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Ling U

Ling U

Ling U

Ling U

Ling U
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DING Ersu

Professor

Email: ersuding@ln.edu.hk

Tel: 2616 7795

  • Biography

    Ersu Ding (丁尔苏) has a PhD in English from the University of Minnesota and joined the Department of English at Lingnan University in 1998. The other two institutions he had taught at before coming to Hong Kong were Suzhou University and Peking University in the People’s Republic of China. His research interests lie mostly in semiotics and comparative literature. He has published extensively and at a high level in Chinese as well as in English and was granted the university’s Research Excellence Award in 2006. His recent books include Modern Tragedy (a translation of Raymond Williams’ work from English into Chinese), Parallels, Interactions, and Illuminations — Traversing Chinese and Western Theories of the Sign, Semiotics and Cross-Cultural Studies (a collection of essays), and Signs and Meanings. As an active member of several international scholarly organizations, he once served the International Comparative Literature Association as a member of its Executive Council (2000-2003) and worked for the Chinese Research Association for Language and Semiotic Studies as its vice president (1994-1997); currently, he sits on the editorial board of several academic journals and holds adjunct professorship at a number of institutions of higher education in the People’s Republic of China.


  • Academic & Professional Qualifications
    • University of Minnesota (Ph.D.)

    • Soochow University / Fudan University (MA)

    • Jiangsu Teachers’ College (BA)


  • Teaching Experience
    • Professor of English, Lingnan University (2007–Present)

    • Associate professor of English, Lingnan University (1998–2007)

    • Professor of Comparative Literature, Peking University (1997–1998)

    • Associate professor / professor of English & Comparative Literature, Soochow University (1992–1996)

    • Instructor of English Composition, University of Minnesota (1988–1992)

    • Teaching assistant in English language and literature courses, University of Minnesota (1986–1988)

    • Instructor of English, Soochow University (1985–1986)


  • Areas of Interest
    • Literary theory

    • Comparative literature

    • Semiotics

    • Metaphor theory


  • Courses Taught
    • ENG2106 Literary Analysis I

    • ENG2107 Literary Analysis II

    • ENG3375 Cross-cultural Studies of Literature
    • ENG4301 Final Year Project

  • Selected Publications

    Book in English

    • Parallels, Interactions, and Illuminations: Traversing Chinese and Western Theories of Signs, University of Toronto Press, 2010 (De Gruyter eBook: PDF ISBN 978-1-4426-8570-3, 2016)【《对应、互动与启迪:中西符号理论之沟通》,多伦多大学出版社,2010 (De Gruyter 电子版,2016)】


    Book in Chinese

    • 《符号探索》,北京大出版社,即出版(Explorations in Semiotics, Peking University Press, forthcoming)
    • 《符号与意义》,南京大学出版社,2012 (Signs and Meanings, Nanjing University Press, 2012)

    • 《符号学与跨文化研究》,复旦大学出版社,2011 (Semiotics and Cross-Cultural Studies, Fudan University Press, 2011)

    • 《语言的符号性》 ,北京外语教学与研究出版社,2000 (The Sign-Character of Language, Beijing Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2000)

    • 《超越本体 – 马克思主义意义理论研究》,苏州大学出版社,1994 (Beyond Ontology - A Study of Marxist Theory of Meaning, Soochow University Press, 1994)


    Book of Translation

    • 《现代悲剧》,译林出版社,2017, 2007 (translation of Raymond Williams’ Modern Tragedy from English into Chinese, Nanjing: yilin Press, 2017, 2007)


    Journal Articles and Book Chapters in English

    • “Poetic Logic and Sensus Communis”, Semiotica, Vol. 225. 2018, pp. 447-455

    • “Towards a Dynamic Model of the Sign”, Semiotica, Vol. 218. 2017, pp.137-144

    • “Chinese Responses to the Western Discourse on Tragedy”, in Anne Tomiche (Ed.) Comparative Literature as a Critical Approach, Tome 4 (Translation and Transfers), pp. 459-468, Classiques Garnier, 2017

    • “Rethinking the Peircean Trichotomy of Index, Icon, and Symbol”, Semiotica, Vol. 213. 2016, pp. 165-175

    • “Semiotics Turning Cross-Cultural”, Language and Semiotic Studies, Vol. 1, 2015, No, 3, pp. 1-12.

    • “Ubiquitous but Arbitrary Iconicity”, Semiotica, Vol. 200, Issue 3, 2014, pp. 119- 135.

    • “Repositioning William Wordsworth in Contemporary China”, Neohelicon, Vol.38, Issue 2, 2011, pp. 419-426

    • “Cassirer in the Context of Saussurean Semiotics”, Chinese Semiotic Studies, Vol.3, Issue 1, 2010, pp. 56-67.

    • “Emaciated Chineseness – A Semiotic Analysis of How China is Visually Translated at the Opening Ceremony of the 29th Summer Olympics”, Asian Social Science, Vol. 6, Issue 5, 2010, pp. 50-55.

    • “The Platonic Triad and Its Chinese Counterpart”, Signs – International Journal of Semiotics, 2009, pp.41-56.

    • “Modernity vs Premodernity in a Global Literary Context”, Interlitteraria, Vol.14, 2009, pp. 29-40.

    • “Metaphor and Culture”, Asian Social Science, Vol. 5, Issue 1, 2009, pp.47-69.

    • “What is ‘meta-’ for?”, Foreign Language and Literature, Vol. 25, 2008, pp.145-152.

    • “The Return of the Subject” in Traian D. Stanciulescu (Ed.) 1st ROASS Conference Proceedings, Romanian Association of Semiotic Studies, 2008, pp. 771-778.

    • “Saussure, Peirce, and the Chinese Picto-phonetic Sign”, American Journal of Semiotics, Vol. 23, 2007, pp.67-79.

    • “‘Handles’ and ‘Sides’ of Metaphor”, Semiotica, Vol. 167, 2007, pp. 119-134.

    • “Re-canonization of English Literature in China” in Araki, Masazumi et al (Ed.) English Studies in Asia, Silverfish Books in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2007, pp. 85-99.

    • “Appropriation of the ‘Other’: Contrasting Notions of China in British Literature”, Neohelicon, Vol. 32, Issue 2, 2005, pp. 313-325.

    • “Hidden Iconicity – A Peircean Perspective on the Chinese Picto-phonetic Sign”, Semiotica, Vol. 154 ¼, 2005, pp.273-285.

    • “History as Effects of Power”, arcadia, Band 39, 2004, pp. 312-321.

    • “Chinese Appropriation of British and American Literature – past and present”, The Rising Generation, Vol. CL. – No. 4, 2004, pp. 201-205.

    • “Othering the Face and Facing the Other: Textual Strategies in Transnational Cultural Production”, Literary Research / Recherche Litteraire, Vol. 20, No. 39- 40, 2003, pp. 164-176.

    • “Narrating the Pre-modern across Borders” in Kadir, Djelal et al (Ed.) Other Modernisms in an Age of Globalization, Universitats Verlag, C. Winter, 2002, pp.169-181.

    • “Chinalizing the World – Intellectual Expansion through Selective Translation”, Literary Research / Recherche Litteraire, Vol 18, no. 35, 2001, pp. 44-50.

    • “Paradigmatic shift from monological representation to intersubjective communication: A corollary following the postmodernist debate” in Perron, Paul et al (Ed.) Semiotics as a Bridge between the Humanities and Sciences, Legas, 2000, pp.547-554.

    • “Imperfect Paradise: the Image of the US on Chinese TV” in Kamalipour, Yahya R. (Ed.) Images of the US around the World, State University of New York Press, 1999, pp. 221-228.

    • “Chinese Ontological Realism” in Bouissac, Paul (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Semiotics, Oxford University Press, 1998, pp.116-118.

    • “Global Consciousness and Praxis of Comparative Literature” in Qian, Linsheng et al (Ed.) Culture: Diversite et coexistence dans le dialogue Chine-Occident, Yilin Press, 1998, pp. 186-193.

    • “Philosophical Discourse of Postmodernity in the Chinese Context,” New Literary History, Vol. 28, John Hopkins University Press, 1997, pp.21-30.

    • “Mythologizing ‘the Other’” in Tak-wai Wong et al (Ed.) New Perspectives, Department of Comparative Literature of HKU, 1996, pp.151-163.

    • “The Tale of the Impossible” in Nemoianu, Virgil (Ed.) Multicomparative Theory, Definitions, Relations, Council on National Literatures of USA, 1996 (December Issue), pp. 103-110.

    • “Editorial: Vista from China”, The Semiotic Review of Books, Vol. 7, No. 1, 1996, pp. 1-2.

    • “Reconstruction of Interpretive Rationality” in Tak-wai Wong et al (Ed.) New Perspectives, Department of Comparative Literature of HKU, 1995, pp.132-154.


    Journal Articles and Book Chapters in Chinese

    • 《雷蒙.威廉斯悲剧与革命》,現代悲剧文集,浙江大出版社,即将发表。(“Raymond Williams on Tragedy and Revolution, An Anthology of Modern Theories of Tragedy, Zhejiang University Press, forthcoming.)
    • 《全球语境中的王国维悲剧理,《中国比较文学》,即表。(“Wang Guowei's Theory of Tragedy in a Global Context, Comparative Literature in China, forthcoming.)
    • 《信仰骑士 克尔凯郭尔悲剧,《中外文化与文论》,即表。(Knight of Faith - Kierkegaard on Tragedy, Chinese and Foreign Cultural and Literary Theory, forthcoming.)
    • 《加缪的微弱乌托邦冲动》《当代国文学》,即表。(Camus' Weak Utopian Impulse, Contemporary Foreign Literature, forthcoming.)
    • 《高尚谎言—尼采悲论述评,《马克思主义美研究》,2020第2期,即表。(Noble Lies A Critique of Nietzsche's Tragic Theory, Research on Marxist Aesthetics, Issue 2, 2020, forthcoming.)
    • 《<悲剧心理>的成就启示,《文艺理研究》,2020第6期,即表。(“The Achievements of and Inspirations from The Psychology of Tragedy”, Theoretical Studies in Art and Literature, Issue 6, 2020, forthcoming.)
    • 苦海无边, “退让”是岸 – 叔本华剧理述评,《马克思主义美研究》,2020第1期,即表。(“Pervasive Suffering and Ascetic Resignation – A Critique of Schopenhauer's Tragic Theory”, Research on Marxist Aesthetics, Issue 1, 2020, forthcoming.)
    • 《亚里士多德“净化说”之过失,《较文学与世界文学》,2019第2期,即表。(“The Hamartia of Aristotle's Theory of Catharsis”, Comparative Literature and World Literature, forthcoming.)
    • 《绘画学》《中国较文学》,2020第3期,2-12页。(“Painting and Semiotics”, Comparative Literature in China, Issue 3, 2020, pp.2-12.)
    • 《从两善对峙到善恶斗争 黑格尔悲剧之述评马克思主义美研究》,2019第2期,149-158页。(“From Collision of Goods to Struggle between Good and Evil – An Essay on Hegel's Theory of Tragic Conflict ”, Research on Marxist Aesthetics, pp.149-158.)
    • 《中国苦对与西方中国较文学》,2019第3期,80-93页。(“Chinese Drama of Woe and Western Tragedy”, Comparative Literature in China, pp.80-93.)
    • 《建立一符多义的动态符号模式传媒》,2019第2期,即表。(“Towards a polysemic and Dynamic Model of the Sign, Signs and Media, forthcoming.)
    • 《凡人的辛酸:西方现代悲剧之审美倾向》,《国外文学》,第147卷,2017年第 3期,16-25页 (“Agonies of the Common Man: The Aesthetic Orientation of Modern Tragedy,” Foreign Literatures, Vol. 147, Issue 3, 2017, pp. 16-25)

    • 《莎士比亚悲剧中的道德张力》,《外国语言文学》,第33卷,2016年第4期,217-224页 (“Moral Tensions in Shakespearean Tragedies,” Foreign Language and Literature, Vol. 33, Issue 4, 2016, pp.217-224)

    • 《释意方法与符号分类》,《四川大学学报》哲学社会科学版,2015年第6期,19-23页 (“Interpretive Methods and Classification of Signs,” Sichuan University Journal – Philosophy and Social Science Edition, Issue 6, 2015, pp.19-23)

    • 《情理碰撞、尸体纷呈—法国古典主义悲剧之主要特征》,《外国语言文学》, 第125卷,2015年第 3期,145-148页 (“Deadly Clashes between Reason and Desire – A Dominant Feature of Classical French Tragedies,” Foreign Language and Literature, Vol. 125, Issue 3, 2015, pp.145-148)

    • 《符号学与比较文学》,《比较文学》(陈惇等编),高等教育出版社,2014, 340-362页 (“Semiotics and Comparative Literature” in Comparative Literature, Higher Education Publisher, 2014, pp. 340-362)

    • 《中西符号理论之沟通》【再版】,《孙景尧纪周年祭纪念文集》,上海文艺出版社,2014,第 110-121页 (“Bridging Chinese and Western Semiotics” [reprint] in Essays in Memory of Mr. Sun Jingyao, Shanghai Arts Publisher, 2014, pp. 110- 121)

    • 《天理何在?—古希腊悲剧的主旋律》,《外国语言文学》,第118卷,2013年第4期,217-225 页 (“Where Is Divine Justice? – A Recurring Question in Greek Tragedies,” Foreign Language and Literature, Vol. 118, Issue 4, 2013, pp. 217- 225)

    • 《维柯及其《新科学》的当代意义》,《比较文学与世界文学》,第1卷,2012年,86-92页 (“Vico’s New Science and Its Contemporary Relevance,” Comparative Literature and World Literature, Vol. 1, Peking University, 2012, pp.86-92)

    • 《互动与启迪:跨文化研究的求知动因》,《苏州大学学报》(哲学社会科学版), 2012 年第3期,108-111页 (“Interactions and Illuminations: Cross- Cultural Studies with an Intellectual Agenda,” Journal of Soochow University [Philosophy and Social Science Edition], 3rd Issue, 2012, pp.108-111)

    • 《符号的任意性与理据性并行不悖》,《符号与传媒》,第4卷,2012年,118-131页(“Co-existence of Semiotic Arbitrariness and Motivatedness,” Semiotics and Media, Vol.4, 2012, pp.118-131)

    • 《中西符号理论之沟通》,《符号与传媒》,第3卷,2011年,30-41页。(“Connecting Chinese and Western Theories of the Sign,” Semiotics and Media, Vol. 3, 2011, pp. 30-41)

    • 《皮尔士符号理论与汉字分类》,《外国语言文学》,2010年第4期,217-222页。(“Peircean Semiotics and the Classification of Chinese Characters,” Foreign Language and Literature, Issue. 4, 2010, pp. 217-222.)

    • 悲情与炫耀:华人移民文学中一对相反的叙事策略》,《中国比较文学》,2010年第4期,75-83页 (“Pathos and Flaunting: Two Antithetic Narrative Strategies of Chinese Migrant Literature,” Comparative Literature in China, 1st Issue, 2010, pp.75-83.)

    • 《论诗性逻辑》,《深圳大学学报》,2010年第 1 期,105-109页 (“Poetic Logic,” Shenzhen University Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 1st Issue 2010, pp. 105-109)

    • 《前现代-现代转型的文学再现》,《外国文学评论》,2009年第4期,121-128页 (“Literary Representations of the Premodern-Modern Transformation,” Foreign Literature Review, Issue 4, 2009, pp.121-128)

    • 《重建隐语与文化的联系》,《外国语言文学》,2009 年第 4 期,213-227页(“Reconnecting Metaphor and Culture,” Foreign Language and Literature, Issue 4, 2009, pp.213-227)

    • 《文学市场与叙事策略 -- 高行健个例分析》,《澳门人文学刊》,2008第2卷,18-27 页(”Literary Markets and Narrative Strategies – a case study of Gao Xingjian,” Macau Humanities Journal, Vol. 2, 2008, pp.18-27)

    • 《对他者的挪用》 ,《中国学术》,2007 年第 3期,244-259页 (“Appropriation of the ‘Other” [Chinese translation], China Scholarship, Vol. 6, 3rd Issue, 2007, pp. 244-259)

    • 《译后记》,《现代悲剧》,译林出版社,2007,219-221页 (Epilogue to the Chinese translation of Modern Tragedy by Raymond, Yilin Press, 2007, pp. 219- 221)

    • 《作为象征资本的人文精神》,《澳门人文学刊》,2006年第1卷,49-52页 (”Humanistic Spirit as Symbolic Capital,” Macau Humanities Journal, Vol. 1, 2006, pp.49-52)

    • 《‘无法沟通’的神话》,《文化传递与文学形象》,北京大学出版社,1999,27-33页(“The Tale of the Impossible,” in Transmission of Culture and Literary Images, Peking University Press, 1999, pp.27-33)

    • 《全球意识与比较文学实践》,《文化:中西对话中的差异与共存》,南京大学出版社,1999,198-205 页 (“Global Consciousness and Praxis of Comparative Literature,” in Culture: Diversite et coexistence dans le dialogue Chine-Occident, Nanjing University Press, 1999, pp. 198-205)

    • 《弗莱象征理论的符号学解读》,《弗莱研究》,中国社会科学出版社,1996,140-148 (“A Semiotic Interpretation of Northrop Frye’s ‘Theory of Symbols’”) in Frye Study: China and West, Chinese Social Science Publisher, 1996, pp. 140-148)

    • 《经典形成的跨文化研究》,《中国比较文学》,1996 年第 3期,23-34页(“Investigating Canon-formation from a Cross-cultural Perspective,” Comparative Literature in China, 3rd Issue, 1996, pp.23-34)

    • 《神话制作及其社会心理功能》,《国外文学》,1996 年第 2 期,49-52 页(“Myth-making and its Socio-Psychological Functions,” Foreign Literatures, 2nd Issue, 1996, pp. 49-52)

    • 《康德的幽灵:哈贝马斯美学思想评述》,《文艺理论与批评》,1994年第6期121-124页 (“The Specter of Kant: Some Thoughts on Habermas’ Aesthetic Theory,” Art Theory and Criticism, 6th Issue, 1994, pp.121-124)

    • 《论符号学的性质与范围》,《苏州大学学报外国语言文学专辑》,1994年第4卷,1-6 页(“The Nature and Scope of Semiotics”, Social Science Journal of Soochow University [Foreign Language and Literature Series], Vol. 4, 1994, pp. 1-6)

    • 《论皮尔士的符号三分法》,《四川外语学院学报》,1994年第3期,10-14页(“Peirce's Triadic Theory of the Sign,” Academic Journal of Sichuan Foreign Languages Institute, 3rd Issue, 1994, pp.10-14)

    • 《符号学研究:世界与中国》,《中国比较文学》,1994 年第 2 期,13-22 页 ( “Semiotic Studies: China and the World,” Comparative Literature in China, 2nd Issue, 1994, pp. 13-22)

    • 《解构理论之症结谈》,《外国文学评论》,1994 年第 3 期,40-48 页 (“The Aporias of Deconstruction,” Foreign Literature Review, 3rd Issue, 1994, pp. 40- 48)

    • 《文本、经典、权力》,《多元文化时代的比较文学》,湖南文艺出版社,1994, 55-60页(“Text, Canon and Power”, in Comparative Literature in the Age of Cultural Pluralism, Hunan Art and Literature Publishing House, 1994,pp.55-60)

    • 《当代西方文学研究与马克思主义符号理论》,《苏州大学学报域外文学论丛》,1993 年第 3卷1-4页 (“Contemporary Literary Studies in the West and Marxist Theory of the Sign,” Social Science Journal of Sochow University, [Foreign Language and Literature Series], Vol. 3, 1993, pp.1-4)

    Journal Article in Hungarian
    • “Tragédia és modernitás: Két félremagyarázott ok-okozati viszony” (“Tragedy and Modernity: Two Misconstrued Cause/Effect Relationships”) translated by Kvéder Bence Gábor, Literatura, Évf. 45 szám 3 (2019), pp.287-299.


  • Professional Activities
    • Vice President of the Chinese Research Association for Language and Semiotic Studies (1994–1997)

    • Member of the Editorial Board of The Semiotic Review of Books, University of Toronto (1997–2000)

    • Member of the Committee for Literary Theory of the International Association of Comparative Literature (1997–2005)

    • Member of the Executive Council of the International Comparative Literature Association (2000–2004)

    • Member of the Editorial Board of Comparative Literature in China, Shanghai International Studies University (1998–Present)

    • Fellow of International Communicology Institute (2005–Present)

    • Member of the Editorial Board of Chinese Semiotic Studies, De Gruyter Mouton (2010–Present)

    • Member of the Academic Committee of Cowrie published by Shanghai Normal University (2010–Present)

    • Member of the Editorial Board of Signs and Media published by Sichuan University (2010–Present)

    • Member of the Editorial Board of Language and Semiotic Studies published by Soochow University Press (2015–Present)


  • Awards and Honors
    • Outstanding Young University Teacher of Jiangsu Province (1994)

    • Outstanding Young University Teacher of Jiangsu Province (1995)

    • Research Excellence Award, Lingnan University (2006)