雅俗观念的演进与文学形态的发展

Changing Ideas on Refinement and Vulgarity and the Development of Literary Forms

雅俗观念是中国文学的重要观念,它的演进与中国文化和中国文学的发展是同步的。以音声为表征的政治雅俗观是与政教合一、学在王官的礼乐文化相伴生的,它所凸显的是宗法伦理和等级秩序,其文学形态是诗、书、礼、乐等反映礼乐教化的贵族文学。以学术为表征的文化雅俗观是与政教分离、学在四夷的道德文化相伴生的,它所张扬的是中国早期知识分子的文化理想和文化精神,其文学形态是反映知识分子文化人格的论、说、记、传、辞、赋等精英文学。以文本为表征的艺术雅俗观是与成长为独立门类的艺术文化相伴生的,它所强调的是情感体验和审美感受,其文学形态是注重形式和风格、强调审美和娱乐的诗歌、散文、小说、戏曲等美感文学。从局部而言,中国文学史上确实存在着某些文体由俗而雅最后走向衰落的现象;从整体而言,中国文学的发展并不呈现由俗到雅再到衰落的趋向,而是不断地由雅趋俗,即从贵族走向精英,从精英走向大众,文学主流文体越来越通俗化,文学消费主体越来越大众化,这是中国文学发展的基本趋向。准此,我们对中国文学史应该有新的视角和新的描述,对当下中国文学应该有新的认识和新的策略。

The concept of refinement vs vulgarity is important in Chinese literature. Its evolution occurred simultaneously with the development of Chinese culture and Chinese literature. This concept was expressed in sound and was accompanied with a culture of rites and music, in which politics and cultivation were one and all learning was controlled by royal houses. In such a culture, patriarchal ethics and hierarchic order were highlighted, and literature took on a form that reflected the rites and music as means of cultivation. The cultural aspect of this concept that found its way in scholarly writings was accompanied by a culture of morality in which politics and cultivation were separated from one another and learning was developed among common people. In such a culture, the cultural ideals and spirits of early Chinese intellectuals were enhanced and literature took on a form that expressed the cultural personality of intellectuals. The artistic aspect of this concept as expressed in texts was accompanied by the development of a culture where arts developed into a domain on their own. This culture stressed emotional and aesthetic experience, and formal elements, style, aesthetic tastes and entertainment were stressed in a literature that took the form of poetry, essays, fiction and drama. While some genres did developed from vulgarity to refinement, followed by decline, this is by no means a general pattern in Chinese literature. Chinese literature on the whole has gone through a developmental path from refinement to popularity, a path from the aristocracy to the elite and thence to the common people. Mainstream literary styles became increasingly popular, and the common people became increasingly the main consumers of literature. In this regard, we should have a new perspective toward and new descriptions of the history of Chinese literature, and a new understanding and new strategy for contemporary Chinese literature.