传统语文学仍可有新的作为

Traditional Philology Can Still Have New Accomplishments

语文学是自古相传的学问，从印度、中国、希腊、罗马的情况可以看到它的发展轨迹及其对语言和文化研究的重要贡献。现代语言学兴起以来，有人把语文学看成是“前科学时代的”学问。我们不能认同这种片面的观点，必须把语文学重新定位为连接严格的语言学和一般人文学科的中间地带。语文学是典型的“人文的语言学”，这个学术传统正宜继承下来；语文学应当持续扩展与人文学科的联系，以便把语言研究做得更深、更大，并使得出的语言新解释更加可靠、可信、可采。当然，要想获致这样的成果，我们必须不断加强语文学的理论建设。要把语文学提升到历史语言学的当代高度，也要重视普通语言学（及其不同路线）的指导作用；在具体操作中要注意克服各分支学科互相隔绝的偏狭态度，还要进而达于微观和宏观的会通考察。若语文学家能发扬语言研究的高远旨趣，传统语文学仍可有新的作为（包括可使语言研究更好地服务于一般文化研究的大目标）。

Philology has been a branch of learning since ancient times;its track of evolution can be seen in ancient India,China,Greece and the Roman Empire with important contributions to the studies of language and culture.After the emergence of modern linguistics,some people have regarded philology as a"pre-scientific"study.We cannot accept such a lop-sided view,and the status of philology must be re-defined as a marginal zone that links linguistics in a strict sense and the general studies of humanities.Philology is a typical study of language with human straits,and such an academic tradition should be carried forward;it must go on widening its relation with the disciplines of humanities so as to make the study of language deeper and larger in scale,and come to new explanations of language with more reliability,credibility and adoptability.Naturally,in order to attain such an outcome,we must continuously strengthen the theoretical building of philology.It is imperative to raise philology to the contemporary level of historical linguistics,and attach great importance to the guiding role of general linguistics(with its different orientations);in concrete practice,it is advisable to pay attention to overcoming the biased and narrow-minded attitude of separated and isolated disciplines,and to strive to achieve a comprehensive observation and exploration with compatibility,of microcosmic and macrocosmic views.If philologists can enhance their sublime interest in the study of language,traditional philology can still have new accomplishments(including letting itself better serve the big goal of general studies of culture).