现代英美传记学的兴起及其启示

The Rise and Its Inspiration of Modern Anglo-American Biography

中国史学界很少关注传记学,而文学界却长期以来十分重视传记学,并取得了丰硕成果。这就使人们误以为传记学属于文学,传记也难免有虚构成分。然而,现代英美传记学的兴起表明,无论文学与史学曾经如何纠缠不清,传记学终归是史学的分支学科;撰写传记,只能严格遵守现代科学史学的原则,不应虚构。正是随着现代英美传记学的兴起,传记学回归到其内在的历史属性,成为主流史学的有机组成部分。这主要是通过回归主流的民族国家史学而实现的,编纂国民集体传记、推动民族国家建设,是其重要标志。因此,科学化和民族国家化,是现代英美传记学的基本特征。这对重建中国的传记学,编纂科学、信实的《中华民族传记辞典》,从而增强民族国家认同感,具有重要启示;对开创我国历史学科新的增长点而言,也具有积极意义。

Chinese historians paid little attention to biography. In Chinese literary circle, however, biogra- phy remains on the glory trail for long times, thus have left it still under the bondage of literature. This situa- tion of biography has not only hindered the process of modernization of the history discipline, but also retard- ed the project of national construction required by the rise of the Chinese nation. The rise of modern Anglo - American biography has proved that biography is always a branch of history whether or not there is any clear distinction between literature and history. Biography writing permits no fiction because it belongs to the genre of science. The modernization of Anglo - American biography is realized through its returning to the main- stream of history with nationalization, and is marked by writing national biographies such as DNB and ANB and by promoting to the construction of nation state. Modern Anglo - American biography is characterized by scientification and nationalization. The enlightening significance of it lies in that we should remake our biog- raphy, and start to write the Chinese national biography as early as possible, this will not only promote to construct our nation state but also help us to find new disciplinary growth spin - offs of history.