一国文学的形象会影响目标读者对它的接受,而选集(群)在建构一国文学的形象中起着至关重要的作用｡本文以在美国出版的中国现当代文学选集为研究对象,通过考察篇目选择和副文本阐释,勾勒出中国文学的形象在美国的演变轨迹｡研究发现,建国前,中国文学在美国呈现出鲜明的“红色”;建国后三十年,中国文学被认为在形式和技巧方面乏善可陈;新时期以来,异议文学选集的密集出现,使中国文学被视作简单的社会批评｡

The image of a national literature bears on its reception in the receiving culture in which translation· anthologies play a vital role in constructing that image. Taking the translation anthologies of modern Chinese literature published in America from 1931 to 1990 as the research object, this paper analyzes editors preference in text selection and the commonalities in their interpretation framework, and on that basis, traces the course of the image of modern Chinese literature in America. This study shows that in America, from the 1930s to 1940s,modern Chinese literature was mainly represented by left-wing literature and thus appeared distinctly “red”; from the founding of the People’ s Republic of China to the Cultural Revolution years, modern Chinese literature was considered to have little to offer in terms of form and style; the years following the inception of Reform and Opening-up saw a shower of dissent literature anthologies, which gave the impression that modern Chinese literature was little more than sheer social critique.