中西吝啬鬼及其创作时代背景的对比_英语论文

Comparison between Chinese and Western Misers and the Backgrounds of Their Creations 

摘要

从古至今，金钱是人们敬仰的东西，也是对人们生活影响最大的东西。人们的生活中离不开金钱，可以说是没有金钱，人们将会寸步难行。“人为财死，鸟为食亡”。金钱在某种意义上也是财富和地位的一种象征，追求财富便成为了一些人一辈子的课题。吝啬鬼就是这些人当中最具有鲜明特色的，他们无所不用其极的疯狂积累财富，其形象也成为世界文学走廊中重要的人物类型之一。本论文以西方莫里哀《吝啬鬼》中的“阿巴贡”和吴敬梓《儒林外史》中的严监生两个人物形象进行对比，从不同的方面来比较他们的异同，并探究其创作时代背景造成的影响，从而得出结论。

关键词：吝啬鬼； 阿巴贡； 严监生； 创作时代背景

Abstract

From ancient times to the present, money has not only been admired by people, but also greatly influenced their lives. Therefore, people cannot live without money. That is, it is virtually impossible to do anything without money. Just as a saying goes “The wages of avarice is death”. In some sense, money is a symbol of wealth and status. And pursuing wealth has become the subject of some people in their lives. Misers are the most distinctive of these people, resorting to every conceivable means to crazily accumulate wealth. In the meantime, misers are one of the most significant characters in the world’s literary gallery. This paper compares Harpagon of The Miser written by Molière with Yan Jiansheng of The Scholars created by Wu Jingzi, explores the influence of the backgrounds of their creations and draws the conclusion.

Keywords: misers;   Harpagon;   Yan Jiansheng;   backgrounds of creations

Contents

1  Introduction.1

2  Comparison between Chinese and Western Misers2

2.1  The Similarities between Chinese and Western Misers2

2.1.1  Being Economical in All Areas of Their Lives2

2.1.2  Refusing to Admit How Rich They Were.3

2.1.3  Turning a Blind Eye to the People Who Needed Help.3

2.2  The Differences between Chinese and Western Misers4

2.2.1  The Different Means of Getting Rich.4

2.2.2  The Different Attitudes towards Family.4

3  The Influence of the Backgrounds of Their Creations.6

3.1  Political Reasons.6

3.2  Economic Reasons .7

3.3  Cultural Reasons.9

Conclusion11

References12