Abstract：Abstract: It is generally believed that Xin, Da, Ya was proposed by Yan Fu alone in his Preface (Yili Yan) to Tianyan Lun, whereas a new conclusion is drawn in this paper based on an analysis of some newly discovered historical materials. The viewpoint was not proposed by Yan Fu alone in one step, but evolved from Yan Fu’s proposal of Da in his Preface (Yili) to Tianyan Lun’s manuscript, to his addition of Xin and Ya with the enlightenment of Wu Rulun’s patronage and Lyu Zengxiang’s revision (shujian), and finally to Xin, Da, Ya in his Preface to Tianyan Lun as a summary of his experience of Shu in his translation practice. Therefore, Xin, Da, Ya, as a result of interaction between Yan, Wu and Lyu, reflects their collective wisdom, in which Yan’s contribution, however, is definitely the most decisive.
Key words: Formation of Xin, Da, Ya; Yan Fu; Wu Rulun; Lyu Zengxiang; Shu
