民族叙事中的智性民族主义立场——李伯元《文明小史》论

Sapiential National Standpoint in Ethical Narration——On A Brief History of Enlightenment by Li Boyuan

《文明小史》文本结构的基本特点是以并连和勾连的方式连缀故事(组),其叙事时空操作表现为同一背景时间中的空间位移,体现出社会全景式小说建构的艺术企图,具有民族叙事特质。小说官、民、洋人的人物结构隐含文明与落后对峙、交杂的叙述意义,表达着李伯元对近代中国社会情状与走势的主体认知和整体概括。李氏叙述显示其对本土与外洋关系的某种智性辨析和判断,体现出一种智性民族主义立场,属于近现代中国民族主义的话语谱系。

The episodes being paralleled and interlocked, through the spatial translation within the same setting of time, A Brief History of Enlightenment attempts to display a panoramic society, which is the feature of ethical narration. The relations between officials, civilians and foreigners in the novel imply the confrontation and fusion between enlightenment and backwardness, showing the author＇ s subjective cognition and summarization of the social situation and trends in modem China. The narration, manifesting the author＇ s sapiential discrimination of and judgment on relations between nativism and foreignism, hence his sapiential national standpoint, should be categorized as discourse of modem Chinese nationalism.