貌合而神离——变异学视角下《进入黑夜的漫长旅程》中奥尼尔对道家思想的文化误读

Appearance and Reality: Eugene O’Neill’s Cultural Misinterpretation of Taoist Thought in Long Day’s Journey into Night from the Perspective of Variation Theory

摘要: 尤金·奥尼尔仰慕东方思想，其代表作《进入黑夜的漫长旅程》中可见道家思想的渗透。然而异质文化的交流过程中必然存在误读，奥尼尔对道家思想的理解也不例外，本文从变异学视角解读《进入黑夜的漫长旅程》中奥尼尔对道家思想的误读和变异，尤其关注其对道家的核心思想“道”和“无为”的误读，并分析误读背后的原因。通过分析，本文认为这些创造性误读赋予了奥尼尔晚期作品独特的韵味和感染力，成为解读其作品的关键。进而提出异质文化相遇时文化误读在所难免。但在跨文化交流中，应对文化误读现象持宽容态度，因为只有藉由他者文化这面镜子，才能对母体文化和自身的文化烙印有更清醒的认识，从而促进双方文明在互鉴的动态关系中实现交融与超越。

Abstract: Eugene O’Neill admired Eastern thought, and his representative work Long Day’s Journey into Night reflects the influence of Taoist philosophy. However, cultural misinterpretation is inevitable in the exchange of heterogeneous cultures, and O’Neill’s understanding of Taoist thought is no exception. This paper interprets O’Neill’s misinterpretation and variation of Taoist thought in Long Day’s Journey into Night from the perspective of variation theory, focusing particularly on his misinterpretation of the core Taoist concepts of “Tao” and “Wu Wei.” The analysis reveals that these creative misinterpretations imbue O’Neill’s late works with unique charm and appeal, making them key to understanding his oeuvre. Furthermore, the paper argues that cultural misinterpretation is inevitable when different cultures encounter each other. Nonetheless, in the context of cross-cultural communication, it is important to adopt a tolerant attitude towards cultural misinterpretation. Only through the mirror of other cultures can we gain a clearer understanding of our own cultural imprints and thereby promote the integration and transcendence of both civilizations in a dynamic relationship of mutual learning.