美國科幻作家勒奎恩是少數以書寫通俗文學獲得主流認可的作家之一。她的作品兼具西方科幻魅力與東方哲學內涵,但其中的時間價值觀念卻與現代科學精神漸生罅隙。本文選取勒奎恩以"時間"為軸心創作的兩部小說,深入探討西方現代物理學與中國古典哲學在小說中的互動與對抗。近代物理學推翻了永流不息的時間概念,使得時間變慢、停止、倒流都已具備了嚴密的算學依據。然而對于勒奎恩來說,科學并不能解決人類的心靈歸屬問題。勒奎恩取道中國古典哲學,將"道"的精神創意發揮,形成獨特的"勒奎恩情節",并指明全盤從信科學有可能衍生的困局。借用道家思想來重構當今世界的思想價值體系,是為遏止一個科技無極限亢進時代進行的積極嘗試。

The American science fiction writer Ursula K. Le Guin is one of the few writers who have received mainstream recognition for writing popular literature. Owning both Western scientific charm and Eastern philosophic depth, however, her works shows a gap between the value of modern "time" and the pioneering scientific spirit. This paper selects two of Le Guin’s "time"-pivoted novels and offers a discussion of the inner interaction and confrontation between Western physics and Chinese philosophy. Modern physics has overthrown the concept of ever-elapsing time, making it slow, suspended, and backward with strict mathematical basis. For Le Guin, science does not suffice human’s spiritual appeal. She turns to classical Chinese philosophy of "Tao" and points out the predicament that may be derived from blind pursuit of science. This attempt at reconstruction of Western ideological value system is meant to curb an era in which science and technology have no limits.