Abstract
This paper attempts to interpret four Pre-Qin narrative texts by means of linguistic evidence. In the first place, the two basic sentence types, i.e., [actor-action] (A-type) and [topic-comment] (T-type) function differently in the texts: whereas the A-type is used for establishing storylines, the T-type is used for expressing points of view. Major actors of the A-type are often omitted to exhibit coherence. Moreover, the T-type usually occurs in dialogs, ending with a marker of modality at times, to present the subjectivity of utterances. The progression of storylines relies primarily on 'temporal flow', and yet other means for progression, such as 'extension of space' and 'complicated cause-effect relations' also appear. As a first effort towards interpreting Pre-Qin narrative texts through linguistic analysis, this paper cannot but apply the Pre-Qin linguistic knowledge in a limited way. The remaining issues shall be dealt with in the future.