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영어

Baek-hwa Yang Geon-sik(1889-1944) was a writer, Buddhist devotee, critic, and translator. He started literature activities from publishing a short story Stone Lion Statue in 1915. He drew attention with other short story Sad Contradiction in 1918. It has more significance that he was a translator taking an independent position in Korean modern literature history from incessant translations and introductions of Chinese literature as well as an important writer. He continually translated and introduced new poems, modern novels, and modern plays of China which were created in Chinese New Literary Movement to Korea. However, although he was the best master who introduced Chinese literature in the 1920s and 1930s to Korea, it was not until 1970s that studies on him were started. Results of not only short stories that were published by him but also literature exchanges of Chinese new literature and classical literature which were introduced to Korea did not receive proper evaluation in Korean history of modern literature. Considering these points, this paper studied the acceptance of Chinese literature works, reasons of selection of translated texts, and characteristics of Yang Baek-hwa’s translation focused on the Collection of Chinese Short Stories as his translation book, in order to reconsider the results of Korean and Chinese literature in the early 20th century. The translation of Chinese modern novels of Yang Baek-hwa was not deliveries of simple contents. The translation achievement of Chinese modern literature of him who found out the meanings of Chinese literature as tradition and used them while living in Joseon under the Japanese colonial ruling must be our precious heritage. Especially, the Collection of Chinese Short Stories has its meanings in the history of Korean modern translation and literature in that it introduced revolutionary literature to Korean adolescents, awakened them through the translation, contributed to the development of Korean society and literature, and searched a new writing style by translating Chinese works from using Korean writing style near a colloquial style in the time when Chinese style was rampant. At these points, the acceptance, translation, and introduction of Chinese modern literature of Yang Baek-hwa will provide new perspectives on the diffusion and acceptance of Eastern Asian literature including Korea, China, and Japan in modern era.