晚清理论类“小说话”与中国小说批评的现代转型

Theoretical Fiction Notes in the Late Qing Dynasty and the Modern Transformation of Chinese Fiction Criticism

作为中国小说批评的重要方式之一,晚清理论类"小说话"的品评重点逐渐转移到对文本内容、人物塑造、审美趣味、社会功用等小说本身要素的探讨。而且在突出"直觉体悟"的同时,已尝试对小说批评进行理论思索与体系建构;尤其是,基于近代时势背景,对小说创作及批评与人学的关系、小说与社会之间的互动关系、对人之价值的展现以及从科学精神与民主思想进行小说内涵规范等的探索,使得晚清理论类"小说话"呈现出强烈的介入特征、批判色彩及意图鲜明的目的性,对中国小说批评向现代转型作了诸多有益探索。

As one of the most important ways of Chinese fiction criticism,the emphasis of theoretical fiction notes during the late Qing Dynasty gradually shifted to the elements of fiction itself,such as textual content,characterization,aesthetic taste,social function and so on.It also attempted to make theoretical reflections on and systematic construction of fiction criticism.Specifically,fiction notes emphasized the relationship between the creation and criticism of fiction and humanities,interaction between fiction and society,expression of human value,and exploration of the connotation of fiction from the perspectives of science and democracy.As a result of these new changes,the theoretical fiction notes during the late Qing period had a strong critical focus and teleological approach,thus making useful explorations of the modern transformation of Chinese fiction criticism.