浅析肺结核在《魔山》中的隐喻作用_英语论文

An Analysis of The Metaphor of Tuberculosis in The Magic Mountain

摘要

肺结核在十八至二十世纪时是死亡的象征，当时的医疗条件无法使病患痊愈，一旦患上此病，病患也就是在慢慢等待死神的降临。但是，正因为其不可治愈性，为许多文学家提供了灵感。

它虽然是一种致命的疾病，但它在托马斯·曼的小说《魔山》中却被作者看作是神秘与优雅的象征，也是本书的一个重要线索。小说中描写了主人公在患病前，患病后的经历与不同的心态，而且正是因为感染了肺结核，这一疾病促使他的生活以及情感的变化。苏珊·桑塔格女士在其著作《疾病的隐喻》一书中重点研究了这一疾病的隐喻作用。本文通过主人公患病前后的经历，思想变化的对比，结合《疾病的隐喻》理论，分析了肺结核这一疾病在《魔山》这部小说中的隐喻作用。

论文第一章介绍了主人公汉斯在患病前的经历和患病后的经历及其精神状态的对比。第二章介绍了肺结核作为疾病本身和其作为线索在《魔山》这一书中的隐喻作用及她对主人公的影响。第三章介绍了肺结核在书中所述的时代的宏观的隐喻作用。文章总体论述了肺结核在小说中作者所描述的时代及真实生活作者所处时代的积极力量，激起人的斗志，作为精神寄托从而获得新生的作用。

总而言之，本文通过对肺结核这一疾病在小说《魔山》中的隐喻作用的研究，探究疾病对人的心理的影响的了解，从而论证疾病不是只能带给人消极影响，它也可以激励一个人，甚至是一代人。

关键词：肺结核；《魔山》；隐喻；线索

Abstract

Tuberculosis was a symbol of death in 18th century and 20th century，because of the undeveloped condition of healthcare. Once infected , one could expect nothing but death. However, it is the incurability of tuberculosis that inspires many writers.

Fatal as Tuberculosis is, it was a symbol of mystery and grace and an important rule in the novel The Magic Mountain by Thomas Man. The novel describes the experiences and different mentality of the protagonist before the illness and after the illness. And it is Tuberculosis that contributed to his changes of his attitude and emotion. Besides, Susan Sontag focuses on the metaphor of this disease in her book the Illness as Metaphor and AIDS and Its Metaphors. Combined with the theory of Susan Sontag, this paper analyzes the metaphor of Tuberculosis in Magic Mountain by comparing the hero’s experience and emotion before and after the illness.

 The essay begins with Chapter One, in which the author introduces the life experiences and mental status of the hero Hans before and after he was infected with Tuberculosis. Chapter Two emphasizes on the effect of Tuberculosis on the hero, when it is as a disease and a cure in the novel Magic Mountain. Chapter 3 contains the macroscopical function of the disease’s metaphor in the generation mentioned in the book.

In a word, this essay studies the metaphor of Tuberculosis in The Magic Mountain to deepen the readers’ understanding of the disease, which helps to demonstrate that illness have not only the negative effect, but also the positive effect, which sometimes can inspire a person, even a whole generation. 

Key words: Tuberculosis；Magic Mountain;metaphor; cure

Contents

Acknowledgments i

摘要 ii

Abstract iii

Introduction 1

Chapter One  The Healing Illness 3

1.1 Hans before Tuberculosis 5

1.2 Hans after Tuberculosis 5

Chapter Two  The Metaphor of Tuberculosis in the Magic Mountain 6

2.1 Tuberculosis as an illness 6

2.2 Tuberculosis as a cure 7

Chapter Three  The Metaphor of Tuberculosis in Early 20th Century 9

3.1 The infected generation and society 9

3.2 Seeking the cure 10

Conclusion 11

Works Cited 13