林语堂与中国文化乃一说不尽之话题。他生长于中国文化之中,却多受西方文化之浸润濡染;身为如假包换之中国人,却多以英文写作;旅居美国30余年,却毅然回归中国文化之母体。纵观其人生及其文学创作,他与中国文化始终保持一种若即若离之距离。正是此种距离使其对中国文化之热爱、选择、审视、绍介乃至回归,升华到一种审美之高度。当然,与中国文化之疏离亦掣肘其文学创作之臻化境。 Lin Yutang and Chinese culture are an endless topic. He grew up in Chinese culture, but much influenced by the infiltration of Western culture; as a replacement of the Chinese, but more than English writing; living in the United States for more than 30 years, but resolutely returned to the mother of Chinese culture. Throughout his life and his literary creation, he and Chinese culture has always maintained a hesitant distance. It is this distance that makes it love, choice, examination, introduction and even return to China culture, sublimation to an aesthetic level. Of course, the alienation from Chinese culture also hinders the perfection of literary creation.