中國古典小說中的「女俠」形象

The Images of Lady Knight-errants in Classic Chinese Fiction

中國人所謂的「俠客世界」或「江湖世界」，基本上是在男性觀念主導下所構設出來的，主要在強調男性積極而外發的生命情調；因此，傳統中社會活動範圍受到較多限制的女性，無法真正介入此一原來專屬男性的社會舞臺。可是，當女性在文學世界中開始展現其不可抗拒的魅力之後，俠客與江湖的世界中亦不能不有若干女性點綴於其間。女性俠客的嶄露頭角，始自唐代的「劍俠」小說，不過卻是宋代才開始名之為俠的；而且，女性的特殊性質，並未凸顯，事實上只是「中性」的。自元、明而後，女性俠客開始分流，一部分雖仍具有男俠的神秘特質，而另一部分，則以其道德或行事上的義烈，拓展了女俠的生命情調。儘管此一拓展還是備受傳統女性觀的牢籠，並未使女性俠客的生命自足開展。文學作品中女俠的誕生，是在「才子佳人」小說的發展下茁生的，佳人走出閨閣之後，就必須憑藉不同於以往的另一面貌，投身在社會當中，因此其機智、膽略，甚至武藝技業上，也逐漸受到重視。尤其是從《情史》刻意強調出女性俠客在情感上的特質後，清代以來陸續開展，更徹底改換了傳統俠客世界的體質，並影響到男俠品貌、性格的塑造。近代武俠小說中的「俠骨柔情」，正是在此背景中逐步建構而成的。不過，女俠畢竟還是由一群擁有歷史著作、詮釋權的男性所構設出來的，儘管他們嘗試去觸探女性的心靈，卻依然免不了以男性主觀的角度，「設計」滿足其價值觀、社會觀的女俠，規範的意味，掩蓋了女性的自足成長，終究使得所謂「俠客世界」中的女俠，充其量不過是點綴瓶花的角色而已。

The so-called “knight world” in Chinese literature is constructed on the basis of masculine perspectives of life. Women confined in the traditional society were not supposed to be included in this zone. However, when women began to show their irresistible charm in literary works, women characters were accordingly created in the chivalric world. The rise of lady knights began in the knight-errant fiction of the T'ang dynasty, yet has been formally called “knight” since the Sung Dynasty. In fact, their female characteristics were not significant--they remain unisex. After the Yuan and the Ming, images of lady knight-errants have bifurcated: one group is embodied with mystical qualities of male knight-errants while the other group, with their moralistic behavior, develop characteristics unique to female knights. These characteristics, however, limited by a feminine tradition, have failed to define lady knight-errants as women per se. The birth of lady knight-errants in Chinese literature is followed by the emergence of “scholar and beauty” fiction. When the beauty steps out her boudoir, she has to exercise her talents to survive in society. Hence, a woman's courage, intelligence and even martial skills are emphasized. The emotional characteristics of lady knight-errants were singled out particularly since the History of Ch'ing，which was a move that directly challenged the portraits of male knight-errants. The notion of “chivalrous conduct, tender thoughts” in recent knight-errant fiction is constructed against such literary background. It is indisputable that the lady knight-errants are created by male writers. Though male writers have tried to depict women with female insights, they are unable to free themselves from masculine perspectives. In a way, they “invent” female knight-errants who in turn meet their value and moral standards. They are more interested in oppressing women rather than in encouraging women's self-development. The lady knight-errants are, after all, ornaments in the chivalric world.