Walter Scott And Modern Chinese Literature

W. Scott was a famous novelist and poet in 19th century in Britain. His novels combined with fabricated characters and real history events, thus revealed the truth of histroy through complicated stories and characters' adventures. His novels had a profound effect at that time. In early 20th centrty, his famous novel Ivanhoe entered China by the translation by Lin Shu, a translator of China. Ivanhoe had a great influence on China and pushed forward the conception transform of Chinese literature. Modern Chinese literary circles attached great importance to Scott and translated many his works in sucession with some criticism as well. Before New Cultural Movement, Scott became one of the most famous foreign authors in China because of the sense of fresh and the intergration with traditional literature in his works. After 1917, authors in the period of May 4th Movement opposed to regard literture as a way of amusement. Under their enlighteness, aesthetic sense of Chinese readers changed greatly. Scott's works weren't welcome warmly any longer. Scott's works had influenced the literture conception and creatiion skill of some writers. Maodun wrote a detailed comment and record of W. Scott in 1924. Probably enligtened by Scott, the characters of this works were similar to Scott's. Some other writers, such as Li Jieren, Guo Moluo, Zeng Pu and Lin Shu also had similar writing style to Scott.