The Causerie of Differences and Similarities between Chinese Immortal Warrior and American Heroes There exist a lot of differences between China and America. However, the two countries, one in the east, one in the west, also have many similarities. Taking the appearance of human being as an example, both Chinese and American believe that it was just handicrafts that were made by gods randomly when they were too lonely. What’s more, the tale of the destruction of world was extremely similar.

中国与美国，一东一西，两个国家有许多相似和不同的地方，譬如人类的出现，都是神明太过寂寞而随手兴起的手工作品罢了，就连灭世的传说都颇为相似。

《创造亚当》/ The Creation of Adam 来源 pixabay/ Source pixabay

《女娲造人》/Nu Wa made man 来源网络/Source network

The extinction and salvation in western is Pandora’s boxes and Noah’s Ark. Nevertheless, in China, because of Gong Gong being against Mount Buzhou, causing it to lean towards the northwest and inundation, the coming big crisis of mankind’s dying out has become the beginning of Chinese legend. And the myth of Nv Wa’s reparing the sky to save anyone was the salvation in China.

潘多拉魔盒与诺亚方舟是西方的灭亡和拯救，而在中国则以共工头触不周山，西北倾斜，以至洪水泛滥，人类灭亡大劫将至为起点，女娲补天拯救苍生就是中国的救赎。

《诺亚方舟》/ Noah's Ark 来源 pixabay/Source pixabay

《女娲补天》/Nvwa Patches up the Sky 来源网络/Source network

The only difference of the two legends is that the savior Noah could begin his new after the floodwater had receded, but Nv Wa sacrificed herself, becoming mountains and rivers, for safeguarding mankind.

这两个传说唯一的不同处在于，救世主诺亚在洪水退去后开始了全新的生活，而女娲牺牲了自我化作山川大地永远守护着人类。

All of the above are ancient legends. However, in terms of the creation of contemporary mythical heroes, our modern men still have the same conception whether in east or west.

以上是远古的传说，到了当代的神话英雄的创造，无论东方还是西方在创作思路上仍是走着前人的道路。

A number of comic heroes were produced in the western contemporary myths. At first, they were just mediocre ordinary citizens in cities. Luckily and accidentally, they gained super powers by a particular way. People who had the specific abilities could followed their virtuous hearts and set about punishing the forces of evil in cities.

在当代的神话中西方创造了一批漫画英雄，他们起初不过是城市中碌碌无为的普通市民，机缘巧合下通过某种特殊的途径得到了超越一般人类的能力，拥有了这样特殊能力后的人类依循自己善良的内心开始惩治城市中的邪恶势力。

美国英雄/American hero 来源网络/Source network

Immortal warriors, however, were the most impressive among modern Chinese heroes.

而在当代的中国英雄中以仙侠最为引人注目。

中国仙侠/Chinese Immortal Warrior 来源网络/Source network

Immortal warriors, literally, are the half man half amazing. They retain the seven emotions and the six sensory pleasures of laic, besides, they possess strong magic power. At this point, Chinese immortal warriors and American heroes are toward the same goal.

仙侠，从字面上来看，半人半仙，他们保留着一半俗人的七情六欲，另一半是拥有高强法力的仙人，在这点上美国英雄和中国仙侠殊途同归。

Nevertheless, neither heroes nor immortal warriors will become gods. Because when he puts on his mask, he is a righteous warrior who would punish the evil to uphold the good men. And after taking off the mask, he will return to family and become an ordinary citizen who loves home and wife, who is anxious about the subsistence needs, who has to do overtime work.

英雄或仙侠并没有完全地成为上帝或神明，戴上面具是惩恶扬善的正义侠客，脱下面罩他们回归家庭，只是一个爱家爱妻子为柴米油盐而犯愁，不得不加班工作的普通市民。

加班工作的英雄/Overtime work hero 来源网络/Source network

American heroes always appeared suddenly when cities or countries were in a crisis. Similarly, Chinese immortal warriors would go back to the worldly life to relief common people when the whole world was in a chaos and was overrun with demons.

美国英雄总是在城市或国家遭遇危机时忽然出现，中国的仙侠同样会在天下大乱、妖魔乱舞时出世而拯救苍生。

However, the ending is different between Chinese immortal warriors and American heroes. After defeating the forces of evil, heroes can still be workers who have to work overtime and super daddies, and continue their own lives. But immortal warriors are more miserable. Usually, they don’t have good endings. Maybe it’s a pity for them to perish together with the opponents. Tragic feeling is also involved for that they sacrificed themselves for the safety of everyone.

只是在结局上英雄打败了邪恶势力后仍然回去做他的加班职员、超级奶爸，继续他的生活，而仙侠的结局要悲苦得多，他们一般没有好的归宿，其中有与反派同归于尽的叹惜，也有献身自己换取天下万民性命的悲壮。

英雄的墓碑/Hero's tombstone 来源网络/Source network

Most Chinese writers who mainly write stories about immortal warriors seem to prefer the heartrending ending. It is probably as a saying goes: Only tragedian can be meaningful and leave good names for posterity.

中国的仙侠小说作者似乎偏爱悲剧收场，大概是想应下那句话：悲剧才能隽永，好使自己的作品流芳百世。

Maybe only the sad ending can fit the characteristics of immortal warriors. It’s too vulgar that they defeated enemies and got married and had kids. The dedication of self-sacrifice for the whole world is great and respectable in any countries’ stories. Thus the spiritual connotation of novels has risen to high level that warriors dedicates their lives to helping the world and people.

也可能是只有这样的结局才符合仙侠的特点，打败敌人娶妻生子，实在太俗，为拯救天下苍生而牺牲自己，这样的奉献无论在哪一国的故事中都是伟大而受人尊敬的，也正因此小说的精神内涵一下上升到了侠之大者为国为民的高度。

物是人非/Nothing is the same as before 来源网络/Source network

There is another explanation which may be also reasonable. For immortal warriors, if we only look at “immortal”, we can understand it as a complete deity. Contrary to ordinary people, they are unfeeling, pitiless and ethereal. Immortal warriors came into the world from empty sky for the convenience of saving the whole world and people. They just live in a body provisionally and control the “mediocre people” which was called by them to reach their lofty and selfless goal. Once succeeded, they would come back to heaven. And the ideal ending of the mediocre people is death.

又或许可以这样解释，仙侠，单看一个仙字，是完全的神明，与俗人总是不一样的，他们该是冷血少感情超脱一切尘缘的人，只是为了方便拯救世界特地从空荡荡的天上飞落尘世，暂寄于一具躯壳中，操纵着这个他们口中为“凡人”的两足直立无毛动物，以达到他们高尚无私的目的。事成以后自然功成身退飞返神界，死亡就是这个凡人完美的结局吧。

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