从回目的角度谈《平妖传》的版本问题

The Edition Problems of PingYaoZhuan in the Perspective of Chapter Heading

《平妖传》的版本问题复杂,多数学者认为二十回本在先,四十回本在后,而欧阳健先生却认为二十回本是四十回本的删节本,我们拿二十回本的回目和四十回本的回目相比较,发现了二十回本回目的特点是"实用",而四十回本相较于二十回本却"精工"很多,从"实用"到"精工",这恰恰是章回小说回目的发展历程,依此,我们可以断定二十回本在前,四十回本在后。

The edition of PingYaoZhuan is a hard nut to crack. Most scholars believe the edition of twenty chapters exists first and the edition of fourty chapters appears later. However, Mr. OuYanglian believes that the edition of twenty chapters is the abridged edition of that of fourty chapters. If we compare the headings of the edition of twenty chapters and that of the edition of fourty chapters, we will find that the headings of the former one are quite ＂practical＂, but the headings of the latter one are quite ＂elaborate＂, which is exactly the developing process of the type of traditional Chinese novel ZhangHui novel. Therefore, we can come to the conclusion： the edition of twenty chapters appears before that of fourty chapters.