《莺莺传》的流变与儒家性道德

Metamorphoses of the Story of Ying Ying and the Confucian Sexual Morals

有情的尤其是有过性关系的一对男女却不能成为眷属是崔张故事绵延不断并被反复改写的根本原因。这与农业社会中第一条最基本的性道德——必须由婚姻来支配和制约人的性生活,否则便不被社会容忍和接受相一致,也是儒家性道德的精髓。因为儒家以无后为不孝,食色为天性,同时又痛论非婚姻的性关系。正是在这个意义上,董解元赋予的崔张大团圆结局在最大程度上契合了儒家的社会性别理想,契合了中国民众的审美心理。

This paper argues that the reason for the continued popularity and adaption of the Story of Yingying lies in the fact that the sexual intercourse between the heroine and hero falls to be legitimized by marriage. Their tragedy consists in the violation of the basic sexual morals of an agrarian society, which are also the essence of the Confucian sexual code. Confucianism acknowledges sex and food as basic natural instincts, condemns failure to produce offspring as un-filial, yet abhors sexual activities out of wedlock. Therefore, Dong Xieyuan＇s version of the story, which provides a happy marriage ending, best conforms to Confucian sexual mores and panders to popular taste.