【正文】 optimistic enough to believe that he may catch a big fish. In tune with the natural world about him, he spies birds and plankton that lead him to a good fishing spot. He carefully baits his hooks and patiently waits. Santiago?s patience pays off. Something big takes his bait, and because of his skill, the old man is able to hook it, beginning the adventure of the story. For three days and nights, he does battle with this giant creature from the sea. For most of the journey he does not even know what he is fighting, though he assumes it is a giant marlin. When the magnificent fish finally surfaces, Santiago is tremendously impressed with its size, its beauty, and its nobility. He begins to identify with the fish, almost regretting that he feels pelled to kill it. He tries to justify his actions by saying that he is not fishing for sport, but to feed himself and others. II .The Origin of the Concept of the “Tough Guy” As early as 1930, critics noticed the mon features in Hemingway?s characters and began to discuss the“code” belief of Hemingway, namely, the code of courage and honour in this nonintellectual writer. Lincoln Kirstein, Max Eastman, Wyndham Lewis, and Delmore Schwartz all emphasized Hemingway?s attention to death and physical courage, and believed that the “tough guys” of Hemingway were still under construction and far from maturity. Some critics furthered the point that the “pretentious persistence” in Hemingway?s characters is but a deliberate disguise of the “depression, disguised skepticism, and despair” 1 that is deeprooted in their true self. In his The Great Tradition: An Interpretation of American Literature since the Civil War Granville Aicks made important distinctions for Hemingway?s characters. He thought there are two types of characters, that is, one is the “autobiographical” guy, the other is the kind of guy that Hemingway himself is not but expects to be, namely, the tough guy. According to such categorization, Captain Henry in Farewell to Arms is the “autobiographical” guy and his friend is the tough guy. The criticism prevailing in the thirties in China held that the main features in Hemingway?s guy are that “they bee dumb because of the injuries of war. They no longer think, nor do they meditate. And they despise traditional morality and wellrespected values. What is left in them is but selfabandonment and a strong desire for sex.” 2 Such criticism is basically a reflection of the contemporary views abroad at that time. In the fifties, Young expanded the concept of the “Hemingway?s guy” and the “tough guy” and related them to “psychopathological morbidity”, believing that the reason “Hemingway?s guy” always confront death and injury is due to the forced repetition of the wounded experience caused by their psychological morbidity, whereas the“code”serves to provide a solution to the dilemma of such characters, enabling them to control their emotions. And the relationship between the two is one of giver and receiver. The representation of such a relationship is successfully realized in Santiago。 He hit it with his blood mushed hands driving a good harpoon with all his strength. He hit it without hope but with resolution… “But I killed the shark that hit my fish”, he thought. 10 He kills the Mako shark finally, but it tore off about forty pounds of flesh. In the killing, the old man loses his harpoon and all the rope too. And now his fish bleeds again and there will be other sharks attracted by the scent and trail of blood in the water. But the old man inspires himself by saying aloud, “ But man is not defeated. A man can be destroyed but not defeated…The dentuso is cruel and able and strong and intelligent. But I was more intelligent than he was.” 11 Earlier the second stage, two golanos e, They were hateful sharks, bad smelling, scavengers as well as killers. Santiago kills one with his knife that is lashed to an oar。 knowing that he has no chance against the sharks, he continues the struggle against them. For Santiago, a man who struggles against fate will not be defeated. You can destroy him, but you can never defeat him. This is the essential truth of the “Hemingway code.” And Hemingway defines the theme: the will to challenge and maintain dignity in the face of adversity. Santiago lost the fight against the sharks but he was not afraid. His value lies in the fact that he rose from his failure and regained his confidence. The success alone is meaningless without the initial setback. Santiago obtained more experience and taught them to Manolin. The Marlin he hooked had nothing left but a skeleton, but it won great love and respect for him. To us readers, the relationship between the protagonist and the Marlin somewhat embodies the very existence and faith of human beings. The Marlin is graceful and noble, and its existence supports Santiago?s life and his faith. Yet the sharks are those dark forces that are destructive to human life. They are indicative of all the violence and injustice in the world. For them Santiago has no respect. What he has is but ruthless revenge and a desire to conquer. In the end he loses, but he is