中国古代神话中的悲剧美和崇高美

Beauty in tragedy and loftiness of ancient Chinese mythologies

我国上古神话体现了悲剧美和崇高美的美学特征。这种美学特征主要体现在创世神话、始祖神话和英雄神话中。它的不少故事,带有悲剧色彩,甚至是悲剧性的。鲧禹治水、精卫填海、夸父逐日、刑天起舞、女娲补天等故事,都在不同程度上体现了先民的悲剧命运与英雄的崇高情怀。因为这样的牺牲是出于崇高的目的,所以悲剧故事并不使人感到哀伤,而只是使人产生悲壮的感情,引起对牺牲者的崇敬,同时展示出光明和希望。因此,这类神话形象不仅是悲剧性的,同时又是乐观主义的。而这种乐观精神,正是悲剧美的灵魂。

In ancient Chinese mythologies, there are aesthetic features of both beauty in and beauty tragedy in loftiness. Such aesthetic features are contained in the mythologies of the world creation, distant primogenitors and heroes. Many mythologies are tragic, and some are tragedies. The stories, such as Gun and His Son Yu Tackled the Floods, Jing Wei Attempted to Fill up the Sea, Kua Fu Chased the Sun, Defeated Xing Tian brandished his Shield and Axe, Nu Wa Mended the Fallen Heaven and so on, embodies the tragic fates of distant primogenitors and the lofty spirit of heroes. Since their sacrifice was for the sake of loftiness, the tragic stories don＇t make readers feel distressed, but have readers become sad yet stirring; and the stories make readers respect the sacrificed and also bring brightness and hopes to readers. Therefore, the mythological images are not only tragic but also optimistic. Such an optimistic spirit is just the soul of the beauty in tragedy.