Chinese Stories And Generation Mode In Stephen Owen’s Works

American sinologist Stephen Owen has made extensive studies on Chinese classical literature covering works, literature history and theory with his unique perspective, graceful writing as well as the innovation and introspection in researches. His works on Chinese studies have been translated into Chinese in large volumes and constantly reprinted, attracting increasing attention from scholars at home and abroad. Based on the studies of Stephen Owen in China, including studies of translation, literary theory and history, comparative perspective of research and western literature, this thesis intends to make a tentative study of Stephen Owen’s three works, including The Poetry of the Early T’ang which is characterized by narrative nature of literary history, Remembrance: The Experience of the Past in Classical Chinese Literature which is non-narrative as well as Mi-Lou: Poetry and the Labyrinth of Desire from the perspective of comparative literature. It tries to reveal the Chinese stories and their generation mode in Owen’s works, profoundly analyzing the original and unique ideas of the study of Chinese classical literature and the underlying political stance. In so doing, it intends to reveal the writing method of new historicism and the standpoint of orientalism in Owen’s sinological studies. By shifting the focus from the authenticity of Chinese literary materials to his fictional Chinese story reading, coupled with shifting the focus from the inspiration and misreading of his works to the analysis of generation mode and profound revelation of his ideological connotation, this thesis expects to provide a totally new perspective for reading and thinking the studies on Stephen Owen and sinology.