蒲柏 《批评论》
亚历山大·蒲柏（1688—1744）
亚历山大·蒲柏是英国新古典主义诗人和批评家，出生在伦敦一个殷实的布商家庭，全家信奉天主教。当时英国天主教徒社会地位底下，政治上遭歧视，既不允许上大学，也不能出任公职。蒲柏12岁时脊柱患结核病，身体畸形，从此居家读书。他师从一位教士，学会了古希腊文和拉丁文；经过短期学习，又掌握了法文和意大利文，借以博览群典，追思古人的精神余韵。他少有诗才，16岁时即发表《田园诗》。经过王政复辟时期戏剧名家威廉·威彻利的引荐，进入伦敦的文人圈子。
1711年，蒲柏发表诗体论著《批评论》。全诗共700多行，妙语名句纷呈，有的已成为民谚，流传至今。例如，“天使惧怕涉足处，笨伯争先涌入”、“错误人难免，宽恕最可贵”。《批评论》让蒲柏一举成名，使他有机会结识当时的文坛要人艾迪生和斯梯尔，成为他们小圈子中的一员。1712年，在他们主办的杂志《旁观者》上，蒲柏发表了田园诗《弥赛亚》。同年，他还写出名作、长篇戏仿史诗《劫发记》，描写两个大家族之间的争执。事情起因很简单，一家的少爷偷剪了另一家小姐的一缕秀发，令对方羞恼不已，致使两家关系势如水火。蒲柏以游戏的笔法、滑稽的腔调夸张造势，把这一琐事无限放大，把两家的对立之势写得如同希腊诸邦与特洛伊之间那样剑拔弩张。这首诗讽刺了上流社会的空虚和无聊，也暴露了作者对这个珠光宝气的浮华世界的艳羡。1714年该诗再版，又增加了4章。
1713年，他发表《温莎森林》（Windsor Forest）一诗，颂扬安妮女王，深得托利党人的赏识，并因此结交了乔纳森·斯威夫特（属托利党）。此后，他与艾狄生（属辉格党）一行渐渐疏远。他与斯威夫特、讽刺作家约翰·盖伊（John Gay）等人结成“涂鸦社”（Scriblerus Club），讽刺世风，戏笑时政，发泄对辉格党政府的不满。从1715年到1720年，他以英雄双韵体的诗格陆续翻译出版了《伊利亚特》，声震文坛，好评如潮。不过，就精神气质和选词设句而言，这个译本与荷马原文相距甚远，带有更多时代的特色。后来，他又与人合作，译完了《奥德赛》，以求完璧。这套英译荷马史诗销路极好，蒲柏收益丰厚。从此，蒲柏经济上得以自立，摆脱了寒素和困窘之境，成为英国文学史上第一位职业作家。他用这笔收入在乡下置业筑园，尽享田园之趣。蒲柏的译作遭到艾狄生等人的嫉视和批评，他们暗助别人推出另一个译本，但新译本的质量、口碑和销路远不及蒲柏译本。
在此期间，蒲柏还花大力气，编订了一套6卷本的《莎士比亚全集》，于1825年出版。蒲柏毕竟不是莎学专家，难免谬误，遭致物议。著名莎学专家刘易斯·蒂博德（Lewis Theobald）写了一本小册子《恢复莎士比亚的本来面目》（Shakespeare Restored, 1726），对蒲柏多有指责。羞恼之下，蒲柏把蒂博德写进了他另一部讽刺名作《群愚史诗》（Dunciad），这首长诗嘲讽了伦教的穷酸文人和书贾，以蒂博德为“群愚之王”。该诗第1卷于1728年问世，未署作者真名，在转年出版的增订本中，蒲柏又添加了大量脚注和附录。这样做一举双得，既戏仿了蒂博德琐碎的学院派考证作风，又透露出讽刺对象和事情本末。1743年，他又补充了一卷，冠以《新群愚史诗》之名。第二年，经过增订和修补，4卷全本《群愚史诗》问世。在新版本中，桂冠诗人锡伯（C. Cibber）取代蒂博德，成为主角，其讽刺范围也从文人和书贾扩展到整个英国社会。
蒲柏还著有多部诗体信札，例如《人论》（1733—1734）,《道德论》（1731—1735），《仿贺拉斯诗札》等。其中最有影响的是《仿贺拉斯诗札》中《致阿巴斯诺特医生书》。阿巴斯诺特是“涂鸦社”同道，曾任安妮女王的御医。在这封自传性很强的诗札中，蒲柏极尽挖苦和讽刺之能事，对他的许多文坛宿敌，包括上文提到的艾狄生、锡伯、蒂博德等人，进行了丑化和抨击。
蒲柏去世后，诗名依旧兴盛不衰。到了18世纪末叶，随着浪漫主义诗歌兴起，他的声誉大不如从前。在时人眼里，他的诗作是人为的妙手所得，缺少自然的天成。例如，赫兹利特说他是讲究人工而非自然的诗人。马修·阿诺德代表了19世纪许多批评家的观点，他认为蒲柏的诗不是诗歌的经典，而是散文的经典。
但是，到了20世纪20年代，随着浪漫派诗风的衰落，蒲柏作品的许多优点又重新受到人们的重视。
内容提要
自18世纪初至中叶，英国文学史上的诸多名家，例如乔纳森·斯威夫特、约瑟夫·艾迪生、亚历山大·蒲柏等人，都笃信新古典主义的核心主张：模仿古希腊和古罗马的经典作家，遵循他们的批评法则，师法其作品所表现出的批评戒律。蒲柏的《批评论》更是英国新古典主义的理论体现。
《批评论》殊少新见，主要观点来自罗马时代的贺拉斯、法国的布瓦洛以及英国诗人约翰·德莱顿。即便是以诗论诗这种写作形式，也并非天下独步，在贺拉斯、布瓦洛、维达那里早有前例。只是它文采斐然，音调铿锵，妙语佳句连篇，英雄双韵体炉火纯青，臻于极致，让习见之论熠熠生辉，精彩纷呈。这正应了诗中的一句名言，“所思寻常有，妙笔则空前（what oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed）”。其原因有多种：一则蒲柏尚古心思太重，无意作标新立异之论；二则抑扬格五音步诗律甚严，以它作诗论文无异于戴镣铐跳舞，形式严重束缚思想，论证说理不能系统深入，考辨事实无从自由展开；再则，蒲柏作此诗时，才20岁左右，对他不能期待过高。
《批评论》发表于1711年，至于在哪一年完成，说法不一；一般锁定在1709年，因艾迪生在《旁观者》杂志高度评价而声名远扬。贺拉斯的《诗艺》为其最主要范本，当然，蒲柏也提到了布瓦洛的《诗艺》。与前两者不同之处在于，《批评论》主要针对的是批评家而非作家。其中描述了古往今来诗人与批评家的对立，批评家谨守文学成规作为作品评判的准绳；诗人不愿受其束缚，随时准备破戒。
《批评论》大致可分为3部分。第1部分（（1—200行）树立了古人的首要地位，最明显地表现在181—200行对古人的盛赞。第2部分（201—559行）剖析了现代人的种种谬误。第3部分（560—744行）提出改良的方案，并对文学批评史进行了简短回顾。
蒲柏告诫批评家要有自知之明，认清自己天赋之高下、鉴赏力的高低以及学问的深浅，谨慎为文，不要过犹不及，弄巧成拙。因为人的能力有局限，只能在某一方面出类拔萃。假如一个人记忆力过人，他的理解力必然不济；假若他的想象力突出，那他的记忆力必然很弱。一门学问只适合一种天才，艺术领域范围广大，而人的才智狭隘，只能专事某一局部领域。正确的批评态度是：深入了解古代作家的固有特征，熟悉他著作的情节、主题、目的，对那个时代的宗教、国情、时代精神了然于胸，才能放手去批评。至于作家，他应当公正地看待古人制定的原则。维吉尔曾发现，荷马和自然殊途同归。蒲柏进一步引申，模仿古人就是模仿自然。在古人的规则不及之处，诗人侥幸可以偏离常规；但是，这类破戒行为越少越好，而且，至少要找到先例作为破戒的托词。在180—200行，蒲柏盛赞古人的精神光焰万丈，永恒存在，泽被后代，为世人所景仰膜拜。
正如评论者所指出，《批评论》中的一些关键词意义繁多，往往让读者困惑不已。例如nature一词，有时候指客观世界，有时指人性，有时指事物的本质。art一词也是如此，有时指人为创造的世界，对立于神造的世界；有时指技巧和手法，与创造性的本能相对立；有时指支配某种技巧的规则，与技巧本身相对立。当然，它还可以有最常见的意义，即艺术产品的总称。wit的词义更加丰富，它可以表示鉴赏力、才智、妙语、天才、创造力，还可以指具备上述品质的个人——才子。蒲柏在使用这些关键术语时，并没有明确透露出其具体含义。当他说，nature是art的来源、目的和考验的时候，他同时使用这两个词的多种含义，增强了文字意义的张力。
Alexander Pope (1688—1744)
An Essay on Criticism
'Tis hard to say, if greater Want
of Skill
Appear in Writing or in Judging ill;
But, of the two, less dang'rous is th' Offence,
To tire our Patience, than mis-lead our Sense.
Some few in that, but Numbers err in this,
Ten Censure wrong for one who Writes amiss;
A Fool might once himself alone expose,
Now One in Verse makes many more in Prose.
'Tis with our Judgments as our Watches, none
Go just alike, yet each believes his own.
In Poets as true Genius is but rare,
True Taste as seldom is the Critick's Share;
Both must alike from Heav'n derive their Light,
These born to Judge, as well as those to Write.
Let such teach others who themselves excell,
And censure freely who have written well.
Authors are partial to their Wit, 'tis true,
But are not Criticks to their Judgment too?
Yet if we look more closely, we shall find
Most have the Seeds of Judgment in their Mind;
Nature affords at least a glimm'ring Light;
The Lines, tho' touch'd but faintly, are drawn right.
But as the slightest Sketch, if justly trac'd,
Is by ill Coloring but the more disgrac'd,
So by false Learning is good Sense defac'd;
Some are bewilder'd in the Maze of Schools,
And some made Coxcombs Nature meant but Fools.
In search of Wit these lose their common Sense,
And then turn Criticks in their own Defence.
Each burns alike, who can, or cannot write,
Or with a Rival's, or an Eunuch's spite.
All Fools have still an Itching to deride,
And fain wou'd be upon the Laughing Side;
If Maevius Scribble in Apollo's spight,
There are, who judge still worse than he can write.
Some have at first for Wits, then Poets past,
Turn'd Criticks next, and prov'd plain Fools at last;
Some neither can for Wits nor Criticks pass,
As heavy Mules are neither Horse nor Ass.
Those half-learn'd Witlings, num'rous in our Isle,
As half-form'd Insects on the Banks of Nile,
Unfinish'd Things, one knows not what to call,
Their Generation's so equivocal:
To tell 'em, wou'd a hundred Tongues require,
Or one vain Wit's, that might a hundred tire.
But you who seek to give and merit Fame,
And justly bear a Critick's noble Name,
Be sure your self and your own Reach to know,
How far your Genius, Taste, and Learning go;
Launch not beyond your Depth, but be discreet,
And mark that Point where Sense and Dulness meet.
Nature to all things fix'd the Limits fit,
And wisely curb'd proud Man's pretending Wit:
As on the Land while here the Ocean gains,
In other Parts it leaves wide sandy Plains;
Thus in the Soul while Memory prevails,
The solid Pow'r of Understanding fails;
Where Beams of warm Imagination play,
The Memory's soft Figures melt away.
One Science only will one Genius fit;
So vast is Art, so narrow Human Wit:
Not only bounded to peculiar Arts,
But oft in those, confin'd to single Parts.
Like Kings we lose the Conquests gain'd before,
By vain Ambition still to make them more:
Each might his sev'ral Province well command,
Wou'd all but stoop to what they understand.
First follow NATURE, and your Judgment frame
By her just Standard, which is still the same:
Unerring Nature, still divinely bright,
One clear, unchang'd and Universal Light,
Life, Force, and Beauty, must to all impart,
At once the Source, and End, and Test of Art.
Art from that Fund each just Supply provides,
Works without Show, and without Pomp presides:
In some fair Body thus th' informing Soul
With Spirits feeds, with Vigor fills the whole,
Each Motion guides, and ev'ry Nerve sustains;
It self unseen, but in th'Effects, remains.
Some, to whom Heav'n in Wit has been profuse,
Want as much more, to turn it to its use;
For Wit and Judgment often are at strife,
Tho' meant each other's Aid, like Man and Wife.
'Tis more to guide than spur the Muse's Steed;
Restrain his Fury, than provoke his Speed;
The winged Courser, like a gen'rous Horse,
Shows most true Mettle when you check his Course.
Those RULES of old discover'd, not devis'd,
Are Nature still, but Nature Methodiz'd;
Nature, like Liberty, is but restrain'd
By the same Laws which first herself ordain'd.
Hear how learn'd Greece her useful Rules indites,
When to repress, and when indulge our Flights:
High on Parnassus Top her Sons she show'd,
And pointed out those arduous Paths they trod,
Held from afar, aloft, th' Immortal Prize,
And urg'd the rest by equal Steps to rise;
Just Precepts thus from great Examples giv'n,
She drew from them what they deriv'd from Heav'n.
The gen'rous Critick fann'd the Poet's Fire,
And taught the World, with Reason to Admire.
Then Criticism the Muse's Handmaid prov'd,
To dress her Charms, and make her more belov'd;
But following Wits from that Intention stray'd;
Who cou'd not win the Mistress, woo'd the Maid;
Against the Poets their own Arms they turn'd,
Sure to hate most the Men from whom they learn'd.
So modern Pothecaries, taught the Art
By Doctor's Bills to play the Doctor's Part,
Bold in the Practice of mistaken Rules,
Prescribe, apply, and call their Masters Fools.
Some on the Leaves of ancient Authors prey,
Nor Time nor Moths e'er spoil'd so much as they:
Some dryly plain, without Invention's Aid,
Write dull Receits how Poems may be made:
These leave the Sense, their Learning to display,
And those explain the Meaning quite away.
You then whose Judgment the right Course wou'd steer,
Know well each ANCIENT's proper Character,
His Fable, Subject, Scope in ev'ry Page,
Religion, Country, Genius of his Age:
Without all these at once before your Eyes,
Cavil you may, but never Criticize.
Be Homer's Works your Study, and Delight,
Read them by Day, and meditate by Night,
Thence form your Judgment, thence your Maxims bring,
And trace the Muses upward to their Spring;
Still with It self compar'd, his Text peruse;
And let your Comment be the Mantuan Muse.
When first young Maro in his boundless Mind
A Work t' outlast Immortal Rome design'd,
Perhaps he seem'd above the Critick's Law,
And but from Nature's Fountains scorn'd to draw:
But when t' examine ev'ry Part he came,
Nature and Homer were, he found, the same:
Convinc'd, amaz'd, he checks the bold Design,
And Rules as strict his labor'd Work confine,
As if the Stagyrite o'erlook'd each Line.
Learn hence for Ancient Rules a just Esteem;
To copy Nature is to copy Them.
Some Beauties yet, no Precepts can declare,
For there's a Happiness as well as Care.
Musick resembles Poetry, in each
Are nameless Graces which no Methods teach,
And which, a Master-Hand alone can reach.
If, where the Rules not far enough extend,
(Since Rules were made but to promote their End)
Some Lucky LICENSE answers to the full
Th' Intent propos'd, that License is a Rule.
Thus Pegasus, a nearer way to take,
May boldly deviate from the common Track.
Great Wits sometimes may gloriously offend,
And rise to Faults true Criticks dare not mend;
From vulgar Bounds with brave Disorder part,
And snatch a Grace beyond the Reach of Art,
Which, without passing thro' the Judgment, gains
The Heart, and all its End at once attains.
In Prospects, thus, some Objects please our Eyes,
Which out of Nature's common Order rise,
The shapeless Rock, or hanging Precipice.
But tho' the Ancients thus their Rules invade.
(As Kings dispense with Laws Themselves have made)
Moderns, beware! Or if you must offend
Against the Precept, ne'er transgress its End,
Let it be seldom, and compell'd by Need,
And have, at least, Their Precedent to plead.
The Critick else proceeds without Remorse,
Seizes your Fame, and puts his Laws in force.
I know there are, to whose presumptuous Thoughts
Those Freer Beauties, ev'n in Them, seem Faults:
Some Figures monstrous and mis-shap'd appear,
Consider'd singly, or beheld too near,
Which, but proportion'd to their Light, or Place,
Due Distance reconciles to Form and Grace.
A prudent Chief not always must display
His Pow'rs in equal Ranks, and fair Array,
But with th' Occasion and the Place comply,
Conceal his Force, nay seem sometimes to Fly.
Those oft are Stratagems which Errors seem,
Nor is it Homer Nods, but We that Dream.
Still green with Bays each ancient Altar stands,
Above the reach of Sacrilegious Hands,
Secure from Flames, from Envy's fiercer Rage,
Destructive War, and all-involving Age.
See, from each Clime the Learn'd their Incense bring;
Hear, in all Tongues consenting Paeans ring!
In Praise so just, let ev'ry Voice be join'd,
And fill the Gen'ral Chorus of Mankind!
Hail Bards Triumphant! born in happier Days;
Immortal Heirs of Universal Praise!
Whose Honors with Increase of Ages grow,
As Streams roll down, enlarging as they flow!
Nations unborn your mighty Names shall sound,
And Worlds applaud that must not yet be found!
Oh may some Spark of your Coelestial Fire
The last, the meanest of your Sons inspire,
(That on weak Wings, from far, pursues your Flights;
Glows while he reads, but trembles as he writes.)
To teach vain Wits a Science little known,
T' admire Superior Sense, and doubt their own!
want：缺点，不足。
大意为：在二者当中，让读者误入歧途比让他们不忍卒读更危险。
大意为：因为一个人写错，便有十个人发难。
大意为：蠢材可能只有一次机会让自己现形；一首歪诗却产生许多拙劣的文章。
大意为：这同我们判断力的关系犹如看手表，每块表上面的钟点都不相同，然而，大家只相信自己的手表。
light：眼力。
wit：写作的才华。
这是名句，大意为：假学问损害真良知。
school：指某派批评。
coxbomb：自负的蠢材。
wit：才智。
大意为：无论会不会写，各个都狂热不已。
still：总是。
Maevius：与贺拉斯同时代的一位拙劣诗人。
wit：才子。
据说，古人认为早期的动物和昆虫产生于尼罗河两岸。
tell：数。
这两行大意为：你应有自知之明，弄清楚自己的天才、鉴赏力和学问的水平如何。
dulness：即dullness，意为“愚笨”。
大意为：在个人的心灵中，如果记忆力好，理解力必然差。在以下两行，作者又列举了个人的想象力和记忆力之间的消长关系。
one science：一门学问。
蒲柏在此暗用古希腊著名医生希波克拉底的箴言：“生命短暂有限，而艺术（有时译为‘学问’）永恒漫长，机会稍纵即逝，实验危险难测，判断不易作出。”
nature一词含义甚广。这里兼指自然界、人类经验的总和，宇宙中秩序与和谐的原则。
still：总是。
德莱顿曾写道，“因为自然亘古不变，绝不可能自相矛盾。”
Life, Force, and Beauty, must to all impart：必定赋予万物以生命、力量和美。
大意为：自然既是艺术的源泉，又是艺术的目的，还是衡量艺术的标准。
蒲柏在此暗用一句拉丁语名言：艺术不可炫技。
大意为：有的人才华横溢，但是，他缺少更多的才华将其付诸使用。
Wit：这个词含义众多，见内容提要部分。
Steed：指古希腊神话中生有双翼的飞马珀加索斯（Pegasus），它奋蹄踏出泉水，传说诗人饮此泉水可获得灵感。
gen'rous：亢奋的。
这句诗大意为：当你控制骏马的行进步伐，它才表现出真正的英雄气概。
大意为：古人所发现的（并非人为设计的）种种规则，仍然算是自然的东西，只不过是经过条理化的自然。
liberty：蒲柏的手稿中写作“monarchy”（王室）。
大意为：在远处高举不朽的奖赏。
大意为：她从伟大的榜样那里归纳出正确的戒律，而那些伟大的榜样则得之于天。
这两行大意为：如果批评家让自己的才智违背了这种意愿（上两行所说的为诗歌服务），他就难赢得小姐（即诗歌）的芳心，只好求助于婢女（批评）。
pothecary：英语中的方言，意为“药剂师”。
doctor's bill：医生开的药方。
leaves：书页（leaf）的复数形式。
在这两行中，蒲柏讽刺了那些专事名物训诂、琐碎考证的批评家，挖苦他们的破坏力超过蠹虫。
receit：药方。
大意为：（有的批评家文字）枯燥无味，毫无新意，却开出单调的方子，教人如何写诗。
这两行大意为：前一种批评家不顾见解，只顾卖弄学问，后者则曲解意义。
fable：情节。
scope：目的。
spring：即珀加索斯踏出的赫利孔山上的泉水。
Mantuan Muse：指维吉尔，他出生在Mantua附近。
Maro：指维吉尔。
这几行大意为：维吉尔年轻的时候雄心万丈，想以一部作品比罗马更永垂不朽，他只从自然的源泉中汲取养分，无视批评家制定的戒律。
Stagyrite：指亚里士多德，Stagyra是亚里士多德的出生地。
大意为：要正确对待古人制定的规则。
declare：解释。
happiness：好运，快乐。
care：烦恼。
这几行大意为：在诗律不及之处（因为制定规则就是为了强化规则的目的），要是破格之举侥幸满足了诗人的意图，那么这一破格之举便是规则。
which：指grace。
大意为：虽说古人可以如此破戒（犹如帝王取消钦定的法律），现代人则要小心对待。
大意为：至少要找到先例作为破戒的借口，否则批评家就会毫不留情地施行他的规则批评你，使你的声誉受损。
I know there are：即I know there are those（我知道有这样一些人）。
这四行大意为：有的物体当你单独看或近看时，显得狰狞可怕，或者奇形怪状；如果把它们放到适当的背景和地点，适中的距离，就会显现出其外形与优雅。蒲柏在此借用了贺拉斯《诗艺》中的一段著名文字。贺拉斯说，有些绘画只可近观，而不可远看。这里的“light”相当于“context”（语境，背景）。
这四行大意为：深谋远虑的领袖人物并不总是炫耀他的权势显赫，服饰华美，而是视场合与地点而定。他的威力藏而不露，有时似乎根本不存在。
大意为：不是荷马打盹，而是我们在做梦。蒲柏在这里再次暗用贺拉斯的话。贺拉斯曾说过，“荷马也偶有失误”（I'm aggrieved when sometimes even excellent Homer nods）。
bay：月桂树，这里指诗人的声誉。
consenting：一致。Paean：派安赞歌，指古希腊对神，尤指对太阳神或月神的合唱赞美诗。
bard：泛指诗人。
wit：同注释15。
