《天问》的文学特质及其修辞艺术(上)

LITERARY CHARACTERISTICS AND RHETORIC TECHNIQUES OF TIAN WEN

《天问》是屈原作品中最为奇特谲怪之一篇,全诗三百七十四句,一千五百五十三字,完全以问句之形式写成。内容自天文、地理、神话、传说到历史人事,包罗万象,思想性颇高。后世学者、评家,或认为它是"问卜型文学",或认为是一种"传承史诗"、"瞽史之歌"、"域外文化知识的总汇"等等,甚至有人不认同其为屈原所作,或不以为是文学作品,即便为文学作品,而其文学价值,在《楚辞》中亦为最低云云,可谓仁智互见,莫衷一是。实际上,《天问》为伟大之文学创作,亦是旷古绝今之第一等奇文,无庸置疑。而其写作技巧,更见手法高超,匠心独运。其中甚至以"参差"、"倒装"、"变换"、"省笔"、"错综"、"互文"等六种文句变化之技巧,验证屈原如何心营意造,力求文句变化生辉。此外,屈原确能"取镕经意,亦自铸伟辞"(《文心雕龙·辨骚》),有"惟圣人能尽文之妙"(黄侃《文心雕龙札记》)之修辞功力。乃在"技巧"方面,《天问》的修辞艺术归纳有"设疑法"、"层递法"、"错综法"、"讽托法"、"虚实法"、"引用法"、"借代法"、"排比法"、"对偶法"、"映衬法"、"对比法"、"重现法"等十二项。另外还有"比拟法"、"倒置法"、"转品法"、"比喻法"、"双关法"等数项修辞技巧,这足以证明屈原确拥有卓异不凡之才情,《天问》的确是"千古万古至奇之作"(清刘献庭《离骚经讲录》),而屈原被赞评为"千古诗神",可谓实至名归,当之无愧。

Tian Wen （Questions to the Heaven）, is the most exquisite and intriguing piece of work in Qu Yuan＇s writings. The poem consists of more than 374 sentences written with 1,50053 odd Chinese characters. Its contents cover a wide range of subjects such as astronomy, geography, folklore and historic events with a unique philosophic view of the writer. However, some scholars in later times thought that the poem was not Qu Yuan＇s work, or it was not a literary writing, or its was not as good as Qu＇s other works in his famous book ---Chu Ci.The controversial persists.This paper tries to examine ＂Questions to the Heaven＂from the angles of philosophy, emotion, imagination, and artistry, with a view to ascertain whether the poem is indeed a literary work. The findings attest that the poem is undoubtedly a masterpiece. The reason that causes doubts by certain readers lies in its unique contents and literary techniques, which are seldom employed even in Qu Yuan＇s works.