瓦尔登湖的生活哲学(英文版).docx

Course essay for English literature---2014Life Philosophy from theWaldenIn the nineteenth century,with the rapid development of modern socialproductive forces of capitalism,people began to feel the advanced technology thematerial civilization brought profoundly.Meanwhile the pursuit of material becameobvious.The commercialization of age was inclined to satisfy with people’s increasingmaterial requirement to a maximum extent while any spiritual belief in the tide of thestrong development of capitalism appear feeble and so vulnerable.In the face of suchphenomenon,many scholars, thinkers and other people with lofty ideas generated theunprecedenteddoubts:Is the commercial society of capitalism our ideal society?Arethe money and the power our human permanent pursuit?With this kind of doubts, inthe summer of 1845 ,Thoreau built log cabin beside Walden Pond,living in the woodsalong for two years and two months.He lived modestly,Self-sufficiency and plantedsprouts, gathering berries.During the spare time,he often went swimming and went fora walk ,or chatted with some friends living at the nearby town. Meanwhile, he wrotedown the Walden ,the representative works of immortality.The author’smoving to thecabin was weird action,especially in the age when most people choose to struggle tosucceed in society requiring more money and power.The Walden is the sinceredescription of the nature ,the authoritative guide of simple life and the heartlesscharges to the gold coin society.- 1 -Course essay for English literature---2014”Innumerable little streams overlap and interlace one with another,exhibition asort of hybrid product,which obeys half way the law of currents,and half way that ofvegetation.As it flows it takes the forms of sappy leaves or vines,making heaps ofpulpy sprays a foot or more in depth,and resembling,as you look down on them ,thelaciniated,lobed, and imbricated thalluses of some lichens;or you are reminded ofcoral,of leopard ’spaws or birds ’feet,of brains or lungs or bowels,and excrements ofall kinds.”(chapter 17) The above example is from the description of the Walden Pondby the author when a lively and fresh picture unfold before our eyes.The descriptionof the beautiful scenery of Walden Pond,in Concord,Massachusetts contrastsdeliberately to the destruction to nature by human beings,revealing the ecologicalcrisis and their social roots,publicizing the awareness of unexpected development. Aswe know,in the 19th century,with the rapid development of modern social productiveforces of capitalism,under the tide of commercialization,the material civilizationdeveloped with high speed in the American society which satisfied people materialrequirement in a way but tempting them to put forward further demands whichtransform into the the driving force of the technical progress and commercialdevelopment.In the cycle,people had become a mechanical part.The spiritualcivilization, as a kind of conditioned power was gradually blanking.Since the secondhalf of the 18th century,at first in the England,then in the rest of countries inEurope,America and Japan the industrial revolution came true,eventually establishingthe system of industrial production on the basis of the coal,metallurgy,chemicalindustry and so on.This was a revolution of technology and economy with the- 2 -Course essay for English literature---2014improvement of the basic power.And the steam engine was applied to use coal as fuelAs result showed,in these countries,along with the establishment of thecoal,metallurgical,chemical and other heavy industry,the turbid town and smokepoisoning event happened while the river had hurt seriously.However, Thoreau is thepioneer of ecological literature,the description of nature through his life is saturatedwith the thought of ecological holism.He told his readers only when human get alongwith the nature harmoniously can people have access to receive a complete lifeconnotation,that is to say,the relationship between human and nature should be gentlevery much.Thoreau also criticized the tired people for material desire:”Most of theluxuries,and many of the so-called comforts of life,are not only not indispensable,butpositive hindrances to the elevation of mankind.With respect to luxuries andcomforts,the wisest have ever lived a more simple and meagre life than thepoor.”(chapter 1)Simple life itself is not target,and Thoreau was not intended to callpeople to live the wilds for long time,the most primitive life.His extreme try check。