Abstract: Upon its publication in 1961, Ch’ên Shou-yi’s Chinese Literature: A Historical Introduction drew criticism from Western scholars for serious flaws in annotation and academic ethics. These critiques focused on repetitive content, insufficient citations, and inadequate engagement with contemporary scholarship. Though framed as objective academic assessment, such criticism implicitly reinforced orientalist paradigms, a discursive strategy that marginalized non-Western voices within academia, by essentializing distinctions between Western and Chinese scholarly traditions. In this context, Ch’ên Shou-yi’s strategic incorporation of pre-1949 Chinese scholarly achievements constituted a dual act of resistance. The first is cultural reclamation. By foregrounding the contributions of Chinese scholars, the book embodied a nuanced expression of diasporic intellectual heritage. The second is critical allegory. References to Hu Shi and Zheng Zhenduo’s research served as subtle critiques of mainland China’s academic climate while advancing the classical ideal of zhiyin. Epitomizing moral resilience, Ch’ên Shou-yi’s methodology constitutes a passive virtue that asserts epistemological autonomy against academic hegemony.

Key words: the beauty of passive virtue, Ch’ên Shou-yi, Chinese Literature: A Historical Introduction, orientalism in footnotes, transcultural longings

摘要： 陈受颐的《中国文学史略》在1961年出版时,颇受西方学者攻讦,被认为在注释规范和学术道德方面存在巨大瑕疵。他们批评陈受颐行文重复,未做注释,且没有吸纳最新的研究成果。这种批评看似客观,实则暗藏东方主义思维。白人学者有意将中西学术风格本质化,并借此排挤华人学者进入学术研究领域。而在此语境下,陈受颐对中国学者的成果做明目张胆的“借鉴”,是有心抗议的表现。一方面,他通过照搬前贤,标举了国人的研究成果,表露出浓烈的乡愁寄托;另一方面,他也借此传递了一种知音共同体的意念,借声援胡适、郑振铎等人在内的研究,对当时国内学界人云亦云的现状做出了隐微批评。这种身处跨文化重压之下仍对中西两个文学世界有所寄托和批评的行为,构成了一种“弱德之美”,即虽身处逆境,仍有持守。

关键词: 弱德之美, 陈受颐, 《中国文学史略》, 脚注东方主义, 跨文化寄托