「沿根討葉」與「望路爭驅」——從根與路的意象看劉勰論文學的傳統和發展

Following the Root and Racing along the Road— An examination of Liu Hsieh’s views on literary tradition and development from his use of imageries concerning the root and the road

Abstract

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

《文心雕龍》是古代文論中體系最完備的著作。這是ー般學者承認的。如果説文學是現實生活種種印象的反映，傾向於感性，則文學批評也未嘗不可以説是對這些反映的回應。論文者倘若把他對作品的印象，用他善於表達的形式寫出來，同樣會傾向於印象式和感性。這正是中國傳統文論的最大特色：強調印象、重視感性、不求嚴謹的體系、下結論往往沒有經過推理和分析。對於這些特點，我們不一定要作價值判斷。事實上，傳統的文論，往往有極高明的體會，也時有難於索解理會之處。不過就現代學術的立場説，文學批評倘若要成為一門學問，就必須有它的理論根據，以及處理問題的程序和方法。僅僅寫出個人感受，很難使人接受為學術論文。(撮要取自內文首段)

Liu Hsieh’s Wen-hsin tiao-lung is the most systematic work of literary criticism in ancient China. The book is a work of letters in its own right in which a great deal of imageries are used. The imageries concerning the root are used eleven times and those in relation to roads and horses over sixty times. The recurrence of certain imageries in the process of creative activities provides some clues to the author’s views of literature. A detailed analysis of the imageries may help clarify some literary concepts in the book. (Abstract taken from first paragraph of document.)