The Common Sentiments

Feng Meng-long,a Chinese "Giovanni Boccaccio",the first editor,researcher and theorist of vernacular literature in China,adapted and published his masterpieces known as "San Yan",which was known as Chinese The Decameron,and play very important roles both in the history of Chinese literature and in cultural exchange between China and the foreign countries.Since the late 17th century,"San Yan" has been spread abroad on commercial ship by businessmen.In 1735,Pere d' Entrecolles,a Western preacher,translated into French 4 stories of "San Yan”and was edited into the great work,The General History of China,after which other 6 Western preachers,8 Western diplomats,43 professional sinologists,13 overseas Chinese and domestic scholars joined into the efforts to transmit "San Yan" to the Western world.Under the guidance of relative theories of literature and history,and through a combined approach of textual research,translation,comprehensive analysis,influence study and parallel study,the thesis tries to systematically expound the backgrounds and motives of the transmission of "San Yan",to explore the transmission procedures,approaches&characteristics,to analyze the influence,and to summarize the experience of foreign transmission and the far-reaching significance in cultural exchange.Nearly 300-year-long history of San Yan's transmission in the Western world proves that the influence of Chinese culture in the world not only derives from the development level of Chinese study abroad but also from the development of Chinese culture itself.It is unnecessary for Chinese literature to cater for the westerners to boost its prestige.But,in order to get on in the world,it needs the elucidation,the decoding,and the development of the Confusciannism civilization.More importantly,Chinese literature should be deeply rooted in art and completed with "Chinese spirit",the more of which,the more international one.