Abstract
The “Preface to Selections of Refined Literature” is a seminal text in the history of Chinese literature and literary criticism. Since the Qing dynasty scholar Ruan Yuan (17641849), it has been the subject of extensive study by both Chinese and international scholars, with interpretations appearing in Chinese, Japanese, and English. Even the phrase “The matter arises from deep thought and the meaning is expressed through elegant prose” has been rendered in more than ten different ways, none of which are entirely satisfactory. This difficulty stems from a lack of critical reflection on the theoretical foundations of interpretive methods. The framework of “closedistant reading”— a concept whose name is adapted from Western literary criticism but whose substance is rooted in Chinese scholarly traditions — offers a productive approach. Applying this method to “Preface to Selections of Refined Literature” not only generates fresh insights into canonical texts nit also highlights the importance of theory and methodology in literary studies.
Keywords
reinterpretation, Preface to Selections of Refined Literature, close–distant reading
First Page
107
Last Page
121
Recommended Citation
Zhang, Bowei. . "Reinterpreting the “Preface to Selections of Refined Literature” through “Close– Distant Reading”." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 45, (4): pp.107-121. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol45/iss4/11
