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爱尔兰文学
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背景介绍
爱尔兰的面积和人口规模都很小，却对世界文学做出了与其国家规模极不成比例的巨大贡献。这个国家产生过四位诺贝尔文学奖获得者，他们是诗人叶芝、剧作家萧伯纳、剧作家贝克特和诗人希尼。著名作家还包括“意识流文学之父”詹姆斯·乔伊斯、唯美主义文学的代表人物奥斯卡·王尔德等。爱尔兰文学来源于凯尔特文化，凯尔特文化的特质包括对自然界奥妙的探索、夸张和荒谬的叙事风格，以及讽刺的创作态度。爱尔兰文学同时植根于宗教传统，爱尔兰是欧洲少有的几个虔诚信仰宗教的国家之一，天主教徒约占人口的92%。
情景对话
Tanya: I can't believe how much I hate my job. I don't know why I did Business at university, it's so unfulfi lling.
Boris: What made you choose business?
Tanya: Well, I wanted to make money but my real passion was literature.
Boris: Oh, I can understand that. I love books.
Tanya: What kind of things do you like to read?
Boris: I’d read anything really but I really love the classics. Things like Hardy, Austin and, of course, Shakespeare. I don't think you can really discuss literature without tipping your hat to Shakespeare.
Tanya: That's true, and I do have a lot of time for the classics, but I would've liked to study 20th century American literature.
Boris: Oh, so things like John Steinbeck and Tennessee Williams?
Tanya: Yes. I really think they tackle the themes that built up to the world we live in now. I think we can learn a lot about modern men by reading those books.
Boris: You make an interesting point, but I think that the classics hold more universal truths. If you are still relating, in our modern period, to something that was written hundreds of years ago then it's really getting to the core of the human condition. Don't you think?
Tanya: Well, I agree that an older novel that still resonates with today's readers is something special, something to be treasured and they are dealing with eternal truths. However, I think we deal with some complex issues in today's world that can't be dealt with by reading a Jane Austin novel.
Boris: So what are you looking for that you can't get from Austin?
Tanya: I'm especially interested in the way that writers deal with the American dream and, more relevantly, capitalism's affect on the individual. I think that it's something that we should all be considering and literature is a great way to approach these ideas from points of view that you may not have considered before.
Boris: You know, I'm thinking that perhaps business isn't the right area for you.
Tanya: I think you're right. I'm going to have to have a long think about my options.
塔尼娅： 我无法相信我有多讨厌自己的工作。我不知道自己在大学里为什么要学习商科，这让我很不满意。
鲍里斯： 你为什么会选择商科呢？
塔尼娅： 哦，那时我是想要去赚钱，不过我真正热爱的是文学。
鲍里斯： 哦，我能理解你。我爱读书。
塔尼娅： 你喜欢读哪一类书呢？
鲍里斯： 我什么都能读，不过我真正喜爱的是经典作品。比如，哈代、奥斯丁，当然还有莎士比亚。我认为，如果不向莎士比亚的作品致敬，就无法真正谈论文学。
塔尼娅： 没错。我确实有很多时间去读那些古典作品，但我喜欢研究20世纪的美国文学。
鲍里斯： 噢，就是约翰·斯坦贝克和田纳西·威廉斯等作家的作品吗？
塔尼娅： 是的。我真的认为他们所涉及的主题也是我们现在的生活中会遇到的问题。我想，读了这些书，我们能够对现代人有很多了解。
鲍里斯： 你的观点很有意思，不过我想古典作品中蕴含更多普世的真理吧。在现代，如果你仍然在阅读几百年前写的作品，那么它反映的一定是人性的本质。你觉得呢？
塔尼娅： 嗯，我同意你的观点，过去的小说如果能引起当代人共鸣，那就是特别的作品、珍贵的作品、讲述永恒真理的作品。然而我认为，在今天的世界里，我们面临一些复杂的问题，不是读一本简·奥斯丁的小说就能解决的。
鲍里斯： 那么你从简·奥斯丁那里无法找到的是什么呢？
塔尼娅： 我尤其感兴趣的是那些作家是如何阐述美国梦这一主题的，更确切地说就是资本主义对个人所产生的影响。我想，那是我们都应该考虑的问题，而文学是一个很好的途径，它通过你以前从未思考过的角度来讨论这些主题。
鲍里斯： 你知道吗，我现在觉得商科或许并不适合你。
塔尼娅： 我觉得你说得对。我得花时间好好想想自己该何去何从。
词汇注解
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unfulfilling |
不称心的，不能使人满足的 |
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universal |
普遍的，通用的 |
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resonate with |
与……产生共鸣 |
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tip one's hat to |
碰帽边向……致敬 |
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American dream |
美国梦 |
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point of view |
观点，见解 |