從唐小說「傳奇」到明戲曲「傳奇」──一個同名移轉文學史現象的觀照

From Tang Fiction to Ming Opera: An Observation on the Transformation of the Term Chuanqi in the History of Literature

本篇旨在論析「傳奇」從唐代小說之名衍為明代戲曲指稱的文學發展進程。首先針對既有的論述作一檢視，期能根據現有文獻和前人研究成果，更為具體展現「傳奇」之名從小說跨越至戲曲的跡象和源由。其次從小說本位的立場，指陳「傳奇」名義如何從唐代小說集專名發展為小說文體類型的歷程。接著由「傳奇」在宋代指稱的情形，抉發出其所具有的「傳奇」之名由小說跨越到戲曲的契機意涵。進而鋪展元、明以「傳奇」特稱和通稱戲曲的現象，同時陳述胡應麟所持「傳奇」何以能從指稱唐代小說轉而指稱戲曲的觀點，彰顯其說與後世相關論述相應所突出的重要性。經由本篇的探究，可以清楚呈現在中國文學史上「傳奇」名義指稱的實貌，特別是此一指稱如何從小說移轉到戲曲的歷程。

This article analyzes the development of the word chuanqi 傳奇, describing its transformation from a term denoting fiction in the Tang to one denoting opera in the Ming. The article first conducts a review of existing literature and scholarship on this topic, describing in detail chuanqi's shift in meaning from fiction to opera. It then recounts how chuanqi evolved in the Tang from a specialized term to a more general designation for the fiction genre. Turning to the Song dynasty, the article elucidates the process whereby the meaning of chuanqi began to change, shifting from fiction to opera. The article then investigates the phenomenon of using chuanqi as both a special appellation and a general name for operas during the Yuan and Ming dynasties. It further describes Hu Yinglin's 胡應麟view on how the denotation of chuanqi changed from Tang fiction to opera, and highlights the importance of his theory in comparison to the discussions put forth by later generations. Through the examination presented in this article, it is possible to clearly discern the actual development of the term chuanqi in the history of Chinese literature, especially the process underlying the shift in its primary referent from fiction to opera.