鯨豚、返家與宗教性探求――廖鴻基海洋歷程下的鯨豚書寫與文化意義

Whale and Dolphin, Homecoming and Exploration of Religiosity — Hung-Chi Liao’s Whale and Dolphin Writing in the Context of Oceanic and Cultural significance

鯨豚書寫，是廖鴻基海洋歷程不斷深化的具體體現。廖鴻基常常說道「鯨豚」是帶引他不斷航向海洋、想像海洋，且書寫海洋的橋樑，鯨豚的身影貫穿於絕大部分作品中，甚至以之為主題，寫就鯨豚專書。以之為研究對象，本文將探討：「鯨豚」是在怎樣的時空脈絡，進入了作者的生命背景與書寫世界？廖鴻基為何要在其腳跡船痕中，不時觀看、紀錄與思索「鯨豚」？從1997的《鯨生鯨世》到2008的《後山鯨書》，十年的時間歷程下，廖鴻基的鯨豚意識是否有所改變或深化？對廖鴻基鯨豚書寫的文本詮釋可以體現什麼文化意義？是否可以挹注現代化歷程下的生存反思？以上提問與討論後，我們或能發現，鯨豚書寫作為引人向海的橋樑，亦便是一條被現代技術文明所遺忘的宗教性探求之路，邀人尋回自身神性，以回返家園。

Whale and dolphin writing is the deepening embodiment of Hung-Chi Liao’s oceanic experience. According to Liao, “whale and dolphin” play a bridging role in guiding him to keep cruising toward ocean, imagining ocean and writing about ocean. Figures of whale and dolphin run through the works by Liao who even takes them as subjects for his literary writing. Taking whale and dolphin as the research subjects, this paper delves into the following question: Under what historical and geographical contexts do whale and dolphin enter the author’s life background and writing? What are the relations between whale and dolphin writing and his oceanic experience? Does Liao’s awareness of whale and dolphin change during his one-decade process of literary writing from 1997 when he wrote The World of Whales to 2008 when his book titled “The Book of Whale and Dolphin” was published? Through such writing, what message is he devoted to delivering? Shall survival reflection also be invested in the context of modernization process? After the preceding questions have been raised and discussed, we may probably find that whale and dolphin writing can guide readers to cruise toward ocean, and forge a path of religious exploration overlooked by modern technology and civilization that invites readers to search for self divinity as a way towards a homecoming.