In Between The New And The Old

Bao Tianxiao (包天笑)is one of the most important scholars in the late QingDynasty and the early years of the Republic of China. He is a novelist who practicedin a variety of literary writings. He is also a journalist and a editor of magazines and aorganizer of literacy groups. This paper studies his translations, novels, and thejournals and magazines that he edited, and comes to the conclusion that his literacywritings and cultural activities generally changed by "chasing modernity" to "back toconservative attitude." The impulse of "chasing modernity" was fully reflected by histranslation activities and short story writing, and generally speaking his novels tendtowards traditional styles and values. This phenomenon was connected with Bao'schanging ideas, which were also paralleled by the spirit of times. Bao Tianxiao was inthe Late Qing Dynasty when a number of sudden changes occurred, and his growingcareer was paralleled by the changing times. For example, his impulse towardschasing modernity was in part an answer to the question "Is China able to finishmodernization?"Bao Tianxiao had a long career in literary writing, and he tried different typesand styles of writing, so it seems that his writing career forms a special literaturehistory itself. The description and analysis of Bao Tianxiao's literary writings andcultural activities supports a perspective to look at scholar's choice in great changesand a melting personality of modernism and conservatism.This paper focuses on three questions: first, what charming literacy prospect isBao Tianxiao's translation activities and writing? What is their aesthetic value andcultural meaning? Second, how did the writing and activities of Bao Tianxiao andother scholars around him influence the May Fourth New Literature? How did theyrespond to each other? Third, what space did Bao Tianxiao construct through literacyactivities involving editing magazine and organize groups? What cultural atmospheresurrounded Bao Tianxiao's literacy writings? By examining literary texts, journals,and magazines, this paper also aims at restoring literary texts to their original contextand describing the cultural atmosphere of the time.