Abstract

The Doctrine of the Mean is the world view of Confucianism, as well as its methodology and highest ethical standards, which has exerted profound influences on traditional Chinese people’s self-cultivation, spiritual life and daily lives. And it is still full of dazzling brilliance now, and guides the direction of humans.
Lost Horizon, with extraordinary and mysterious color, is a book published in the year of 1933. In this book, main characters including Conway in a wartime transfer experienced an unexpected hijack by a strange easterner, and arrived at the blue moon valley. From what they have seen and learned, James Hilton shows the world a peaceful paradise—Shangri-la, a make-believe land full of mysteries and uniqueness that attracts millions of people to unveil.
This paper elaborates the Doctrine of the Mean by analyzing its reflections in this book, and reveals its positive implications on how to deal with relationships within one’s own, relationships between one and others, relationships between human and nature and relationships among nations. The paper falls into three parts. Part one introduces distinctive features of the book and its historical significance; part two briefly introduces the origin, evolvement, and misunderstandings of the Doctrine of the Mean, as well as its cultural status and influences; part three expounds the positive implications by analyzing Shangri-la’s natural and human environments and the destiny of main characters.

Key words: Lost Horizon; Shangri-la; the Doctrine of the Mean; positive implications

摘  要

中庸之道，伟大而深奥，是儒家思想的世界观，方法论和最高伦理标准，对传统中国民众的个人修养，精神生活，为人处世产生了深远的影响。直至今日，依旧闪烁着耀眼的光芒，为人类的前进指明道路。
《消失的地平线》是1933年发表的一部具有离奇神秘色彩的作品，书中讲述了康威等四个主人公在战时转移中被一神秘的东方劫机者劫往蓝月谷的神奇经历，并通过其所见所闻向世人描绘了一个宁静、祥和的世外桃源—香格里拉。书中的香格里拉神秘而独特，引发无数人为之探索。
笔者希望以这本书为出发点，通过探索儒家中庸之道在书中的“痕迹”，揭示作品带给我们关于处理个人与个人，个人与他人，人与社会以及国与国之间关系的启示。本文分为三个部分，第一部分简要介绍小说主要特点及其历史意义；第二部分讲述儒家中庸之道的起源及发展，人们对中庸之道的误解及真相，以及中庸之道的文化地位和影响；第三部分通过分析香格里拉的自然和人文环境,书中主要人物命运阐释儒家中庸之道的积极含义。

关键词：《消失的地平线》；香格里拉；中庸之道；积极含义