古希腊罗马时期西方的中国形象

Image of China in the West in Ancient Greece and Rome

中国和欧洲分处欧亚大陆两端,二者的文化是在相互隔绝的情况下独立发展成熟起来的。文章拟从比较文学形象学角度,考察古希腊、罗马时期西方的中国形象及其所蕴含的神话与传说色彩。距离产生美,无论是幸福宁静的"希伯尔波利安人",还是盛产丝绸的"赛里斯"、"秦尼",早期西方中国形象都充满了理想化的神奇想象和强烈的物质诱惑。直到13世纪末,著名的《马可波罗行纪》问世之前,中国形象始终停留在那个虚无缥缈的神话与传说阶段。

China and Europe are located in the different ends of the Eurasian continent.Their cultures independently developed to mature under the condition of geographical isolation from each other.This paper intends to investigate the image of China in ancient Greece and Rome which implied the myth and legend colors.It was a question of distance.Whether the happy quiet Hyperboreans or the Seres and Thinai which were rich in silk,the image of China in the early west was full of idealized magical imagination and strong material temptation.The image of China always stayed in the phase of myths and legends until the end of 13th century when the famous book ＂The travels of Marco Polo＂ published.