“哥特”一词源自定居在北欧的哥特部落,他们以其野蛮嗜杀而著称,后来,这个词就被赋予了野蛮的、恐怖的、神秘的、中世纪的、天主教的、迷信的,甚至东方的等多种含义。哥特小说就是展现极端事件与场景,探索神秘体验,强调人身上多种非理性因素,以恐怖和丑恶为审美特征。哥特小说的特征,简言之,就是神秘、恐怖和死亡。 The word “Gothic” originates from the Goth tribes that settled in northern Europe, who are known for their brutal bloodthirsty killings. Later, the word was given to barbarism, horror, mystery, medieval, Catholicism, Superstitious, and even the East and many other meanings. Gothic novels are to show extreme events and scenes, to explore the mysterious experience, emphasizing a variety of irrational factors in people, with the terror and ugly as the aesthetic characteristics. Gothic novel features, in short, is the mystery, terror and death.