一 : 弥尔顿及《失乐园》

John Milton (December 9, 1608 – November 8, 1674) was an English poet, prose polemicist, and civil servant for the English Commonwealth. Most famed for his epic poem Paradise Lost, Milton is celebrated as well for his eloquent treatise condemning censorship, Areopagitica. Long considered the supreme English poet, Milton experienced a dip in popularity after attacks by T.S. Eliot and F.R. Leaves in the mid-twentieth century; but with multiple societies and scholarly journals devoted to his study, Milton’s reputation remains as strong as ever in the twenty-first century.

Very soon after his death – and continuing to the present day – Milton became the subject of partisan biographies, confirming T.S. Eliot’s belief that “of no other poet is it so difficult to consider the poetry simply as poetry, without our theological and political dispositions…making unlawful entry.”[1] Milton’s radical, republican politics and heretical religious views, coupled with the perceived artificiality of his complicated Latinate verse, alienated Eliot and other readers; yet by dint of the overriding influence of his poetry and personality on subsequent generations--particularly the Romantic movement--the man whom Samuel Johnson disparaged as “an acrimonious and surly republican” must be counted one of the most significant writers and thinkers of all time.

2. Literary career.

(1) The 1st period was up to 1641, during which time he is to be seen chiefly as a son of the humanists and Elizabethans, although his Puritanism is not absent. Areopagitica and The Masque Camus (1632) are his early masterpieces, in which we find Milton a true offspring of the Renaissance, a scholar of exquisite taste and rare culture. Next The Masque Camus The greatest of early creations was Lucida, a pastoral elegy on the death of a college mate, Edward King.

(2) The second period is from 1641 to 1654, when the Puritan was in such complete ascendancy that he wrote almost no poetry. In 1641, he began a long period of pamphleteering for the puritan cause. For some 15 years, the Puritan in him alone ruled his writing. He sacrificed his poetic ambition to the call of the liberty for which Puritans were fighting.

(3) The third period is from 1655 to 1671, when humanist and Puritan have been fused into an exalted entity. This period is the greatest in his literary life, epics and some famous sonnets. The three long poems are the fruit of the long contest within Milton of Renaissance tradition and his Puritan faith. They form the greatest accomplishments of any English poet except Shakespeare. In Milton alone, it would seem, Puritanism could not extinguish the lover of beauty. In these works we find humanism and Puritanism merged in magnificence.

4. Features of Milton’s works.

(1) Milton is one of the very few truly great English writers who is also a prominent figure in politics, and who is both a great poet and an important prose writer. The two most essential things to be remembered about him are his Puritanism and his republicanism.

(2) Milton wrote many different types of poetry. He is especially a great master of blank verse. He learned much from Shakespeare and first used blank verse in non-dramatic works.

(3) Milton is a great stylist. He is famous for his grand style noted for its dignity and polish, which is the result of his life-long classical and biblical study.

(4) Milton has always been admired for his sublimity of thought and majesty of expression. Abstract: "Paradise lost” about human depravity of long epic. It tells the story of the first man Adam and eve in the Garden of Eden was pure and innocent, because the devil the temptation of Satan and against the will of god, and finally to the process of sin in fall. The author Milton poems

失乐园弥尔顿 弥尔顿及《失乐园》

in the use of the "bible" character image, so that the theme to show incisively and vividly. This paper discussed the Milton's paradise lost, and Satan in the role of "paradise lost, Milton in works of Satan and pity of fear is double feelings.

King words: Free will自由意志 Rebel反叛 Heroism英雄气概 Invincible Spirit不屈意志 "Paradise lost" from the origin of the bible where the story of the century that the lawsuit is derived“失乐园”的由来是从《圣经》中创世纪中所诉的故事中得来的

在《失乐园》所塑造的人物中，撒旦形象历来受赞扬最多，同时争议也最大。(www.61k.com）

浪漫主义诗人布莱克，拜伦，雪莱等对这个形象所体现的英雄气概和崇高美更是推崇备至。他们相信撒旦在史诗中被作者塑造成了真正的英雄。布莱克认为，撒旦代表情欲，代表人类富于想象的灵魂。他说，弥尔顿写到天使和上帝时，感到缩手缩脚，但写到恶魔和地狱时却发挥得淋漓尽致，这是因为弥尔顿是一个真正的诗人，自己站在恶魔一边却不自知。 当然许多人不同意这种看法，因为在后面各卷中，撒旦的形象越来越渺小，猥琐，直到在第十卷中变成一条嘴里嚼着苦灰的令人厌恶的蛇。需要指出的是，撒旦那具有崇高美的叛逆者形象并非完全是弥尔顿的创造。在大约写于8世纪的宗教诗《凯德蒙的圣诗》中，作者就成功的塑造了一个不愿做奴仆，不向上帝折腰，只要自己做神的颇具叛逆精神的撒旦形象。米尔顿的撒旦无疑受到它的影响。

但无论怎样看，撒旦仍是一个塑造的十分成功的艺术形象。特别是在前两卷里，他被赶出天堂，扔到地域的火海中后，仍然充满不屈不挠的精神，发誓要继续与万能的上帝对抗。他说：

我们损失了什么？

并非什么都丢光：不挠的意志，

热切的复仇心，不灭的憎恨，

以及永不屈服，永不退让的勇气，

还有什么比这些更难战胜？

读到这些充满豪气的语言，看到他那克服一切困难去实现自己计划的不屈意志，人们不禁会感到，布莱克的话不无道理。撒旦能得到浪漫主义诗人和众多读者的赞叹，很大程度上就在于这个形象体现了意志的自由。

不论撒旦后来变得多么渺小可憎，也不论他内心多么痛苦乃至悔恨，有一点他从未改变，那就是，他无论在什么情况下都未屈服。恐怕正是这种不屈的自由意志在浪漫主义诗人和革命者弥尔顿心中引起了共鸣，以至弥尔顿在塑造这个形象时有时竟"站在恶魔一边而不自知"。

不过，撒旦这个人物主要是在史诗的前两卷中具有叛逆者的英雄气概。当史诗的重心从地狱转到伊甸园，从撒旦转到亚当和夏娃时，这个艺术形象的崇高美便消失了。外表上，他从一个伟岸的天使军统领变成一个卑鄙的窥视者，一只丑陋的蟾蜍，一条令人厌恶的蛇，最后在火海中满嘴嚼着苦灰。从内在本质看，他则从一个敢于向万能上帝挑战的叛逆英雄堕落为一个不敢直接向上帝复仇而去伤害两个从未得罪过他而且永远不会也不能加害于他的弱小生灵的懦夫。他外表上的变化正是他本质上堕落的反映。 一个无法改变的事实是，撒旦堕落是因为他骄傲，不敢当上帝的奴仆。可是如果我们仔细体会，会感到撒旦的真正堕落似乎并不是他反叛上帝，而在于他引诱人类犯罪从而毁灭他们。在前两卷中，我们看到撒旦在被赶出天堂坠入地狱之后，仍然保持着大天使的气概和叛逆者的英雄形象，只是在实施毁灭人类的罪恶计划并取得成功之后，他的形象才变得丑恶。这便很好的体现了米尔顿所要提出的主要思想，即真正的忠诚与真正的堕落都是在自由意志下完成的。

In "paradise lost made the characters, Satan image has always praised the most, and is the largest also controversial.

失乐园弥尔顿 弥尔顿及《失乐园》

The romantic poet Black, Byron, such as the image of Shelley that embodies the heroic and noble beauty is long-time admirer. They believe that Satan in an epic in shaping became the real hero of the author. Black think, Satan represents lust, represents the human imaginative soul. He said, Milton wrote angels and god, feel timid, but wrote demons and hell but to get incisively and vividly, this is because Milton is a real poet, standing in the demon side are not aware of it.

Of course many people don't agree with that, because behind in the night, Satan’s image more and more small, trivial, until in the first ten rolls of become a in mouth of bitter ashes from a snake. Need to point out that the rebels have the lofty by Satan, the image is not entirely is Milton's creation. In about 8th century written in the religious poetry, "Hymn of the Caedmon " the author is successful created a slave do not want to do, and not to god count, as long as their god has of rebellious spirit Satan image. Milton's Satan will undoubtedly come under its influence.

But no matter how to look, Satan is still a shape of very successful art image .Especially in the first two volumes, he was driven to heaven, into the regional inferno, still full of indomitable spirit, vowed to continue with the omnipotent god against. He said:

We lost

Not what all throw light don’t scratches will

Revenge of the eager heart, not out of hatred,

And never give in, never compromise of courage,

What better than these more difficult to win over?

Read the full of heroism language, see his overcome all difficulties, to realize his plan will surrender, one can't help feeling, and black word is not without reason. Satan can get romantic poet and the admiration of many readers, to a great extent, is that the image reflected free will. No matter how small Satan later became detestable, no matter how painful, his heart and regret, he almost never change, that is, he was under no circumstances do not yield. I'm afraid this surrender, the free will in the romantic poets Milton's heart, the revolutionary resonate, Milton in shaping image, sometimes standing in the demon side, don't know.

However, this data, mainly in the Satan epic of the first two volumes rebels in the hero. When the focus from hell to epic in the east of the Garden of Eden he put winged ones, from Satan into Adam and eve, art image noble disappear. On the surface, from one of the army of the angels underfoot into a mean and peering, an ugly toad, deeply dislike snakes, eventually cause a chewing a bitter ashes. From inner essence, he is a dare to challenge everything god rebellious hero descended into a dare not directly to the god revenge hurt the two never offend him, never to his weak creature's a coward. His appearance has changed in essence is the reflection of the autumn. One can't change is the fact that, Satan fall because he proud, do not deserve the servants of god. But if we experience carefully, will feel the Satan fall really does not seem to be a fighting his god, but because he was cheating on human crime and destroy them. In the first two volumes, we saw Satan in to be cast out of heaven hell after, still let archangels and the spirit of a traitor hero image, just in the implementation of the destruction of a human sin plan and success, his image just ugly. This is the very good embodies the Milton to the main ideas of the methods, namely the real loyalty and real corruption in the free will is done.

本文讨论了弥尔顿的《失乐园》，和撒旦在《失乐园》中的角色，研究了弥尔顿在作品中对撒旦既同情又惧怕的双重感情。(www.61k.com）This paper discussed the Milton's paradise lost, and Satan in the role of "paradise lost, Milton in works of Satan and pity of fear is double feelings.

失乐园弥尔顿 弥尔顿及《失乐园》

Contradiction to Satan in paradise lost is a difficult element definition. On the one hand Satan is our socio-religious inherit all the embodiment of human disease. Hence the name Satan", even just sent out, means that terrorist and rejected, and even the most determined atheist. In paradise lost , however, at least in the first several books, "but one of the characteristics is described, the audience feel sympathy and love with Satan’s character. In addition to an analysis of the character of god Satan, have two contents displayed in "paradise lost readers' conflict evolution.

More superficial level, this means that the level of skill and tactics of the character of the epic, there is a conflict between Satan, pure evil, and god, pure good. Pure evil and then continue to lay waste to love what god in a feeble attempt to exact revenge his punishment. Our first father and mother, Adam and eve, whom Satan, thus suffering. Punishment, by god, it seems just and merciful on human beings over his only command, not eat the knowledge of good and evil. So many of the soul, and any of the Jewish and Christian or inform the reader in an epic even started. So the details Satan SINS of the, the war in heaven, the commandment of god, action and characterization of all characters in an epic from belong to us to predict. Without careful analysis. Everything seems to be in a place, and is consistent with, at least in general, our prejudice. A person can't help, however, but feel some contradictions in the religious beliefs. Why?

To answer this question should be thoroughly clean the unpredictable and starting point, from analysis. This, of course, can lead to a accurate conclusions from Satan’s role in paradise lost, not the thought of separation, in the audience's reality and socio-religious belief of Satan. However, this analysis revealed the root cause of the conflict to Satan. To illustrate the point, to better separate entities story, Satan’s character is called Robert and god simple king.

Robert lives in a kingdom, but it is a kingdom of universal equality and mutual good faith and trust. One day the king, suddenly announced that he had decided to his son will be his successor. Robert feels uncomfortable, the so-called third countries meeting. In this meeting Robert that if this kingdom based on real equality, honesty, trust, not all subjects at least have been asked about they think before the king made such a heavy decision? In discussing the problem of the whole meeting in addition to a single subject king agreed to infringe on their trust, and should not remain his position. So sure, they parade in the Capitol, met with resistance, and a war broke out. Over a period of two days, Robert side makes a great back through the original Robert near defeat. They seem to be doing good, on the third day, the king in his unique ability to imprison Robert and insurgents, from his kingdom forever they cast out. Robert later continues to lead the rebels in their despair even. In determining the king was too powerful against on the battlefield, but more sure of their SINS are now they were imprisoned, Robert turned to guerrilla tactics, indirect violence king. This may be bad judgment or immoral, but it is the human mistakes.

The story at least in part and every democratic revolution from the bastilles. There is no doubt that the most common mood on earth today is a respect for democracy, especially in the west, the industry including socio-religious Satan prejudice. So, although Satan is the default of evil and unjust, Robert seemed to be a great leader, and fight for human dignity and popular free. This is the first catalyst and Satan’s sympathy. Satan rebels the most popular naive poems and sentimental cause for 20 century of citizens of the world share, the cause of democracy.

The intense attenuation Milton's Satan representation and the god. Milton's initial and the largest possible difficulties seem to be the god, infinite good, to the range of human perception. Milton's references to god distance from his address the audience, description, action and speech. Hail, holy Light, offspring of Heaven first-born!

失乐园弥尔顿 弥尔顿及《失乐园》

Or of the Eternal coeternal beam

May I express thee unblamed? Since God is light,

And never but in unapproached light

Dwelt from eternity, dwelt then in thee,

Bright effluence of bright essence increate!

Or hearest thou rather pure ethereal stream, . . . (Milton III.1-7)

This is the most complete description of god in paradise lost. God is described as "light", "the language of eternal coeternal beam", "bright essence increate" and "pure invisible stream." There can be no service in the distance from the audience a role than refused to give him some physical, material entity. Even in the abstract, Milton don't lend money to the audience conceivability light a description, but according to religious doctrine, the description of the god of contradiction to strengthen his infinite nature and fall of man and limited existence. This all got good religion, but in human terms, the terms of the audience, limit the power of god to evoke the sympathy of the audience. Through the description of the further and further development of the sacred justice and human can't tell god, god began to accept the characteristics of a tyrant. "[Satan] to new-created the world / /... with purpose determination / /... or worse, / / some false abnormal condition-to deviation; / / people will listen to his glozing lies, / / and easy to make... the only promised his submission:" (III. 89-95). God strengthen people's own fault emphasized that his free will (III. 95-119), and in so doing to create atmosphere, he is the necessity of the guilty. This is a plausible many Milton in paradise lost and struggles. Or god exists what also didn't say, look like a heartless tyrant (XII. 90-96) or god prove (III. 89-95) and action itself of justification effect so guilty. So in god create his own brutality, but not compatible with the sympathy of the religious accept audience.

The audience, however, we find that, want to seek a investment the compassion, and that place is the Satan characteristics. The audience first saw Satan waking in hell, where he and other the fallen angels despair. Through his despair, however, Satan says, "this is not a failure-unruly, / / research revenge, immortal hate, / / and courage never submitted or production-.. the glory of his anger or may never from me / / blackmail" (I. 104-111). At first, this is probably a suspicious statement, but then the god's don't look justice behavior. "At first I [and] that freedom and heaven / / the heaven of soul has been all people, but... most through the lazy would rather service," (VI. 164-166). "But now it seems to have a cause, the cause of democracy, he also would like to experience great personal risk to support "I (Satan) to no enemy, but free from this dark / / and gloomy house pain / /... all the heaven of master / / ghost fall...... from on high from them. I go to / / the rude job, the only, for me, I for all / / expose himself," (II. 822-828). Again and again in his words and actions Satan seems to be a noble, resourceful and smart, courageous, selfless leader. The audience sympathy is rich Satan of human emotion, his demagogic speaking, his desire for revenge; he didn't just hostility, his potential desire for glory.

撒旦是最大的反对论点的他的骄傲和他的强暴必向亚当和夏娃。[www.61k.com）这两项参数,然而,是有缺陷的。撒旦的骄傲只作为一个人类行为方面,他的性格,吸引观众。弥尔顿提出撒旦的骄傲在光和适度。撒但不是如此傲慢自大到相信神在他的优势,他却渴望各点到天堂,后来民主化共存于一个独立的王国。这种适度的撒旦的副介绍更多的人类和更少的卑鄙的特性,他的故事,虽然宗教存有倾向于重载这个中庸到看似多余的。撒旦的暴力向亚当和夏娃不是一个适用的争论,因为一些原因。首先,他的行为向我们的第一个祖先后的事实。战争在天上神的看起来不公正的行为已经发生了,上帝已经强迫暴力在撒但和堕落主人通过地狱。其次,使用暴力或

失乐园弥尔顿 弥尔顿及《失乐园》

“游击战”作为一种手段,完成一个目的是人类道德判断。(www.61k.com)哲学在这方面不同的环球暴力被定罪正当暴力。Satan is the biggest opposing arguments of his pride, and his violent dealing shall come to Adam and eve. These two parameters, however, is flawed. Satan's pride only as a human behavior, his character, and attract the audience. Milton's Satan put forward the pride of light and moderate in. Satan is not so arrogant to believe that god in his advantage, he was eager to each point to the heaven, later democratization coexist in an independent kingdom. This modest Satan’s deputy introduce more human and less mean characteristics, his story, although religious entities tends to override this mean to seem redundant. Satan's violence to Adam and eve is not a suitable debate, for some reason. First of all, his behavior to our first ancestor after the fact. In the war of the god of heaven looks unfair behavior has happened, god has forced violence in Satan and fallen master through the hell. Secondly, the use of violence or "guerrilla warfare" as a means of complete a purpose is human moral judgment. Philosophy is in this respect different universal violence be condemned as violence.

观众的矛盾向撒但的居住特征很大程度上与民主之间的斗争宗教存有原则。人类的参与与撒但的寒冷和神的超然的发展观强调了该最为明显。一切似乎都归结为一个反对宗教神话与世俗政治和哲学。矛盾的是可以理解的,但是有趣的是多么强势的宗教偏见真的是,在大多数情况下完全压倒一切世俗的同情,并证明神的行为在世俗的条款,一些米尔顿避免做由于其内在的缺点。换句话说,撒旦,现代标准,真正看起来是正当的,而宗教是如此强大,然而文摘,人们倾向于分配不存在或非相关委屈或内疚撒但,而不是承认与生俱来的,无可争辩的正义之神性。The contradiction of the audience to Satan living characteristics to the extent of the struggle between the religious entities democratic principles. Human involvement with Satan cold and god transcendental development view stresses that the most obvious. Everything seems to boil down to a against religious myths and secular politics and philosophy. The paradox is understandable, but interesting is how strong religious prejudice really is, in most cases an overriding completely secular sympathy, and prove the behavior of god in secular terms, some Milton avoid doing because of its inherent weakness. In other words, Satan, modern standards, really seems justified, and religion is so strong, however abstract, people tend to distribution does not exist or the related injustice or guilt Satan, not admit that inherent, indisputable justice of the divine.

Conclusion "Paradise lost the main sing praise to Satan and its followers against god authority heroic spirit. In this long book, god be described as a real dictator, his angel is annoying and stupid, he is cruel to Satan punishment and is not fair; And Satan that indomitable, dare to pursue freedom, abound revolution and the spirit of rebellion in a poem is the most dazzling window.

二 : 1667年4月27日弥尔顿10英镑出卖《失乐园》版权

《失乐园》是17世纪英国诗人约翰·弥尔顿以旧约圣经创世纪为题目创作的史诗。内容主要是描述堕落天使路西法（撒旦）从对神的反叛失败后再重新振作，他对人间的嫉妒，以及他运用他的谋略化身为蛇，引诱亚当和夏娃违反神的禁令偷尝智慧树的果实，导致人类被逐出[www.61k.com）伊甸园的故事。1666年弥尔顿出版了“英语中最引人注目的、最有渊博的、最具批判性的，还有最崇高的诗。”

1667年4月27日，失明又贫困潦倒的诗人约翰·弥尔顿将其诗作《失乐园》的版本以10英镑出售。弥尔顿和出版人萨缪尔·西蒙斯在1667年4月27日达成了一份出版协议。这份协议允许出版和销售量最大达到4500份（以1500份——英国法律所允许的每版最大印数——为一版共印了三版）。签署的协议写明，西蒙斯付给弥尔顿5磅并且在每版完成后额外给5磅。

首版是一本小四开本的书，卖3个先令。文本看来经过非常细心的编辑，有弥尔顿或1个亲密的合作者的修订。然而，出版商西蒙斯发现诗集的有点滞销，因为文本的晦涩和缺少注释或原文的疏解。因此，西蒙斯建议弥尔顿在每卷前加上一篇概要，以简明的措辞向读者解释作品的意旨。文本的布局也从弥尔顿最初的十卷改成十二卷，把原来的第七卷和第十卷分别划分为两卷。这是仿效惯常的同时代人的史诗文体。

第二版在1674年由西蒙斯出版，包含了这些修改。弥尔顿也协助对该版进行了修订和编辑，这是他死前那年稍晚的时候的最后一版。西蒙斯跟弥尔顿的遗孀伊丽莎白协商达成一份出版协议，紧接在第二版之后，在1678年出版了第三版。

然而在1680年，西蒙斯与伊丽莎白进行清算，为第二和第三版付给她10镑外加8磅的作品的版权费。与此同时，西蒙斯已安排好以25磅把版权卖给书商巴拉巴松·艾尔默。艾尔默并没出《失乐园》的新版，因为市场上已充斥着西蒙斯的版本，而是顺次将版权卖给了有胆识的年轻出版商雅各布·汤森。

1683年汤森购得《失乐园》版权时，它还并非一本极度畅销的书。人们相信他购买该书版权的欲望更多是出于对弥尔顿和他的作品的欣赏而非为了经济上的获利。然而汤森通过他的版本，使英语知识界确认了弥尔顿的重要性，保护了弥尔顿作为英国最伟大的作家之一的声誉，为《失乐园》在文学万神殿里赢得了永久的席位。他跟合伙人理查德·本特利在1688年出版了他的第一版（《失乐园》的第四次）。

《失乐园》使汤森成为巨富的书，成为“英国最伟大的出版商”的年轻人。

三 : 失乐园 约翰·弥尔顿

四 : 弥尔顿与《失乐园》

弥尔顿与《失乐园》

外国语学院 商务英语 A0811 王荣 16号

【内容摘要】：约翰·弥尔顿（1608-1674），伟大的英国资产阶级革命诗人，政论家。生于伦敦一个极有社会地位的清教徒家庭。史家谓弥尔顿乃英国作家中学识最渊博者，信矣。《失乐园》（1667），12卷，乃万余行，乃诗人最伟大的作品，文学史上常与《伊利亚特》、《伊尼德》、《神曲》等大作相提并论。它的题材主要取自圣经旧约的《创世纪》，此外某些构思还依据了新约《启示录》。作品所包含的一些深刻哲理，具有全人类的普遍意义。

【关键词】：弥尔顿 《失乐园》主题 主观意图 客观意义

17世纪英国最大的政治事件是1642年的资产阶级革命，以及随后复辟

与反复辟的斗争 。这场革命是以清教徒为主要力量进行的，清教徒运动时宗

教改革在英国的体现。 虽然宗教改革时一场资产阶级反封建反教会的思想文

化运动，但毕竟与人文主义不同。它与资本主义原始积累相适应，道德上表现出禁欲主义的倾向，因此与人文主义发生了尖锐的冲突。革命之后，清教徒掌握了政权，导致人文主义的衰落。但是，人文主义的传统仍然在作为清教徒的革命家的弥尔顿身上得到了体现。

一、认识弥尔顿

约翰·弥尔顿（1608-1674）出身于公证人家庭，其父为清教徒，同时又是著名音乐家与古典学者。弥尔顿受家庭熏陶，虔信宗教，热爱音乐与古典文化。他毕业于剑桥大学基督学院，获硕士学位，为人清正，绰号“基督淑女”，它的生命与创作横跨革命和复辟两个时期。弥尔顿积极参加政治，是坚定的清教徒革命家，他曾撰写一系列文章“为弑君辩护”。王政复辟后，他只是因为失明才未遭受更残酷的迫害。在女儿帮助下，他终于完成对了他的代表作——长篇史诗《失乐园》。

弥尔顿像但丁一样，也是一个承先启后的人物，衔接了16——18世纪的两大思潮，既是文艺复兴最后一位殿将，又是启蒙运动最初一位先驱。但与但丁不同，虽然在他的世界观里有清教徒的神学观念，但启蒙思想毕竟占了主导地位，他身上的资产阶级民主主义大于他的清教徒宗教信仰。

二、《失乐园》情节简述

《失乐园》（1667），12卷，乃万余行，乃诗人最伟大的作品，文学史上常与《伊利亚特》、《伊尼德》、《神曲》等大作相提并论。它的题材主要取自圣经旧约的《创世纪》，此外某些构思还依据了新约《启示录》。大体情节是：撒旦骄矜自满，纠合一部分天使反叛上帝，失败，被逐出天界，坠落九天，为地狱所接纳，遭烈火之苦。后来上帝创造出大地山河、芸芸众生，并将人类始祖亚当和夏娃放置伊甸乐园，这儿饮食无忧，鲜果冽泉供之享用，“他们先嚼果肉，如果口渴，就用果壳向盈盈的流泉中舀水。”撒旦为了泄上帝惩罚之偾，便历险潜入伊甸，托身与蛇，劝诱夏娃违反上帝禁令偷食禁果，而亚当也情不自禁，随妻子尝了禁果。二人因违禁被逐出乐园，谪往世间，从此胼手胝足，自谋衣食。当然那一时得逞的撒旦更难逃罪责，终同其党羽罹永劫之罚。

三、两种“失乐园”

《失乐园》（1667）取材于圣经中亚当和夏娃偷吃禁果被逐出伊甸园的故事，但大大大扩展和改造了。从主题上来说，作品描写了两种“失乐园”。

1.撒旦失去天上乐园。撒旦原为天使长，因嫉妒上帝的儿子耶稣基督，不满上帝授基督以权柄，就率一群反叛天使与上帝争战，被大天使米迦勒率众天使击败，堕入地狱——天外一处深渊。但撒旦不甘失败，处心积虑卷土重来，听说上帝又创造了人类，并在底格里斯河畔为人类造了一个伊甸园，就思谋引诱人类堕落，作为对上帝的报复。于是撒旦变化为一条蛇潜入了伊甸园。

2.亚当夏娃失去地上乐园。上帝为亚当、夏娃建造了一座地上乐园，即伊甸园，是他们在里面无忧无虑的生活着，只颁布了唯一的一条禁令：不准吃善恶之树与生命之树上的果子，否则必死。按照圣经故事，吃了善恶之树的果子就会拥有智慧和知识，吃了生命之树的果子就会永生。当撒但潜入伊甸园时，上帝已经洞察了撒旦的阴谋，但为了考验亚当、夏娃，就没有阻止撒旦。当化身为蛇的撒旦窥见夏娃独自一人在乐园里游逛时，就现身出来引诱夏娃吃了善恶之树的果子，又带回去给亚当吃。亚当起初看到夏娃违反了上帝的禁令，很是恐惧，但为了不让夏娃独自一人承受惩罚，于是也吃了禁果上帝在天上目睹这一切，十分震怒，要用死亡来惩罚他们，而耶稣基督为人类求情，原下到人间被钉上十字架，以此代为人类赎罪，亚当、夏娃听见上帝在园中行走的脚步声，因为吃了善恶之树的果子，懂得了羞耻，就用无花果叶子编了围裙遮住下体。上帝饶恕了他们的死罪，但不准他们再在园中居住，判定他们今后必须自食其力，汗流满面才得糊口。天使长米迦勒将他们送出乐园，并向他们预言人类未来的历程。亚当、夏娃擦干眼泪，勇敢地走向艰苦但自由的新生活。

四、《失乐园》包含的哲理

要真正理解《失乐园》所包含的深刻哲理，必须分清诗人的主观意图与作品的客观意义之间的不同。

1. 诗人的主观意图

诗人通过两种“失乐园”企图证明主人公的堕落是由于理性薄弱、受情欲引诱。诗人所谓的“理性”和“情欲”体现为上帝与撒旦的二元对立，上帝象征着“理性”，撒旦象征着邪恶与贪欲。对于撒旦来说，“理性”就是服从上帝，“情欲”就是嫉妒和野心，诗人也以此暗示英国克伦威尔革命党的失败也是由于胜利后腐化堕落所致;对于亚当、夏娃来说，“理性”就是服从禁令，“情欲”就是屈从禁果的诱惑。无论撒旦还是亚当、夏娃，都是因为经不起“情欲”的诱惑，丧失“理性”而堕落。诗人的这种主观意图是建立新教的一个基本信条上的，即“原罪”：人类始祖亚当、夏娃偷吃禁果而被逐出伊甸园，犯下了原罪，因此亚当、夏娃的所有后代从一出生身上就带有原罪，只有依赖神恩才能得到拯救，表达了诗人的清教主义，也反映了诗人世界观赏的局限性。

2. 作品的客观意义

实际上，作品的客观意义远远超过了诗人本人的主观意图。在作品懂得前半部分，尽管是诗人以上帝象征理性，以撒旦象征邪恶与贪婪，但在具体描写上，上帝的形象显得空洞贫乏，而撒旦的形象却是那样饱满生动，威武高大，敢于反抗至高无上的上帝，充满着一种英雄主义精神，因此，上帝不仅象征不了理性，相反却象征着封建权威，而撒旦则象征着革命英雄。诗人就这样违背了自己的清教徒观念，情不自禁地表达了他对革命的深情赞美和歌颂。

更重要的是，在对人类失去地上乐园的描写中，诗人鼓吹并歌颂了了真正的理性和自由上帝的禁令到底有什么道理？在作品中找不到对这个禁令的任何有力的辩护。实际上，这个禁令正是封建愚民政策的绝妙写照。作者通过化身为蛇的撒旦与夏娃的对话，处处揭示出这个禁令的荒谬和不能成立。他们的话理直气壮，与禁令的空洞恰承鲜明对照。

如撒旦在鼓动夏娃吃禁果时说：

“神若因此而伤害你们，那就是不正义的；不正义就不是神，不用怕，不用听从他。”夏娃忍不住禁果的诱惑，内心发生了激烈的思想斗争，她沉思着：

“不知道善，便不可能得到善，……为什么单禁止知识？禁止我们善，禁止我们聪明！这样的禁令不能束缚人。如果死用最后的羁绊束缚我们，那我们内心的自由又什么用？……不知善与恶，怎能知神与死、法与罚的可谓？”

蛇与夏娃的这些话铿锵有力，掷地有声，是对真正理性、真正自由的呼唤，“不自由毋宁死”。理性与自由，自1789年法国大革命之后已成为普世信仰，而在诗人所处的黑暗的复辟时代这却不啻是革命的宣言。弥尔顿以此证明了自己是启蒙时代的伟大先驱之一。

诗人在这里提出了一个发人深省的问题：上帝既然造了人，为何有害怕人具有理性？这个问题与圣经的《约伯记》所提出的“无罪者何遭受苦难”的问题同样是对上帝公正与万能的否定。因此可以说，偷吃禁果标志人类理性的觉醒，也即人类迈向文明的第一步，是真正历史的开端。偷吃禁果具有深刻的象征含义：人类进步始于“犯罪”。人类每前进一步，都是在某种程度上对“上帝”的亵渎，对旧真理的叛逆，都是对未知领域的探索，因此新的真理刚刚产生是常被认为“犯罪”。

最后还应该注意的是，作品描写的人类走向新生这个伟大的历史过程，是由女性迈开第一步的。古今中外的文学作品大都把女性写成祸水，而《失乐园》却首次表现了女性的历史创造性。亚当偷吃禁果时受夏娃的推动，与夏娃相比他显得更为消极。

作品所包含的这些深刻哲理，不但超越了诗人本身的世界观局限性，也超越了那个时代和诗人所属的阶级，而且具有全人类的普遍意义。

五、《失乐园》的艺术成就

在艺术上，《失乐园》这部史诗风格崇高，结构宏伟，主题深刻。弥尔顿的创作方法是古典主义的，但并不是像法国古典主义那样作为特定流派的古典主义。法国古典主义乃至英国古典主义机械模仿古希腊罗马的文学，因而也被称为“伪古典主义”。弥尔顿并不是古典主义运动的一员，但是他有着很深的古典文学造诣，古希腊罗马文学的精神被他运用于《失乐园》的创作之中，就这点来说弥尔顿又是属于文艺复兴时代的。

参考书目

Lois Potter APreface to Milton 北京大学出版社2005

刘虎 《西方文学概论》 对外经济贸易大学出版社 2000

王化学 《西方文学经典导论》 山东人民出版社 2004

朱维之译 《失乐园》 上海文艺出版社 1984

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