明代科举士子时文阅读初探

A Primitive Study of the Model Eight-legged Essay Reading of the Ming Scholars

在科举制度发展成熟的明代,时文作为科举士子的必修课已逐渐成为官方取士最重要的文体。时文阅读由明初的明令禁止到明中期的普及化、群体化发展,最后到明末的士子"非举业不览",每一阶段都与科举制度、出版业发展息息相关、互为影响。时文因其特殊的政治属性而备受关注,在明代拥有最大的阅读群体,士子因切磋揣摩时文写作而结成文社,文社规模的发展壮大也对科举取士产生了不容小觑的影响。时文阅读逐渐将经典的神圣阅读带向了工具性阅读,阅读的工具属性带动了明代出版业的兴盛发展,坊刻、私刻时文刊本的充盈不仅满足了应举士子的阅读需求,为其提供应试捷径,同时还将时文的文学地位大幅度提升,赋予了时文阅读更多的文化属性和内涵。时文的读者、作者、出版者在彼此独立的同时,角色随时可以互相转换,可以说,明代时文阅读活动中的士子承载着多重身份,这种特殊性也在一定程度上反映出明代士人复杂的心态和价值观。

The early Ming government prohibited the reading of the true examination papers for preparation of Civil Service Examination. By mid Ming period however, reading model eight-legged essays became popular among the candidates of the examination, which gradually developed into a situation that most of the candidates would read the model essays only by the late Ming times. Accordingly, the eight-legged essays attracted a large number of scholars to read and they formed up literary societies in due course, which in turn affected the Civil Service Examinations. The reading of the model eight-legged essays stimulated the booming of publishing industry. Printed essays satisfied the needs of the candidates as a shortcut for their examination preparation. Meanwhile, the literary quality of the eight-legged essays was also improved. The roles of the readers, authors, and publishers might change in reality, which made some of the late Ming scholars to be people of multi identities.