The Document Propagation Of Chinese Literature In Europe From16^th To18^th Century

As the wisest creature with spectacular civilization, human beings have a god-given ability to communicate with each other, and to save the wisdom and memory with the information media, so as to extend limits of the human sense function and create the human civilization. Among the kinds of medias which created by human beings, literature is one of the most basic and primitive one. With the help from literature, human beings could exchange ideas and information, so we could enrich and enlighten the spiritual life and wisdom, which formed a unique cultural phenomenon in society. As one of the research on human communication and cultural phenomenon, the study of literature shows significant theoretical and practical importance. In this paper, with the extensive research on Sinology books, we would compare the difference of Chinese and European cultural background, analyze the introduction and translation of Chinese literature in Europe, so as to explore the reasons of the external spread of Chinese literature at that time, and enlighten us on the external spread of contemporary Chinese literature.There are five chapters in this paper:In the first chapter, the significance, situation, methods and innovations of the study in this paper will be stated.In the second chapter, we will review the historical and cultural background of China and western countries at that time. Section one, china’s political stability, social development, the rise of the "psychology", and the trends of "humanistic pragmatism" will be analyzed; section two, will introduce the maritime expansion,"Renaissance", and the Religion Reformation,"Enlightenment movement" in the16th and18th centuries in Europe, which shaken the ideological foundation of the feudal domination and formed a strong social trend of thoughts; section three, the cultural difference between China and the West and "Chinese rites controversy" will be discussed; section four, the cause of the spread of Chinese literature will be analyzed:the impact of the "Chinese rites controversy" and the needs of the Enlightenment; section five, the main form of dissemination of Chinese literature will be analyzed. In chapter three, the Chinese literature which spread into Europe in the16th to18th centuries will be discussed in detail. Section one, from the perspectives of the main characters and books introducing Chinese literature, the briefing on Chinese literature in Europe will be clarified in detail, in which, the characters will be introduced into two stages:the early16th century to the end of this century, when the diplomatic corps and Jesuit missionaries are the main body of dissemination, the end of the16th century to the end of18th century, when the Jesuits are the main body. The analysis of the writings of important works will be described as core; section two, a comprehensive analysis of the translation of Chinese literature will be stated, in which, the classic "Four Books and the Five Classics" in Confucian classics literature will be described foremost, complemented by introduction of the translations of medicine, literature, history, and other books. Chapter four, from the perspectives of philosophy, religion and politics, the influence of the Chinese upon the Europe will be discussed. Chapter five, the enlightenment from the dissemination of Chinese literature which spread into Europe for contemporary Chinese literature dissemination will be summed up, through reviewing the spread of Chinese literature in the16th to18th century.