歪曲抑或创造?——《女勇士》中历史传说的真伪之争

On the Controversy Concerning The Woman Warrior

汤亭亭的小说《女勇士》一直备受争议,其中一个焦点是围绕小说中的中国古代传说和历史故事。反对者说她篡改传说故事、歪曲中国文化,是为了迎合白人读者的口胃。支持者却说改写神话、传说并非是对中国文化不负责任的歪曲,而是一种古为今用的写作策略,目的是帮助自己在两种文化的边缘找到自己的位置。本文赞同第二种观点,即改写并不是歪曲,也不是出卖,而是一种新的创造,目的是探讨处在两种文化边缘的华裔女性的身份困境,以及她们寻求文化认同与文化身份构建的努力。

There have been long-standing controversies surrounding The Woman Warrior. One of the debates revolves around the liberal use of Chinese historical myths and legends. While some critics embraced her rewriting of traditional sources as imaginative and creative, other blamed her for distorting the Chinese culture so as to cater to the taste of its white audience. This thesis argues that Kingston＇s rewriting of Chinese traditional mythology is not irresponsible distortion of Chinese culture ; rather, it is a literary strategy to explore the cultural identity dilemma faced with Chinese American women who are caught between two worlds.