语文PLUS 教研 文学教育·中旬版 2011年第2期 ID: 152641

[ 侯艳静 文选 ]   

论英文版《圣经》的文体修辞

◇ 侯艳静

  [摘要]《圣经》既是希伯来文化的经典,也是西方文化的渊源。本文试从词法、句法及语篇三个层面来对其进行探讨,以其对《圣经》有更为深入的认识。
  [关键词]圣经;词法;句法;语篇
  
  一、引言
  《圣经》是基督教的经典,又称《新旧约全书》,共有66卷,其中旧约有39卷,新约有27卷。迄今为止,《圣经》是世界上印数最多、发行最广、翻译文种最多的书籍,并已列入吉尼斯世界记录大全,联合国公认《圣经》是对人类影响最大最深的一本书。这部古老典籍是希伯来民族文化的宝贵遗产。它对世界文化尤其是西方文化的影响也是无与伦比的。
  二、《圣经》的文体修辞分析
  《圣经》是一部优秀的文学作品,内容丰富,思想深刻,风格迥异,文体种类新颖而多样,修辞手法奇特而富于变化。英国学者麦考利有这样的说法:“假使所有英文写的作品都毁灭了,只剩下英文《圣经》这一部书,那么这部书就足以把英文里全部的美与力量显示出来。”笔者试从以下几个方面对其进行分析:
  1.从词法层面上
  享有英国散文大师之誉的乔纳森·斯威夫特在论及词汇修辞时有过如此精辟一论:“恰当的词语应该放在恰当的位置。所谓的词汇的恰当性是指词汇的使用要适合交际情景的要求,即要适合话题、目的、读者或听众。如:
  No longer do they drink wine with a song,the beer is bitter to its drinkers.The ruined city lies desolate;the entrance to every house is barred.(Isaiah,9,10, Chapter 24)
  上面句子在选词时,有独到之处:用“bitter”,“ruined”和“desolate” 等词呈现出了一片荒凉衰落的现象。又如:
  That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish,a day of trouble and ruin,a day of darkness and gloom,a day of clouds and blackness.(Zephaniah,15,Chapter 1)
  同样的,在此句中,作者用“wrath”,“distress”,“anguish”,“trouble”, “ruin”, “darkness”,“gloom”,“clouds”和 “blackness” 等词渲染出一种令人恐怖可怕的场面。
  2.从句法层面上
  《圣经》的语言简洁而富于深意,句式也是种类繁多而变化无穷,多种修辞手法交相呼应。如:
  My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag.(Song of Songs,9,Chapter2)
  上句中“gazelle” 和 “young stag” 都有行动敏捷、反应活泼、易受惊动、敏感和性喜群居的特点,在这里作者用它们比作自己心爱的人,可见他们的爱情息息相通,彼此都很默契怜惜。又如:
  Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm;for love is as strong as death,its jealousy unyielding as the grave.It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty fame.Many waters cannot quench love,rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love,it would be utterly scorned.(Song of Songs,6,7,Chapter 8)
  在这里,作者用“seal”是一个人从出生到死亡都不会抹去的,可见两个人的在彼此心中的地位和分量是何等的重要、不可取代和不轻易更改。“place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm.”这个比喻来形容他们的爱情的永恒不变、忠贞不渝和刻骨铭心。接下来,又用“love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave”这样一个比喻句,来形象地显示出他们爱情之炽烈,及绝对的排他性,不容其他人的掺入。“many waters cannot quench love, rivers cannot wash it away”这里,作者运用移就的修辞手法淋漓尽致地来表达他们爱情是不可抵挡、不容压制的。“If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned.” 用这样一个假设句,来展示出作者爱情至上,其他像财富等外在条件是绝对无法与纯真的爱情相提并论的。
  3.从语篇层面上
  《圣经》里有叙事体、律法体、诗歌体和书信体,每一部分都是一个完好和谐的整体。如:
  There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.
  a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
  a time to kill and a time to heal,a time to tear down and a time to build,
  a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
  a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
  a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
  a time to keep and a time to throw away,
  a time to tear and a time to mend,
  a time to be silent and a time to speak,
  a time to love and a time to hate’
  a time for war and a time for peace.
  (Ecclesiastes,1,2,3,4,5,6,7, 8, Chapter 3)
  在上述语段里,第一句话“there is a time for everything,and a season for every activity under heaven.”直接概括出了下面的内容。接着,作者用了极为工整的对仗句式,给人整齐匀称的感觉,使人能对人生各种不同的经历阶段有深刻地思索。
  三、结语
  如上简述,《圣经》的文体修辞对其本身有着重要的影响,正因为其独特而新颖的文体修辞,才使其里面灼灼生辉的智慧光芒及真挚感人的情感深为震撼。当然,笔者在这里只是略做了分析,其文体修辞的特征远不止此,唯有深入研习,才会真正体味到其语言的简洁典雅,内容的深刻隽永。
  
  
  参考文献:
  [1]中国基督教两会.圣经.中文和合本(New International Version),2007.
  [2]谭永祥.汉语修辞美学.北京语言大学院出版社,1992.
  [3]胡曙中.现代英语修辞学.上海外语教育出版社,2008.
  [4]陈望道.修辞学发凡.上海教育出版社,2006.
  
  作者简介:侯艳静,郑州大学外语学院英语语言文学专业研究生,研究方向:英语语言学。

论英文版《圣经》的文体修辞