英文版《罗密欧与朱丽叶》和《梁山伯与祝英台》

1AComparisonofRomeoandJulietandButterflyLoversⅠ.IntroductionBothRomeoandJulietandButterflyLoversarethelovetragedieswhichenjoyhighreputationsintheWestandChinarespectivelyforalonghistory.RomeoandJulietisoneofShakespeare’smostfamoustragedies,writtenin1595.ButShakespearedidnotinventthestory.ThistragedywasadaptedbyhimbasedonthestoryofRomeoandJulietinalongandploddingpoembyapoetnamedArthurBrooks(Spurgeon,1979:315).However,thisdidn’tprovethatShakespearelackedoriginality.Hisuniquetreatmentofthestoryendoweditwiththeunparalleledcharmsattractpeople’sattentionallthetime.ButterflyLovers,claimingtobe“ChineseRomeoandJuliet”,isoneofthegreatfourfolktalesinChina.It’sbelievedtobeatragedyreshapedfromthehistoricalstory.Sofarmanypeoplestillengagethemselvesintheresearchforitshistoricalsource.AccordingtoFanDai(2000:author’snote),mostresearchersagreethatthestorytookplaceduringtheJinDynasty(906-960).Lateritwasputintowritingandtransformedintovariousartisticperformances,suchasdrama,novel,filmandaviolinconcert.It’swell-knownthatRomeoandJulietisatragedyaboutyounglove,hopesanddreamswhicharedestroyedbythestupidfamilyfeuds.Itsprotagonistsarethepassionateyoungloversfromtherivalfamilieswhoshowtheamazingcourageinpursuingtheir2happinessevenatthecostoftheirlives.SimilarlyButterflyLoverstellstheChineseloversintheJinDynastywhoareseparatedapartbythecruelfeudalsocietybecauseoftheirdifferentsocialstatus.Underthegreatpressurefromtheauthoritarianpatriarchysociety,theyoungcouplehasnochoicebuttocommitsuicidetoresisttheforcedmarriage.Bothofthesetwotragediesendinthetragicdeathoftheprotagonists.YettheloversinButterflyLoversarereunitedafterdeathasapairofbutterflies.Thetragedyisfilledwiththemagicalatmospherebyadoptingahappyending.Themagicalhappyendingdoesnotreducethetragicsenseofthewholeplaybutreinforcesitbysuggestingtheimpossibilitiesoftheirreunionthroughtheunrealway.Becauseoftheirpopularityinbothliteratures,thecomparisonofthemisofgreatsignificancetounderstandtheuniquenessofthewesternliteratureandChineseliterature.Thiswillpromotetheculturalcommunicationandfurthertheirmutualunderstanding.BasedonthecomparativestudiesofWesterntragedyandChinesetragedy,thethesiswillcomparethesetwolovetragediesfromthefollowingaspectsofthethemes,characters,conflicts,imagesandstructurefromtheculturalperspective.Ⅱ.AComparisonofRomeoandJulietandButterflyLoversA.Themesa.LoveThethemeoflovepenetratesbothRomeoandJulietandButterfly3lovers.Sincebothofthesetwotragediesclaimtobefamouslovetragedies,loveisnaturallytheirdominantandmostimportantmotif.However,differenttypesofloveareexploredunderthedistinctiveculturalbackgrounds.Andtheloveismildbutunremittingenoughtocontendwithalltheoverpoweringforces.Onestrikingsimilaritybetweenthesetwogreattragediesistheforcefulnessoflovewhichissopowerfulthatittriumphsovertheoverwhelmingexternalforcesandeventhedeath.InRomeoandJuliet,loveisaviolent,ecstaticandoverpoweringforcethatsupersedesallothervalues,loyalties,andemotions.Inthecourseoftheplay,theyoungloversaredriventodefytheirentiresocialworld:families,friendsandruler.Theplayconcentratesontheintensivelovesprungfromthefirstsight.Romeo’sfeelingsforJulietatthefirstsightaremuchstrongerthanhisfirstloveforRosaline.ImmediatelyheforgetsRosalinecompletelyandfallsinlovewithJulietmadly.WhenknowingJuliet’sidentity,hesays“mylifeismyfoe’sdebt”(Shakespeare,1952:49).HeevenrisksclimbingovertheCapulet’sgardenwithouttakingthewarningfromhisfriends.MeanwhileJuliet,abarely14-yearoldgirl,knowsRomeotobeheronlytrueloveraftermeetinghimattheparty.Shealsoexpressesherselftohernurseinaboldway:Juliet:”Goaskhisname:ifhebemarried.Mygraveisliketobemyweddingbed”(Shakespeare,1952:50).4EvenbeinginformedthatRomeoisthesonofherfamily’sgreatenemy.Juliet:“Myonlylovesprungfrommyonlyhate!Tooearlyseenunknownandknowntoolate!Prodigiousbirthofloveitistome,ThatImustlovealoathedenemy”(Shakespeare,1952:50).Lateratthegardendrivenbythepassionsoflove,Julietannouncesherminds,Thentheyexchangedtheirlovevowsinspiteoftheirfamilies’age-oldfeud.ItisapparentloveforRomeoandJulietissuperiortoanythingelse,eventhebloodyfeuds.BeforeRomeoandJuliet’ssecretmarriage,RomeoischallengedbyTybalt,Juliet’scousin.RomeoshowsgreatrespectfortheirlovebyrefusingtoduelwithTybalt.Romeo:“Idoprotest,Ineverinjuredthee,Butlovetheebetterthanthoucanstdevise,Tillthoushaltknowthereasonofmylove:Andso,goodCapulet,--whichnameItenderAsdearlyasmyown,--besatisfied”(Shakespeare,1952:69).ThenthelossofhisdearfriendforcesRomeototakeuptheduelandhekillsTybalt.ThisshocksJulietandshecan’tacceptthefactatfirst.Sheistorturedbythesenseoffamilyloyalty.SoonsherealizesthatherloyaltyandloveshouldfirstgotoRomeo.SheknowsRomeo’sbanishmentcausesmorepainthanthedeathofafamilymember.Inasense,lovedefeatsthekinship.WhenbeinginformedofthePrince’sedictofbanishment,Romeoimmediatelylosesthewilltolive,forthebanishmentmeanstheseparationfromJuliet.AsforJuliet,theloveisalsothedriving5forcethatencourageshertodefythecommandsofthefamilyauthority.SherefusestomarryParis,anidealguytomarryaccordingtoherparents.Eventhethreatsfromherfather,dissatis