欧阳修“文学止于润身,政事可以及物”论析

On Ouyang Xiu’s “Literature Stopping at Culturing the Character and Political Affairs Can Be Transferred to Things”

欧阳修在文学创作上主张"文章不为空言而期于有用",他对后进人才的培养也以救时行道为原则,让他们成为处理时政、解决时弊的"时才";同时注意发挥文学涵养道德的"润身"功能,而通经学古的目的仍在济世。针对当时社会只求清要之职而把吏事视为低级琐碎事务的普遍性观念,欧阳修提出"政事可以及物"的观点,因为无论"政事"还是"吏事",都具有"及物"的实践性和时效性。官吏的职责是表达民意,救民疾苦,故"政行于民,是达也"。鉴于当时文坛的浮靡文风和求清要之职的世风,欧阳修认为政事比文学更重要。

Ouyang Xiu advocates that"articles are not intended to be useful for empty words"in literary creation. His training of backward talents is also based on the principle of saving the times and doing realistic things, so that they can become the"talents"to deal with current affairs and solve current problems. At the same time, we should pay attention to the function of "culturing the character"of literature, while the purpose of studying ancient classics is still to help the world. In view of the general idea that the society at that time only wanted the official of leisure and regarded "official affairs"as low-level trivial affairs, Ouyang Xiu put forward the view that"political affairs can be transferred to things", because both"political affairs"and"official affairs"have the practical and timely effect. The official’s duty is to express the public opinion and assist the people ’s sufferings. Therefore,"helping the people is prosperity". Ouyang Xiu thought that political affairs were more important than literature in view of the prevailing unhealthy style of literature and politics at that time.