方苞暨桐城派“抑柳为甚”论平议

A Discussion of the Argument on FANG Bao and Tongcheng School’s“Extremely Demeaning LIU Zongyuan’s Prose”

方苞的柳文批评,外厉而内温。其外厉的一面引发了桐城派内部的强烈反拨,其内温的一面为桐城派内部的柳文批评转向导夫先路。方苞之后,桐城派的柳文批评由抑柳向尊柳发展,出现了刘大櫆、林纾、吴汝伦、吴闿生等尊柳批评家。清人有“方苞抑柳为甚”的判断,其实方苞并没有到否定韩柳并称的严重程度,他对柳宗元山水游记的称许,对柳宗元文学成就的知重,即使在明清时期的柳文批评家中也屈指可数。后来“方苞抑柳为甚”论泛化为“桐城派抑柳为甚”论,与实际情况更不相符。

Fang Bao’s criticism of Liu Zongyuan’s prose is harsh at the surface but mild by nature.His harshness triggered a strong backlash within the Tongcheng School,while his mildness turned to lead the way for the critics who admired Liu Zongyuan’s prose.After Fang Bao,the Tongcheng School’s attitude towards Liu Zongyuan’s prose developed from negative to positive,there having appeared such critics who highly worshiped Liu Zongyuan’s prose as Liu Dakun,Lin Shu,Wu Rulun and Wu Kaisheng.Though the Qing scholars had the argument“why Fang Bao extremely demeaned Liu Zongyuan’s prose”,Fang Bao did not deny that Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan were equally important.As a matter of fact,there were rare scholars among the Ming and Qing scholars like Fang Bao who complimented on Liu Zongyuan’s travel notes and recognized Liu’s literary achievements.Later,the argument“why Fang Bao extremely demeaned Liu Zongyuan’s prose”was generalized into“why the Tongcheng School extremely demeaned Liu Zongyuan’s prose”,which is even more inconsistent with the actual situation.