从《京华烟云》看林语堂的女性观(2)
3.2 The Foundation of Lin’s View of Females13
3.3 The Limitations of Lin’s View of Females14
4 Conclusion...16
Bibliography.17
1 Lin Yutang and Moment in Peking
As one of the greatest bilingual writer, Lin Yutang deserves the praise both at home and abroad. His inconceivable talent in writing and language really has left the unforgettable impression on his readers from all over the world. And Moment in Peking is definitely the most well-known work of Dr.Lin which is called Modern A Dream of Red Mansions .
1.1 Brief Information about Lin Yutang
Lin Yutang (October 10, 1895 – March 26, 1976) was a well-known Chinese writer, philosopher, translator, and poet, who wrote more than 35 books in English and Chinese, and brought the classics of Chinese literature to western readers. In 1912, Lin studied for his bachelor's degree at Saint John's University in Shanghai, and then received a half-scholarship to continue study for a doctoral degree at Harvard University. He left Harvard early however, moving to France and eventually to Germany, where he completed his requirements for a doctoral degree at the University of Leipzig. From 1923 to 1926 he taught English literature at Peking University. He was very active in the popularization of classical Chinese literature in the West, as well as the general Chinese attitude towards life. As a bilingual writer and scholar, Dr. Lin has contributed to the world many great works, including fictions, essays, prose, and translated Chinese classics. Besides, he was a great introducer of the Chinese culture and value system to the western society and that is the reason why he enjoyed international prestige during the 20th century. His informal but polished style in both Chinese and English made him one of the most influential writers of his generation, and his compilations and translations of classic Chinese texts into English were also bestsellers in the West. His many works represent an attempt to bridge the cultural gap between the East and West. This may be one of the reasons for he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature several times in 1970s.
In the history of Chinese contemporary literature, Lin Yutang was a brilliant writer famous for his essays, novels, philosophy, and great contribution to cultural exchanges between China and the western world, and his large amounts of translation of Chinese and English literature. Proficient and talented
in both Chinese and Western, he was a scholar of profound knowledge and wisdom. Overflowing with gifts in language, he had made great contribution to the dialogue and communication between the eastern and the western cultures through his numerous works. Lin Yutang created his unique writing style because his words style was not only dignified and elegant but also popular, and humorous. Dr. Lin was the first one to introduce humor into Chinese culture, winning a reputation of "Chinese Master of Humor". The Chinese people regarded those writings which include jokes as unorthodox philosophy or literature. Only by assuming a sober appearance can gentlemen preach theories. Lin pointed out that it was the solemnity of the scholars while preaching theories that made Chinese philosophy and literature dull and fake. So he advised people to add humor into Chinese literature. He even advocated having humorous attitudes towards life which included a realistic, forgiving and sympathetic outlook. According to Lin Yutang, once people adopted humorous attitudes towards life, he could laugh at the hypocritical aspect of life, forgive the mistakes that others make and show sympathy towards other human beings. What’s more, he not only drew his inspirations from the classical literature, but also absorbed the language of common people. By doing so, he had enjoyed high prestige and great fame in the field of Chinese literature. Besides, Dr. Lin made a lot of contribution to make the English readers understand the Chinese and Chinese culture. He displayed "the life wisdom and life philosophy in Chinese culture through his novel characters". His writing and translation have given western readers a vivid picture of Chinese people, custom, religion and their way of living. Many of his works were attempts to bridge the cultural gap between the East and the West.