如何理解“梅兰芳”

How Shall We Understand“Mei Lanfang”

谈梅兰芳表演艺术或梅兰芳表演艺术体系,核心是梅兰芳,那么梅兰芳是谁,怎么理解“梅兰芳”,不同人有着不同的认识和判断,这种不同的认识和判断,关乎对梅兰芳的评价和对中国戏曲的理解。在笔者看来,“梅兰芳”一词起码有三层含义,即梅兰芳个体(单数)、梅兰芳集体(复数)、梅兰芳象征。梅兰芳个体即我们平常所说的本义梅兰芳,或者狭义梅兰芳,是梅兰芳本我;而梅兰芳集体就是复数梅兰芳,这个集体大于“梅党”,梅兰芳是个体的,也是非个体的,个体与集体是对立的统一;梅兰芳象征亦即代表性,是中国戏曲艺术的杰出代表。

When talking about Mei Lanfang’s performing arts or Mei Lanfang’s performing arts system,the core is Mei Lanfang.Then as for who is Mei Lanfang and how to understand“Mei Lanfang”,different people have different understandings and judgments,which are related to the evaluation of Mei Lanfang and the understanding of Chinese opera.In the author’s opinion,the term“Mei Lanfang”has at least three meanings,i.e.Mei Lanfang as an individual(singular),Mei Lanfang as a collective(plural),and Mei Lanfang as a symbol.Mei Lanfang as an individual is what we usually call Mei Lanfang in the original sense,or Mei Lanfang in the narrow sense,which is Mei Lanfang’s own self;and Mei Lanfang as a collective is Mei Lanfang in the plural,which is greater than the“Mei Party”.Therefore,Mei Lanfang is both individual and non-individual,and the individual and the collective are the unity of opposites.Mei Lanfang as a symbol means the representativeness and is the outstanding representative of the Chinese Opera Art.