“说部”之概念辨析

A Study of Shuobuas a Notion

明朝隆庆、万历年间,王世贞创制了"说部"一词。明清时期,"说部"这个概念形成了特定的自洽性和有效性,它自身也蕴藏着被突破、被重新界定的可能性。"说部"与"小说"这两个概念之间存在着差异与断裂。这种差异既是"说部"与"小说"区隔开来的标志,同时又成为它们彼此融会、相互趋赴的内在动因。到了近代,"说部"与"小说"这两个概念指称的知识实体在类例建构、质性特征、体式规范上完全交叠、重合,孳衍出近现代中国小说观念基本的构造形态。从明代中后期至近代,"说部"这个概念及其指称的知识要素以其自身特有的存在方式和发展逻辑,影响了中国小说观念的嬗变。

In the middle and late Ming dynasty, Wang Shizhen created a new concept which was called shuobu （说部）, and the new concept was parallel to and in mutual eomplementa- tion with ＂the traditional notion of ＂novel＂ . In Ming and Qing dynasties, the self-consisten- cy and validity of shuobu were universally identified. Besides, there were lots of possibilities that the notion of shuobu was pierced and reconstructed. The differences between shuobu and ＂novel＂ were not only the symbol of their division but also the stimulus of their conflu- ence. In modern times, the overlapping of these two notions in both the construction of classification and the characteristics reproduced the basic configuration of the idea of ＂novel＂ in contemporary and modern history of China.