说中国古代史家的“属辞比事”

On“Historical Narration”of Ancient Chinese Historians

以文辞排纂史事,乃是先秦史官之本职与本领,至司马迁将之发扬光大。在崇尚“属辞比事”的浓郁氛围里,史家对文辞的措置达到了一种极致。古代史书叙事审美理论中的文约事丰、老练、用晦等,都与此密不可分。从字面上看,“属辞比事”只涉及“辞”与“事”,实则任何“属辞比事”都必然传递义/意。讨论“属辞比事”,不能回避谈“情”。史家连缀文辞、排列史事自然会带入他们的喜怒哀乐、好恶取舍。“属辞比事”从事、辞、情、义诸方面深刻地浸润中国史学,凸显了史家的主体性、历史的思想性、史学的人文性,提升了史书叙事的艺术性,使历史撰述真正成为一项有灵魂、有感情的学术文化活动。

Arranging historical events using eloquent language has always been the duty and expertise of pre-Qin historians,and it was further developed and enhanced by Sima Qian.In the rich atmosphere of advocating“historical narration”,historians reached a pinnacle in their handling of language.The aesthetic theories of concise language,sophistication,and obscurity in ancient historical narratives are closely related to this practice.On the surface,“historical narration”only involves“language”and“events”,but in reality,any“historical narration”inevitably conveys meaning and sentiment.Discussing“historical narration”cannot avoid addressing“emotion”.Historians naturally incorporate their emotions,preferences,and choices when weaving language and arranging historical events.“Historical narration”deeply permeates various aspects of Chinese historiography,including events,language,emotion,and morality,highlights the subjectivity of historians,the intellectual nature of history,the humanity of historiography,and enhances the artistic quality of historical narratives,making historical writing a scholarly and cultural activity with soul and emotion.