popular literature; folk literature
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesnoun
popular literature; folk literature (encompassing ballads, storytelling, operas, etc.)
formalAcademic term referring to the tradition of vernacular and folk literature in ancient China, as opposed to the 'elegant literature' (雅文学) of the educated elite. Encompasses various oral and performative genres from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.
Sú俗
wén文
xué学
yán研
jiū究
shì是
Zhōng中
guó国
wén文
xué学
shǐ史
de的
zhòng重
yào要
fēn分
zhī支
。
The study of popular literature is an important branch of Chinese literary history.
Táng唐
dài代
de的
biàn变
wén文
shì是
sú俗
wén文
xué学
de的
zhòng重
yào要
xíng形
shì式
zhī之
yī一
。
Transformation texts from the Tang Dynasty are one of the important forms of popular literature.
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Yǔ与
yǎ雅
wén文
xué学
xiāng相
duì对
，
sú俗
wén文
xué学
gèng更
jiē接
jìn近
pǔ普
tōng通
mín民
zhòng众
de的
shēng生
huó活
。
In contrast to elegant literature, popular literature is closer to the lives of ordinary people.
Zhè这
bù部
zhù著
zuò作
xì系
tǒng统
de地
zhěng整
lǐ理
le了
Sòng宋
Yuán元
yǐ以
lái来
de的
sú俗
wén文
xué学
zī资
liào料
。
This work systematically organizes popular literature materials from the Song and Yuan dynasties onward.