"Red China" From A Cross-cultural Perspective

In October 1935,the Communist Party of China led the Red Army to the end of the long march and arrived at northern Shaanxi.Although the Communist Party had temporarily crushed the encirclement and suppression of the Kuomintang at this time,it was closely blocked by the them.The Kuomintang's false propaganda had made it impossible for the outside world to understand the situation of the Liberated Areas of Northern Shaanxi,which added a bit of mystery to it and had attracted the attention both in China and abroad.In June 1936,American journalist Edgar Snow firstly broke through the blockade line and entered the Liberated Areas of Northern Shaanxi.Then,Snow's former wife,Nym Wales,who was influenced by Snow,and arrived at Yan'an,Shaanxi.After their visit,they created the book of "The Foreign Journalist's Impression of Northwest China","Red Star over China","Inside Red China" and a series of travel notes about the Liberated Areas of Northern Shaanxi."The Foreign Journalist's Impression of Northwest China" is the prototype of "Red Star over China",and "Inside Red China" is obviously influenced by "Red Star over China".Their other travel notes at the same time about the Liberated Areas of Northern Shaanxi were the abbreviations of the chapters from them or the complement for them.Therefore,they can be seen as a series of travel notes of the Liberated Areas of Northern Shaanxi with " Red Star over China" as core.This paper takes the series of travel notes with " Red Star over China" as core as the research object and intercultural communication as theoretical perspective.It tries to analyze the essential characteristics of production and dissemination of this series of travel notes,and reveals the the deep relationship between the production and dissemination of this series of travel notes and the imagine of the Liberated Areas of Northern Shaanxi.This series of travel notes were the concrete presentation of the intercultural communication,the image of the Liberated Areas in these travel notes was the understanding and imagination by Snow and Wales.It created with the help of western cultural experience in the special period.The image of the Liberated Areas of Northern Shaanxi was a "mirror image" of western culture,having the characteristics of freedom,democracy,equality and civilization.It attracted more foreign journalists to visit the Liberated Areas of Northern Shaanxi,they were deeply influenced by Snow,and the contents and structures of their writings were similar with Snow's.They had expanded the influence of "Red Star over China" and other travel notes.The translation of this series of travel notes strengthened the positive image of the Liberated Areas of Northern Shaanxi.It has aroused the infinite yearning and expectation of Chinese readers.They were influenced by the travel notes and went to visit the Liberated Areas,even stayed at here and took part in the revolution.Their behavior further expanded the influence of the travel notes and enhanced their authority.The travel notes were widely accepted by Chinese readers and became the knowledge about the Liberated Areas of Northern Shaanxi.The image of the "Holy Land" has been fixed.This article is composed of three parts:introduction,text and conclusion.The introduction includes four aspects:1.The production and influence of the series of travel notes with "Red Star over China" as core;2.The current research status;3.The concept of modern travel notes and the reason for that taking"Red Star over China"and other travel notes as a series of studies;4.The research ideas and the overall framework of this paper.The first chapter analyzes the factors that influenced the creation of the series of travel notes with "Red Star over China" as core.Spirit of independence,free and democratic position,fascist crisis and the experiences in China facilitated the trip of Snow and Weals to the Liberated Areas of Northern Shaanxi and affected their understanding and imagination.The second chapter discusses the focus of observation by Snow and Weals and the characteristics of the image of the Liberated Areas of Northern Shaanxi.The expectation of democracy and the yearn for freedom not only inspired the imagination of the Liberated Areas but also affected them to put focus on social features of the liberated areas,etc.The vibrant scenes in the liberated areas stimulated,enriched and substantiated their imagination.All of them had enabled Snow and Weals to shape the Liberated Areas into a brisk place full of hope.The third chapter analyzes the essential connotation that the image of the Liberated Areas of Northern Shaanxi is a "cultural mirror" of the west.The image of the Liberated Areas in the series of travel notes with "Red Star over China" as core is the understanding and imagination from the western cultural perspective by Snow and Weals.It is the "mirror image" of western culture,it has the characteristics of freedom,democracy,equality and civilization.The fourth chapter discusses the influence of the translation of the travel notes on the image of the Liberated Areas of Northern Shaanxi,and analysis the relationship between the translation,dissemination and symbolization of the image of the "Holy Land".The revision of the translation strengthened the positive image of the Liberated Areas of Northern Shaanxi,it had led to the endless longing of the readers.When the travel notes have generally accepted by readers,they became knowledge about-the Liberated Areas of Northern Shaanxi and the image of the "Holy Land" in the Liberated Areas has been fixed.The epilogue reveals the fundamental reason for the huge influence caused by the series of travel notes with "Red Star over China" as core.The freedom,democracy and other meaning agglomerated on the image of the Liberated Areas of Northern Shaanxi are the vital reason why it attracted readers at that time.This series of travel notes were authoritative,when they became a system of knowledge discourse,it's also an important reason for their huge influence.