#在頭條看見彼此#
作者： Esther Lombardi 翻譯：銳智多謀
Updated on January 30, 2020
Reading this article attentively and thoughtfully, you will be allured to an impulse of reading something special. It is time to have your mind and spirit sublimated and deepened. A tranquil corner, a small desk and a cup of warm tea are transformed into your soul mate. Utilitarianism and formalism are to be forsaken now.
仔細(xì)、多加思索地閱讀這篇文章，你會有一種特別的沖動，你突然想讀點什么了。是時候讓你的思想和精神得到升華和深化了。一個安靜的角落，一張小桌子，一杯熱茶，都會成為你的靈魂伴侶?，F(xiàn)在應(yīng)該拋棄功利主義和形式主義了。
The article is a little lengthy, and warm patience is considerately required.
這篇文章有點長，敬請付諸溫和的耐心。
Simply put, literature represents the culture and tradition of a language or a people. The concept is difficult to precisely define, though many have tried; it's clear that the accepted definition of literature is constantly changing and evolving.
簡單地說，文學(xué)代表一種語言或一個民族的文化和傳統(tǒng)。這個概念很難精確定義，盡管許多人已經(jīng)嘗試過；很明顯，公認(rèn)的文學(xué)定義是不斷變化和演變的。
For many, the word literature suggests a higher art form; merely putting words on a page doesn't necessarily equate to creating literature. A canon is the accepted body of works for a given author. Some works of literature are considered canonical, that is, culturally representative of a particular genre (poetry, prose, or drama).
對許多人來說，文學(xué)一詞意味著更高的藝術(shù)形式；僅僅把文字放在一頁上并不一定等同于文學(xué)創(chuàng)作。作家代表作是特定作者公認(rèn)的作品集。一些文學(xué)作品被認(rèn)為是文學(xué)范式，也就是說，在文化上代表了一種特定的體裁（如詩歌、散文或戲?。?/p>
Some definitions also separate literary fiction from so-called 'genre fiction,' which includes types such as mystery, science fiction, western, romance, thriller, and horror. Think mass-market paperback.
一些定義還將“文學(xué)小說”與所謂的“通俗小說”區(qū)分開來，后者包括神秘、科幻、西部、浪漫、驚悚和恐怖等類型。這讓我們想起大眾市場的平裝書。
Genre fiction typically does not have as much character development as literary fiction and is read for entertainment, escapism, and plot, whereas literary fiction explores themes common to the human condition and uses symbolism and other literary devices to convey the author's viewpoint on his or her chosen themes. Literary fiction involves getting into the minds of the characters (or at least the protagonist) and experiencing their relationships with others. The protagonist typically comes to a realization or changes in some way during the course of a literary novel.
類型（通俗）小說通常不像文學(xué)小說那樣具有更多的人物性格發(fā)展，并且是為了娛樂、逃避現(xiàn)實和情節(jié)而閱讀的，而文學(xué)小說則探索人類共同的主題，并使用象征和其他文學(xué)手段來傳達(dá)作者對其所選主題的觀點。文學(xué)小說包括進(jìn)入人物（或至少是主角）的腦海，體驗他們與他人的關(guān)系。在文學(xué)小說的過程中，主人公通常會以某種方式實現(xiàn)或改變。
(The difference in type does not mean that literary writers are better than genre fiction writers, just that they operate differently.)
（文學(xué)作品類型的不同并不意味著文學(xué)小說作家比通俗小說作家更好，只是他們的寫作風(fēng)格大相徑庭而已。）
Works of literature, at their best, provide a kind of blueprint of human society. From the writings of ancient civilizations such as Egypt and China to Greek philosophy and poetry, from the epics of Homer to the plays of William Shakespeare, from Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte to Maya Angelou, works of literature give insight and context to all the world's societies. In this way, literature is more than just a historical or cultural artifact; it can serve as an introduction to a new world of experience.
文學(xué)作品，在最好的情況下，提供了一種人類社會的藍(lán)圖。從埃及和中國等古代文明的著作到希臘哲學(xué)和詩歌，從荷馬史詩到威廉·莎士比亞的戲劇，從簡·奧斯汀、夏洛特·勃朗特到瑪雅·安杰洛，文學(xué)作品為世界所有社會提供了洞察力和寫作時的社會背景。這樣，文學(xué)就不僅僅是一種歷史或文化制品；它可以作為一個新的體驗世界的介紹。
But what we consider to be literature can vary from one generation to the next. For instance, Herman Melville's 1851 novel 'Moby Dick' was considered a failure by contemporary reviewers. However, it has since been recognized as a masterpiece and is frequently cited as one of the best works of Western literature for its thematic complexity and use of symbolism. By reading 'Moby Dick' in the present day, we can gain a fuller understanding of literary traditions in Melville's time.
但是，我們所認(rèn)為的文學(xué)在不同的世代中可能有所不同。例如，赫爾曼·梅爾維爾1851年的小說《白鯨》被當(dāng)代評論家認(rèn)為是失敗的。然而，它被公認(rèn)為一部杰作，并因其主題的復(fù)雜性和象征意義的使用而被頻繁引用為西方文學(xué)的最佳作品之一。通過今天閱讀《白鯨》，我們可以更全面地了解梅爾維爾時代的文學(xué)傳統(tǒng)。
Ultimately, we may discover meaning in literature by looking at what the author writes or says and how he or she says it. We may interpret and debate an author's message by examining the words he or she chooses in a given novel or work or observing which character or voice serves as the connection to the reader.
最終，我們可以通過觀察作家所寫和所說以及他或她是如何說的來發(fā)現(xiàn)文學(xué)的意義。我們可以通過觀察作者在給定小說或作品中選擇的詞語，或者觀察作品人物或聲音與讀者構(gòu)建的聯(lián)系，來解讀和辯論作者的信息。
In academia, this decoding of the text is often carried out through the use of literary theory using a mythological, sociological, psychological, historical, or other approaches to better understand the context and depth of a work.
在學(xué)術(shù)界，對文本的解碼通常是通過使用文學(xué)理論，使用神話、社會學(xué)、心理學(xué)、歷史或其他方法來更好地理解作品的背景和深度。
Whatever critical paradigm we use to discuss and analyze it, literature is important to us because it speaks to us, it is universal, and it affects us on a deeply personal level.
無論我們用什么樣的批評范式來討論和分析文學(xué)作品，文學(xué)對我們來說都很重要，因為它對我們說話，它是普世的，它在深刻的個人層面上影響著我們。
Students who study literature and read for pleasure have a higher vocabulary, better reading comprehension, and better communication skills, such as writing ability. Communication skills affect people in every area of their lives, from navigating interpersonal relationships to participating in meetings in the workplace to drafting intraoffice memos or reports.
學(xué)習(xí)文學(xué)作品和為娛樂而閱讀的學(xué)生擁有更高的詞匯量、更好的閱讀理解能力和更好的溝通能力，如寫作能力。溝通技能影響著人們生活的各個領(lǐng)域，從人際關(guān)系導(dǎo)航到參加工作場所的會議，再到起草辦公室備忘錄或報告。
When students analyze literature, they learn to identify cause and effect and are applying critical thinking skills. Without realizing it, they examine the characters psychologically or sociologically. They identify the characters' motivations for their actions and see through those actions to any ulterior motives.
當(dāng)學(xué)生分析文學(xué)作品時，他們學(xué)習(xí)識別作品中因果關(guān)系，并運(yùn)用批判性思維技巧進(jìn)行閱讀。在沒有意識到這一點的情況下，他們從心理或社會學(xué)角度審視人物。他們識別角色的行為動機(jī)，并洞察這些行為的潛在動機(jī)。
When planning an essay on a work of literature, students use problem-solving skills to come up with a thesis and follow through on compiling their paper. It takes research skills to dig up evidence for their thesis from the text and scholarly criticism, and it takes organizational skills to present their argument in a coherent, cohesive manner.
當(dāng)計劃撰寫一篇關(guān)于文學(xué)作品的論文時，學(xué)生使用解決問題的技巧來打磨論文，并完成論文的最后成稿。從文本和學(xué)術(shù)批評中為他們的論文挖掘證據(jù)需要研究技能，以連貫一致的方式表達(dá)他們的論點需要組織技能。
Some studies say that people who read literature have more empathy for others, as literature puts the reader into another person's shoes. Having empathy for others leads people to socialize more effectively, solve conflicts peacefully, collaborate better in the workplace, behave morally, and possibly even become involved in making their community a better place.
一些研究表明，閱讀文學(xué)作品的人對他人更有同理心，因為文學(xué)會讓讀者站在他人的立場上。對他人有同理心會讓人們更有效地進(jìn)行社交，和平地解決沖突，在工作場所更好地合作，表現(xiàn)得更道德，甚至可能參與到社區(qū)的建設(shè)中。
Other studies note a correlation between readers and empathy but do not find causation. Either way, studies back the need for strong English programs in schools, especially as people spend more and more time looking at screens rather than books.
其他研究注意到讀者和共情之間的相關(guān)性，但沒有找到因果關(guān)系。無論哪種方式，研究都證明了學(xué)校需要強(qiáng)大的英語課程，尤其是當(dāng)人們花越來越多的時間盯著電子屏幕而不是閱讀紙質(zhì)讀物時。
Along with empathy for others, readers can feel a greater connection to humanity and less isolated. Students who read literature can find solace as they realize that others have gone through the same things that they are experiencing or have experienced. This can be a catharsis and relief to them if they feel burdened or alone in their troubles.
隨著對他人的同情，讀者可以感受到人與人之間需要建立更多聯(lián)系，而不是彼此孤立。閱讀文學(xué)的學(xué)生意識到其他人經(jīng)歷了他們正在經(jīng)歷或已經(jīng)經(jīng)歷的相同事情，他們可以在這種情形中找到慰藉。如果他們感到有負(fù)擔(dān)或獨自面對困難，這對他們來說是一種宣泄和解脫。
Here are some quotes about literature from literature giants themselves. 以下是文學(xué)巨擘自己對文學(xué)的一些經(jīng)典語錄。
