格物致知

Initially the Vinaver theory of Malory’s eight romances, once thought to be fundamentally unified, were in fact eight independent works produced a sense of relief and an unpleasant shock. Vinaver’s theory comfortably explained away the apparent contradictions of chronology and made each romance independently satisfying. It was, however, disagreeable to find that what had been thought of as one book was now eight books. Part of this response was the natural reaction to the disturbance of set ideas. Nevertheless, even now, after lengthy consideration of the theory’s refined but legitimate observations, one cannot avoid the conclusion that the eight romances are only one work. It is not quite a matter of disagreeing with the theory of independence, but of rejecting its implications: that the romances may be taken in any or no particular order, that they have no cumulative effect, and that they are as separate as the works of a modern novelist.

文学史：关于英国中世纪马洛利的八部传奇的新观点评述

一开始，为维纳佛提出“马洛利的八部传奇，过去一度被认为基本上是一个整体，而事实上却是八部独立的作品。”他的意见既引起了宽慰感，又引起了不愉快的震惊。维纳佛的意见圆满地解释了八部传奇的情节按年月次序排列而表现出来的显而易见的矛盾，使每部传奇相互独立顺理成章。然而，过去认为是一部作品而今成了八部，总是让人感到有点不习惯。这种反响的部分原因是既定思想受到干扰的自然反应。可是即便现在，经过对维纳佛意见精致又合理的观察作出长期的思考，人们不得不得出结论，这八部传奇仍然只是一部作品。这并不完全是不同意八部传奇是相互独立的作品的意见，而是排斥这样的含义：那就是认为这八部传奇可以任意排列或毫无次序；认为这八部传奇没有累计效应；以及认为这八部传奇具有像现代小说家作品相互独立的那种含义。