Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Road (2006) depicts a journey of a nameless father and son traversing south down the road toward the coast in a postapocalyptic world and striving to survive it. Along their journey, the father seizes every opportunity to teach his son the basic physical skills and mental code needed to survive while protecting his son at all costs. Most importantly, the man tells his son to carry the gun through the course of the text. It is well acknowledged by critics of the novel that “carry the fire” is an important motif in this novel. Much critical attention is given to interpreting its metaphorical and symbolic meaning and is consistent in noting that “the fire” is a vital symbol for humanity, civilization, Holy Spirit, and hope. For example, Paul Patton claims that it serves as “a metaphor for some kind of moral order and as such the guarantee of a future humanity that is clearly intended” (142). However, the relationship between “carry the gun” and “carry the fire” has not been given enough attention. Jamie Crosswhite has made an initial attempt to give a new interpretation of “carrying the fire” by illustrating the correlation among bullet, life, and fire via close reading of the text in his article “‘Carry the Fire’: McCarthy’s Bullets as Shells of Life in a Post-Apocalyptic World.” He states that, “Each of the bullets has a direct correlation to the life of one family member: three bullets, three pieces to the family. As each bullet is relinquished, a member of the family is sacrificed”, and concludes “we are left with one bullet and one child who must ‘keep the gun with (him) at all times’ so that his life might continue; he must ‘carry the fire’” (149). Crosswhite just gives a detailed elucidation on how each bullet is related to each person’s life, but he doesn’t explore the selfdefense awareness the father strives to imbue his son with by asking him to carry the gun. It is worth noting that throughout the course of the novel, the father seizes every chance to show his son how to carry the gun, first with his help, and later without him. Following Crosswhite’s lead in examining the relationship among bullet, fire, and life, I propose to explore how the father’s biggest worry is revealed by striving to imbue his son with the most rudimentary survival code of

中文翻译：

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“扛枪”与“扛火”：父亲在科马克·麦卡锡的《路》中灌输儿子的自卫意识

科马克·麦卡锡 (Cormac McCarthy) 的普利策奖获奖小说《路》（2006 年）描绘了一段无名父子在后世界末日的世界中沿着公路向南穿越海岸并努力生存的旅程。在他们的旅程中，这位父亲抓住每一个机会教他的儿子生存所需的基本身体技能和心理代码，同时不惜一切代价保护他的儿子。最重要的是，该男子在整个文本过程中告诉他的儿子拿着枪。小说评论家们普遍认为，“扛火”是这部小说的一个重要主题。对解释其隐喻和象征意义给予了很多批判性的关注，并一致指出“火”是人类、文明、圣灵和希望的重要象征。例如，保罗·巴顿声称它是“某种道德秩序的隐喻，因此是对未来人类明确意图的保证”（142）。然而，“扛枪”与“扛火”的关系并没有得到足够的重视。杰米·克罗斯怀特 (Jamie Crosswhite) 通过仔细阅读他的文章“携带火力”：麦卡锡的子弹作为炮弹的文章，阐明了子弹、生命和火之间的相关性，初步尝试对“携带火力”进行新的解释。后世界末日世界的生活。” 他说：“每一颗子弹都与一个家庭成员的生活直接相关：三颗子弹，三颗与家人有关。当每一颗子弹被放弃时，一个家庭成员就会被牺牲”，并得出结论：“我们只剩下一颗子弹和一个孩子，他们必须'始终随身携带枪'，以便他的生活可以继续；他必须‘带火’”（149）。克罗斯怀特只是详细阐述了每颗子弹如何与每个人的生活相关，但他没有探索父亲通过要求他带枪来努力灌输儿子的自卫意识。值得注意的是，在小说的整个过程中，父亲抓住一切机会向儿子展示如何携带枪支，先是有他的帮助，后来是没有他的帮助。继克罗斯怀特对子弹、火和生命之间关系的研究之后，我提议探索如何通过努力让他的儿子灌输最基本的生存法则来揭示父亲最大的担忧。他必须‘带火’”（149）。克罗斯怀特只是详细阐述了每颗子弹如何与每个人的生活相关，但他没有探索父亲通过要求他带枪来努力灌输儿子的自卫意识。值得注意的是，在整个小说过程中，父亲抓住一切机会向儿子展示如何携带枪支，先是有他的帮助，后来是没有他的帮助。继克罗斯怀特对子弹、火和生命之间关系的研究之后，我提议探索如何通过努力让他的儿子灌输最基本的生存法则来揭示父亲最大的担忧。他必须‘带火’”（149）。克罗斯怀特只是详细阐述了每颗子弹如何与每个人的生活相关，但他没有探索父亲通过要求他带枪来努力灌输儿子的自卫意识。值得注意的是，在整个小说过程中，父亲抓住一切机会向儿子展示如何携带枪支，先是有他的帮助，后来是没有他的帮助。继克罗斯怀特对子弹、火和生命之间关系的研究之后，我提议探索如何通过努力让他的儿子灌输最基本的生存法则来揭示父亲最大的担忧。但他没有探索父亲通过要求他带枪来努力灌输他儿子的自卫意识。值得注意的是，在整个小说过程中，父亲抓住一切机会向儿子展示如何携带枪支，先是有他的帮助，后来是没有他的帮助。继克罗斯怀特对子弹、火和生命之间关系的研究之后，我提议探索如何通过努力让他的儿子灌输最基本的生存法则来揭示父亲最大的担忧。但他没有探索父亲通过要求他带枪来努力灌输他儿子的自卫意识。值得注意的是，在整个小说过程中，父亲抓住一切机会向儿子展示如何携带枪支，先是有他的帮助，后来是没有他的帮助。继克罗斯怀特对子弹、火和生命之间关系的研究之后，我提议探索如何通过努力让他的儿子灌输最基本的生存法则来揭示父亲最大的担忧。