武汉大学资源与环境科学学院城市计算与可视化研究室,湖北 武汉,430079
翁敏,博士,教授,研究方向为地图制图和空间数据分析。wengmin@whu.edu.cn
收稿:2025-10-15,
纸质出版:2026-03-05
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翁敏,喻韩.地图中的故事:叙事地图的阐释理论与方法框架[J].武汉大学学报(信息科学版),2026,51(3):436-446.
WENG Min,YU Han.Stories in Maps: Theories and Methodologies for Interpreting Narrative Maps[J].Geomatics and Information Science of Wuhan University,2026,51(3):436-446.
翁敏,喻韩.地图中的故事:叙事地图的阐释理论与方法框架[J].武汉大学学报(信息科学版),2026,51(3):436-446. DOI:10.13203/j.whugis20240320
WENG Min,YU Han.Stories in Maps: Theories and Methodologies for Interpreting Narrative Maps[J].Geomatics and Information Science of Wuhan University,2026,51(3):436-446. DOI:10.13203/j.whugis20240320
当前,学术界关于叙事地图的探讨集中在数据组织与可视化方法等领域,鲜有关注叙事地图文本意义的研究,而意义离不开语言和阐释。针对这一局限性,首先在现代阐释学互补论的基础上,引入格式塔心理学整体优先性原则,提出叙事地图“意义格式塔”概念,将叙事地图意义视为不同层级的意义源和意义衍生项所构成的整体系统,并将此作为阐释目的;接着,以瓦尔堡学派图像学阐释范式为基础,创新性地引入传播视角,从本体、寓意、文化、传播场景4条路径出发,构建叙事地图的阐释方法框架;进而结合案例,详细说明了叙事地图的阐释方法,旨在为叙事地图的阐释提供理论和方法参考。
Objectives
2
Narrative maps have become a heated topic of modern cartography. However
former studies have predominantly focused on map design
the media function of maps
as well as data organization and visualization techniques
with rare attention paid to the interpretive aspects of narrative maps
which are crucial for revealing the meaning of narrative maps. Interpretation provides a fundamental mode of making sense of texts
and any textual meaning is realized or generated in the process of interpretation. Before interpretation intervenes
a narrative map remains merely an object or artifact to be engaged
and the function of interpretation is to animate the “textual” property of the object
bringing it from a state of nature into a state of society
thereby explaining or recovering the significative and intentional content of the text and endowing it with meaning. Consequently
interpreting narrative maps entails unveiling their unintelligibility and rendering their meanings clear and visible. This study addresses this significant gap by proposing a dedicated theoretical and methodological framework for interpreting narrative maps
aiming to systematically uncover the layered meanings and discursive logic embedded in maps of varying themes
contents
and forms.
Methods
2
Based on the complementary theory of modern hermeneutics
which reconciles methodological and ontological approaches
we introduce the principle of “integrity first” in Gestalt psychology
and propose the concept of “Gestalt of meaning”. This concept considers the meaning of narrative maps as a whole system composed of different levels of meaning sources (such as cartographer intent and textual inherent meaning) and meaning derivatives (primarily reader reception). We take this holistic system as the purpose of interpretation. This system exists in the dynamic process of continuous generation and dissemination
and there exists a contextual tension among the cartographer
the text
and the reader across different temporal and spatial frameworks. Then
building upon the well-established iconographic interpretation paradigm of the Warburg School
we innovatively introduce a communication perspective. This expanded view acknowledges that in the contemporary context of the “pictorial turn” and “deep mediatization”
the meaning of narrative maps is increasingly shaped by the logic of media and communication structures. We construct a four-dimensional interpretive framework for narrative maps encompassing: ontology
allegory
culture
and communication scene. Each dimension corresponds to a distinct analytical path: visual grammar analysis for ontological hermeneutics
visual discourse analysis for allegorical hermeneutics
visual cultural analysis for cultural hermeneutics
and communication scene analysis for the newly introduced perspective.
Results
2
Taking the Wuhan Red Culture Map as a typical case
we demonstrate the comprehensive interpretation process of narrative maps using the proposed framework. This process reveals the effectiveness and analytical power of our framework for interpreting narrative maps. Specifically
ontological hermeneutics reveals the compositional structure and semantic principles of the formal dimension of narrative maps
analyzing narrative content
textual structure
and semantic rules. Allegorical hermeneutics investigates the implicit statutory meaning of narrative maps by examining signification systems
rhetorical structures
and contexts of occurrence. Cultural hermeneutics emphasizes the cultural concepts
historical contexts
and social structures behind the texts of narrative maps
incorporating cultural-historical
conceptual
and political analyses. Finally
the communication perspective broadens the interpretative scope of narrative maps by analyzing their production
dissemination through various media
and reception by diverse audiences
accounting for the negotiated nature of meaning in communicative practice.
Conclusions
2
The proposed four-dimensional framework exhibits strong reliability and comprehensiveness in interpreting narrative maps
providing significant references for future research in both theory and methodology. The academic contributions of this study are twofold: (1) It proposes the “gestalt of meaning” concept for narrative maps
grounded in modern hermeneutics and Gestalt psychology
offering a coherent theoretical foundation for interpretation. (2) It constructs a practical methodological framework for interpretation
integrating and extending the Warburg tradition with communication theory
thus providing robust technical support for analytical practice. The proposed interpretive theory and methodological framework are not only applicable to narrative maps but also can offer valuable references for the interpretation of other types of maps and visual-textual artifacts. However
this study acknowledges certain limitations: It does not conduct a comparative analysis with other interpretive methods to evaluate relative strengths and weaknesses
and it awaits empirical quality assessment of the interpretive outcomes produced by the framework. To address these limitations
future research will employ methods such as questionnaires
in-depth interviews
and cognitive tests to evaluate the framework's interpretive efficacy
refine its dimensions
and further explore the dynamic interplay between map design
meaning construction
and audience perception within diverse cultural and communicative ecosystems.
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