元传记刍议

On Metabiography

元传记即关于传记的传记。元传记有两种,一种由作者介入其中,描述作传过程,称为介传记;一种由作者凌驾于前有的传记资料之上,进行摆置、批评,称为超传记。介传记在文体上类似传奇历险,传记家参与其中,寻找传主这一“圣杯”;超传记则在文体上类似文献综述。在本质上,两种元传记都是叙述者通过将视角前景化而进行自我约束,不求达到传主的真实内容,只求刻画某一侧面或实现多个侧面的折中。

Metabiography is a self-referential prototype of biography.There are two types of metabiography.One is inter-biography,i.e.the description of the process of creating a biography,which in its plot resembles the Holy Grail legend.The other is super-biography and a criticism of biographical materials concerning the subject,similar to a literature review.In essence,both types of metabiography foreground their perspective(s)to exert self-restraint on avoiding the excessive claim of revealing the real content of biographees,while satisfied in describing one facade or reaching a compromise of various facades.