舍伍德·安德森(1876—1941),现代主义先驱,在美国文学史上享有非常特殊的地位。在短篇小说的形式、主题、风格和人物创造上,安德森都有自己的独特之处。1919年,其具有开创意义的代表作《小镇畸人》的出版为他赢得了极高的声誉。评论和研究者纷纷从《小镇畸人》的结构、主题、创作手法和语言等角度出发,发表了许多较有价值的文章。本文将在前人研究的基础上,试探讨作家在《小镇畸人》中“精神顿悟”的运用,并阐述其对于当代中国的现实意义。 Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941), pioneer of modernism, enjoys a very special status in the history of American literature. Anderson has its own uniqueness in the form, theme, style and character creation of short stories. In 1919, the publication of his pioneering masterpiece, The Tale of the Town, won him a very high reputation. Commentators and researchers have published many valuable articles from the perspective of the structure, theme, creative technique and language of the “Triton”. Based on the previous studies, this paper attempts to explore the writer’s use of “spiritual insight” in “The Tale of the Town” and expounds its practical significance to contemporary China.