侠之无出路——评长篇小说《水浒传》

The Tragedy of Chivalrous Men ——A Comment on the Famous Ancient Chinese Saga Novel Shuihuzhuan(Heroes of the Marshes)

绾结宋元短篇话本,如“杆棒”类的《花和尚》、《武行者》、《徐京落草》、《王温(实为扬温)上边》等,“朴刀”类的《李从吉》、《青面兽》等而成的长篇小说《水浒传》,虽然依凭历史事件而结撰,其描写的内容不过是一部写江湖侠义英雄的传奇小说而已。一群江湖侠义英雄由散到整,齐聚梁山,对抗官府,最后又回归到忠君老路从而走向悲剧。

Shuihuzhuan （Heroes of the Marshes）, the famous ancient Chinese saga novel, was composed on the basis of the scripts for folk tales spread during the Song and Yuan Dynasties. These story scripts include Huaheshang, Wuxinzhe, Xujingluocao and Wangwenshangbian, in which the heroes were armed with sticks, and Licongji and Qingmianshou in which the heroes used various swords as weapons. Though based on certain historical events, the novel describes nothing more than the legends of some chivalrous men headed by a prisoner called Song Jiang in the North Song Dynasty. These people, leading a vagrant life, were driven to join the Liang rebels against the government. The tragic result lies in their subsequent disasters after surrendering to the emperor.