Step out of the closed circle of culture

Author: Zhang Longxi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-10-01
Features: Breaking out of the closed circle of culture is to hope to transcend the narrow boundaries of various fields, viewing our lives and the world around us with as broad an eye as possible. The academicians I respect all possess broad perspectives and minds, never content with being experts in a particular field, but always transcending the limitations of disciplines, languages, cultures, and traditions. From depth to breadth, from specialists to the "all-round scholars" as defined in the Chinese cultural tradition, it is this spirit of transcending the closed circle of culture that drives me to seek my own insights and standpoints when contemplating traditional and modern, as well as postmodern issues. I do not chase trends, nor do I echo others' opinions, nor do I simply oppose Eastern and Western cultures. — The author now presents this book to the readers. Initially printed in traditional Chinese characters by the Commercial Press in Hong Kong, it was published in summer 2000 in Hong Kong. The book collects some articles I have previously published in Chinese, and the decision to compile and publish them was largely due to the kind encouragement of my old friend, Dr. Chan Man-wong, the Chief Editor of the Commercial Press in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong edition was not distributed domestically, and I have always felt a bit regretful about it, as I believe the content of this book might interest readers in mainland China, yet it remains unseen there. Now, the Sanlian Bookstore has reprinted this book in simplified Chinese, finally fulfilling my wish to share these writings with domestic readers. This simplified Chinese edition includes two newly completed articles, discussing Mr. Yang Jiang's We Three and Mr. Qian Zhongshu's English works, which are now included as the last two chapters of the book. Additionally, I took this opportunity to revise the original book, making minor adjustments in some places, so this edition differs slightly from the original Hong Kong version, making it a new edition. Regarding the content of each chapter and the general outline of the book, I have already explained them in the preface, so there is no need to say more here. In the early 1980s, I published a series of articles reviewing 20th-century Western literary theories in Dushu (Reading). In 1986, Sanlian Bookstore compiled and published them under the title Commentaries on 20th-Century Western Literary Theories, included in the "Reading Series." Over the years, many friends, including those I had just met, have mentioned that book, saying it had a certain impact at the time. However, many friends praised my old work, also indirectly expressing regret over the fewer articles I have written since then. In the past decade or so, I have also written some articles, but as I have been living abroad, I have written more in English than in Chinese. Currently, this humble work can be considered another collection of articles following the one published in 1986. I hope to make greater efforts in the future to contribute more to domestic readers.