海外华文文学的前世、今生与来世

The Pre-existence,This Life and Next Life of Literatures in Chinese Overseas

此文乃华文文学界元老陈贤茂教授对"海外华文文学"的概念的回顾、阐发与展望。他指出,在中国(包括台港澳)以外的国家或地区,凡是用华文(即汉语)作为表达工具而创作的文学作品,都称为海外华文文学。海外华文文学并不是1919年以后才产生的。早在一千多年前,就已有海外华文文学的存在。那时候称为汉文学。创作主体不是华人作家,而是非华人作家。鸦片战争以后,随着中国国力的衰弱,汉语与汉文学在周边国家的地位一落千丈。到20世纪,以非华人作家为主体的海外汉文学已逐步趋于消失,代之而起的是以华人作家为主体的海外华文文学。展望未来的海外华文文学,将是由华人作家和非华人作家共同创造的。届时,海外华文文学或将正名为海外汉语文学。

This article, by Professor Chen Xianmao, the grand old man in the world of literatures in Chinese overseas, is an attempt to review and explicate the concept of ＇literatures in Chinese overseas＇, in which he points out that literary work, as long as it is written in Chinese, with the Chinese language as a tool of expression, in countries or regions outside China（including Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao）, can be referred to as literatures in Chinese overseas. This literature was not born only after 1919 but it already existed as early as 1000 years ago. Back then, it was called‘Han wenxue＇ （Han literature）, written by non-huaren （overseas Chinese ）writers, not huaren writers. After the Opium War, with the weakening of China as a nation, the position of the Chinese language and Han literature had suffered greatly in the surrounding countries. By the 20th century, Han literature overseas, mainly by non-huaren writers, had gradually disappeared, replaced by literatures in Chinese mainly by huaren （overseas Chinese ） writers. One looks forward to literatures in Chinese overseas as jointly created by huaren writers and non-huaren writers. By then, the term‘literatures in Chinese overseas＇ may be formally called ‘Chinese-language literatures overseas＇.