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北京大学英语新闻网/Peking University News
initiate brand new academic research fields for future generations to come, and of
emphasis on both research and morality.
In 1995, the Ministry of Education asked Professor Yuan to be the editor-in-chief of
Textbooks of the 21st Century on History of Chinese Literature. He engaged 30
scholars of 19 universities nationwide, working in concerted effort in an amiable
academic atmosphere. After two and half years of hard work, they completed the
entire set of 4 volumes. Professor Yuan regarded the set as being more than just
textbooks, rather a reflection of the newest academic achievements. He spent much
time and energy in this project, from inviting and organizing the participants, to
drafting and confirming the book outlines, instructing writing guidelines, to final
editing of the entire book. He also wrote the book‘s general introduction, introduction
to the Third Volume, as well as two chapters of the Third Volume. During his visit to
Havard-Yenching Institute, he spent 4 months at the Harvard library to edit the entire
book. He carried a suitcase full of manuscript from China to the States, then
returning from the States to China. He always refuses to only keep an empty title as
the editor-in-chief without actually engaging as the editor, and this project proves just
that. Professor Yuan set forth three principles for the writing of literary history: based
on literature, examined through historical context, and viewed from cultural
perspective. This is very much consistent with Professor Yuan‘s approach in poetry
research, which is methodical understanding of commonalities of all disciplines. In
addition to various awards since its publication in August 1998, the textbook project
received wide-spread praise from academic circles. It has been in reprint many times
and used by numerous universities.
One intriguing aspect of Professor Yuan‘s life -- whether it is of a personal interest or
of an academic nature -- is his affection for Tao Yuan-min. He started his research
on Tao over two decades earlier, beginning in the 80s. In 2003, his 900-plus page
Annotations of Collections of Tao Yuan-min was categorized as part of the national
key projects on classical literature. Professor Yuan researched every good edition of
the rare book Collections of Tao Yuan-min, both domestically and from overseas.
Professor Yuan‘s book collects all views from other scholars including those from
overseas and those that had been rarely viewed from books, journals and
newspapers. Not only did he provide detailed examination and the best possible
explanations, he also asserted his own opinions. His book is strongly valued in its
annotations, in addition to its creativeness and completeness compared with other
annotated editions. It is considered a new initiative in research methodology of
classical literature. Professor Yuan made a great deal of effort in choice of wording,
collecting of anecdotes, and providing explanations of historical facts; he also
provided ample citations for those of profound significance but often overlooked by
others. He offered plentiful insights into the artistic and philosophical aspects of
Tao‘s work as well as his take on some historical facts.
Professor Yuan has taught a course of the Study on Tao Yuan-min at Tokyo
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