瓦尔登湖

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSA special acknowledgement should be shown to my supervisor, Jing Xiya, who has taught me how to write the paper. I want to thank her for her great patience and generosity. She helped me in all the stages of writing this paper, without her patient instruction, this paper couldn’t have reached its present form.My gratitude also extends to the professors and teachers at the English department. Besides, I would like to extend my heart-felt thanks to my friends and my classmates, who helped me a lot in writing this paper.CONTENTSChapter 1 Introduction (1)Chapter 2 The Influence of Traditional Chinese Culture to Thoreau (2)2.1 The Social Background of Creation of Walden (2)2.2 Thoreau’s Reception of Four Books and Confucianism (3)2.3 The comparison of Thoreau and Chuang Tzu (through fish) (5)Chapter 3 Similarities and Differences (5)3.1 Similarities (6)3.1.1 The Most Important and Meaningful Part of Their Conception---The Integration of Nature and Man (6)3.1.2 Harmony and great aesthetic value (6)3.1.3 Spiritual value (6)3.2 Differences (6)3.2.1 The social background (6)3.2.2 The differences of their conception of nature (7)Chapter 4 Conclusion (8)BIBLIOGRAPHYComparative study on Thoreau and T ao Yuan MingFANG WeiAbstract: Walden is one of the important works written by Thoreau, a famous American thinker and essayist. It is regarded as a representative work in American natural literature. Its ideological contents, aesthetic value and genre, which passes through time and space and influences the generations to come. Chinese Eastern Jin Dynasty's Tao Yuan Ming, Mr. Wu Liu, is politely called pastoral poet's first ancestor. His representative works Arcadia Records,which elaborated the integration of nature and man and so on, has the same theme with Thoreau's thoughts. This thesis aims to systematically analyze and discuss the similarities and differences of views of nature between Tao Yuan Ming and Thoreau, who came from different countries, lived at different times, with different writing styles, make preparation for seeking spiritual and realistic value.Keywords: literature of nature；aesthetic value ；views of nature；spiritual and realistic value.摘要《瓦尔登湖》是美国著名思想家、散文家梭罗的重要作品,被誉为美国自然文学的代表作。

它的思想内容、审美价值、文体风格都有其穿越时空、影响后人的魅力。

中国东晋的陶渊明，号五柳先生，被尊称为田园诗人的鼻祖。

其代表作《桃花源记》所阐述的天人合一等观点，都与梭罗的思想有异曲同工之妙。

本文旨在梳理与探索陶渊明与梭罗这两位不同国度、不同时代、不同写作风格的作家自然观的异同，寻求其精神与现实价值。

关键词:自然文学；审美；自然观；精神与现实价值Chapter 1 IntroductionAmerican transcendentalist Thoreau has contributed a lot to American literature and has won the respect from many people. Because of his experiment of tasting a life style, which represents returning to nature; because of the expression of “the integration of nature and man”; because of his digestion of both American and ancient Chinese巢湖学院外语系2010届本科毕业论文civilization. Under the theoretic direction of comparative literature, criticism, and structuralism, this article attempts to start from the Walden of Thoreau, and combined to his transcendentalism, then fused with Confucianism and Tao Yuan Ming, aims to inspire people to dwell on the land poetically and achieve the freedom of inner spirit.Chapter 2 The Influence of Traditional Chinese Culture to Thoreau 2.1 The Social Background of Creation of WaldenWalden, or Life in the Woods is quiet, aesthetic and full of intelligence and can be regarded as not merely a novel. Walden (first published as Walden; or, Life in the Woods) by Henry David Thoreau is one of the best-known non-fiction books written by an American. It is Thoreau’s representative work and was published in 1854. It details Thoreau's sojourn in a cabin near Walden Pond, amidst woodland owned by his friend and mentor Ralph Waldo Emerson, near Concord, Massachusetts. He lived at Walden for two years, two months, and two days, and wrote with expressed seasonal divisions. Thoreau hoped to separate himself from society because he wanted to achieve a more objective understanding of it. However, he did not intend to act as a hermit. He received visitors, returned their visits, and did odd jobs in the town. Instead, he hoped to isolate himself from society in order to gain a more objective understanding of it. Self-sufficiency and strive to gain personal spiritual perfection is what he wanted to express. Simplicity and self-reliance were Thoreau's other goals, and the whole project was inspired by Transcendentalist philosophy. However the house was not in wilderness but at the edge of town, not far from his home, and his mother cooked him meals and cleaned the house.（贾西津.梭罗隐居瓦尔登湖的启示[J].时代周报, 2009(46).）The 19th century of American was a glorious time. A large amount of authors were deeply influenced by transcendentalism. Thoreau was the representative and he practiced what he preaches. In his Walden, he researched what is real face of life, and how to experiment meaningful life for himself, for his countrymen, and also for our readers. The study of transcendentalism covers the east and west literature, culture, religion and so on.Walden is believed to have been inspired by American Transcendentalism, aComparative study on Thoreau and Tao Y uan Mingphilosophy developed by Thoreau's friend and spiritual mentor Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson owned the land on which Thoreau built his cabin, and Thoreau used to walk over to Emerson's house for a meal and a conversation.（贾西津.梭罗隐居瓦尔登湖的启示[J].时代周报, 2009(58).）Thoreau regarded his sojourn at Walden as a noble experiment with a threefold purpose. First, he was escaping the dehumanizing effects of the Industrial Revolution by returning to a simpler, agrarian lifestyle. Second, he was simplifying his life ，reducing his expenditures, and increasing the amount of leisure time in which he could work on his writings .Third, and most important, Thoreau was putting into practice the Transcendentalist belief that one can best transcend normality and experience the Ideal, or the Divine, through nature.It should come as no surprise that Walden is now an icon for environmentalists, and a touchstone for Americans’seeking to "get in touch with nature."(梭罗. 瓦尔登湖·经济篇[M ]. 徐迟(译). 上海: 上海译文出版社, 1997.)2.2 Thoreau’s Reception of Four Books and ConfucianismWhat’s more, we should pay attention to Thoreau’s reception of the Four Books to probe the influence of Confucianism on transcendentalism. And this shows how ancient Chinese culture influences the world. In the continual river of history, the combination of Thoreau, the Walden Pond and Confucianism is a fragrant legend glittering forever.American superempiricalist author Thoreau was hardly known by people before his death. It is until the nineties of the last century that Chinese readers really began to pay attention to him and show respect to him. His simple and brilliant life, especially his experiment of a simplified life style which represents a return to nature at the Walden Pond won pe oples’ respect and admiration. His life style is not only full of American spirit, but also embodies the brilliant ancient Chinese civilization. His spirit and thoughts remind us of Confucius and Y anhui in ancient China.In Walden, there are nine quotations from the Confucian classic, The Four Books. However , because of language barriers, differences in ideological and cultural background , as well as the impact of personal philosophy , Most of these quotations are ”creative misreading and elucidation”and “have the same appearances but different巢湖学院外语系2010届本科毕业论文spirits”with Confucian classic books. (论语·述而篇[M ].)“They say that characters were engraved on the bathing tub of king Tchingthang to this effect：‘Renew thyself completely each day; do it again, and again, and forever again.’”(论语·学而篇[M ].)T horeau, held the same idea with Confucius, treasured the quality of renew and improve characters. And he quoted ten times from the Four Books to support his thesis.Thoreau, who was not interested in politics at all, engraved in that. Because he lived in that century, he had no choice. However, he refused to admit the power of government which didn’t really love and make benefits for his people. Facing this situation, Thoreau gave two suggestion：far away from politics ;or continue to take part in the government. (贾西津.梭罗隐居瓦尔登湖的启示[J].时代周报,2009(56).)I n his another book, he quoted: “Lew Hea Hooi was not ashamed of serving a dirty Prince, nor did he refuse an inferior office. He did not conceal the virtuous, and acted according to his principles. Although he lost his place, he didn’t rumble. In poverty he didn’t repine He lived in harmony with men of little worth, and could not bear to abandon them. He said, “Y ou are you, and I am I, although you sit by my side with your body naked, how can you defile me ?”(梭罗. 瓦尔登湖·我生活的地方[M ]. 徐迟(译). 上海译文出版社, 1997.)Hence when the fame of Lew Hea Hooi is heard of ,the mean man becomes liberal, and the miserly becomes generous. Thoreau experimented Lew’s feeling and highly praised him .In American of that time, he disliked the system of slaves very much and didn’t want to see countrymen’s miserable life. He refused to hand in head tax. He chose Walden, not to avoid the reality, to be just far away from it.Henry David Thoreau’s Walden shows readers not only a lot of picturesque scenery but also a kind of optimistic and active spirit that includes simple and plain life. This spirit is just advocated in Chinese Buddhism. Therefore, some Buddhism thought is embodied in Thoreau’s Walden. This paper will analyze this cultural mixture between the work’s theme and Buddhist thought from the following two aspects. The first one is simplifying life and seeking life’s true meaning. The other is cultivating temperament and returning to nature. The work Walden and Buddhism have the same result in purifying readers’souls and recovering man’s spirit. This work makes readers seek spiritual purity in the noisy and secular world.Comparative study on Thoreau and Tao Y uan Ming2.3 The comparison of Thoreau and Chuang Tzu (through fish)Fish is frequently seen in Henry David Thoreau’s Walden and also contains plenty of his abundant sense and sensitive thoughts. Walden states not merely Thoreau′s appreciation of fish, going fishing and eating fish but several kinds of fish. Meanwhile, fish appears frequently in Chuang Tzu′s poetic prose, too. To Thoreau and Chuang Tzu, “f ish”is not just the object outsides but conveys more profound implications. By comparison, the indications of fish by Thoreau and Chuang Tzu have both the similarities and the differences.At that time, Thoreau helped Emerson to edit the transcendentalism journal, the Dial and was deeply influenced by oriental elements such as Hinduism and Confucianism. Chinese literatures master Lin Yu Tang. once said,“The philosophy of Thoreau, among all the American writers, can be viewed as the most full of Chinese color.”（林语堂：《生活的艺术》，外语教学育研究出版社,1998年.）His personal interpretation，that is, depending on oneself and fulfilling the translation from physical to mental point. One should help himself or herself gain freedom and to achieve value. However, this independent is totally and was centered by self. Compared with that, Confucianism is open and spread from wide aspects. It not only emphasizes personal independent, but also considers surrounding elements.Chapter 3 Similarities and Differences3.1 Similarities3.1.1 The Most Important and Meaningful Part of Their Conception---The Integration of Nature and ManFrom the perspective of ecological aspect, there is a natural combination between Thoreau and Tao Yuan Ming. They held the basic same idea, although they lived at different times, came from different countries, and had different writing styles. The most important and meaningful part of their conception expresses one idea: that is, the integration of nature and man; and back to nature.Both Henry David Thoreau and Tao Yuan Ming are writers and thinkers who were巢湖学院外语系2010届本科毕业论文famous for their “recluse”in American and Chinese literary histories. They chose the “recluse”lifestyle to do the personal humanism concern of the life and the current things. This paper tries to commence from the analysis on the consistency of their claim to “simple”, combining their lives and works, to compare and discuss the differences and similarities of their “recluse”, finds out the inspired ideas through the communication between the different cultures of America and China. They fully depicted natural beauty in their works. Moreover, they had great similar views on nature. Both of them thought that nature is a kind of independent existence, which has its own laws. Man is an integral part of nature, connected with each other. N ature can edify people’s soul and improve their morality. (汪跃华. 两个瓦尔登湖[J ]. 读书, 1996, (9).)3.1.2 Harmony and great aesthetic valueIn Henry Thoreau’s Walden, a large number of facts proved that all the created miracles are just from the harmony of the author and nature, in which all the living things can become the friends of human being. The great work Walden inspires people to build common heaven and human harmony, and the supremacy of aesthetic idea life all together, and gradually to form the harmonious relationship and coexistence among people.Walden is a script of a simplified and brand new life experience. Nature and life in the forest is of great aesthetic value. The natural and spiritual beauty coherent with Thoreau’s philosophy of life. It deserves further unearthing of its aesthetic value and sources.3.1.3 Spiritual valueWalden was considered to be Thoreau’s Declaration of Spiritual Independence. He probed into the issues of how on earth human beings should live their lives. The author of this paper thinks the ideology of transcendentalism conveyed in Walden has some similarities to that of the Chan sect of Buddhism because both consider that Man can strive to achieve his spiritual perfection through inner source. Nature is the embodiment of the universal spirit. Intuition plays an important role in m an’s spiritual perfection. Thoreau made an interpretation of the artistic life by way of his aesthetic life practice.3.2 Differences3.2.1 The social backgroundComparative study on Thoreau and Tao Y uan MingTao Yuan Ming upheld Chuang Tzu and Chuang- T zu’ s opinion of the society that people were never in contact with each other. He maintained that people led a life of “stop transaction to avoid communication”. (袁行霈陶渊明研究［M ］北京：北京大学出版社，1998.(28))The essential, concrete and core meaning of “stop transaction”is no currency exchange. As long as there are no currency exchanges of all forms, people will cease communication with each other. There are three main reasons that Tao Yuan Ming stood for can-ceiling of currency exchange. Firstly, staying long in the rural area, he was accustomed to the pastoral life of self - sufficiency and was afraid that currency exchange would break his undisturbed life. Secondly, he oppos ed the officials’luxurious. Finally, people would achieve a perfect state in which there were no taxes in harvest seasons as long as there was no currency exchange.3.2.2 The differences of their conception of natureTao Yuan Ming and Thoreau all sung and focused to view on natural beauty in their works, however, there are also some differences among these similarities. A deep understanding of their natural aesthetic concept will be obtained from analyzing these similarities, differences and the source.As an author, it is easily to be attracted by the beauty of nature .An author has a sensitive heart and a pair of eyes; meanwhile, the marvelous pretty of nature is the resource of creation. Whatever in east or west, they all pursuit and sing for it. Tao Yuan Ming is considered as the craziest about nature and he is good at vividly describing it. Nature is full of emotion, spring, breeze, soft night, happy fish, free bird and miraculous beauty of mountains. Thoreau, an American romanticism writer, was famous for praise of quietness and love of nature. Walden is the example. He used colorful language to describe the lake, trees, fruits, little animals and so on. In this work, he lay on the icy face of lake, and aimed to enjoy the zero-distance sight of the particular fish.However, Thoreau paid more attention to the pure, simple and independent natural beauty. In his works you may find that he described pure nature mostly. Tao emphasized more about farming civilization and human beauty. All in all, Tao Yuan Ming inherited traditional Chinese Taoism while Thoreau based on transcendentalism.Nature and man, is a forever topic. Nowadays, we human beings were threatened by巢湖学院外语系2010届本科毕业论文a lot of economical problems. At this critical time, we should reconsider Tao and Thoreau’s nature views, enrich the penetrating economical meaning, and service for the practice. Deeply think of that, you may conclude that nature is a great living existence uncontrolled by human being’s subjective will. This shows a profile of transcendentalism. Nature can purify human being’s soul and improve their morality.Chapter 5 ConclusionThrough systematically analyzing and discussing the similarities and differences of views of nature between Tao Yuan Ming and Thoreau, this thesis elaborated harmonious coexistence between man and nature. The conception of nature can settle the contradiction between human being and nature in modern society, helping people dwell on the land poetically. Furthermore, their pursuit of a simple but a meaningful life interiorly ca n inspire modern people to return to nature and obtain freedom of internal spirit again.Comparative study on Thoreau and Tao Y uan MingBIBLIOGRAPHY:[1] Thoreau ·H ·D The Writings of Henry David Thoreau (Volume V)[M].Boston:Houghton Mifflin Company,1906. 205.[2] 亨利·梭罗．《瓦尔登湖》[M]．上海:上海译文出版社,1982. 166 -167,174,282 - 283,39,40,79 -80,127,127,121 - 122,127[3] 袁行霈．陶渊明崇尚自然的思想与陶诗的自然美[A]．中国诗歌艺术研究(增订本) [C]．北京:北京大学出版社,1996.[4] 常耀信．《美国文学简史》（第三版）[M ]．天津:南开大学出版，2008.[5] 朱光潜．《诗论》[M ]．桂林:广西师范大学出版社，2004. 202.[6] 林语堂．《生活的艺术》[M ]．外语教学育研究出版社，1998年.[7] 论语·述而篇[M ]．上海古籍出版社，2002年.[8] 论语·学而篇[M ]．上海古籍出版社，2002年.9。