戲曲序跋、評點與蔣士銓《第二碑》雜劇的文本世界──清中葉文人戲曲之社會性探析

The Textual Space of Jiang Shiquan’s Drama The Second Stele and Its Paratexts: The Relationship between Literati Drama and Local Society in the High Qing

明清戲曲評點與序跋的繁盛面貌，是文學生產、出版文化與文人生活形態交會的結果，反映出戲曲與社會的密切關聯。蔣士銓戲曲「副文本」之盛，於清中葉戲曲史上甚具代表性，適可成為了解清代文人戲曲文化的特殊窗口。蔣士銓《紅雪樓九種曲》乾隆原刻本附載評點之劇作凡八種，此外同時充斥由其所自題或他人題贈的大量序跋題詞。這些題跋和評點不但指向文本內部，為讀者提供釋義或審美的功能，也意味著一個以人際關係網絡和當代閱讀群體組成的社會文化情境，由此反映戲曲副文本文學與社會的雙重功能。
延續學界有關明清社會與書籍文化的認識，本文擬通過不同分析角度，從社會文化的視閾重新閱讀蔣士銓的《第二碑》雜劇。首先綜述明清題跋文字驟興現象及其文化功能，並試圖復原藏園戲曲合刊定型以前，其早期傳播及相關題跋的生成過程，以奠定研究之基礎。其次，通過考察《第二碑》的創作緣起，指出該劇以表彰時人風義為主要目的，在地方上具有特定社會文化功能。其結果是導致此劇副文本成為作者與讀者之間的虛擬交際空間。再次，探討戲曲社會功能對劇作藝術的介入。《第二碑》以地方時事為題材，敷演乾隆四十一年婁妃墓修建事件相關人物的行事，遂擁有近於碑誌文章的實用性，亦因之對劇作諸多層面，如敘事焦點的選擇、人物形象的塑造，乃至人物的命名、身分、語言、科介之設計等，皆造成全方位的制約。最後以題跋、評點為視角，試圖從讀者角度重構當代讀者眼中《第二碑》的多元意義世界，揭示考索作者情志以外閱讀蔣士銓戲曲的其他方式，並反思「戲曲社會學」之於戲曲文本及文體研究的意義和貢獻。

The rise of drama commentaries, inscriptions, prefaces, and postscripts in the Ming and Qing dynasties of China was the result of the interactions between literary production, publishing culture, and literati lifestyle, reflecting the close relationship between drama and society in late imperial China. Jiang Shiquan’s蔣士銓(1725-1785) plays, which include a variety of“paratexts,”are one of the typical examples of High Qing literati drama. Among the combined editions of his plays, namely Hongxue lou jiu zhong qu紅雪樓九種曲, published during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, eight versions were accompanied by commentaries, as well as containing numerous inscriptions, prefaces, and postscripts written by himself or others. These paratexts not only provide readers with guidance on reading the works, but also refer to a historical situation composed of interpersonal networks and a contemporary reading community. Through this prism, we can further understand the culture of literati drama in the Qing dynasty.
The present article, based on the academic understanding of Ming-Qing society and book culture, emphasizes the literary and social functions of paratexts, thereby re-examining Jiang Shiquan’s play The Second Stele第二碑from a social and cultural perspective. As the basis of this case study, I first explain the rise of inscriptions, prefaces, and postscripts in the Ming-Qing period and their cultural functions. This article also attempts to restore the early dissemination of Jiang’s plays and the production of related paratexts before being co-published. Secondly, by examining the background of the creation of The Second Stele, it is indicated that the main purpose of the play is to commend the moral character of local people. The result of this specific function is that the paratexts of the play become a textual and virtual communication space between the author and the readers. Thirdly, this article explores how sociality intervenes in the textual presentation of the play. I argue that this production has a practicality similar to that of an epitaph because it performs local current affairs and prevades local society. As a result, the play is largely influenced by this practical function, such as the focus of the narrative, the scheduling of characters, and even the naming, identity, language, and actions of the characters. Finally, by analyzing the series of paratexts, I reconstruct the world with its multiple meanings of the play from the perspective of contemporary readers, and reveal other reasonable ways to interpret Jiang Shiquan’s plays beyond the playwright-centered allegorical reading.