唐代举子行卷文体考论

An Investigative View of the Examinee's Style in Answering the State Examination Paper

唐代进士科最初仅试策文,高宗显庆后至玄宗开元时,进士科杂文试诗、赋体与箴、铭、论、表、颂、赞诸体兼用,在文、实两方面掌握的较为平衡。此后或偏文而单用诗、赋体,或偏实而单用箴、铭、论、表、颂、赞诸体,因而招致不少微词。唐代进士科杂文试的文体规定和应试难度,必然使举子注重从小苦练与应试有关的文体,并用得意之作先期行卷,为进士及第创造条件。唐代举子用于行卷的文体,大致与进士科杂文试的文体相似或相近,因为这样易于得到显人名公和主试官的认同,最终进士及第。尽管尚难绝对排除唐代举子用小说行卷现象的存在,但在当时被视为"驳杂无实"的小说体,有悖进士科杂文试的主流文体,一般举子并不用小说体行卷,更不可能由此而致唐人小说的兴盛。

The early State Examination required only writing on the assigned topic. However, down to the imperial title of Xianqing in the reign of Emperor of Gaozong and that of Kaiyuan in the reign of Emperor of Xuanzong, the forms of examination were improved to involve essay writing in diverse styles, such as poetry, poetic essay, persuasion, illustration, argumentation, memorial report, extolment, and praise and showed a balance between fact and fiction. After that, the state examination failed to hold to the fine tradition and took frequent deviations, either emphasizing partially rhetorical ability by examining only poem and poetic essay writing, or emphasizing partially factual writing by testing only writing in diverse styles, such as persuasion, illustration, argumentation, memorial report, extolment, and praise, hence gaining a rain of criticism. The styles of the state examinees in answering the examination papers were basically similar to the styles of essay required by the state examination. In this way their papers were likely to be accepted and appreciated by the eminent oitlcial and examiners, which would pave the path for their employment. It is hard to exclude the case that some examinees answered the paper by writing in a fiction style, but it can be determined that this style went against the style of essay writing, the mainstream style of the state examination in those days. So the state examinees in those days were not likely to have written in the style of fiction writing, let alone promote the prosperity of fiction writing in the day.