The Evolution of the Theory of Language and Prosody of Chinese Traditional Opera in the Ming Dynasty

本文「文律論」之「文」指遣詞用句、修辭技巧、文字風格；「律」指宮調曲牌、聯套規律、識譜填詞、審音押韻等音韻格律而言。是筆者繼〈周德清北曲文律論探析〉(刊登《漢學研究》22卷第1期，2004年6月）之後，接著述明代戲曲文律論的開展演變。全文分四節：一、北曲文律雙美之建構與繼承；二、南曲文與律之分歧與變化；三、南曲文與律之輕重與取括；四、南曲文律雙美之回與統合。 本文經由歷史性的論證，大約可以釐清戲曲批評史上關於文律之爭、湯沈之爭以及本色駢儷之爭等問題，並且獲得重要的觀察與成果。首先，周德清建構亡曲文律雙美，成為元末明初時期鍾嗣成等人重要的鑑賞原則和創作理論。明初到萬歷年間前期，文律論的演變以王也貞的觀點為一個階段，文與律關係開始分歧變化。萬曆中期湯顯祖、沈璟各有輕重取捨，二人皆重視音律，沈璟講求謹守人工音律；湯氏不受人工音律束縛而通權達變。在文與律之間，沈璟重曲律捨辭工，湯氏重曲意捨律協。明萬曆後期，王驥德與呂天成主張以文律雙美統合，回歸周德清建構的文律雙美。 其次透過元明戲曲文律論開展演變之考察，清楚掌握戲曲語言本色與駢儷之爭的歷史因素、內涵意義；望與文律論息息相關，卻又不同層次。對王驥德提出「亂法兩擅其極」也找到其來自周德清的建構，因為戲曲體製劇種的興衰發展及對語言藝術的美學理念不同，而有分歧變化或輕重取捨。王驥德以《曲律》專書分別在各章重新建構南曲文律論，到清代李漁《閒情偶寄》的「詞曲部」提出結構、詞采、音律、白、科諢、格局等戲曲創作六大要素，將詞采與音律並列，顯見文律論之傳承統合及更嚴密完整的理論建構。In this essay. "language" in the "theory of language and prosody" designates the arrangement of words, the rhetorical skills, and stylistic features while "prosody" refers to rules for the tunes, the manner of connection , and the ways to identify musical scores and compose words, an discern musical tones and rhyme. The essay, which is a continuatio of the former one, "An Analysis of Zhou Deqing's Theory of Language and Prosody for Northern Sanqu and Zaju" (Chinese Studies, 22.1 [June 2004]), discusses the development and evolution of the theory of language and prosody of Chinese traditional operas in the Ming dynasty. It is divided into four parts. Part I examines the construction and inheritance of the "embellishment of language and perfection of prosodic rules" (wen lu shuang mei) of northern sanqu and zaju; Part II analyzes the divergence and variation of language and prosody of southern sanqu and zaju; Part III dwells on the varying degrees of emphases on language and prosody of southern and zaju; and Part IV investigates the regression and unification of "embellishment of language and perfection of prosodic rules" of southern sanqu and zaju. The essay tries to deal with several controversies in the history of criticism of Chinese traditional operas: one is the dispute between language and prosody, another concerns the debate of Tang and Shen, and the third is the argument between natural language and paralledl couplets. From such a discussion, the author has obtained quite a significant result and insight. The "embellishment of language and perfection of prosodic rules," established by Zhou Deqing, became the important principles of appreciation and theory of literary creation for such critics as Zhong Sicheng and the like. From the early Ming dynasty to early Wanli period, Wang Shizhen's position was taken as an initial stage of the evolution of the theory of language and prosody . From this stage, the relation between language and prosody started to have divergence and variation. In the middle Wanli period, Tang Xianzu and Shen Jing put different emphases on language and prosody respetively. They both paid much attention to language and prosody: while Shen Jing strictly observed artificial prosody, Tang Xianzu flexibly. They both paid much attention to language and prosody: while Shen Jing strictly observed artificaial prosody, Tang Xianzu flexibly adapted himself to different styles without restricting to artificial prosody. Again, while Shen did not follow the style of embellishing language in disregard of the rules of prosody, Tang did not specifically emphasize the rules of prosody except the style of embellishing language. In the late Wanlin period, Wang Jide and Lu Tiancheng advocated regressing the "embellishment of language and perfection of prosodic rules," established by Chou Deqing, by means of the integration and unity of "embellishment of language and perfection of prosodic rules." The essay also clearly grasps the historical factors and interior meanings of the debate between natural languages and parallel couplets through an exploration of the evolution of the theory of language and prosody of Ming-Qing traditional operas. The debate was closely linked with the theory of language and prosody at different levels. The author also brings up the idea of Wang Jide 's "the exreme differences between prosody and language" (cifa liang shan qi ji), established by Zhou Deqing. Since te rising and declining of all kinds of traditional operas and the esthetic concepts of language art were different. the references resulted in the divergence and variation or different emphases on language and prosody. Basides, Wang Jide reestablished the theory of language and prosody of southern sanqu and zaju respectively discussed in all chapters of his book, The Prosody of Operas (qu lu). Furthermore, Li Yu of the Qing dynasty, addressed the six elements of creating Chinese traditional operas in the sections on ci and qu of his book, Expressing Free Mood Occasionally (Xian qing ou ji). The six elements are the arrangements of ideas (jie gou), literary grace of language (ci cai), prosody (yin lu), aside and dialogue (bin bai), comical language (ke hun) and regular pattern (ge ju). The juxtaposition of literary grace and prosody is obvious to perceive not only the inheritance and unity of the theory of language and prosody, but also more rigorous and complete establishment of theory