“以文证史”的考据困境与《穆天子传》研究的范式转型

The Dilemma of Textual Research on“Literature Proves History”and the Paradigm Transformation of the Study of Mutienzizhuan(《穆天子传》)

经过学术界的长期争讼,《穆天子传》以小说、神话为主并兼具多学科价值的文学类文献的体裁性质,逐渐成为学术界绝大多数学者的普遍共识。正因为《穆天子传》的文体具有固有的复杂性,从而引发学术界在《穆天子传》所载史事是否可信的问题上展开了旷日持久的激烈争论。就目前所掌握的材料看,无论认为《穆天子传》所记几无一件“真确可信”,抑或认为《穆天子传》为周穆王“西征纪实”,“《穆天子传》所记确为事实”,显然均不符合历史实际。晚清民国时期不少学者错误地将原本为文学小说的《穆天子传》视为凿凿可信的史地著作,混淆文学作品中寓意与纪实的区分。滥用文史互证法,不仅不能做到文史结合,还给古史研究造成了一系列混乱。在新的学术背景下,多学科视野下的《穆天子传》研究应做到以下几点:(1)正视《穆天子传》以小说、神话为主并兼具多学科价值的文学类文献的体裁性质,准确把握《穆天子传》的产生背景、著述动机和意图;(2)尊重现代学科的独立性,推进《穆天子传》研究在学术分工的基础上向着专业化方向发展;(3)重视综合与比较研究,拓展与深化《穆天子传》研究的新旧领域;(4)推进《穆天子传》研究范式从传统考据学向文化阐释学与跨文化研究转变。

After a long period of dispute,the genre nature of Mutienzizhuan which is based on novels and myths and has multi-disciplinary value,has gradually become the general consensus of the vast majority of scholars in academic circles.Because of the inherent complexity of the style of Mutienzizhuan,it has triggered a long and fierce debate in the academic circles on whether the historical events contained in Mutienzizhuan are credible.As far as the available materials are concerned,no matter it is believed that Mutienzizhuan is“true and credible”,or it is believed that Mutienzizhuan is a record of King Mu’s“Western expedition”and“Mutienzizhuan is indeed a fact”,it is obviously not in line with the historical reality.In the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China,many scholars wrongly regarded Mutienzizhuan,which was originally a literary novel,as a solid and credible historical work,confused the distinction between moral and documentary in literary works,abused the cross-reference of literature and history,which not only failed to combine literature and history,but also caused a series of confusion to the study of ancient history.Under the new academic background,the study of Mutienzizhuan under the multi-disciplinary perspective should face up to the genre nature of Mutienzizhuan,which is mainly fiction and myth,and has multi-disciplinary value,and accurately grasp the background,writing motivation and intention of Mutienzizhuan;Respecting the independence of modern disciplines and promote the development of the study of Mutienzizhuan towards specialization on the basis of academic division of labor;Attaching importance to the comprehensive and comparative study,expand and deepen the old and new areas of the study of Mutienzizhuan;Promote the transformation of the research paradigm of Mutienzizhuan from traditional textual research to cultural hermeneutics and cross-cultural research.