张隆溪:《中国文学史》

ZHANG Longxi.A History of Chinese Literature.

One of the fairest ways to critique a history of Chinese literature is to judge whether the author or editor is trying to achieve his goal in a way he considers efficient and acceptable to readers.In this sense,Zhang’s version,as the second history of Chinese literature written in English by a scholar of Chinese background alone—following Chen Shouyi’s Chinese Literature:A Historical Introduction(1961)—signifies another promising start and a gratifying milestone in an attempt to change the“obvious imbalance of knowledge between Chinese and Western readers”by providing“basic information and knowledge about Chinese literature in its full history to readers who have the interest and curiosity to learn about China and its literature,but have no or very little knowledge of its language,culture,and history”(xiv).