TheCanterburyTales现代版

The-Canterbury-Tales-现代版TheCanterburyTales-TheGeneralPrologue(ModernEnglishVersion)TheCanterburyTales-TheGeneralPrologue(ModernEnglishVersion)WheninAprilthesweetshowersfallAndpiercethedroughtofMarchtotheroot,andallTheveinsarebathedinliquorofsuchpowerAsbringsabouttheengenderingoftheflower,WhenalsoZephyruswithhissweetbreathExhalesanairineverygroveandheathUponthetendershoots,andtheyoungsunHishalf-courseinthesignoftheRamhasrun,AndthesmallfowlaremakingmelodyThatsleepawaythenightwithopeneye(Sonaturepricksthemandtheirheartengages)ThenpeoplelongtogoonpilgrimagesAndpalmerslongtoseekthestrangerstrandsOffar-offsaints,hallowedinsundrylands,Andspecially,fromeveryshire’sendOfEngland,downtoCanterburytheywendToseektheholyblissfulmartyr,quickTogivehishelptothemwhentheyweresick,IthappenedinthatseasonthatonedayInSouthwark,atTheTabard,asIlayReadytogoonpilgrimagesandstartForCanterbury,mostdevoutatheart,AtnighttherecameintothathostelrySomenineandtwentyinacompanyOfsundryfolkhappeningthentofallInfellowship,andtheywerepilgrimsallThattowardsCanterburymeanttoride,Theroomsandstablesoftheinnwerewide;Theymadeuseasy,allwasofthebest,And,briefly,whenthesunhadgonetorest,I’dspokentothemalluponthetripAndwassoononewiththeminfellowship,PledgedtoriseearlyandtotakethewayToCanterbury,asyouheardmesay.Butnonetheless,whileIhavetimeandspace,Beforemystorytakesafurtherpace,ItseemsareasonablethingtosayWhattheirconditionwas,thefullarrayOfeachofthem,asitappearedtome,Accordingtoprofessionanddegree,Andwhatappareltheywereridingin;AndataKnightIthereforewillbegin.TheOpeningofChaucer'sGeneralProloguetoTheCanterburyTales:ADyptych--ColinWilcocksonTheopeningthirty-fourlinesoftheGeneralProloguesetthescene,anddivideintotwoequalhalves.Thefirstsixteenlines,commencing`Whanthat...',areconcernedwithmattersgeneral:therenewalofnatureinAprilwiththesimultaneousdesireofmenandwomentosetoutonpilgrimages.Thecentraltwolines(17-18)arearimeriche(perfectrhymesonwordsthataredifferentpartsofspeech).Theystatetheobjectofthepilgrimage--thejourneytotheshrineofThomasBecket:Thehoolyblisfulmartirfortoseke,Thathemhathholpenwhanthattheywereseeke.Theremainingsixteenlines,commencing'Bifilthat...',homeinonaspecificgroupofpilgrims:theirreceptionattheTabardInnandtheirplansforthenextday.Thenfollowsaparagraph(II.35-42)whichisclearlyseparatedfromtheforegoingby`Butnathelees'.InitChaucerexplainsthathewillpresentthereaderwithcharactersketchesoftheindividualpilgrims,includingtheirsocialrankandtheirdress.ThedivisionsIhaveindicatedarereinforcedbythescribeoftheEllesmereMS.Hereservesilluminatedcapitallettersforparticularindication.Thus,eachnewpilgrim'sdescriptioncommenceswithadecoratedinitialletter:'Aknyghttherwas...Withhymtherwashissoneayongsquier..Qherwasalsoanonne...',andsoon.WhenthedescriptionsarecompleteandChaucermovesontothemoregeneralnarrative(II.715-858),onlythefirstcapitalofthatentire143-linepassageisilluminated:'NowhaveItooldyousoothly...'.YetatthebeginningoftheGeneralProloguewefindthedecoratedcapitalatthefirstline:'WhanthatApril...';so,too,directlyaftertherimeriche,atline19:'Bifilthatinthatseason...';andatline35:`Butnathelees...'.Thusthesecondsixteen-linesectionIhavementionedisseparated,andthescribedrawsourattentiontoanewbeginningafterline34.ThisdrawingofattentiontostructuralconfigurationbycolouredcapitalsisofapiecewiththetwosuccessiveusesofthedeviceinsectionsXVI(laststanza)andXVII(firststanza)ofPearl,evidentlytoemphasizethatsectionXVcontainsacrypticsix(ratherthantheusualfive)stanzas.Apartfromthis'extra'decoratedcapitalinsectionXVIonlythefirstcapitalletterofeachsectionofPearliscoloured.Aseachstanzahastwelvelines,the`fivestanzapersection'formtotalssixtylinespersection.SectionXVcontains,however,seventy-twolines(i.e.sixstanzas),unbrokenbyanewcapitalletter.ButinsectionXVIan'intrusive'capitalletterintroducesthefifthstanza,drawingattentiontothefactthattherewouldhavebeenacolouredcapitalthereiftheprevioussectionhadcontainedtheregularfivestanzasoftheothernineteensectionsofthepoem.Thenextstanzaagainhasacolouredcapital,becausethatintroducessectionXVII.Ithasoftenbeenpointedoutthattheresultingnumberofstanzas--101--isalso(andsurelymorethancoincidentally)thenumberofverse-paragraphsinanotherworkbythesamepoet,SirGawainandtheGreenKnight.Someeditorshave,however,assumedthattherewasanon-authorialadditionofastanzainsectionXVofPearl;(n1)but,asthelastwordoftheelongatedsectionXVis'neuerpelese'(nevertheless),awordtakenupasthefirstwordofsectionXVI,therewouldappeartobeanallusiontothenumerology.Furthermore,`neuerpeles'isthefinalphraseofeveryoneofthesixstanzasofsectionXV.Hadthe'intrusive'capitaloccurredatstanza6ofsectionXV,onemightarguethatthescribe,accustomedtoafive-stanzasection,anticipatedanewsectionandpaintedadecoratedcapital.Butitsremovaltilllaterreinforcesitscrypticsignificance.`Butnathelees'(Butnevertheless)isthephraseChauceralsousesinline35oftheGeneralPrologue,perhaps,likethePearl-poet,toalerthisreaderstotheprecedingnumberoflines.Theopeningthirty-fourlinesoftheGeneralProloguesetthescene,anddivideintotwoequalhalves.Thefirstsixteenlines,commencing`Whanthat...',areconcernedwithmattersgeneral:therenewalofnatureinAprilwiththesimultaneousdesireofmenandwomentosetoutonpilgrimages.Thecentraltwolines(17-18)arearimeriche(perfectrhymesonwordsthataredifferentpartsofspeech).Theystatetheobjectofthepilgrimage--thejourneytotheshrineofThomasBecket:Thehoolyblisfulmartirfortoseke,Thathemhathholpenwhanthattheywereseeke.Theremainingsixteenlines,commencing'Bifilthat...',homeinonaspecificgroupofpilgrims:theirreceptionattheTabardInnandtheirplansforthenextday.Thenfollowsaparagraph(II.35-42)whichisclearlyseparatedfromtheforegoingby`Butnathelees'.InitChaucerexplainsthathewillpresentthereaderwithcharactersketchesoftheindividualpilgrims,includingtheirsocialrankandtheirdress.ThedivisionsIhaveindicatedarereinforcedbythescribeoftheEllesmereMS.Hereservesilluminatedcapitallettersforparticularindication.Thus,eachnewpilgrim'sdescriptioncommenceswithadecoratedinitialletter:'Aknyghttherwas...Withhymtherwashissoneayongsquier..Qherwasalsoanonne...',andsoon.WhenthedescriptionsarecompleteandChaucermovesontothemoregeneralnarrative(II.715-858),onlythefirstcapitalofthatentire143-linepassageisilluminated:'NowhaveItooldyousoothly...'.YetatthebeginningoftheGeneralProloguewefindthedecoratedcapitalatthefirstline:'WhanthatApril...';so,too,directlyaftertherimeriche,atline19:'Bifilthatinthatseason...';andatline35:`Butnathelees...'.Thusthesecondsixteen-linesectionIhavementionedisseparated,andthescribedrawsourattentiontoanewbeginningafterline34.ThisdrawingofattentiontostructuralconfigurationbycolouredcapitalsisofapiecewiththetwosuccessiveusesofthedeviceinsectionsXVI(laststanza)andXVII(firststanza)ofPearl,evidentlytoemphasizethatsectionXVcontainsacrypticsix(ratherthantheusualfive)stanzas.Apartfromthis'extra'decoratedcapitalinsectionXVIonlythefirstcapitalletterofeachsectionofPearliscoloured.Aseachstanzahastwelvelines,the`fivestanzapersection'formtotalssixtylinespersection.SectionXVcontains,however,seventy-twolines(i.e.sixstanzas),unbrokenbyanewcapitalletter.ButinsectionXVIan'intrusive'capitalletterintroducesthefifthstanza,drawingattentiontothefactthattherewouldhavebeenacolouredcapitalthereiftheprevioussectionhadcontainedtheregularfivestanzasoftheothernineteensectionsofthepoem.Thenextstanzaagainhasacolouredcapital,becausethatintroducessectionXVII.Ithasoftenbeenpointedoutthattheresultingnumberofstanzas--101--isalso(andsurelymorethancoincidentally)thenumberofverse-paragraphsinanotherworkbythesamepoet,SirGawainandtheGreenKnight.Someeditorshave,however,assumedthattherewasanon-authorialadditionofastanzainsectionXVofPearl;(n1)but,asthelastwordoftheelongatedsectionXVis'neuerpelese'(nevertheless),awordtakenupasthefirstwordofsectionXVI,therewouldappeartobeanallusiontothenumerology.Furthermore,`neuerpeles'isthefinalphraseofeveryoneofthesixstanzasofsectionXV.Hadthe'intrusive'capitaloccurredatstanza6ofsectionXV,onemightarguethatthescribe,accustomedtoafive-stanzasection,anticipatedanewsectionandpaintedadecoratedcapital.Butitsremovaltilllaterreinforcesitscrypticsignificance.`Butnathelees'(Butnevertheless)isthephraseChauceralsousesinline35oftheGeneralPrologue,perhaps,likethePearl-poet,toalerthisreaderstotheprecedingnumberoflines.TheChaucerianthirty-four-linepassageistightlystructured.Thethematiclinkbetweenthenaturaldescriptionandthepilgrimageisthatofdeathandrebirth.Ontheearthlylevel,therebirthofspringtimefollowsthedeathofwinterandthedroughtofMarch.Onthespirituallevel,men'sthoughtsturntothemartyrwhosufferedphysicaldeath,butwhoisnowaliveinspiritandactiveinrestoringlifeforcestothesick.Earlyinthepassage,Chaucerintegratestheseearthly-spiritualthemesofdeathandresurrectionbymeansofsemanticconfusionfollowedbyfusion.Theconfusionoccursinthesemanticfieldsof'vertu'and'inspired'.Bothwords,dependingoncontext,couldinthefourteenthcenturyhavetheologicalor,asinthepresentinstance,literallyetymologicalsenses(Latinvirtus,strength;Latininspirare,breatheinto).Themostcommonuseof'inspire'inthefourteenthcenturycarriestheimplication`infusionofadivinepresence'.(n2)ItwasthoughtintheMiddleAgesthatGodcreatedtheworldinMarch.(n3)Inline2oftheGeneralPrologueChaucerspecificallymentionsthe'droghteofMarch'whichisbrokenbyAprilrain.IntheCreationstorythedryEarthisbroughttolifebywater;Godthenbreathesintotheclay(inspiravit)tomakeman.(n4)ThoughtheMarchdroughthasbeen`attributedtoliteraryconvention,butisafact',(n5)theratherunusual'inspired'triggersoffthiswholeseriesofconnotationswhichconnectthenaturedescriptionwiththeCreationstory.ThesearenottheonlywordsChaucerusesinthepassagewiththeintentionofindicatingthatthereisaspiritualsignificationinthephysicalworldaroundus.Becausetheirthoughtsareonlove,thebirdsdonotsleepinApril.Chaucercomicallysaysthatnature'prikethhem...inhircorages'(1.11).Theword'corage'(Latincor;Frenchceur)inthecontextmeanseroticlove--andtheremaywellbeasexualword-playon'priketh'.(n6)When'corage'isnextusedinthepassage,however,itisqualifiedbytheadjective'devout':`ToCaunterburywithfuldevoutcorage,'(1.22).Itsmeaninghasmovedfromthenaturaltothespiritual,fromerostoagape.Giventhistendency,itmaywellbethatthelanguageusedaboutthesunisintendedtoindicateashiftfromtheastronomicaltothespiritual,throughwordplay.Thesunisdescribedanthropomorphically:itisyoung,itruns,itgoestorest.Inthesecondhalfofthepassagethepilgrimsretiretosleepandagree`erlyfortoryse'.Thebirth-death-resurrectionpermeatingthepassagemaywellcontaintheadnominatiosun/son(SonofGod).TheconnectionbetweensunriseandtheresurrectionofChristthemartyrarchetypeispresentinthebiblicalaccounts.InMark16:2wereadthatitwasonaSundaythatthetwoMarysmettherisenChrist:`Etvaldemane[veryearlyinthemorning]...ortoiamsole[atsunrise]'.Inverse9,wearetoldthatChristhimselfroseearly:'Surgensautemmane'.InEnglishthereexiststhepotentialforword-playonsun/sonnotavailableinLatin.Useseemstobemadeofthispotential(inpreciselythesamecontext)inPiersPlowman.(n7)AlastairFowlerdiscussestheimportanceof'centrality'ofpositioninmedievalandRenaissancethinking.Hegivesasanexampletheplacingofthethroneatthecentreofonesideofatable,andremarks:`Inthelinearform,elaboratesymmetriesoftensurroundthesignificantmiddlepoint.'(n8)HegoesontoillustratethispatterninmanyworksofRenaissanceliterature.WehaveseenhowthemirroringofsemanticpossibilitiesisarecurrentthemeinthetwohalvesoftheChaucerianpassage.`Elaboratesymmetries'areindeedpresentinrepeatedwords.Theonlyrhyme-wordswhicharerepeatedarecentrallypivoted.Thiskindofpatterninginmedievalliteraturehasbeenobservedbyanumberofscholars.Forexample,inhisarticle`CentralandDisplacedSovereigntyinThreeMedievalPoems'(namely,TheAwntrysofArthure,Henryson'sMorallFabillis,andSirGawainandtheGreenKnight),A.C.Spearinganalysestheimportanceofthecentrallineofsomemedievalpoemswiththeelaboratepatterningreflectedbyeachhalf,andaptlystates:'Isuggestthatitsstructureiscomparabletothatofapictorialdiptych.'(n9)Spearingobservesthatdiptychstructuresarecommoninmedievalpoetry,evenwhenanumerologicalstructureisabsent(theCeyxandAlcyonestoryandtheManinBlackintheBookoftheDuchess,forexample).JohnScattergoodnotesaself-enclosing,fold-overpatterninChaucer'sABC,AnelidaandArcite,TheComplaintuntoPity,andWomanlyNoblesse.(n10)P.M.Kean,writingonPearl,states:`Theclimax...isthegreatstanzaonGod'splenitudeofgracewhichcomesattheexactcentreofthepoem.'(n11)IanBishop,alsowritingaboutPearl,similarlyremarks:`theauthorofPearl,insteadofenunciatinghistextexplicitlyatthebeginningofhiscomposition,placesitatthecentre--whichisthemostimportantpositioninapoemwhoseexternalstructureisnearlycircularandwhoseinternalstructureismoreorlesssymmetrical'.(n12)BothKeanandBishopalsoanalysethatpoem'suseofnumerology.StErkenmaldisaclassicdiptychpoem.Itconsistsof352lines.LineIbeginswithalargecapitalletter,`AtLondon...'.Theonlyotherlargecapitaloccursdirectlyafterline176,thehalf-waypointinthepoem.Line177reads,`Thenheturnestothetoumbeandtalkestothecorce...',wheretheword'turnes'drawsattentiontotheleavingofonesetofconsiderationsto'turn'toanother.(n13)CliffordPeterson,inhiseditionofStErkenmald,remarks:`Thepresenceofthiscapital...isalmostcertainlynotaccident.Itdividesthepoempreciselyintotwohalvesof176linesandcoincideswiththebeginningofamajorportionofthepoem,thedialoguebetweenthebishopandthecorpse,adialoguewhichbringsoutthepoem'smainconcerns,heavenlyandworldlyjusticeandthesalvationoftherighteousheathen.'(n14)NumerologyisalmostcertainlyatworkintheChaucerianpassage.Itcontainsthirty-fourlines,andthehalf-waydivisionatline17requiresthetwohalvesto'share'thehingingrimerichecouplet.Augustine,inadiscussionofthenumberoffishinthestoryofthemiraculousdraughtoffishes(John21:11),explainsthat153isthePythagoreantriangularfigureof17,andthat17issignificantbecause10candenotetheDecalogue,and7thegiftsoftheHolyGhostwhichmakeitpossibleformantofulfilthe10lawsandthusbecomeasaint.(n15)`Inthisnumber[17]thereisfound,asinothernumbersrepresentingacombinationofsymbols,awonderfulmystery',Augustinewrites.HethengoesontoadducetheevidenceofPsalm17,whereDavidpraisesGodfordeliveringhimfromthehandofSaul:`HeinHisChurch,thatis,Hisbody,stillenduresthemaliceofenemies.'IfChaucerhadinmindthisparticularpassagefromAugustine,theBeckettparallelwouldhavebeenseenasparticularlyapt.FowlernotesthatthedominantinterpretationbytheChurchFatherswasthat153representedsymbolicallythenumberoftheElect."(n16)InTheCityofGod,Augustineagainremarksontheconnotationof10withtheDecalogue,andonthesaintlyconnotationofthenumber7:`Thetheoryofnumberisnottobelightlyregarded,sinceitismadequiteclearinmanypassagesoftheholyScriptures,howhighlyitistobevalued...Thenumbersevenisalsoperfect...itwasontheseventhday...thattherestofGodisemphasised,andinthisrestwehearthefirstmentionof"sanctification".'(n17)Itisperhapssignificantthatline17oftheChaucerianpassagecontainsthefirstmentionof`theholy,blisful[blessed]martyr',thesaintwhoseshrineatCanterburyistheobjectofthepilgrims'quest.Thepivotalbalanceattherimericheformsahingeforthecunninglyintegrateddiptychpatternofthepassage,whoseveryformreinforces,isindeedpartof,itsspiritualsignificance.NOTES1Manycommentatorsacceptthattheadditionalstanzaisauthorial.Theresulting101stanzasand1212linesmaybenumerologicallysignificant:thepoemmakesconstantreferencetothebookofRevelation,andmentionsthe144,000soulswhowillbesavedaccordingtothatbook.The1212linesinPearlmaybeintendedtoimply12x12=144.Gollanz,however,intheEETSfacsimileedition,remarksinreferencetothecolouredcapitalonfo.52a,`Byanerror,thisversebeginsanewsectionintheMS'.2TheearliestoccurrencerecordedinMEDof'inspired'meaning`tobreatheinto'isthisGeneralPrologueinstance.InVulgateGenesis2:5-7(theCreationstory)wearetoldthat,thoughGodhadmadetheplantsoftheearth,theydidnotgrowbecauseHehadnotcausedraintofallontheground.Hethereforecausedtheearthtoyieldamisttowatertheearth.Hethencreatedamanfromthedustandbreathed('inspiravit')thespiritintohim:`sedfonsascendebateterra,irrigansuniversamsuperficiemterrae.FormavitigiturDominusDeushominemdelimoterrae,etinspiravitinfaciemeiusspiraculumvitae,etfactusesthomoinanimamviventem.'ThefirstexampleinMEDof'inspire'meaningtobreatheorputlifeintoahumanbodyisintheWyclifBible(c.1382),Wisdom15:11.Forthesense`fillwithreligiousardour'MEDcitesa1390passage,andgivesmany15th-cent.examples.Chaucerusesinspire/enspireonthreefurtheroccasions:theCanon'sYeoman'sTale,G,1.1470(meaning'enlighten'),andintwocasestoimplythatasupernaturalbeingtakesoverthemindofahuman:TroilusandCriseyde,III.712(`Venus,thisnyghtthowmeenspire'),andIV.187(`Whatgoostmayyowenspire?')3SeeBede:OperadeTemporibus,ed.C.W.Jones(Cambridge,Mass.,1943):Derationetemporum,vI.6-7,190-5.4Seen.2above.5SeeL.D.Benson'snoteonGeneralPrologue,1.2,inTheRiversideChaucer(Boston,Mass.,1987),799,wherehealsoreferstocriticalsuggestionsaboutthe'convention'.QuotationsfromChaucerinthisarticlefromthatedition.6SeeT.W.Ross,Chaucer'sBawdy(NewYork,1972),167-9.7ForLangland'suseofthissortofword-play,seeA.V.C.Schmidt,TheClerklyMaker:Langland'sPoeticArt(Woodbridge,Suffolk,1987),125-8.8A.Fowler,TriumphalForms(Cambridge,1970),23.9RESNs33/131(1982),247-61.10A.J.MinniswithV.J.ScattergoodandJ.J.Smith(eds.),TheShorterPoems,OxfordGuidestoChaucer(Oxford,1995).Fordiscussionoftheself-enclosingstructureofABCseep.464;ofAneliaandArcite,p.471;ofComplaintuntoPity,pp.471-2;andofWomanlyNoblesse,p.479.11P.M.Kean,ThePearl(London,1967),178.12I.Bishop,PearlinitsSetting(Oxford,1968),35and28.13Thereisauniquecopyofthework,BLMSHarley2250,fos.72'-75v.14StErkenmald,ed.C.Peterson(Berkeley,Calif.,1977),26.15SeeC.Butler,NumberSymbolism(London,1970),27;seealsoV.F.Hopper,MedievalNumberSymbolism(NewYork,1938),802.TheWorksofAureliusAugustine,trans.M.Dodds,15vols.(Edinburgh,18714),i.229-30:letterLV.17.31.DoddssuppliesanillustrationofthePythagoreantrianglewithbase17onp.230.SeealsoFowler,TriumphalForms,184-5,andM.-S.Restvig,`StructureasProphecy:TheInfluenceofBiblicalExegesisuponTheoriesofLiteraryStructure',inA.Fowler(ed.),SilentPoetry(London,1970),32-72,esp.pp.41-55.16Fowler,TriumphalForms,184-5,wherethereisalsoadrawingofthePythagoreantrianglewithbase17.17Trans.H.Bettenson(Harmondsworth,1972),4656._______________