網(wǎng)絡文學作為一種新型的文化形態(tài)逐漸受到一大批讀者，特別是年輕讀者的青睞。不僅僅在中國市場，中國網(wǎng)絡小說在海外市場同樣受歡迎。

When online literature first came out in the 1990s， it was considered low-quality， “fast food” content， with cheap plots and stereotypical characters. Most serious fans of literature looked down upon it.

Oh， how things have changed.

Now serialized on websites and mobile apps， making them easy to access， online novels are being embraced by Chinese readers. The number of readers accessing literature online reached 455 million， making up 53 percent of Chinese Internet users. These numbers come from a report released in 2019 by the China Internet Network Information Center.

The most popular works may get published in print or adapted into games， movies and TV series.

20世紀90年代網(wǎng)絡文學首次出現(xiàn)時，它一度被視為是低質(zhì)量的快餐文化，情節(jié)拙劣，人物老套。大多數(shù)書迷都瞧不起這類網(wǎng)絡文學。

如今，一切都變得不同了。

現(xiàn)在，在網(wǎng)站或者手機應用上連載的網(wǎng)絡小說隨處可見，中國讀者們也接受了這類文學作品。閱讀網(wǎng)絡文學的讀者數(shù)量已達4.55億，占中國網(wǎng)民的53%。這些數(shù)據(jù)來自2019年中國互聯(lián)網(wǎng)絡信息中心發(fā)布的一份報告。

最熱門的作品可能會印刷出版或者改編成游戲及影視劇。

經(jīng)過幾十年的發(fā)展，網(wǎng)絡文學作品中的故事漸漸能夠引起人們的共鳴，如今的作者也在創(chuàng)作中發(fā)揮了更多的想象力。比如，在《誅仙》和《扶搖》中，作者們都采用架空設定來講述奇幻故事。

它們的讀者也都是一些有志青年?！按蠖鄶?shù)網(wǎng)絡小說本質(zhì)上都是主人公的成長奮斗故事?！北本┐髮W新聞與傳播學院的蓋博在《出版科學》上寫道，“年輕讀者能與角色產(chǎn)生身份認同，并將自己的希望與夢想投射在這些角色身上?！?/p>

以普世主題為中心的中國網(wǎng)絡文學擁有著巨大的魅力，也吸引了世界各地的數(shù)百萬讀者。

最受海外讀者歡迎的小說多為玄幻主題——講述冒險和戰(zhàn)爭的奇幻故事?！墩D仙》和《扶搖》都是這類小說。

“書迷們很容易就能發(fā)現(xiàn)中國玄幻小說構(gòu)想的超自然宇宙與西方奇幻小說的共性?！蔽飨つ岽髮W澳中藝術(shù)與文化研究院研究員任翔在接受《中國日報》采訪時如此表示。

“讀懂中國網(wǎng)絡小說并不難?！泵绹谌A大學生約格米·烏爾邦亞在接受《中國日報》采訪時表示，“與權(quán)謀爭斗相關(guān)的奇幻小說和故事是全球性的話題。”

如今，越來越多翻譯論壇興起，不難想象外國讀者對于中國網(wǎng)絡文學有著十分強烈的好奇心，就像當年《哈利·波特》與《指環(huán)王》首次引入中國時那樣。

Over the past decades， online literary works have developed into relatable stories， and authors now write with more imagination. In Jade Dynasty and Legend of Fuyao， for example， the authors use fictional settings to tell their fantastic stories.

Their readers have also turned out to be aspiring youths. “Most online novels are essentially coming-of-age stories about the protagonists endeavors，” Gai Bo， of Peking Universitys School of Journalism and Communication， wrote in Publishing Journal. “Young readers can project their hopes and dreams on the characters， by identifying with them.”

“Fans can easily find commonalities between the imagined supernatural universes of Chinese xuanhuan and Western fantasy novels，” Ren Xiang， a research fellow at the Australia-China Institute for Arts and Culture at Western Sydney University， told China Daily.

“Its not hard to understand Chinese web novels，” Jongmay Urbonya， a US college student in China， told China Daily. “Fantasy stories and novels related to power struggles are global topics.”

With more translation forums flourishing， its not difficult to imagine how curious foreign readers will feel about Chinas online literature， just as Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings were first introduced to China.

Over the past decades， online literary works have developed into relatable stories， and authors now write with more imagination. In Jade Dynasty and Legend of Fuyao， for example， the authors use fictional settings to tell their fantastic stories.

Their readers have also turned out to be aspiring youths. “Most online novels are essentially coming-of-age stories about the protagonists endeavors，” Gai Bo， of Peking Universitys School of Journalism and Communication， wrote in Publishing Journal. “Young readers can project their hopes and dreams on the characters， by identifying with them.”

“Fans can easily find commonalities between the imagined supernatural universes of Chinese xuanhuan and Western fantasy novels，” Ren Xiang， a research fellow at the Australia-China Institute for Arts and Culture at Western Sydney University， told China Daily.

“Its not hard to understand Chinese web novels，” Jongmay Urbonya， a US college student in China， told China Daily. “Fantasy stories and novels related to power struggles are global topics.”

With more translation forums flourishing， its not difficult to imagine how curious foreign readers will feel about Chinas online literature， just as Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings were first introduced to China.