New Perspectives in the Comparative Study of East Asian Culture

东亚比较研究的新视野

Historically,Chinese characters were used throughout the East Asian region,giving rise to a common cultural sphere.Since early modern times,the written languages of East Asia have developed in a diversity of ways,shaped by nation,geography and culture,among other factors.Strengthening research on the long-term history of East Asian cultural development is thus very necessary.Komine Kazuaki has long been engaged in the study of medieval Japanese literature.Over the past two decades,he has projected a holistic academic approach to the study of culture in East Asia,conducting comparative research on the classical East Asian cultures.This paper takes a methodological approach to the discussion of the subjects,methods,techniques and goals of such research.In the study of East Asian cultural exchange,comparison enables us to undertake holistic investigations;it is not simply a tactic for unilateral studies.The study of texts and of images can be mutually enhancing;for example,the Japanese emaki is a medium that mixes literature and painting.Methods of researching environmental literature provide new insights for re-interpreting classical and modern literary works.Lastly,we need to examine the value of classical East Asian literature from the standpoint of East Asia as a whole;this is an urgently needed direction in contemporary research in this field.

在历史上,东亚地区普遍使用汉字,构成了共同的文化圈。近代以来,东亚的书写文字有了多样化的发展。民族、地域、文化等因素在这个过程中发挥了作用。从长远的文化发展角度看,加强东亚地区文化史研究是非常必要的。小峯和明长期从事日本中世文学研究,近20年来突出东亚区域文化的整体性学术立场,对东亚古典文化进行比较研究。本文从方法论角度就东亚文化领域的研究对象、研究方法、研究手段、研究目标等进行了讨论。在东亚文化交流研究中,比较是进行整体考察的方法,不仅仅是单向研究的手段。文本和图像的研究可以相互增益,如日本绘卷是文学与绘画交融的媒介。环境文学研究方法为重新解读古典和现代文学作品提供了新的视角。最后,对于东亚古典文学,必须从东亚整体的角度出发去解读其价值,这是当前该领域迫切需要的研究方向。