北大英语语言文学专业2007年研试题

考试时间:2007年1月21日

研究方向:各方向

招生专业:英语语言文学

文学,翻译,美国研究方向试题(150分)

I.PleaseanswerONEofthefollowingquestions(40)

1InMilton’sParadiseLost,Satandisplaystremendousheroicenergy,andwecannotbutadmirehim.IsSatanahero?Why(not)?YoumightwanttocompareSatanwithAdamandChristtheSontomakeyourpoint.

2Aconceitisafar-fetchedandingeniouscomparison.Themetaphysicalconceitisamoreintellectualized,many-leveledcomparison,givingastrongsenseofthepoet’singenuityinovercomingobstacles.JohnDonne’sconceitsleapcontinuallyinarestlessorbitfromthepersonaltothecosmicandbackagain.PleasepicktwoexamplesofmetaphysicalconceitsformDonneandcommentonthem.II.PleaseanswerONEofthefollowingquestions.(40)

1,ManypeoplebelievethatthePuritanMovementandthePuritanmigrationtoNorthAmericaninearly17thcenturyareaformofreligiousrevivalism.However,criticsarguethatthePuritanenterpriseisamuchmorecomplicatedphenomenon,whichcannotbelimitedonlytoitsreligiousaspect.Whichviewdoyouagree?Pleasegivetwoormoreexamples(andwithproperanalyses)fromthewritingsofPuritanEratoexplainyouropinion.

2,In19thcenturyAmericannovelists,NathanielHawthornestandsoutforhisextraordinaryfamiliaritywiththesocialandreligiouslifeofearlyNewEnglandsocietyandforhisprofoundunderstandingoftheinnatecomplexityofhumannature(itsirrepressibletendenciesandambivalentimpulses,theimpossibilityoferadicatingsinfromthehumanheart).Pleasegivetwoormoreexamples(withproperanalyses)fromthenovelsortalesofHowthorneinordertodemonstrateandexplainboththehistoricalimaginationofHowthorneandhisMasteryofpsychologicalinsight.III.AnswerONEofthefollowingquestions.(40)

1TheRomanticAgeinBritainwasatimewhendomesticunrestcombinedwithinternationalturmoiltoraisetheawarenessofEnglishnessonthepartofthepeople.Brieflyanalyzetwoliteraryworksofthisperiod,focusingonhowtheyreflectsuchheightenednational/internationalconsciousness.

2.ChoosetwoamongthegreatnumberofheroinesoftheEnglishnovelandbrieflyanalyzethesource(s)oftheirsocialpower.What,forexample,givethesewomenadvantageovertheirrivalsormen,andhow?

IV.ThefollowingpassageistakenfromanessaybythemodernFrenchcriticRolandBarthes.SeeifyouareawareofanyintellectualbackgroundagainstwhichBarthes’sviewmayhaveoccurred,andelaborateuponorrespondtoorrefutethepassageinawayyouseefit.(30)

Whateverthecomplexityofliteraturetheory,anovelistorapoetissupposedtospeakaboutobjectsandphenomenonwhich,whetherimaginaryornot,areexternalandanteriortolanguage.Theworldexistsandthewriteruselanguage;suchisthedefinitionofliterature.Theobjectofcriticismisverydifferent;itdealwith“theworld”,butwiththelinguisticformulationsmadebyothers;itisacommentonacomment.asecondarylanguageormeta-language(asthelogicianswouldsay),

appliedtoaprimarylanguage(orlanguage-as-object).Itfollowsthatcriticalactivitymusttaketwokindsofrelationshipsintoaccount:therelationshipbetweenthecriticallanguageandthelanguageoftheauthorunderconsiderationandtherelationshipbetweenthelatter(language-as-object)andtheworld.Criticismisdefinedbytheinteractionofthesetwolanguagesandsobearsacloseresemblancetoanother

intellectualactivity,logic,whichisalsoentirelyfoundedonthedistinctionbetweenlanguage-as-objectandmeta-language.

北京大学2007年硕士研究生入学考试试题（专业能力）英翻汉

Astrongcommonsense,whichitisnoteasytounseatordisturb,markstheEnglishmindforathousandyears:arudestrengthnewlyappliedtothought,asofsailorsandsoldierswhohadlatelylearnedtoread.Theyhavenofancy,andneveraresurprisedintoacovertorwittyword,suchaspleasedtheAtheniansandItalians,andwasconvertibleintoafablenotlongafter;buttheydelightinstrongearthyexpression,notmistakable,coarselytruetothehumanbody,and,thoughspokenamongprinces,equallyfitandwelcometothemob.Thishomeliness,veracity,andplainstyle,appearintheearliestextantworks,andinthelatest.Itimportsintosongsandballadsthesmelloftheearth,thebreathofcattle,and,likeaDutchpainter,seeksahouseholdcharm,thoughbypailsandpans.Theyasktheirconstitutionalutilityinverse.Thekailandherringsareneveroutofsight.Thepoetnimblyrecovershimselffromeverysallyoftheimagination.TheEnglishmuselovesthefarmyard,thelane,andmarket.Shesays,withDeStael,\"Itrampinthemirewithwoodenshoes,whenevertheywouldforcemeintotheclouds.\"For,theEnglishmanhasaccurateperceptions;takesholdofthingsbytherightend,andthereisnoslipperinessinhisgrasp.Helovestheaxe,thespade,theoar,thegun,thesteampipe:hehasbuilttheengineheuses.Heismaterialist,economical,mercantile.Hemustbetreatedwithsincerityandreality,withmuffins,andnotthepromiseofmuffins;andprefershishotchop,withperfect

securityandconvenienceintheeatingofit,tothechancesoftheamplestand

Frenchiestbilloffare,engravedonembossedpaper.Whenheisintellectual,andapoetoraphilosopher,hecarriesthesamehardtruthandthesamekeenmachineryintothementalsphere.Hismindmuststandonafact.Hewillnotbebaffled,orcatchatclouds,butthemindmusthaveasymbolpalpableandresisting.WhatherelishesinDante,isthevice-liketenacitywithwhichheholdsamentalimagebeforetheeyes,asifitwereascutcheonpaintedonashield.Byron\"likedsomethingcraggytobreakhismindupon.\"Atasteforplainstrongspeech,whatiscalledabiblicalstyle,markstheEnglish.ItisinAlfred,andtheSaxonChronicle,andintheSagasoftheNorthmen.Latimerwashomely.Hobbeswasperfectinthe\"noblevulgarspeech.\"Donne,

Bunyan,Milton,Taylor,Evelyn,Pepys,Hooker,Cotton,andthetranslators,wroteit.Howrealisticormaterialisticintreatmentofhissubject,isSwift.Hedescribeshisfictitiouspersons,asifforthepolice.Defoehasnoinsecurityorchoice.Hudibrashasthesamehardmentality,--keepingthetruthatoncetothesenses,andtotheintellect.Itisnotlessseeninpoetry.Chaucer'shardpaintingofhisCanterburypilgrimssatisfiesthesenses.Shakspeare,Spenser,andMilton,intheirloftiestascents,havethisnationalgripandexactitudeofmind.ThismentalmaterialismmakesthevalueofEnglishtranscendentalgenius;inthesewriters,andinHerbert,HenryMore,Donne,andSirThomasBrowne.TheSaxonmaterialismandnarrowness,exaltedintothesphereofintellect,makestheverygeniusofShakspeareandMilton.Whenitreachesthepureelement,ittreadsthecloudsassecurelyastheadamant.Eveninits

elevations,materialistic,itspoetryiscommonsenseinspired;orironraisedtowhiteheat.

ContributedbyRalphWaldoEmerson

RWE.org-TheCompleteWorksofRalphWaldoEmerson-VolumeV-EnglishTraits(1856)汉翻英

笑是最流动、最迅速的表情，从眼睛里泛到口角边。笑的确可以说是人面上的电光，眼睛忽然增添了明亮，唇吻间闪烁着牙齿的光芒。我们不能扣留住闪电来代替高悬普照的太阳和月亮，所以我们也不能把笑变为一个固定的、集体的表情。经提倡而产生的幽默，一定是矫揉造作的幽默。幽默不能提倡，也是为此。一经提倡，自然流露的弄成模仿的，变化不拘的弄成刻板的。这种幽默本身就是幽默的资料，这种笑本身就可笑。一个真有幽默的人别有会心，欣然独笑，冷然微笑，替沉闷的人生透一口气。选自钱钟书<<说笑>>(有删节)

找遍了化学书，在炭气、氧气以至于氯气之外，你看不到俗气的。这是比任何气体更稀淡、更微茫，超出于五官感觉之上的一种气体，只有在文艺里和社交里才能碰见。文艺里和社交里还有许多旁的气也是化学所不谈的，例如寒酸气、泥土

气。不过，这许多气都没有俗气那样难捉摸：因为它们本身虽然是超越感觉的，它们的名字却是藉感觉中的事物来比方着，象征着；每一个比喻或象征都无形中包含一个类比推理(analogy)，所以，顾名思义，你还有线索可求。说到酸气，你立刻联想着山西或镇江的老醋；说起泥土气，你就记忆到夏雨初晴，青草池塘四周围氤氲着的气息。但是俗气呢？不幸的很，“气”已是够空虚的了，“俗”比“气”更抽象！

选自钱钟书《论俗气》作文：

Theunexaminedlifeisnotworthliving

点评：北大英语系主任说，这一年，考生在作文上的表现很糟糕。不少学生不知道这句话出自何人。更有甚者，将这句话的意思曲解为：没有考试的人生是没有价值的。于是乎，该考生极力赞扬考试。于是，结果可以想象。学英语，不去了解西方文化，很悲哀。我也认为这是英语专业学生的现状，只顾抱着单词、语法、听力等，却不知语言背后文化的重要性。