中国古代散曲史研究中的几个重要问题考论

A Re-examination of Several Important Issues in the Study of the History of Ancient Chinese Sanqu

在中国古代散曲发展史研究中,有几个重要问题学界曾有过讨论,如对带过曲的性质和渊源的持续论争,对明代南北曲盛衰演化的讨论,对晚明北曲大家薛论道应如何评价等。其实,这些问题本来已经基本得到解决,但最近又有论者仍坚持认为带过曲是套数的初始环节;未接受明嘉靖以前南曲已盛的事实;仍认为古代曲史上存曲最多的晚明曲家薛论道之曲不必入史。这几个古代曲学史研究中的重要问题,很有必要再做深入考论,以澄清其是非曲直而还其本来面目。据学界与笔者多年研究,还有谢伯阳等先生近年考订,以及笔者本次再度探考,现再次确认:带过曲并非套数形成的“初始环节”或“中间环节”,而是源于套数的“摘调”;南曲在嘉靖以前已胜于北曲的基本事实,既有明人明确记载且与曲坛创作实际情况相符,故不容否定;晚明曲家薛论道不仅在中国散曲史上存曲最多,尤其在军旅题材方面独树一帜,艺术造诣甚高,且得到历代论家的高度评价,其作为一流曲家的地位,亦不容否定,不仅应当入史,而且还应用足够的篇幅给予充分肯定。

In the study of the history of the development of ancient Chinese Sanqu(literally“dispersed songs”散曲),there are several important issues that have been discussed in the academic circles,such as the debate on the nature and origin of the binary form(带过曲),the discussion of the evolution of the northern song(北曲)and southern song(南曲)in the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644),and the evaluation of the late-MingNorthern Song master,Xue Lundao(1531-1600).In fact,these issues have been basically clarified,butrecently there are scholars,due to their ignorance of the new research in the field of dramatic verse,whoneither rectify a wrong view that the binary form is the early stage of song suite(套数),nor accept the fact that the southern song had been flourished since Emperor Jiajing’s period.What is even worse is that theytry to prevent the position of Xue Lundao,who is the song writer with the most surviving works,from beingrecorded in literary history.So,it is necessary to re-examine these issues in depth so as to clarify theirrights and wrongs and return the dramatic issues to their original facts.