从虚无到宁静的精神之旅——解读《面纱》

A Spiritual Journey from Emptiness to Tranquility——on The Painted Veil

英国著名作家萨默塞特·毛姆的长篇小说《面纱》是主人公基蒂的精神之旅。毛姆以一位西方的“他者”身份和东方主义的偏见观察着中国。小说描述的婚姻关系投射了作为同性恋的毛姆在身份认同过程中的矛盾。随着女主人公内心的变化和性格的丰满,对天主教的好感和古老中华文明的憧憬让基蒂的精神完成了华丽的转身。在“道”中,毛姆仿佛找到了精神诉求的结果。同时,揭开中国华丽的“面纱”,又让他看到了隐藏在下面的腐朽,折射他对英帝国危机的焦虑。

The Painted Veil by W.Somerset Maugham is a reflection of the spiritual journey experienced by the heroine Kitty.Maugham always observed China from the angle of the western “other” identity and an orientalism bias.The marriage relationships described in the novel reflects the contradiction of Maugham’s identity as a homosexual.With the change in the heroine’s heart and the enrichment of of her character,Kitty perfectly completed her spiritual transformation with her love for Catholicism and longing for the ancient Chinese civilization.Maugham seems to find the solution to his spiritual persuit in “Tao”.Meanwhile,he found the corruption hidden beneath the magnificent “veil” of China,which also reflected his anxiety about the crisis of the British Empire.