救赎与救劫——古代小说中的神仙降凡主题

Redemption and Calamity Saving——The Theme of Immortals' Descension to Mortal World in Chinese Ancient Novels

古代小说中的谪降描写,表现了道教关于罪谴、赎罪的观念。这一母题在不同时代被不同作者改造、置换,成为表达不同时代的中心意识和创作者个人人生感触的叙事要素。小说中的使命降世描写,则表现了道教有关劫难来临、道教英雄下凡救世的思想。神仙降凡叙事实际上就是追求宇宙和谐秩序的神话原型,无论是神仙思凡、犯错,还是人世间的劫难,都意味着和谐秩序遭到破坏,神仙谪下尘世修炼或降世救劫,就是要努力恢复和重建和谐的秩序。

Descriptions in Chinese ancient novels reflect the ideas of atonement and sending because of punishment in Taoism , which is always changed and replaced by diverse authors in different ages;and has been a factor of narration to express the main idea of various times and the feelings about personal life of authors .The description about descending to the world in Chinese ancient novels performs the ideas heroes ’ incarnation when the calamity comes in Taoism .The incarnation of immortal is actually a myth archetype to pursuit a harmonious universal order , longing for earthl lness , making mistakes of gods , calamities of the world , whatever , all means that har-monious order has been broken and immortals come to the mortal world to recover and rebuild the harmonious order .