的巧妙运用使文本处处潜藏着对大流感的讲述。这种“无声胜有声”的瘟疫叙事技巧不仅能够彰显波特叙事手法精湛,真实展现大流感给人民带来的生理、心理双重痛苦打击,而且也能够给予后疫情时代下的当代读者启示。

Based on the narrative theory of Genette,this paper analyzes the narrative techniques Porter used when narrating the Pandemic in Pale Horse,Pale Rider.There are few direct narrations about the Flu in Pale Horse,Pale Rider,which makes the narration voice of the Flu silent superficially.However,the narration of the Flu is hidden everywhere inthe novel by the Porter's ingenious use of narrative perspective,order and duration.Such a“sound-silent”narration not only shows Porter's excellency in narration,but also vividly presents the 1918 Flu and the Flu patients who were stricken physically and psychologically in America.And meanwhile it also brings inspirations to the contemporary readers in the post-pandemic society.