台阁体审美范畴释论:以《四库全书总目》为中心

The Aesthetic Category of Taige Style:An Explanation Based on the Catalogue of the Imperial Collection of Four

"舂容"之美,内涵有别:一是指声态美、音韵美,特别强调宏大雄健,如洪钟之铿然;二是指形态、仪态或神态美,基本特征是雍容安雅,纡徐谐美。《总目》所指主要是后者,是优美而不是壮美。与"舂容"不同,"肤廓"和"啴缓"是《总目》对台阁体文风的否定性审美评价。明代文学之"肤廓"以台阁体为甚,其因有二:一是台阁诸臣缺乏纯文学观,以实用、功利、政治化的态度看待文学;二是台阁之作通常为应制和应酬之作,多属非纯文学性质。"啴缓"的特点是宽绰舒缓,不急促,不粗厉。明人审美不尚"啴缓"之音,主要由明王朝的国家气运所决定。这种审美倾向后来被四库馆臣在《总目》明人别集批评中所借鉴,但馆臣之论多有偏颇,有待辨正。

The beauty of‘Chongrong'lies in two of its distinct aesthetic features:namely,its phonology, which emphasizes strength,clarity,and vigor;and its morphology,which is characterized by its graceful,poised,and harmonious nature.The beauty of‘Chongrong'as exhibited in the'Catalogue of the Imperial Collection of Four(Catalogue for short)'refers to the latter feature-the graceful morphology rather than the bold phonology.The'Fukuo'phenomenon in the literature of the Ming Dynasty epitomizes the Taige style of writing.There are generally two reasons for this.The first is that the writers who practiced Taige style appreciated literature with a political,pragmatic and utilitarian attitude.The second is that the Taige style of literature was normally produced for the sake of courtly social intercourse or courtesy,and seldom for pure literary purposes.The aestheticists of the Ming Dynasty were not fond of the'Tanhuan'style.This was largely due to the national identity propagated by the Ming Empire.Later on this aesthetic inclination was adopted by the editors of the Imperial Collection of Four in their critical reviews of the collected works of the Ming Dynasty.However,the views of the editors were generally biased,which should always be taken into consideration.