泰体西用:泰国小说的生成

Thai Essence and Western Utility: The Generation of the Thai Novels

泰国小说的生成并非在西方文化影响下一蹴而就。故事作为小说的核心内涵,有自身发展的历程:自古民间文学活动中,多种类型的故事以讲、唱和表演等形式传播;随着经贸发展,社会各阶层交流增多,不注重故事的宫廷文学从民间汲取营养,仪式与神圣性逐渐消减,故事性强且适于阅读的文学作品在十九世纪早期大量出现。十九世纪中后期,受西方影响,文学创作条件和状况发生变化,文人翻译、改编西方小说,进而发展到独立创作,在此过程中体现了对泰国传统文化价值观的推崇,使小说的生成呈现“泰体西用”的特征。

The generation of the Thai novels has not happened instantly under western influence.Stories,as the central idea of novels,developed at its own pace.In ancient Thai folk literature,varies stories spread in the form of narration,singing and performance.Economic development and trade increase the exchanges among all levels of society;therefore,the Royal Thai literature,originally not paying attention to stories,reduced ritual and sacredness,integrated with the folklore,and gradually turned secularization.The readable literature works dramatically increased in the early 19 th century.Under the influence of the western culture around the middle and late 19 th century,change of condition of literary creation led to the translation and adaption of western novels,and eventually to independent creation of literary works by Siam scholars.In this process,traditional Thai ethics and morals were inherited,which characterizes Thai Essence and Western Utility of the Thai novels.