也论“戏剧性”——与董健先生、谭霈生先生商榷

On the Meaning of “Dramatism”: A Response to Dong Jian and Tan Peisheng’s Theories

“戏剧性”(dramatism或dramatic)这个概念被国内研究者使用得很多,但其含义一直未被澄清,董健、谭霈生二位先生对“戏剧性”的认识存在或可商榷处。这个词在西方戏剧实践和研究话语系统中有着明晰且稳定的含义:通过扮演而不是叙事来摹仿,由一系列事件构成情节,这些事件由情境、人物性格和目的引发,不同人物因性格和目的不同而必然形成冲突,事件之间因果相继,冲突不断升级,但最终必须化解,秩序重新建立。戏剧(dram a)是具有内在逻辑性和自我发展动力的完整自足之物,反映了古典时期和近代将存在作为一个意义关联整体来把握的世界观。

The concept of“dramaticsm”has been used by many researchers in China.But its meaning has not been clarified.This paper attempts to argue against Dong Jian and Tan Peisheng's understanding of this concept.The term has a clear and stable meaning in Western theatre and research discourse:imitation by acting rather than by narrating;plots made of a series of events that are triggered by circumstances,characters,and purposes;characters bound to be in conflict because of their different personalities and purposes;events connected by causality;continued escalation of the conflict,and the final resolution.Being self-sufficient and self-motivated,drama has its internal logic.Drama reflects a worldview that takes in the wholistic meaning of existence in classical and moderntimes.