英文摘要 |
As a commentary and a gazetteer, Shuijing zhu (Commentary on the Waterways Classic) is usually seen as a record of changes in geography in medieval China and studied for this purpose and political intentions implied therein. Under this framework, the most important value of Shuijing zhu lies in its field studies and preservation of texts. However, by focusing on strange writings and quotations in the book, we can see how the author manipulates these for his specific purpose. This article discusses the narrative and fictional aspects of Shuijing zhu. When analyzing anecdotes and quotations in the context, I find that Li exaggerates conflicts and emotions among different people in anecdotes. Also, Li selects, abbreviates and reconstructs historical facts for different types of landscape, for he knows the readers already have knowledge and information about the stories. As a result, Li deconstructs the genre established by ''Yu Gong'' in the Book of Historical Documents. Shuijing zhu is no longer a gazetteer to help emperors rule the country, instead, Li tries to find, to cultivate and to summon a group of readers who share interests in appreciating sceneries. With these target readers who have same knowledge background and interests in mind, Li emphasizes the delight and aesthetic feelings in the sceneries. In so doing, Li manages to narrate strange stories, and reconstruct the quotations. The creative writing style and content of Shuijing zhu therefore allow meaningful interpretations in the history of geographical writings. |