关键词: 虚构, 文类属性, 叙事策略, 逆传播, 中日文化交流

Abstract: “Fiction” is a commonly used concept in literary studies, which has long existed in ancient Chinese texts, typically referring to “fabricating falsehoods,” “groundless,” or “absurd speech.” However, during the Meiji period, Japanese scholars began to adopt it as a key concept to embody modern literary ideas. It has since been employed to explain the nature of literature, denote literary genres, and describe narrative strategies. It has gradually become a widely influential term in literary theory and criticism alongside words such as “imagination.” Translating the western term “fiction” into Chinese not only shows the influence of Western learning but also reflects the transmission of western culture into China through Japanese translation. As a productive concept, “fiction” has become a specimen for examining the modernization of Chinese literary theory and criticism. In this regard, it has significantly altered the way of thinking and forms of knowledge in Chinese literary theory and criticism, providing a vivid case and valuable experience for the modern transformation of ancient Chinese literary theory.

Key words: fiction, literary genre attributes, narrative strategies, reverse transmission, cultural communication between China and Japan