竟陵派传记散文的理论意涵与价值阐述——以钟惺、谭元春为中心

Theoretical Significance and Value Elucidation of Jingling School’sBiographical Essays: Centered on Zhong Xing and Tan Yuanchun

竟陵派传记散文的开拓性与创新性似更为显著,且这类散文的理论生成和文本撰写极有力地表现出性灵思潮对其思想的辐射与创作的规约。从传记散文的演进脉络溯源,明代是主体意识觉醒与古典传记的突破期,特别是晚明士林群体主体意识之强化的思想背景和历史基础,使得竟陵派传记散文表现出“性灵”的本质一面。具体而言,“细事小语点染着色”与“奇事当传”为竟陵派传记散文理论的重要两端,使传记散文在写作原则、艺术手法、题材择取等多方面凸显出自身的创作特色。从价值意义上来看,竟陵派传记散文在延续了性灵文学“求真”本质意涵的同时,又较为适时地将“求善”价值理念蕴含于创作之中,即针对公安派之任情而发、情性泛滥这一现实而采取反思与节制主体性建构的策略。竟陵派对“性灵”一脉的修正及纠偏于传记散文一体是理应予以重视且认同的。

The pioneering and innovative nature of the Jingling School's biographical essays appears to be particularly notable,with the theoretical formation and textual writing of such essays powerfully demonstrating the influence of the intellectual trend of emphasizing the spirit and creativity on their thought and creation.Tracing the evolution of biographical essays,the Ming Dynasty represents a period of awakening of subject consciousness and breakthrough in classical biography,especially against the backdrop of the strengthening of subject consciousness among the late Ming literati community and its historical foundation,which allowed the Jingling School's biographical essays to exhibit the essential aspect of“spirit.”Specifically,“painting with meticulous details and small talk”and“marvelous events worth narrating”constitute the two important poles of the Jingling School's biographical essay theory,highlighting its unique creative characteristics in terms of writing principles,artistic techniques,and theme selection.In terms of value significance,while continuing the“spiritual”literature's essence of“seeking truth,”the Jingling School's biographical essays also timely incorporate the value concept of“seeking goodness”into their creation,that is,adopting a strategy of reflection and restraint in subjectivity construction in response to the reality of the Gong’an School's indulgence in emotions and excessive sentimentality.The Jingling School's correction and rectification of the“spirit”lineage within biographical essays are deserving of attention and recognition.