Allusion可以簡單理解為:引經用典。這是文科類dissertation(特別是文學與歷史學專業)寫作中最常用的修辭手法。留學生在寫dissertation時,采用Allusion可以讓文章更有深度,展現自己的文學素養。其實在文章寫作中應用Allusion,目的是為了能夠使得語言高度濃縮,使得文學閱讀賞析更有趣味,對主題分析至關重要。例如你再讀一篇dissertation時,你知道他所用的典故是什么,你在閱讀到的時候,能夠自然而然聯系到那個典故,然后理解作者想要表達什么樣的主題思想。這種方式還可以用來表達那些“只可意會不可言傳”的內容。此外,這種修辭手法在詩歌當中非常常見。我們來拿 Edgar Allan Poe 的一首詩做例子,大家先來讀一下,能不能找到 allusion(allusion 一般是在人名中)?
這首詩里面的 Allusion 太多了,比如說 Helen, Nicéan, hyacinth, Naiad, Psyche,如果不是很了解希臘神話中的這些人名,那么對這首詩的賞析就不會很深刻。我們這邊來通過TED 做的這個視頻了解下 Psyche /?sa?.ki/ 是誰,看之前,認識下生詞,更好理解視頻內容:
incarnation: n. the state of living in the form of a particular person or animal. According to some religions, people have several different incarnations
intimidated: adj. feeling worried and lacking confidence because of the situation you are in or the people you are with
prophecy: n. a statement that says what is going to happen in the future, especially one which is based on what you believe about a particular matter rather than existing facts
savage: adj. extremely violent, wild or fierce
serpent: n. a snake
crag: n. a high rough mass of rock which sticks out from the land around it
rejoice: v. to feel or show great happiness about something
dash: v. to hit with great force, especially causing damage
intercept: v. to stop and catch something or someone before they are able to reach a particular place
fleece: n. the thick covering of wool on a sheep, or this covering used to make a piece of clothing
snap: v. If you snag something, it becomes caught on a sharp object and tears
對于很多中國學生來說,找 Allusion 比較難,因為在現在的教育中,很少有接觸西方的典故。一個好的解決方案是,在閱讀的時候,注意觀察一些人名,不了解的時候去谷歌一下這些人名有沒有什么典故。
當然,Allusion 不僅僅是在閱讀文學作品的時候才會用到,在生活中也很常見,比如說下面的這個卡通,大家看出笑點了嗎?#p#分頁標題#e#
上面說過,allusion 一般在人名中找到,這幅卡通里面有一個名字很奇怪,是那個包裝盒上的 ICARUS, 那是什么呢?在網上查過之后,這是希臘神話里面的一個人物,維基百科的解釋是(在學術寫作中,不要用維基百科作為 source 來支持你的觀點,要考證下維基百科所用的 source 是否可靠,是否權威,如果權威可靠,用那個 source,這邊維基內容僅做掃盲用):
In Greek mythology, Icarus is the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the creator of the Labyrinth. Often depicted in art, Icarus and his father attempt to escape from Crete by means of wings that his father constructed from feathers and wax. Icarus' father warns him first of complacency and then of hubris, asking that he fly neither too low nor too high, so the sea's dampness would not clog his wings or the sun's heat melt them. Icarus ignored his father's instructions not to fly too close to the sun; when the wax in his wings melted he tumbled out of the sky and fell into the sea where he drowned.
這個時候再來看卡通里面的那個包裝盒上的文字:Remote Control ICARUS Flying Figure (遙控飛人 ICARUS)Caution: Keep out of direct sunlight. 便能理解其中的隱射了。Icarus 這個人物在藝術作品中也是常客,最著名是就是下面這幅 Landscape with The Fall of Icarus,大家能找到 Icarus 嗎?
Landscape with The Fall of Icarus, ca. 1590–95, oil on wood (63 by 90 centimetres (25 in × 35 in)), Circle of P. Bruegel the Elder, Museum van Buuren, Brussels, Belgium
作為一種修辭手法,Allusion在留學生dissertation寫作中非常常見。但選典故時一定要注意,要選擇廣為流傳的、被多數人認可的典故,如果選一個家鄉的傳說故事,別人肯定不會理解你想要表達的意思,也就失去了原本的初衷。如果大家有興趣,可以聯系本站客服哦,更多寫作攻略免費分享,還有高質快速的dissertation代寫服務(代寫要求可指定修辭方法)。