Module3Literature-Section1Backgroundreadings素材PartTwoTeachingResourcesSection1BackgroundreadingsforModule3LiteratureI.CharlesDickensDickens'snovelscombinebrutalitywithfairy-talefantasy;sharp,realistic,concretedetailwithromance,farce,andmelodrama.;theordinarywiththestrange.Theyrangethroughthecomic,tender,dramatic,sentimental,grotesque,melodramatic,horrible,eccentric,mysterious,violent,romantic,andmorallyearnest.ThoughDickenswasawareofwhathisreaderswantedandwasdeterminedtomakeasmuchmoneyashecouldwithhiswriting,hebelievednovelshadamoralpurpose–toarouseinnatemoralsentimentsandtoencouragevirtuousbehaviorinreaders.ItwashismoralpurposethatledtheLondonTimestocallDickens"thegreatestinstructoroftheNineteenthCentury"inhisobituary.Alwaysconcernedtomakemoneywithhiswritings,Dickenstookseriouslythenegativeresponsemanyreadershadtohisdarkernovels.Hedeliberatelyaddressedtheirdiscontent(不满)whenhewroteGreatExpectations,whichheaffirmedwaswritten"inamostsingularandcomicmanner."Duringhislifetime,CharlesDickenswasthemostfamouswriterinEuropeandAmerica.WhenhevisitedAmericatogiveaseriesoflectures,hisadmirersfollowedhim,waitedoutsidehishotel,peeredinwindowsathim,andharassedhiminrailwaycars.Intheirenthusiasm,Dickens'sadmirersbehavedverymuchlikethefansofasuperstartoday.II.Dickens’assessmentofhumanaffairs(fromATaleofTwoCities)Itwasthebestoftimes,itwastheworstoftimes,itwastheageofwisdom,itwastheageoffoolishness,itwastheepochofbelief,itwastheepochofincredulity,itwastheseasonofLight,itwastheseasonofDarkness,itwasthespringofhope,itwasthewinterofdespair,wehadeverythingbeforeus,wehadnothingbeforeus,wewereallgoingdirecttoHeaven,wewereallgoingdirecttheotherway--inshort,theperiodwassofarlikethepresentperiod,thatsomeofitsnoisiestauthoritiesinsistedonitsbeingreceived,forgoodorforevil,inthesuperlativedegreeofcomparisononly.那是最美好的时代，那是最糟糕的时代；那是智慧的年头，那是愚昧的年头；那是信仰的时期，那是怀疑的时期；那是光明的季节，那是黑暗的季节；那是希望的春天，那是失望的冬天；我们全都在直奔天堂，我们全都在直奔相反的方向--简而言之，那时跟现在非常相象，某些最喧嚣的权威坚持要用形容词的最高级来形容它。说它好，是最高级的；说它不好，也是最高级的。III.AboutEnglishLiteratureEnglishliteratureisproducedinEngland,fromtheintroductionofoldEnglishbytheAnglo-Saxonsinthe5thcenturytothepresent.TheworksofthoseIrishandScottishauthorswhoarecloselyidentifiedwithEnglishlifeandlettersarealsoconsideredpartofEnglishliterature.1.OldEnglish,orAnglo-SaxonEraThisperiodextendsfromabout450to1066,theyearoftheNormanconquestofEngland.TheGermanictribesfromEuropewhooverran(蔓延)Englandinthe5thcentury,aftertheRomanwithdrawal,broughtwiththemtheOldEnglish,orAnglo-Saxonlanguage,whichisthebasisofModernEnglish.Theybroughtalsoaspecificpoetictradition,theformalcharacterofwhichremainedsurprisinglyconstantuntiltheterminationoftheirrulebytheNorman-Frenchinvaderssixcenturieslater.2.MiddleEnglishPeriodExtendingfrom1066to1485,thisperiodisnotedfortheextensiveinfluenceofFrenchliteratureonnativeEnglishformsandthemes.FromtheNormanconquestofEnglandin1066untilthe14thcentury,FrenchlargelyreplacedEnglishinordinaryliterarycomposition,andLatinmaintaineditsroleasthelanguageoflearnedworks.Bythe14thcentury,whenEnglishagainbecamethechosenlanguageoftherulingclasses,ithadlostmuchoftheOldEnglishinflectionalsystem,hadundergonecertainsoundchanges,andhadacquiredthech...
