中西文学的对比作为一种重要文学体裁的小说, 虽然在中西方发源的时间层次上略有差异, 但它们发展的轨迹却存在着一些相似性。西方小说真正被人们看作一种独立的文学体裁是在中世纪以后。文艺复兴前后, 随着城市市民阶层的出现, 小说创作者们开始将笔触投向生活在城市中的商人、市民等普通群体, 故此出现了生活气息浓厚的市民小说。中国小说出现的早期, 虽然被正统文学者视为“道听途说”的“末道”, 但由于其反映了一定的社会需要, 其生存环境虽然不易, 却也是顽强地存在着。从魏晋时期的志怪小说, 到宋元话本, 再到明清小说, 中国小说保持了较为稳定的延续。特别是明清时期社会环境的变化, 市民阶层的出现, 为小说的创作环境带来了极大的改观。为了突显小说的市民属性, 本文选择了意大利文艺复兴时期小说《十日谈》和中国明代小说《三言》、《二拍》作为分析对象, 进行了比较式的细读分析。

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Chapter One Introduction
Introduction
In Story Three of Day Ten of The Decameron ， a controversial name is mentioned by Boccaccio. 
“It is a very certain thing (if credit may be given to the report of divers Genoese and others who have been in those countries) that there was aforetime in the parts of Cattajo a man of noble lineage and rich beyond compare， called Nathan， who， having an estate adjoining a highway whereby as of necessity passed all who sought to go from the Ponant to the Levant or from the Levant to the Ponant， and being a man of great and generous soul and desirous that it should be known by his works， assembled a great multitude of artificers and let build there， in a little space of time， one of the fairest and greatest and richest palaces that had ever been seen， the which he caused excellently well furnished with all that was apt unto the reception and entertainment of gentlemen.” 
(Boccaccio， 2003: 468)