| | Preface to a Preface |
 | | Xu Zhimo’s introduction to his translation of Baudelaire’s poem “Une Charogne” (“A Carcass”) presents a slightly scandalous case of intercultural interpretation. |
| | Xu’s personal comments on the poem— couched in a style of whimsical irresponsibility that should not deceive us into thinking that they are merely playful— show that it is he, the reader, who constitutes the milieu in which the minds meet. |
| | For all these reasons, Xu Zhimo’s short preface to a Baudelaire poem represents with unusual clarity the challenges, the unresolved problems and the specific methodological issues of cross-cultural studies. |
| www.cityu.edu.hk /ccs/Newsletter/newsletter5/Preface.htm (1337 words) |
