On the Images of“Fish”in the Fables in the
Ancient Book Zhuang Zi
Abstract： The ancient book Zhuang Zi,a gem of ancient literature in the early Qin Dynasty is one of the most important books by the school of Dao and a book to reason things out. Among the scholars in the spring and autumn period Zhuangzi was the first writer to devote great efforts to write fables. In the book Zhuang Zi,the writer managed to imply his deep thoughts and ideas, which were indicated in the fables. And there are many images of “fish”in the fables written in this book, such as “Kun Peng”(Kun is kind of legendary fish said to be thousands of miles long; Peng is a roc), which is a blending thing of fish and birds；“ the Argument on Fish’s Happiness”；“the Shop Selling Dried Fish” ，and the images of“fish” in all of the fables essentially embody the ideas and thoughts of the writer Zhuangzi,who injected new and deep meanings and connotations into the images of fish in the fables according to his simple and plain concepts of appreciation of the beauty. Through analysis of the images of “fish”,we can understand more or less Zhuangzi’s criticizing real life and pursue his dream in that period.
Key words： Zhuang Zi; The fable; Fish; Images; To loiter; Selfhood; Equal things
