Definition
正传 refers to an official or authoritative biographical account, often used in titles to indicate a 'true story' or 'formal biography' of a person. It carries a sense of authenticity and is most famously known from Lu Xun's work 阿Q正传 (The True Story of Ah Q). Unlike 传记 (general biography), 正传 implies a narrative that is both factual and literary in style.
n.
official biographyformal account of a person's lifetrue story (often used in titles)
Examples
- 《Q正传》。Lǔ Xùn de 《Ā Qiū zhèng zhuàn》 shì Zhōngguó xiàndài wénxué de jīngdiǎn.Lu Xun's 'The True Story of Ah Q' is a classic of modern Chinese literature.
- 正传。Zhè bù zhèng zhuàn xiángxì jìlù le zhè wèi lìshǐ rénwù de yì shēng.This official biography records the life of this historical figure in detail.
- ，正传。Tā xiě de bú shì xiǎoshuō, ér shì yí bù zhèng zhuàn.What he wrote is not a novel but an official biography.
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