感官与心灵的眼睛注视下的中国“屏风”

Maugham's On a Chinese Screenin His Eyes of Sense and Eyes of Spirit

游记散文《在中国屏风上》是英国著名作家毛姆根据1920年前后在中国的所见所闻所感写成的。文中毛姆用"感官的眼睛"和"心灵的眼睛"注视下的中国屏风有真实的"现实中国"和想象的"中国形象"的双重性。他塑造的"中国形象"既受到社会集体想象物的影响,同时又参与和制作了西方对中国的集体想象;处于乌托邦和意识形态的张力上,在反思和颠覆中又不可避免地维护了英国现存的社会秩序。虽然文中不乏傲慢的误读和偏见,毛姆在当时的历史语境下还是促进了不同文明间的交流和理解。

W·S·Maugham＇s travelogue On a Chinese Screen was based on his tour in China around in the year of 1920.The Chinese Screen has a dual nature of true reality and imaginary image of Chinese condition in his eyes of sense and eyes of spirit.The utopian and ideological images of China coexist in his works of On a Chinese Screen,which indicates that Maugham＇s image of China was not only influenced by previous＂social collective imagination＂,but also helped shaping the new imaginary image of China of Westerners.He unavoidably desired to defend Great Britain＇s social order and ideology after deep introspection.Although misleading prejudice was inevitably existing,Maugham promoted communication and understanding between these two cultures with his own efforts.