论中国文学发展的阶段性

On the Phases of the Development of Chinese Literature

中国文学的发展可以划分为若干阶段,以利于从整体上把握中国文学的发展脉络。以朝代更替作为文学发展阶段划分标准的传统方法是不科学的,它忽视了文学自身的特点和发展规律。如果以文学的表达方式及其所呈现的基本形态来划分,中国文学的发展大体可以分为两个阶段,即口头文学阶段和书面文学阶段。而口头文学阶段因缺少实证材料无法进行历史性清理,因此只能把重点集中在书面文学阶段。现行文学史均采用这样的叙事策略。如果以书面文学主流文体的生产和消费以及实现这种生产和消费的物质媒介为依据,中国文学的发展大体可以分为四个阶段:即贵族文学时代、精英文学时代、市民文学时代、大众文学时代。这些时代虽互有交叉,但各个时代都有自己的代表性文体,有特有的传播工具和传播手段,有不同的生产主体和消费主体,因而呈现出不同的文学面貌。

Dividing the development of Chinese literature into phases can be of great advantage to holding the skeleton of its development. The traditional way, which takes the dynasties as the dividing norm, is not scientific which ignores the literature＇s characteristics and rules of its development. If we take the literature＇s expression modes and its basic states as the dividing norm, Chinese literature can be classified into two phases ： oral literature and written literature. We can only focus on the written phase, for we lack provable evidence and materials for the oral one. According to the production and consumption of the main styles of written literature and their material media, Chinese literature can be further divided into four periods： noble literature period; elite literature period; civil literature period; and mass literature period. Each one has its typical style, unique transmission tools and methods and different production and consumption subjects. Thus each takes different faces.