The Research on the Four Novel Journals in the Late Ching Dynasty: Centered on the Created and Translated Novels

• Main Authors: Pei-Wei Weng, 翁珮洧
• Other Authors: Xian-Zong Gong
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2015
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/s65as8

博士 === 國立中山大學 === 中國文學系研究所 === 103 === Late Ching dynasty is a special and complex historical period, and its complexity is composed of the forces of both Western culture and traditional Chinese culture. The two forces constitute a unique and conflicting era image of the late Ching dynasty. This research through created and translated novels of the four novel journals to understand the morphology of Western novels and attitude towards traditional Chinese novels, and to comprehend the essence influences and impacts of late Ching dynasty by Western culture further, and also to know the reflection and positioning on traditional culture in late Ching dynasty. To obtain the deeper understanding of novels in the late Ching dynasty, this study uses double comparative research method that not only compares different novel journals, but also emphasizes the comparisons of created and translated novels. This research analyzes two major dimensions, one is literature concept, and the other is ideology and culture. On the dimension of literary concept, novels in late Ching dynasty represented a new era in literature, and the object of attention converted to the general public from the scholar-officials. It revealed that the improvement of novel concept in late Ching dynasty have exceeded the past, it not only developed the new theoretical thought, but also constructed the Chinese traditional novel history; moreover, due to the stimulation of translated novels, literati began to analyze the differences between Chinese and foreign novels. On the dimension of ideology and culture, the novel themes of created and translated novels could be summarized into two fields, one was for the public, and the other was for the private. Public fields were related to the external environment of individuals, which included country, social customs, religious beliefs, and even law enforcement situation. Private fields were related to intellectuals, all trades and professions, and women; besides, in late Ching dynasty, it paid highly attention to the world, that including the powerful countries of US and European, and the space. Novels in late Ching dynasty are not staying simplistically in acceptance level. There exists subtle dialectic relationship between old and new thought, and the spirit of the literati''s critique and reflection flashes constantly in the novels.