先秦格言传统及其文献意义

A historical study of the pre-Qin epigrams

格言是短小精悍而又富有教益的语句,这一文体在先秦时期就已经非常活跃。格言的活跃与先秦社会的重言风气密切相关,当时存在的乞言、赠言这些重言仪式不但催生这种文体,也促使其盛行。格言这种文体在先秦社会除了发挥训诫作用之外,还具有很强的文献意义。大抵而论,先秦格言呈现散见式、汇编式、著论式、专书式这些样态,这些文献形式不但呈现格言体丰富多彩的存在样态,也为考察早期文献的生成提供清晰的范例。

Epigram is a concise and condensed moral,which is quite popular in the pre-Qin.This is closely related to the attention of the ancient people to the language styles.Epigrams play apivotal role in reprimanding and literature and they are often used in the forms of prose,anthology and book.