1940年代:沈从文的思想与创作

Shen Congwen's Thoughts and Writing in the 1940s

1940年代,是沈从文思想与创作极为复杂的时期。当以《边城》为代表的创作高峰过后,苦于对生命、人性及中国现实问题的思考,为寻求自身创作的突破,沈从文的思想与创作陷入了空前的焦虑和心绪的惶惑之中。尽管他依然没有放弃对文学的追求,一方面将笔触伸向变革中的湘西,《长河》即作家观察认识湘西的结果,但这部未尽的长篇,却难以遮掩沈从文创作的式微。另一方面,创作的不理想,并没有使沈从文停顿对文学的思考,反而促使他陷入了对宇宙、自然及生命世界的"抽象的抒情"的遐想之中,探询人生与生命的永恒意义。但是历史并没有给沈从文一个继续展示自己文化理想的舞台,随着中国形势的巨变,沈从文又一次面临着空前的困境和选择。

The 1940s was an extremely complicated period for Shen Congwen’s thoughts and writing.Perplexed by the thinking of life,human nature and Chinese reality after his peak of writing represented by Border Town,he tried to seek a breakthrough.However,his thoughts and writing encountered greater anxiety and bewilderment of mood than ever.Nevertheless,he did not give up his pursuit of literature.On the one hand,he started writing novels about western Hunan Province under changes.His unfinished long novel,The Long River,was a result of his observation and understanding of this area,but the fading of his writing power could not be covered by this novel.On the other,the unsatisfying writing did not stop him from thinking about literature.Instead,he was immersed in the illusion in“abstract lyricism”of the universe,nature and the living world,exploring the eternal meaning of life.However,history did not offer him the opportunity to display his cultural ideals.With great changes of China,he confronted unprecedented difficulties and choices again.