《伊坦·弗洛美》是美国著名作家伊迪丝·华顿的中篇小说,其一改作者以上流社会为背景的惯例,而将笔触伸向了下层社会的生活,被认为是华顿写得最好的悲剧小说。本文将从小说的象征、隐喻手法入手,选取几个标志性意象,分别阐述其对人物塑造和情节发展的重要作用。 Ethan Floromei is a novella by Edith Wharton, a famous American writer whose adaptation to the background of social conventions, and his brush strokes toward the life of the lower class, is considered as China Dayton best tragedy novel. This article starts with the symbolic and metaphorical approaches of novels, selects a few iconic images and expounds their important roles in shaping figures and plot development respectively.