约翰·斯坦贝克论道《罐头厂街》

John Steinbeck's Revelation of Taoism in Cannery Row

美国小说家约翰·斯坦贝克作品中蕴藏的道家精神内核逐渐引人注目,其中《罐头厂街》是直接涉及华人形象和文化的一部小说。从这部小说探讨斯坦贝克与道家思想的渊源,一方面斯坦贝克认同道家“天人合一”的思想内核,倡导人应正视自身的自然属性,与自然“合一”;另一方面,可以发现斯坦贝克融合道家“清虚、寡欲、知足”等智慧来应对西方物欲膨胀、争名夺利的困境,探索一种以道家精神为基础的新生活方式的可能性。

The core spirit of Taoism in American novelist John Steinbeck'works is gradually catching scholars'attention.Cannery Row is a novel directly related to Chinese profile and culture,due to which this paper intends to illuminate the bond between Steinbeck and Taoism from this novel.The first attempt is to clarify Steinbeck's agreements to the primary Taoist ideological nucleus“the unity of man and nature”by advocating that human beings should embrace their natural propensities so as to reach such unity.The further attempt is to reveal Steinbeck's application of Taoist propositions of“simplicity,less desires and contentment”in ameliorating the dilemma of materialistic expansion as well as excessive desires for fame or wealth in the western world,which portends a possible new way of life based on Taoist wisdom.