《天雨花》的作者及其思想

Comments on the Author of Tianyuhua and its Ideological Content

《天雨花》的作者陶贞怀是一位假托人物。陶贞 ,即“陶真” ,也就是“陶甄” ,有双重语义 :一是指弹词 ,二是意“风化”。陶贞怀 ,就是要求人们关怀人世风化。作者的思想是复杂的 ,有着双重性 :一方面倾向东林党人 ,反对权奸和宦官专权误国 ;提倡男女平等 ,呼吁妇女人权 ,富有民主主义启蒙色彩 ;同情人民在统治阶级苛刻剥削下的悲惨境遇 ,具有儒家的民本思想 ;有一定的民族意识 ,但在农民大起义的急风暴雨冲击下 ,因受其阶级影响而变得模糊起来。另一方面 ,作者站在大官僚、大地主阶级立场 ,对农民起义军及其领袖心怀仇恨 ,歪曲和颠倒历史 ;

Tao Zhenhuai, author of Tianyuhua, was a fictitious figure. Tao Zhen may refer to both storytelling and decency, and accordingly, Tao Zhenhuai is meant to arouse the public concern for the decency of the society. The authors thinking involves duality: he showed preference for Donglin Clique on the one hand, yet disapproved of their misconduct and malfeasance, on the other. He advocated equality between man and woman, appealed for womens share of human rights, sympathized with people of a miserable lot under the cruel exploitation of the ruling class, etc. However, he hated the farmers and their leaders as the uprisings harmed the interests of the bureaucrats and landlords, distorted or even confounded true history. In other words, the author could not be void of fatalism and superstitious belief in his inner soul. Inherent too was his idealist philosophical ideology propagating Buddist retribution.