论西方文学理论接受的“中国特色”

With Chinese Characteristics

本期《现代语言季刊》刊载了三篇重点文章:王宁的《法国理论在中国与中国的理论建构(重构)》,张江的《论强制阐释与文学理论的中国建构》和朱立元的《希利斯·米勒论文学的终结》。这些文章共同探讨了中西文学理论的交流,它们表明,所有西方理论在“旅行”到中国时,都呈现出“中国特色”,这反映了历史和意识形态的不断变化,也反映了西方理论对中国文学实践的主导性影响。三位中国学者都在不同程度上迫切呼吁西方对中国理论给予更多的认可,呼吁中国学者构建植根于中国传统的自身理论体系。本文以张隆溪翻译和评论钱锺书 20 世纪 80 年代的名篇《诗可以怨》的文章为例,指出能够卓有成效地运用中西方理论进行文学批评的实例已存在,因此把王、张和朱强烈呼吁的内容更进一步付诸实践是切实可行的。

The articles at the center of this issue of MLQ, Wang Ning’s“French Theories in China and the Chinese Theoretical(Re)construction,”Zhang Jiang’s“On Imposed Interpretation and Chinese Construction of Literary Theory,” and Zhu Liyuan’s“Hillis Miller on the End of Literature,”address the interchange between Chinese and Western literary theories. What transpires from these essays is that all Western theories, when“traveling”to China, assume“Chinese characteristics,”reflecting changing historical and ideological conditions but also the vector of influence running predominantly from Western theories to Chinese practice. To different degrees, and with varying urgency, all three Chinese scholars lodge a plea for greater recognition of Chinese theories in the West and for Chinese scholarship to construct a theory of its own, rooted in the Chinese tradition. By way of a new translation, with commentary, by Zhang Longxi of a celebrated 1980s article by Qian Zhongshu, the present essay argues that examples of a fruitful use of both Western and Chinese theory and literature already exist and may further put into practice what Wang, Zhang, and Zhu so forcefully call for.