形塑經典：近現代「四大奇書」概念的傳播

The Shaping of the Canon: The Concept of “The Four Masterworks of the Ming Novel” in Modern China

「四大奇書」作為中國古典小說形式與美學的高峰典範，當代研究者多有共識，並認為來源出自李漁的一篇序文。然而浦安迪（Andrew Henry Plaks）曾言：「我不清楚是清朝或民國時代什麼時候開始，這個名詞成了學術名論中的一個固定類別。」本文認為「四大奇書」在近現代學術專著中成為固定類別，正是學科教育、啟蒙運動、新民思想、文學批評等多方思想運動的形構成果，試圖在近現代複雜情境中將「四大奇書」的概念問題化，審視背後的多重歷史脈絡。本文並非意在挑戰「四大奇書」書寫技巧與思想的「經典性」，而欲探究其作為文學史概念被接受的有機過程。本文首先說明清初「四大奇書」的流行說法，實與書坊營銷策略相關，也顯示「四大奇書」在被學科化或常識化以前，指涉對象實具不穩定性。其次透過中國早期文學史對於「四大奇書」的陳述，指出其知識來源可推至日本漢學家的文學史著作，並說明「奇書」內涵在森槐南、鹽谷溫等人的論述下，「奇」的價值從「裨益風教」轉移為小說技巧與美學的討論，有別於傳統說部的內涵。最後，本文認為「四大奇書」概念在東亞知識環流中不斷被再製，進而作為「新的知識」在學術與教育體制下生產，形構出一般閱眾對於「四大奇書」的常識性理解。

"Contemporary researchers mostly consider Sida qishu 四大奇書 (The Four Masterworks of the Ming Novel) are the literary canons of the form and aesthetics of Chinese classical novels, and indicate that this perspective is originated from a preface by Li Yu. However, Andrew Henry Plaks claims that “I am not sure at what point during the Ching or Republican periods this became a fixed critical category.” This paper argues that “The Four Masterworks of the Ming Novel,” which become a fixed category in modern academic monographs, are precisely shaped by and as a result of multiple ideological movements such as disciplinary education, the Enlightenment, Xinmin thought 新民思想, and literary criticism. This paper attempts to problematize the concept of the “The Four Masterworks of the Ming Novel” in modern periods, and examines the multiple historical contexts behind it. It is not intended to challenge the writing skills and the canonicity of “The Four Masterworks of the Ming Novel,” but to explore its organic process of the acceptance in literary history. Firstly, I explain the early popular sayings of “The Four Masterworks of the Ming Novel” in the Qing Dynasty are actually related to the marketing strategy of the bookstore. It also shows the referents of “The Four Masterworks of the Ming Novel” were not settled before they were disciplinized or accepted as common knowledge. Secondly, based on the statement of “The Four Masterworks of the Ming Novel” in the early Chinese literary history, I indicate the source of knowledge can be extended to the literary history of Japanese Sinologists, and illustrate that, after the discussions of Kainan Mori, On Shionoya and other Japanese Sinologists on the connotation of qishu 奇書, the value of qi 奇 has shifted from biyi fengchiao 裨益風教 (benefiting moral teaching) to a discussion of writing techniques and aesthetics, which is different from the connotation of traditional commentaries. Finally, I assume the concept of “The Four Masterworks of the Ming Novel” is constantly being reproduced in the East Asian knowledge circulation, and then produced as “new knowledge” within the academic and educational system, forming the common understanding of the “The Four Masterworks of the Ming Novel” known by the general public."