关键词: 大人文, 中西融通, 汉学主义, 文艺理论, 外语教学

Abstract: With an academic career of nearly 40 years, Professor Mingdong Gu in the School of Arts and Humanities, University of Texas at Dallas, has proposed the idea of “Greater Humanities” and dedicated himself to practicing it in his teaching and research. This article grows out of an interview with him, covering his academic career, research approaches, scholarly concepts, and the past and future orientations of the academia. Based on his own career and vision, he shares with us his views on the similarities and differences in graduate education between British and American universities, the relationship between education and scholarship, the intricacies in evaluating the English translation of Chinese classics, the genesis of Sinologism, the modernization of classical Chinese literary theory and philosophy, and some conceptual issues concerning originality and creativity in scholarship. He has also offered his insights on how Chinese culture can go beyond China and how foreign language education in China can be enhanced to the next level. The interview shows an overseas Chinese scholar's global perspective on and love for Chinese culture, and testifies to his inquisitiveness, critical sensibility, and creative spirit in academic pursuit. Some of his ideas will not only inspire scholars working on China-West studies and comparative culture, but also facilitate the promotion of Chinese culture abroad and help improve foreign language teaching in China.

Key words: “Greater Humanities”, fusion of China-West scholarship, Sinologism, theory of literature and art, foreign language teaching