中国古代小说原型索隐——以唐传奇《李娃传》为例

An Exploration of the Prototype of Ancient Chinese Novels:Focused on The Tale of Li Wa

中西小说文体有着深刻的差异,其一是小说人物与真实人物的关系。中国古代小说研究对原型人物的索隐即是这一差异在研究策略上的体现。唐传奇《李娃传》的人物原型向来众说纷纭,恰可作为此类研究的样例。作品在细节上透露了原型的痕迹,却又在行文中尽量避免提及男主人公名字甚至姓氏,这正是作品掩盖原型的策略。据杜德桥的看法,其原型当为郑方逵兄弟。将传文中的主要时间节点与郑方逵家族比照,也若合符契。同时,元稹也是讨论相关问题的关键人物,甚至作品奇异的开端及其中提及白行简从未任职的“监察御史”很可能就是指元稹;结尾中的“伯祖”也可以确指其人。这些由原型延伸出来的考辨都指向作者、作品与其时代环境的互相映射。

There are profound differences between Chinese and Western novel styles,one of which is the relationship between novel characters and real characters.The exploration of prototype characters in the study of ancient Chinese novels is a reflection of this difference in research strategies.The character prototypes in The Tale of Li Wa(a romantic novel in the Tang Dynasty)have always been controversial and can serve as examples for such research.The work reveals traces of the prototype in details,but tries to avoid mentioning the male protagonist's name or even surname in the writing,which is precisely the strategy of the work to conceal the prototype.According to Glen Dudbridge's view,its prototype should be the Zheng Fangkui brothers.Comparing the main time nodes in the text with those of the Zheng Fangkui family,they can also be mutually verified.At the same time,Yuan Zhen is also a key figure in discussing related issues,and even the'strange beginning of the work and its mention of Bai Xingjian's never serving as a"censor"may probably refer to the story of Yuan Zhen.The word"grand uncle"in the ending can also refer to him.These debates extended from the prototype all point to the mutual mapping between the author,the work,and its contemporary environment.