The publication of Fu Xiuyan and Ni Aizhen's "Historical Biography and the Narrative Tradition of Chinese Literature" is something to celebrate. Over the years, I have been thinking about issues related to the Chinese narrative tradition, and the PhD students I have supervised have naturally followed me into this field, and their work not only extends and deepens this research, but often in turn inspires and motivates me, which is the benefit and fun of taking students. The so-called teaching benefit mainly comes from this kind of ideological agitation between teachers and students. After graduation, Ni Aizhen spent a lot of time and energy to enrich and improve her doctoral dissertation, and finally formed this academic work that readers see. The publication of academic works is an important milestone in one's academic journey, and I am sincerely delighted that she has harvested the first weighty academic fruit. Historical tradition is the source of Chinese narrative literature, and in our ancient civilization where the concept of "history is more expensive than literature" has long been popular, it is impossible to study narrative tradition without paying attention to historical legend first. Although many people have pioneered this direction chosen in this book, the author can still find some gaps in previous research and create new ways to put forward his own ideas. The author believes that the matrix of literary and historical coexistence produces the possibilities and rules of literary narrative, which has left a deep-rooted imprint in the literary narrative of later generations, and although the form and function of later narrative have undergone certain changes, they are constantly connected with historical tradition. Although the book is commonplace in the field of ancient literature, due to the introduction of some categories and concepts of contemporary narratology, candlelight and analysis from a theoretical height, it is still fresh to read. The author's writing is always fluent, and her invocation of extraterritorial theories is not a simple transfer that is common nowadays, but a highly targeted and free use, which is not easy to achieve. Andy Pu, a professor of sinology at Princeton University (who has written books such as Chinese Narratology), recognized her efforts as well as other defense committee members when she defended her doctoral dissertation. Of course, this book cannot solve all the problems related to the Chinese narrative tradition in one fell swoop. The reason why historical biography will have an impact on literary narrative is, in the final analysis, to seek answers in the conceptual consciousness of the ancients. Roland Barthes said in "The Joy of Literature" that "writing" is "one and the same", and the novelist's "writing" and other people's "writing" are "weaving of literature", which has actually arisen in our ancients, and their lack of attachment to the difference between fiction and non-fiction is proof of this. Although literary history after the pre-Qin dynasty diverged, in the mainstream ideology, "Spring and Autumn" and "Spring and Autumn Brushwork" are still the standards for measuring all narratives: comparing a novel to "Spring and Autumn" is the greatest praise for its narrative level; To say that a certain author is well versed in "Spring and Autumn Brushwork" is also a high affirmation of his narrative ability. Qi Yingsheng's "Preface to the Stone Record" said that "Dream of Red Mansions" is "like the "Spring and Autumn" with a few words, and the historians' many curved pens", which is a typical example of such comments. After the birth of the "Shiji" and the "Book of Han", "Shi Qian" and "Banma" have become synonymous with narrative masters, and the ancients said "Shicai" and "Shi Pen" do not specifically refer to the ability to cultivate history, and "Six Classics are History" in a certain sense can also be understood that there are narratives in the "Six Classics" - no matter what kind of narrative. The 20th-century American literary theorists Ray Welleck and O. Warren once pointed out the "cross-literary" nature of narrative, and the recent "interdisciplinary trend" in Western narratology confirms this prescience, but I think our ancients have long been aware that storytelling is not constrained by any literary category. Therefore, only by conducting "archaeology of knowledge" and conducting extensive inquiries from anthropology, religious studies, mythology, linguistics, semiotics, folklore and sociology and other related fields can it be possible to finally explore and clarify the genealogy of Chinese literary narratives and provide a more reasonable explanation for the emergence and formation of Chinese narrative traditions. In this way, the publication of this book means for the author that the existing research has come to an end, and more challenging academic climbs are ahead. Zhuangzi's "Getaway" says, "Those who are fit for a hundred miles, stay in the grain; In order to prepare theoretical food and grass for her new climb, the author is currently receiving postdoctoral training under Professor Zhao Yiheng of Sichuan University, this choice reflects her determination and courage of "March Gathering Food" - Professor Zhao Yiheng is a scholar who truly deserves the four characters of "learning Chinese and Western", and further study in the semiotics base camp will bring the author a reborn change, so that he has the ability to travel long distances "suitable for thousands of miles". From my years of contact with the author, I feel that the last thing she lacks is the determination and courage to face challenges – when she told me in 2009 that she wanted to apply for a PhD in narratology, she had such an expression on her face, and I was worried that her modern and contemporary literary foundation might not be able to adapt to the theoretical requirements of the narratology major, but she finally dispelled my fears with hard study. The Upasai Sutra tells the story of "three beasts crossing the river": "The rabbit does not reach the bottom, but floats through the water; Horses or to the bottom, or not to the bottom; The elephant is at the end. If learning is seen as crossing a river, then many people today seek to "float through the water" like rabbits, entering the academic field to obtain degrees, titles or other benefits; Still others cross the river half-floating and half-sinking like horses, and their academic footsteps are not touched by every step; Only a few people can walk to the other shore step by step like elephants, and everyone who achieves great business must take this down-to-earth way of trekking. Guangming Daily recently reported on Professor Che Xilun of Yangzhou University under the headline "Riding a Thin Horse Alone for Long Distances", a retired teacher in his eighties who has been doing painstaking fieldwork for his treasure scroll research in obscurity, and it was only after his work was recently won the first prize of the Ministry of Education's outstanding achievement that more people in the academic community understood the significance of his work. My own studies in this life are at most "Madu", one foot deep and one foot shallow, but I hope that Ni Aizhen and young talents who are interested in learning can insist on using the "elephant crossing" method to move towards their academic goals like Mr. Che Xilun, which is the inspiration given to us by the story of "Three Beasts Crossing the River". is the order. June 1, 2015（AI翻译）