Journey to the West had already entered Europe in the early 19th century, and early Chinese book collections in Europe recorded its versions, indicating that it had been circulating in Europe for at least 200 years. According to Zhang Xiping's "Compilation of Catalogue of Chinese Books in Europe", there were already 33 types of Chinese book collections in Europe before 1931. To study the dissemination of ancient Chinese cultural classics in the West, we need to start with philology and cataloging. These books have extensive descriptions of Journey to the West and are of great value to the history of European library science and the dissemination of Chinese literature. This article aims to examine the narration of "Journey to the West" in early European books and explore its influence on the early dissemination, acceptance, and translation of "Journey to the West" in the West.

1、 Cataloging and Distribution: Journey to the West in Early European Chinese Books

Detailed exploration of the collection and distribution of Journey to the West in Europe during the mid to late Qing Dynasty. With the increasing exchange between China and the West, a large number of Chinese books were transported to Europe, among which Journey to the West was widely collected in Europe. At least 10 types of Chinese book collections record the narration of Journey to the West, reflecting the collection status of Chinese books at that time.

2、 Problem solving and commentary: "Journey to the West" in early European research on Chinese literature

In the mid-19th century, the European sinology community began to pay attention to Journey to the West, and sinologists conducted research from multiple perspectives. Bazin listed "Journey to the West" as one of the masterpieces of Chinese novels in "Modern China", and Theodore Pavi partially translated it. Weilie Yali detailed "Journey to the West" in "Solving Problems in Chinese Classics" and considered it a novel about gods and ghosts. Mu Linde mentioned the Russian translation of "Journey to the West" by Russian missionaries in his "Catalogue of Chinese Classics". Gubernatis briefly described Chinese novels, including Journey to the West, in his book "A General History of Literature". Gan Lin regarded "Journey to the West" as a representative work of mythological novels in "On Chinese Fiction" and partially translated it. Zhai Lisi detailed "Journey to the West" in "A History of Chinese Literature" and attempted to translate some of its contents. Ge Lubo discussed the mythological elements of Journey to the West in his book "A History of Chinese Literature". Cody recorded the French translation of "Journey to the West" in his book "The Book of Chinese Literature on Westerners". Ku Shouling introduced "Journey to the West" in the "Encyclopedia of China" and distinguished it from "Changchun Zhenren Journey to the West". These works demonstrate the significant position and influence of Journey to the West in early European Sinology research.

3、 The significance of "Journey to the West" in the early Chinese literature of Europe

The frequent inclusion of "Journey to the West" in early European Chinese literature reflects its collection and distribution in the West, becoming a classic case of the transmission of Chinese literature to the West. The early translation, dissemination, and acceptance of "Journey to the West" in Europe had a positive impact, mainly reflected in three aspects: firstly, the early Chinese literature in Europe restored the classic status of "Journey to the West" in Chinese novels, and its popularity in the Ming and Qing dynasties influenced the understanding of the book by Westerners in the late Qing Dynasty. Secondly, the narrative in the bibliography reflects the mutually reinforcing relationship between the collection and research of Journey to the West, providing research materials for Orientalists and Sinologists. At the same time, the cataloger supplements the reviews in the Chinese novel research bibliography and recommends reading to readers. Finally, the narration and early translation of "Journey to the West" in early European Chinese literature relied on each other, providing translators with a Chinese base source. The story content of the bibliography focused on Buddhist adventures, religious fables, and other aspects, which had an impact on later translations. In addition, early Westerners' understanding of the author and protagonist of "Journey to the West" gradually deepened, and book narrators held different views on the types of novels, reflecting the different perspectives of Western cataloging and literary criticism in defining "Journey to the West". The compilation of translated literature on Journey to the West in early European research on Chinese literature outlines the general process from sporadic translations to iconic single line translations.

4、 Conclusion

From the 19th century to the early 20th century, the Chinese version of Journey to the West was widely collected and disseminated through private or official channels in major European countries. The cataloging of early Chinese literature in Europe provides detailed records of different versions of Journey to the West and reflects the cataloger's overview and understanding of the novel's content. The research bibliography focuses on commenting on the content, characteristics, and value of "Journey to the West", and records the research and translation literature of "Journey to the West" in the early European sinology community. These rich narratives timely established the classic status of Journey to the West in the West, promoting its dissemination in Europe through translation. Currently, the author, version, translation, and religious and mythological implications of "Journey to the West" have become a research hotspot in the field of Western Sinology, thanks to the foundational and pioneering narrative of "Journey to the West" in early European Chinese literature. The bibliographic records in early European Chinese literature provided a literature foundation and reading guide for the study of Journey to the West in the early European sinology community, marking the beginning of Western Sinology's Journey to the West.