Different Outlooks on Life——Reflected in Chinese and Western Fisherman’s Poems

楊 波，廖 娟

When comparing two different cultural systems，we can never avoid the comparison of their religions in the first place.And when talking about religion of western countries，it is undeniable that Christianity is the most dominant religion.Simply speaking，Christians believe God and Heaven are beyond the secular life.As for Chinese religion，however，it is a very different case.In ancient china，there were always three types of ideologies standing side by side;they were Buddhism，Confucianism and Taoism.Among them，Confucianism and Taoism had relatively more influence on Chinese literary men.Comparatively，Chinese Confucians and Taoists were less religious and zealous toward their beliefs than Buddhists were.Moreover，Confucianism and Taoism had no clear doctrines as Christianity did.Different ideological situations determined different outlooks on life，and which，consequently，found its expressions in literary works.Since both Chinese and western literary traditions favored natural poems to demonstrate their views on life，this essay therefore is to contrast fisherman’s poems either in English or in Chinese to show different outlooks on life，which are determined by different ideologies in Chinese and western cultural backgrounds.

In western fisherman or fishing poems，religion is frequently touched，and poets’Christian belief in afterlife is explicitly asserted.The believers regard that there is another world after death，and the afterlife world is the final and eternal home for humankind.In that world，there’s no evil，and everyone would be embraced by God’s kindness and grace instead.As a reverse of Heaven，the secular life was conceived as being full of sins and difficulties.It is taken as a necessary test and a preparation for the afterlife.Poets also devote much more genius to the fantasy of the life in Heaven.In Goethe’s“The Fisherman”，for example，the secular world is depicted by the fairy rising from the water as being full of“human wit and human guile”，and of“killing air”.In a contrast，the Heaven is like a clear stream or“the cool，deep sea”.It is so beautiful and comfortable that the fisherman himself“would plunge into it and live for ever there.”Finally，the fisherman follows the fairy and disappears in the unknown world.Such an end expresses the Christian belief that secular life is only an initial period before the eternal happiness.Again in Brooke’s“Heaven”，human，in an appearance of fish，is imagining a place“beyond Space and Time”.They doubt the current life is not all the life and even the death should not be the final end，as it reads:“This life cannot be All，they swear.For how unpleasant，if it were!”If this life is not the all，then there must be some place“beyond Space and Time”，the“Eternal Brook”.［1］More importantly，there is the“Al-mighty One”who can provide the eternal happiness and bless.From these two poems，we can have a brief understanding how much the western literary men emphasize the afterlife，under the influence of Christianity.

In Chinese fisherman and fishing poems，Chinese poets express an absolutely different attitude from western poets.In a contrast with westerners’expectation about afterlife，Chinese appear less religious，and place more stress on secular life and emotional life.As mentioned above，three important ideologies have been coexisting in china for a long time，but none of them has attained absolute dominance over the other two.Generally speaking，Confucianism and Taoism，both of which are not religions in real sense though，have more influence on literary men while Buddhism is more important for common civilians.Confucians tried to build a concrete ethical hierarchy from small family to the whole society.In their understanding，if such a hierarchy was achieved and everyone in the society conformed to the ethic code，then the members of the society would enjoy peace and happiness in this life as Christians expected to realize in their Heaven.Compared with Confucians’ethic outlook on life，Taoists exalt a kind of esthetic outlook on life.They“opposed to the ethical code of Confucianism，and held that the ethics of Confucianism cannot provide amicable and harmonious shelter but shackles for personal freedom.”［2］Under the influence of Taoism，Chinese literary men find consolation in appreciation of nature.They go into nature，admiring the beautiful scenes，and are enlightened by nature.In such an esthetical process，they transcend the secular life and have achieved the state of“the unity of human and nature”praised by Taoism.It is also a reason why there are so many natural poems in Chinese literature.The ethical outlook on life and the esthetical outlook on life lead Chinese literary men to find spiritual satisfaction in secular life rather than in imagination of afterlife like Christians.In Fisherman’ s Songs of Zhang Zhihe，for example，the fishermen in three poems all seem to enjoy the life very much，even though they lead very simple lives.In the first poem，the description of the environment was so beautiful and attractive，such as the“flying egrets”，“peach blossoms”，“full – grown perches”，that the fisherman is unwilling to go home.Moreover，“for a broad – brimmed bamboo hat，and a cloak of straw”，the fisherman is not only an appreciator of the beautiful scenes，but also a part of the natural scenes.Similarly，in“South of the Yangtze”，the poet was so absorbed in his observation of fishes that he totally forgot the existence of himself.And it seemed that he himself was one of the fishes.［3］In all these Chinese poems，the fisherman can enjoy much happiness in appreciation of nature，and in leading a free and simple life.They have achieved great spiritual satisfaction in secular life and leave little room for the fantasy of afterlife.So，under the influence of Confucianism and Taoism，Chinese appear more practical and less religious.They pay more attention to enjoying secular life instead of looking for spiritual comfort in imagination of life in Heaven.

In reading Fisherman and fishing poems by Chinese and western poets，we can see two different attitudes toward the life.Westerners showed little concern for the happiness of current life，because the afterlife in Heaven，under God’s shelter，was their final purpose;while Chinese poets tended to enjoy the current life rather than expect the unknown after life.The great difference in outlook on life mainly resulted from the influence of different religious situations.Such a comparison also highlighted the close relationship between literature and philosophy.

［1］Nicholas Everitt，“The Non － Existence of God”，Londo，Routledge，2004.

［2］高旭東: 《中西文學與哲學宗教》，北京:北京大學出版社，2004年。

［3］豐華瞻:《中西詩歌比較》，北京:三聯書店，1987年。