举业成功:《聊斋志异》科举书写的另一面

Success in Imperial Examinations:Another Side of Imperial Examination Writing in Liao Zhai Zhi Yi

《聊斋志异》中不仅有科场失意,也有举业成功,而且后者的比例更多。书中的举业成功故事,其功能有三种:一是功名的获得被视为家族使命,以此勾勒世俗意义的圆满人生;二是秉承史传文学劝善惩恶的传统,同时也融入了儒释道三家的相关思想,以功名为最高奖赏;三是揭露科举成功背后的荒诞与虚无,进一步批判科举。可贵的是,在深受当时社会观念和思潮影响的同时,作者不时流露出矛盾心理,其中不乏他对现实人生的独特感受。部分篇章不再简单停留于落第举子的愤懑之情,而是由科举放眼到社会人生,体现了更为深远的人性思考与社会关怀,作品的主题也因此更为多样化。

In Liao Zhai Zhi Yi,there are not only failure but also success of imperial examinations,and the proportion of the latter is more.Success stories in the book have three functions.First,the acquisition of fame is regarded as the mission of the family,so as to outline a happy life of secular significance.Second,it inherits the tradition of of persuading good and punishing evil,at the same time,it also integrates the relevant thoughts of Confucianism,Buddhism and Taoism,takes the success of imperial examinations as the highest reward.Third,it exposes the absurdity and nothingness behind the success of the imperial examination,and further criticizes the imperial examination.Most importantly,while deeply influenced by the social concept and ideological trend at that time,the writer reveals his contradictory psychology from time to time,including his unique feelings for real life.Some chapters no longer simply stay in the resentment of the loser,but from the imperial examination to the social life,reflecting a more profound human thinking and social concern,what’s more,the themes of the works are more diversified.