英语文学中的非洲文化_英语论文

Solemn Africa Reflected in English Literature

摘要

文化是一种极其神圣的东西，是人类在社会历史发展过程中所创造的物质财富和精神财富的总和。它包括了：宗教、信仰、风俗习惯、学术思想、文学艺术、科学技术和各种制度。地区和环境的差异使得每个地方都有着各自独特、神圣的文化形式。其中，非洲文化是世界文化的重要组成部分之一。在一定程度上来说，非洲文化影响着世界文化并且塑造了世界文化。因其独特的地理位置和自然环境，非洲孕育了很多奇特而神圣的文化特征和艺术形式。而文学正是文化的重要表现形式之一。

文学是文化的载体，是以语言文字为工具形象化反映客观事实的艺术。优秀的文学作品能完美的再现文化的独特与神圣。一些优秀的英语文学作品，通过对非洲传统文化特征和人们对待文化的不同态度的描写，可以帮助我们重新认识了非洲和非洲神圣的文化，特别是20世纪的文学作品。

在20世纪的非洲，非裔美国人对待自己的传统文化有了截然不同的思想和态度。一些人选择坚守自己的文化习俗，他们认为自己的文化应该原原本本的得到继承和发扬。而另外一个思想主流则是文化复兴，支持文化复兴的人积极面对自己的伤痛历史，从伤痛中寻求振作的力量。本文旨在通过分析这两种文化思想在文学中的体现来突出非洲文化的继承与重要价值。

关键词：神圣非洲文化；英语文学；文化坚守；文化复兴；文化继承

Abstract

Culture is very sacred, and it is the sum of material and spiritual wealth created by human in the process of social and historical development. It includes: religions, beliefs, customs, academic thoughts, literature and art, science and technology and all kinds of systems. Different districts and environments create unique and sacred cultural forms. Among them, African culture is an important part of world’s cultures. To a certain extent, African culture affects and shapes the world’s cultures. And literature is just one of the important forms of cultures. 

Literature, the carrier of culture, is the art which visualizes objective facts with the tool of language. Excellent literary works can perfectly reproduce the uniqueness and sacredness of culture. Some excellent English literary works help us rethink Africa and unique African cultures, especially for the literary works in the 20th century.

In the 20th century in Africa, African Americans showed different ideas and attitudes to their own traditional cultures. Some people chose to stick to their cultural traditions, in believing that their cultures should be exactly inherited and carried forward. While another main trend of thought was the Cultural Renaissance. People who supported the Cultural Renaissance faced their miserable history actively, and sought the strength to cheer from the pain. This paper aims at analyzing the two cultural ideas’ embodiments reflected in literature, and highlights African culture’s inheritance and the great value.

Key words: solemn African culture; English literature; cultural adherence; cultural renaissance; cultural inheritance