技藝性文本：“才學小説”的概念匡補與價值重估

Texts of Art and Craft: Redefining the Concept of “Fiction of Talent and Learnedness” and Re-evaluating its Value

Abstract

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.

針對歷來詬病清中葉才學小説中知識、學問、技藝内容者，或者持小説藝術的單一標準貶斥其價值者，本文提出從“技藝的文本化”角度重新理解作品特點，繼而由大量具體文例歸納出文本的技藝性質與製作方法。通過倡導對於文化語境的回歸，期冀推動才學小説的概念匡補與價值重估。

This essay revisits the “Fiction of Talent and Learnedness” of the middle of the Qing dynasty (ca. 18th century). The works in this “genre” have long been criticized for showing off knowledge, learnedness, art, and skills in their content and their value has been denigrated by critics who employ one single criterion. The present study takes a perspective of “texts of art and craft” to re-evaluate the characteristics of these works. Based on a paradigm of a large number of texts, it summarizes the nature of their craftsmanship and their production procedure. By advocating the restoration of its cultural context, we aim to revise the concept of “fiction of talent and learnedness” and to re-evaluate its value.