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”

摘要： “孝女投炉”是一则“铸造牺牲”类的中国民间故事,以“铸造失败—献身—铸造成功”为故事主线,通过塑造为救父献身的孝女形象,展现了中国的孝道观念,并以怪谈元素与悲剧式结尾体现了独特的文学审美价值。经考证,小泉八云于1887年创作的“大钟之魂”即以“孝女投炉”故事为蓝本,这一发现首次明确了“大钟之魂”的故事源头。基于此,本文以小泉八云“大钟之魂”为线索,梳理“孝女投炉”故事从中国到欧美再到日本的传播路径,研究其文化传播与儿童教育等多重功能,分析其核心叙事与价值观念在不同文化语境下仍能保留原貌的原因,并从微观层面揭示该故事对于中华文化域外传播的启示意义。

关键词: 孝女投炉, 跨文化传播, 孝道观念, 小泉八云, “大钟之魂”