海外文化传播中的苏州符号——以《美丽苏州:苏州社会文化史》所引英文文献为中心

Suzhou’s Cultural Symbols in Overseas Cultural Communication:Centered on the Literatures Cited in Beautiful Su:A Social and Cultural History of Suzhou,China

文化符号在海外文化传播中起着重要作用,典型文化符号具有很强的标识性和传播力。以《美丽苏州:苏州社会文化史》所引英文文献为中心,通过文献梳理,考察“苏州”“江南”“吴”在不同历史时期英文文献中的拼写符号,勾勒“人间天堂”这一苏州典型文化符号在英语世界的传播图景,分析其得以深度传播的原因,进而探讨吴文化,乃至中国文化海外传播的规律。

Cultural symbols play a significant part in overseas cultural communication.Archetypal symbols are prominent identifiers with strong power of transmission.This paper,centered on the literatures cited in Stephen L.Koss’s Beautiful Su:A Social and Cultural History of Suzhou,China,is intended to investigate the different spellings of Suzhou,Wu and Jiangnan in different periods of history,to introduce the transmission of Suzhou’s most-renowned archetypal symbol of“terrestrial paradise”or“earthly heaven”in the English writing and reading public,to analyze the reasons for its popularity among the English world,and to further delve into the laws of transmission of the Chinese culture,including the Wu culture.