中国文学的定义与范围The Definition and Scope of Literature i

中国文学的定义和范围——最早的文学传统，是中国传统文学的提纲。中国文学的起源可以追溯到几千年前。《诗经》是最早的读物，是民国时期任何一个受过教育的人所需要的读物，这个可以追溯到公元前十二世纪。正是这种丰富的文学遗产从“诗经”一直延伸到今天的文学，历史和哲学着作 - 而不是宗教 - 为大多数人提供了精神慰借和智力寄托的主要来源。这一传统也塑造了中国人与传统文学和现代文学共享的关系。中国文学从来就不仅仅是审美愉悦的源泉，是表达压抑情绪的一种方式，或者是一种放纵幻想的渠道。它从一开始就被当作日常生活的向导，成为社会良心的声音，用意义充实人的存在，引导他沿着人生的道路前进。文学也质疑了社会的状况，反映了历史的趋势，并试图纠正社会错误。因此，文学在中国人的文化和精神生活中始终居于主导地位，其价值和品格不能仅凭其审美特征来界定或评价。The Definition and Scope of Literature in China -The Earliest Literary Traditions An Outline of Traditional Chinese Literature The beginnings of Chinese literature go back thousands of years. The earliest pieces in the Book of Songs which is required reading for any educated person in the Republic of China today, date back to the 12th century B.C. It is this rich literary heritage that stretches unbroken from the Book of Songs to the literary, historical, and philosophical works of the present day--and not religion--that has provided the main source of spiritual comfort and intellectual sustenance to the majority of educated Chines e through the ages. This tradition has also shaped the relationship that the Chinese people share with both traditional and contemporary literature. Literature in China has never been simply a source of aesthetic pleasure, a way to express pent-up emotions, or a channel to indulge in flights of fancy. It has, rather, from its inception served as a guide to everyday living and been a voice of social conscience, filling man's existence with meaning and leading him along life's path. Literature has also questioned the state of society, reflected on the trends of history, and attempted to right social wrongs. As a result, literature has always held a leading position in the cultural and intellectual life of the Chinese people, and its value and character cannot be defined or evaluated by its aesthetic characteristics alone.