学习目标

介绍英国中世纪后期的历史背景；

中世纪的文学特点

介绍乔叟的写作特点及代表作品《坎特伯雷集》。

学习指南

课程主要内容为介绍英国中世纪后期的历史背景、这一时期的文学特点、主要代表人乔叟的写作特点及主要作品。

主要授课形式为以教师讲授为主的教学模式，辅以课件、视频等多媒体手段。课后配有相应习题，加深学生对英国中世纪后期文学特点的理解，培养学生对乔叟及其代表作品的兴趣。

知识内容

知识点 1   I. Definition of the Middle ages

知识点 2   II. The historical background of the late middle ages

知识点 3   III. Literature of the late middle ages

1. Life of Chaucer

2. Literary career of Chauce

3. Chaucer's writing features and literary contribution

4. Masterpiece— The Canterbury Tale and its ocial significance

实践

Appreciate one part of “The Canterbury Tales”.

Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote

 (When in April the sweet showers fall)

The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,

 (And pierce the drought of March to the root, and all)

And bathed every veyne in swich licour

 (The veins are bathed in liquor of such power)

Of which vertu engendred is the flour;

 (As brings about the engendering of the flower,)

Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth

 (When also Zephyrus with his sweet breath)

Inspired hath in every holt and heeth

 (Exhales an air in every grove and heath)

The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne

 (Upon the tender shoots, and the young sun)

Hath in the Ram his halve cours yronne...

 (His half-course in the sign of the Ram has run...)

Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,

 (Then people long to go on pilgrimages)

And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,

 (And palmers long to seek the stranger strands)

To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;

 (Of far-off saints, hallowed in sundry lands,)

And specially from every shires ende

 (And specially, from every shire's end)

Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,

 (In England, down to Canterbury they went)

The hooly blisful martir for to seke,

 (To seek the holy blissful martyr, quick)

That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.

 (To give his help to them when they were sick.)

案例

Module Two

Romance ( 传奇 ): Romance was the most prevailing kind of literature of the upper class in feudal England in the Medieval Ages. It is a long composition in verse or in prose which describes the life and chivalric adventures of a noble hero. (Romances in verse are sometimes called “metrical romances.”)

The central character of romances is the knight, a man of noble birth skilled in the use of weapons. Some romances also deal with legendary, supernatural, or amorous subjects and characters. According to national themes or “matters of Britain”, the “matters of France” and the “matters of Rome ”. Later prose and verse narratives particularly those in the 19 th century romantic tradition which were set in distant or mythological place and times and stressed adventure and supernatural elements are also referred to as romances.

中世纪时期封建主义英国上层阶级中最流行的文学形式。传奇是一篇较长的作品，通常采用诗歌或者散文的形式，描述贵族英雄的生活和骑士冒险故事（诗歌形式的传奇有时称为“格律传奇”）。传奇的中心人物是骑士，他有高贵的出身，善于使用武器。有些传奇也描述传说中的、超自然的或者爱情的主题和人物。根据民族主题或者题材，大部分传奇可以归结为几组或者几个类型，比如“取材于英国的作品”，“取材于法国的作品”和“取材于罗马的作品”。后来的散文和叙事诗，尤其是遵循19世纪浪漫主义传统的作品，讲述的故事发生在远古时期遥远或者神秘的地方，强调冒险和超自然的东西，这样的作品也被称为传奇。

 Features of the Romance ( 传奇 )

The Romance was the prevailing form of literature in the Middle Ages. It was long composition, sometimes in verse, sometimes in prose, describing the life and adventures of a noble hero. Its essential features are:

•  It lacks general resemblance to truth or reality.

•  It exaggerates the vices of human nature and idealizes the virtues.

•  It contains perilous (dangerous) adventures more or less remote from ordinary life.

•  It lays emphasis on supreme devotion to a fair lady.

•  The central character of the romance is the knight, a man of noble birth skilled in the use of weapons. He is commonly described as riding forth to seek adventures, taking part in tournaments (contests of skills), or fighting for his lord in battle. He is devoted to the church and the king.

From the romances we see an epitome ( 缩影 ) of the Middle Ages. The romance prospered for about 300 years (1200-1500). It was written for the noble class, so it had nothing to do with the common people.

 Writing techniques of Chaucer

Chaucer wrote in vivid and exact language. His poetry is full of vigor and swiftness. Chaucer's contribution to English poetry is that he introduced from France the rhymed couplet of iambic pentameter (which was later called the “heroic couplet”) to English poetry, instead of the old Anglo-Saxon alliterative verse. Chaucer is the first great poet who wrote in the current English language. He wrote his poetry by using the East Midland dialect of England , the dialect of London . So he did much in making the dialect of London , the foundation for modern English speech and establishing English as the literary language of the country.

Chaucer's style in The Canterbury Tales is remarkably flexible. His prose, like his vocabulary, is easy and informal. Chaucer is a great satirist, but he is almost never bitter (angry or upset) when he pokes fun ( 嘲弄 )at the foibles( 缺点 ) and weaknesses of people.

知识结构