論《世說新語》在古典敘事文傳統中的繼承與演進――與《左傳》、《說苑》的比較研究

The Inheritance and Innovation of Classical Narrative Conventions in the Shishuo xinyu: A Comparative Study with the Zuozhuan and Shuoyuan

中古《世說新語》上承《左傳》、《說苑》等子史敘事傳統，下開「世說體」先河。本文透過比較，展現它的敘事特點。儘管體製不同，它就像《左傳》具備多重管道的敘事體裁程式；它的體製沿襲自秦漢雜家著作如《說苑》，然而敘事成就有所超越，正是因為表達多重觀點的緣故。中古的歷史書寫題材從國家大事轉向社會文化活動，使《世說》帶有鮮明的人文意趣。它以衣著和外貌勾勒人物神態，故事情節中穿插敘述者對人物心理的揣摩，成功地刻畫出動靜交錯的中古文人群像。

The Shishuo xinyu, which was written in the Medieval era, inherited classical narrative conventions from the Zuozhuan, the Shuoyuan and other philosophical and historical narrative texts. It moreover set the precedent for a unique genre called the “Shishuo style.” The present article reveals the narrative characteristics of this genre by comparing it with the Zuozhuan and Shuoyuan. Although their genres differ, evidence shows that the Shishuo xinyu possessed a multi-channeled narrative device similar to that used in the Zuozhuan. On the other hand, this style follows, and transcends, the Shuoyuan because of its multiple points of view. In addition, the topics of historical writing in the Medieval era shifted from national events to social and cultural activities, which gave the Shishuo a distinct humanistic flavor that is lacking in the Zuozhuan. On top of its use of multiple points of view, the Shishuo xinyu describes the clothing and appearance of its characters, and reveals their mentality by way of the narrator’s comments inserted into the story line, resulting in the creation of a narrative masterpiece with interlaced dynamic and static pictures of Medieval life.