Imagination As A Method:A Study Of Cross-cultural Communication Strategies In Lin Yutang’s Biographical Works

As a literary master,Lin Yutang was deeply influenced by his Christian family and exposed to Western civilization when he was young.After that,he continued to explore Chinese culture through his own efforts.So he has made significant contributions to cultural exchanges between China and the West.Lin Yutang,whose "two feet on Chinese and Western culture",has made great contributions to spreading the image of China.During his lifetime,he produced a large number of writings in English,which aroused a strong response abroad.And his biography is worth studying.There are still some gaps in the studies of his biography literature.Most researchers pay more attention to his essays,novels or his cultural thoughts and artistic views.Based on existing academic achievements,the author will explore cross-cultural communication strategies in his biographical works.On the basis of Lin Yutang’s method of "imagination",this paper will start the discussion from the following chapters.Chapter Ⅰ,mainly introduces Lin Yutang’s cultural identity and biographical works,exploring the influence of Lin Yutang’s family education,school education and life experience on him.Chapter Ⅱ,mainly analyzes the cultural images of characters in the The Gay Genius and his autobiographies.As a writer,on the basis of respecting history,his biographical works will inevitably integrate "imagination",which is a kind of cross-cultural communication strategy in shaping the cultural image.In his works,Su Tungpo is an almost perfect ideal character..And Wang Anshi is a negative figure to set off Su Tungpo,which highlights the great image of Su Tungpo.Lin chooses and portrays typical characters,which is a stepping stone to successfully spreading the image of China.Lin Yutang also attracts many Western readers,and his cultural image cannot be ignored.Chapter Ⅲ,analyzes the cross-cultural communication strategy of Lin Yutang’s biographical writing style.He breaks the fixed mode of traditional biography,adopts the prose style,and creates his biographical works on the basis of imagination and personal emotion,which has obtained good communication effect.Chapter Ⅳ,expounds the enlightenment of Lin Yutang’s biographical works on cross-cultural communication and teaching Chinese as a foreign language.Lin Yutang played an indispensable role in cultural exchanges.Lin Yutang’s successful experience in spreading Chinese culture has influenced every Chinese cultural communicator.