关键词: 孝女投炉, 跨文化传播, 孝道观念, 小泉八云, “大钟之魂”

Abstract: “Xiaonü Toulu” is a Chinese folk story belonging to the category of “casting sacrifices.” It follows a narrative structure of “casting failure—self-sacrifice—casting success,” portraying the image of a filial daughter who sacrifices herself to save her father, thereby embodying the Chinese filial concept. The story’s supernatural elements and tragic ending also highlight its unique literary and aesthetic value. Research has confirmed that Koizumi Yakumo (Lafcadio Hearn)’s 1887 tale “The Soul of the Great Bell” was based on this story, marking the first identification of the latter’s narrative source. Using “The Soul of the Great Bell” as a focal point, this paper traces the cross-cultural dissemination of the “Xiaonü Toulu” story from China to the West and subsequently to Japan. It examines the story’s multiple functions in cultural transmission and children’s moral education, analyzes why its core narrative and values of the story remain preserved across diverse cultural contexts, and explores, at a micro level, the implications of this tale for the overseas dissemination of Chinese culture.

Key words: Xiaonü, Toulu, cross-cultural transmission, filial ideology, Koizumi Yakumo (Lafcadio Hearn), “The Soul of the Great Bell”