《红楼梦》与诗文化

Dream in the Red Chamber and Poetic Culture

在中华民族的历史上,诗是一切文学艺术的核心本质。诗的教养,诗的精神,是中华文化传统的一个重要特点。对于《红楼梦》中出现的如此多的诗词,西方读者殊难理解,甚至觉得多余———这就是两种不同文化背景的隔阂与“冲突”。而频频出现在《红楼梦》中的诗词,在曹雪芹笔下,则不仅仅是为了表现书中人物的气质与才华、生活与情趣,更重要的作用在于反跌后文———借诗为伏线,为暗示。如果只以“空无依傍”的“一般标准”来欣赏品论,自然“失其泰半”。至于邢岫烟、李纹、薛宝琴三位新来加入大观园群芳行列中,分韵作“试帖体”三首,看似可有可无,实有深意在焉。表面上同咏红梅,骨子里是分题钗、黛、湘三位女主角的收缘结果的“诗谶”。在曹雪芹为小说人物安排的诗词、灯谜、酒令中,无不如此。这是雪芹独到的小说诗词的特种艺术手法,从古未有,以后也无人能知能悟,能学能仿。诗词,在雪芹笔下的奇妙作用,宜乎用心体识,用志覃研。

In Chinese history, poetry is the kernel of all the literary arts. Poetic cultivation and poetic spirit are the important features of the tradition of Chinese euhure. So mueh of poetry in the novel Dream in the Red Chamber is diffieuh for the foreign readers to understand and they feel it unneeessary in the novel. This is the eonfliet of different euhural baekgrounds. In my opinion, the novel is about Bao Yu＇s experienees with Xue Bao-ehai, IAn Dai-yu and Shi Xiang-yun, showing their vieissitudes of life and their honor and disgraee the great strueture of the novel. The poetry in Dream in the Red Chamber written by Cao Xue-qin not only expresses the characters＇dispositions, talents, life and interest but also carries a foreshadowing of what is to follow later in the story. If we appreeiate the poems in an ordinary way, we will not get the real meanings of them. The speeial art skill of Cao Xue-qin is unique in the novel poetry, without parallel in history, leaving no sueeessors.