第1部分 早期美国文学：殖民时期至1815年
第1章 “新世界”的文学
1.1 复习笔记
I. Discoveries of America（发现美洲大陆）
Who discovered America?
谁发现了美洲？
1．The credit is often attributed to Christopher Columbus. The moment when the new continent was “discovered” is even determined by some historians at the exact hour of 2:00 A.M., Friday, October12, 1492, when Columbus recorded how he spotted the land. Yet Columbus’s reputation as the discoverer of the New World is controversial.
一种说法是哥伦布发现了美洲大陆。但是，这种说法颇具争议。
2．Another noteworthy discoverer of America as a distinctly new region is the Florentine navigator Amerigo Vespucci. It is because of Vespucci’s story that the New World was named “America”.
另一种值得注意的说法是佛罗伦萨航海家阿美利哥·韦斯普奇发现了这片新土地，而“美洲”也正是由他的名字而命名的。
II. Native American Oral Literature（美国土著口头文学）
There were mainly three major types of the native American oral literature:
美国土著口头文学主要有三种不同的形式：
1．Origin stories are those dramatizing tribal interpretations of how the earth originated or of how people established relationships with plants, animals and the cosmos.
起源故事是一些对世界起源的戏剧性的解释，解释地球如何产生，人类如何与植物、动物和宇宙产生联系。
2．Trickster tales are humorous tales featuring trickster characters. Trickster figures are people in the form of animals such as Coyote, Raven, Blue Jay, Mink, or Rabbit. One might also say that they are half animal and half human.
魔法故事是一些关于魔法人物的幽默故事。魔法人物是以动物形象呈现的人，如狼、乌鸦、兔子等。也可以说他们是半人半兽。
3．Historical narratives are diverse in kinds. Some of them are tribal records of historical events. Many other narratives feature legendary figures that move in recognizable historical settings. In such tales, the line between an actual event and tribal belief is blurred.
历史叙事种类多样。有些是部落对历史事件的记录。许多其他叙事中的传奇人物来源于真实的历史背景。
III. European Exploration Writings（欧洲探索写作）
1．Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) （克里斯托弗·哥伦布）
Christopher Columbus made four voyages to America between 1492 and 1502. The first voyage was recorded in a journal now lost but it is partially survived in an abstract by Bartolome de Las Casas.
克里斯托弗·哥伦布曾在1492至1502年间四度前往美洲。第一次航行被记录在日记里，现已遗失，但是它的部分内容被卡萨斯写在了一篇摘要中。
2．Captain John Smith (1580-1631) （约翰·史密斯上尉）
Since John Smith’s writings were the first ones appearing in English in the New World, those who believe Americanness should be defined more in connection with British cultural sources suggest that American literature should begin with Captain Smith.
因为约翰·史密斯的作品是在新大陆出现最早的英语作品，所以一般认为美国文学开始于史密斯上尉。
(1) Life（生平）
Smith was born into a moderately prosperous family at Lincolnshire, England. He received a good education. At the age of 15, he was enlisted to fight in the Netherlands. Loving adventures, he joined the expedition which founded the Jamestown colony when he returned from the military.
史密斯出生于英格兰林肯郡的一个小康家庭。他受过良好的教育。15岁时参军，奔赴荷兰作战。他喜欢冒险，离开部队后，加入了建立詹姆斯敦殖民地的探险。
(2) Major Works（主要作品）
A Description of New England (1614)
《新英格兰描述》（1614）
The True Travels, Adventure, and Observations of Captain John Smith (1630)
《约翰·史密斯上尉的真实游历、冒险和观察》（1630）
Advertisements for the Unexperienced Planters of New England, or Anywhere (1631)
《为新英格兰或其他地方无经验的种植园主做广告》（1631）