文学批评的四重境界

Four Levels of Literary Criticism

依据内容构成,文学批评大致可分为复述归纳、体悟阐释、分析评判、提升创造四种基本形态,依次相对应的是传播文学信息、丰富作品内容、探讨创作规律、开拓思想空间四重境界。复述归纳式,也许还算不上真正的文学批评;体悟阐释式,也因缺乏深入分析而批评意味不足;达至第三重境界的分析评判,才更具文学批评的本性;而最高境界则是思想空间的开拓与创造。正是依据四重境界,可进一步看出中国现当代文学批评的不足大多批评文章,达到的尚是低层次的第一或第二重境界,与之相关,在近百年来的中国文学批评史上,我们还找不出一位像刘勰、巴赫金、赛义德那样具有独立思想创造的批评家,能够达到第三重境界的批评家也不多见。一位批评家,要达至第三重境界,必须具备广博的专业理论与深邃细腻的文学眼光;要达至第四重境界,需要的则是元理论的反思能力与超文学的批评视野。

Literary criticism can be approximately summarized into four forms, which are restating and generalizing, feeling and explaining, analyzing and evaluating, as well as promoting and creating. The four forms are respectively related to four levels of criticism：spreading literary information, enriching the content of works, inquiring into the disciplines of creating, and enlarging the space of thinking. Criticism in form of restating and generalizing can not be regarded as the real literary criticism. Lacking enough analysis and demonstration, criticism in form of feeling and explaining is not strong enough in the sense of criticism. The third level of criticism, analyzing and evaluating, has just possessed the nature of literary criticism. The highest level of criticism is the enlargement and creation of thinking. A critic who desires to reach the third level must possess a broad range of professional theories and insightful and careful literary perspectives. One who dreams to attain the fourth level needs to have the ability of mastering the fundamental theory and super- literary vision.