Differing Reception of Aesop's Fables in Russia and Japan

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

In the first year of this research project, I traveled to Russia to gather primary and secondary sources concerning the reception of Aesop's Fables there. I then classified and analyzed these materials. I also invited a specialist in 18th-early 19th century Russian literature (presently a visiting professor in South Korea) to Japan for a research exchange. In the next project year, I gathered primary and secondary sources on the reception of Aesop's Fables in Japan, which I classified and analyzed. In the third and last year, I began writing up my research. My study analyzes early works by Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky to identify influences from the fable on 19th-century Russian prose novels. I presented this research orally at an international conference in St. Petersburg in August 2001, and wrote my new findings in "Differing Reception of Aesop's Fables in Russia and Japan." This report describes the general principles governing the process of worldwide dissemination of the fables over nearly three millennia.In Russia, Aesop's Fables merged with traditional genres and new literary trends starting in the 18th century, and finally took form as Krylov's fables. My study examines the reasons why these fables remain such a vital presence in the Russian psyche today.In Japan, Aesop's Fables were seen as useful for childhood moral education and for nurturing a new generation of leaders who would learn from Western culture. Thus demand for the Fables greatly increased immediately after the Meiji Restoration, and many translations were produced. Ultimately, however, they failed to rise above the nursery tale level. My study explores reasons why these fables never became a cultural heritage for all age groups in Japan, unlike in Russia. My findings are summarized briefly in an afterword to my research report.