Explored the origin and development of the concept of "Six Meanings of Poetry", as well as its translation and cognitive process in the West from the 17th to the 19th century. The "Preface to Poetry" first proposed the "Six Meanings" and provided detailed explanations of Feng, Ya, and Song, which influenced the later poetic interpretation. During the Wei and Jin dynasties, Liu Xie and Zhong Rong discussed the concepts of comparison and prosperity in the "Six Righteousness". In the Tang Dynasty, Kong Yingda divided the "Six Righteousness" into "Three Body and Three Purpose", and the Song Confucian scholar Zhu Xi further developed this viewpoint. As the core term of Chinese poetics, the "Six Meanings of Poetry" has been widely spread in the West. Sinologists have cited the poetic views of Chinese commentators and compared Western poetic terms with Chinese poetic concepts, promoting the integration and dialogue of Chinese and Western poetic terms.

1、 The "Six Meanings of Poetry" as Chinese Knowledge in the 17th and 18th Centuries

Explored how Western Sinology writings became the main channel for Europe to understand Chinese knowledge during the cultural exchange between China and the West in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Book of Songs and its concept of "six meanings of poetry" were introduced to Europe through these writings. An Wensi first introduced the "Six Meanings of Poetry" in "New History of China", dividing its content into five categories and providing basic explanations for concepts such as "comparison" and "prosperity". Du Hede used An Wensi's classification in "The Complete Annals of the Chinese Empire" and further promoted the knowledge of the "Six Meanings". Han Guoying and Qian Deming provided a clearer introduction to the style, elegance, and songs of the Book of Songs in their book "Chinese Miscellaneous Compilation", showcasing songs with different themes and ritual songs. These writings provided the West with a preliminary understanding of the "Six Meanings of Poetry" and promoted cultural exchange between China and the West.

2、 The "Six Meanings of Poetry" as a poetic term in the 19th century

The rapid development of specialized Sinology in the West in the 19th century brought more attention and specialized research to Chinese literature. The translation and introduction of the "Preface to Poetry", the complete translation of the "Book of Songs", and the publication of selected Chinese poetry marks the beginning of Sinologists' in-depth exploration of the "Six Meanings" from a poetic perspective. In the 17th and 18th centuries, although An Wensi and others explained the "six meanings" of wind, elegance, and song, they did not mention the term "six meanings". In the 19th century, sinologists Xiu De, Li Jacob, and Bao Jiye explicitly translated the "Six Meanings" in their translation of the "Preface to Poetry", using words such as "Six Parts", "Six Categories", and "Lo ŭ i" to refer to the "Six Meanings", and pointed out that Feng, Ya, and Song were the main parts, while Fu, Bi, and Xing were subordinate parts. They basically followed Zhu Xi's poetic views, using wind, elegance, and song as the content of their poetry, and regarded fu, bi, and xing as creative techniques, with a combination of transliteration and free translation. In the 19th century, the Western translation of the Book of Songs flourished. In addition to the translations by Li Jacob and Bao Jiye, translations by Sun Zhang, Strauss, Chao Deli, Gu Saifen, Alianbi and others also emerged one after another. Although these translations do not explicitly state the use of the "six meanings", they all introduce the Book of Songs from two aspects: content and creative techniques. In terms of content, Sun Zhang, Chao Deli, and others are divided into four parts: Guofeng, Xiaoya, Daya, and Song. In terms of the "poetic method" of Fu, Bi, and Xing, Sun Zhang, Strauss, and Chao Deli all focused their interpretations on "Xing". In the 19th century, specialized studies on the Book of Songs and collections of Chinese poetry also discussed the "six meanings" of Feng, Ya, and Song. French sinologist Bi Ou introduced in his paper "The Book of Songs, a Classic of Poetry" that the Book of Songs is divided into four parts: "Guofeng", "Xiaoya", "Daya", and "Song". The Derrick's "Tang Poetry" also discusses the division of the "Book of Songs" into four parts, with "Kingdom Customs" translated as "National Style" and "Hymns" translated as "Odes". He regarded Fu, Bi, and Xing from the Book of Songs as the three methods of Chinese poetry creation, interpreting Fu as a "clear exposition" in the literal sense; 'Bi' is a metaphor, expressed through allusions and metaphors, hiding satire or admonition. In the 19th century, Western sinologists not only translated the term "Six Meanings", but also discussed them from the perspectives of "poetic style" and "poetic method". While explaining the connotations of Feng, Ya, Song, Fu, Bi, and Xing, they also explained Zhu Xi's theory of "three meridians and three latitudes", distinguished the difference between Bi and Xing, and emphasized the uniqueness of Xing as a concept in Chinese poetics. Although these interpretations are not yet systematic, they are more in-depth than the knowledge descriptions of the 17th and 18th centuries. Legge and others conveyed clearer concepts of Chinese poetics and specific interpretations of the Book of Songs to the West, and their translation of the "Six Meanings" shifted from introducing Chinese classics to discussing issues in the study of poetry and classics. From the perspective of word selection and conceptual interpretation, the translation and introduction of the "Six Meanings" by sinologists in the 19th century often inherited and borrowed from each other.

3、 The Integration of Chinese and Western Poetic Terminology in the Translation and Introduction of the "Six Meanings of Poetry"

The translation and introduction of the "Six Meanings of Poetry" in the West from the 17th to the 19th century showed the characteristics of multiple translations and mixed language translations, such as "Feng", "Ya", "Song", "Fu", "Bi", "Xing" and other words being given multiple translation methods in different contexts. These translation choices reflect the integration of Chinese and Western poetic terminology, providing a reference for Western understanding of Chinese poetics. However, due to the long history and complex echoes of terminology in different literary traditions, there is also a misunderstanding in understanding. For example, Zhu Xi's interpretation of the "Three Body and Three Purpose" has had a profound impact, but Western translators have failed to highlight the connotation of "meaning", making it difficult for readers to grasp the specific direction of the "six meanings". In the translation of "Ode", although there is a formal correspondence between Western hymns of praise and hymns of praise in the Book of Songs, there are differences in essence. In the translation of "contrast" and "xing", the understanding of Western sinologists is not unified, and even contradictory, such as the different translations of "bi" and "xing" by Du Hede and Gu Saifen. As a convergence point for heterogeneous literary communication, term translation inevitably has limitations. From the 17th to the 19th century, the translation of the "Six Meanings of Poetry" by Westerners established a corresponding relationship between Chinese and Western poetic concepts, while also reflecting the complexity of the dialogue between Chinese and Western poetics.

4、 Conclusion

The translation and introduction of the concept of "six meanings of poetry" by Westerners in China from the 17th to the 19th century reflects the deepening of Western understanding of Chinese poetics. This process was not purely driven by poetic interests, but rather as a byproduct of historical and cultural research. Zhou Faxiang pointed out that the dissemination of Chinese literary theory to the West began with missionaries translating Confucian classics during the Ming and Qing dynasties. However, at that time, the Western sinology community had not yet formed a true literary academic system, and Chinese literary theory was only transmitted to the West as a vassal of Confucianism or cultural research. Although the translation and introduction of the "Six Meanings of Poetry" by Westerners in the 17th and 19th centuries were not a systematic study, their poetic dialogues have historical value. Firstly, the Western translation of the "Six Meanings of Poetry" has a starting significance, and the terms used such as ballad, hymn, and Allegoria still have an influence in the 20th century. Secondly, the translation and introduction of the concept of "Six Meanings of Poetry" by Westerners in the 19th century was an important part of the Western transmission of the interpretation of the Chinese Book of Songs. It directly quoted the interpretations of Zhu Xi and other commentators, clearly introducing the interpretation of the Chinese Book of Songs to the West. The translation and introduction of the "Six Meanings of Poetry" by Westerners in the 17th and 19th centuries marked the beginning of the Western transmission of Chinese poetic concepts and the interpretation of the Book of Songs, providing a reference for contemporary comparative poetics research and helping to understand the dialogue between Chinese and Western poetics in a more specific and nuanced manner.