《白鲸》的生态伦理思想及其局限性

Eco-ethical Thoughts and Limitations in Moby Dick

美国作家麦尔维尔在《白鲸》中表达了丰富的生态思想、生态伦理和生态预警意识,这是极其难能可贵的。长期以来,专家学者对这部作品的评价差异极大。由于时代的局限,他的生态伦理思想有诸多自相矛盾和不足之处。他既认为自然和海洋是人类的母亲和养育者,又过分看重海洋的工具性价值;既欣赏自然,同情动物(鲸鱼),又大肆渲染人类猎捕鲸鱼的血腥杀戮;既表达了同情弱者,尊重食人生番的生态伦理思想,却又常常居高临下,流露出欧洲中心主义和白人种族主义思想。应该指出的是,尽管有一些局限、不足和自相矛盾,它仍是一部伟大的生态文学作品。

As a great eco-writer,Melville expresses profound eco-thoughts,eco-ethics and eco-warnings in his masterpiece Moby Dick,which are rare and commendable.For a long time,scholars and experts have evaluated and discussed it in quite different lights.Owing to the limitations of the times,his thoughts have certain flaws and self-contradictions.For instance,while regarding nature/sea as man’s mother and nurturer,he over-stresses the instrumental value of nature/sea;while expressing his appreciation of nature and his respect for animal/whale,he wantonly depicts the bloody scenes of whale-killing;while esteeming the weaker,the cannibal,he now and again reveals his Euro-centrism and racialism.This is what readers should pay enough attention to when reading and appreciating this great novel.