屈原诗歌是“史诗”吗?——兼与美国汉学家柯马丁商榷

Qu Yuan’s Poems:Lyric or Epic?——Also a Debate against Martin Kern

屈原诗歌属于抒情诗,不是叙事诗。史诗是叙事诗的一种。将屈原诗歌为主体的楚辞说成是“中华民族历史上第一部史诗”,肯定不正确。把屈原、屈原诗歌以及到两汉时代人们对屈原及其诗歌的历史记载与综合评论,概括为“屈原史诗”,不符合“史诗”的概念,而从“文化记忆”角度看,这实际上属于一种综合的屈原文化现象。

The poems of Qu Yuan should be recognized as lyric instead of narrative.However,epic is a branch of narrative poetry.Therefore,it is surely inappropriate to take Chuci poems,the main body of Qu Yuan’s poetry as the first epic in the history of the Chinese Nation as Martin Kern,an American Sinologist states,and the definition and inclusion of Qu Yuan and his poems as well as the related historical records and criticism as“Qu Yuan Epic”does not comply with the implication of“epic”,as actually can be viewed as a comprehensive cultural presentation of Qu Yuan in the perspective of cultural memory.