“深描”还是“浅尝”?——评达恩顿《屠猫狂欢》  

“Thick Description”or“Thin Description”:On Robert Darnton's The Great Cat Massacre

作　　者：李超宇 Li Chaoyu(Peking University)

机构地区：[1]北京大学中国语言文学系

出　　处：《写作》2020年第3期39-43,共5页Writing

摘　　要：罗伯特·达恩顿的《屠猫狂欢》一书,采用"深描"的方法,对18世纪法国各阶层的风俗习惯、文化生活、思维方式等方面进行了独辟蹊径的探索,并特别强调普通民众的所思所行与后来爆发的法国大革命相去甚远。达恩顿一直试图回避革命的成因,但他绝不可能回避掉革命的事实。更何况,在一个表面上风平浪静的社会里,发现某一阶级的"非革命"表征,比探索他们潜藏的"革命"因素要容易得多。后一项更困难的工作,早有马克思、托克维尔等人进行了深入的探讨。相比之下,达恩顿的"深描"总是在表面现象上浅尝辄止,并没有做到力透纸背,入木三分。Robert Darnton’s The Great Cat Massacre used an approach called"thick description".This book found a new way to discuss French custom,cultural life and mode of thinking in the 18th century.Darnton emphasized the general public’s thinking and action had nothing to do with The French Revolution.He tried to evade the cause of the revolution,but he could not evade the fact.To find some representations which have nothing to do with the revolution in a calm society is an easy work.Karl Marx and Alexisde Tocqueville had done the more difficult work.They had found the potential causes of revolution in French society.By comparison,Darnton’s"thick description"only stayed on the surface phenomenon.

关 键 词：“深描” 达恩顿 《屠猫狂欢》 新文化史 

分 类 号：H315[语言文字—英语]