From “Rough Overview” to “Subtle Narrative”: Narrational Differences in Two Stories Appearing in both Zhiguai and Chuanqi Texts

本篇運用了敘事學中的「故事」和「敘述」的觀念，去分析兩組在題材上具有承衍關係的志怪和傳奇名篇，探究從志怪到傳奇的敘述特質的轉變，期能對於魯迅已成為經典的論述－從「粗陳梗概」到「敘述宛轉」的實際內容，作一更清晰的闡發。經由敘事學精詳理論的解析，清楚地呈現了從志怪到傳奇的兩種小說文體，在敘述上的發展脈絡，即在故事的事件組織和事件如何被敘述的層面上，傳奇都發展出比志怪更為繁複的機制，展現了傳奇在志怪的基礎上的發展和超越。對此敘述特質轉變的探究，亦彰顯了志怪的實錄性質與傳奇虛構色彩的添加；和志怪文本意義的建構基礎不若傳奇完備；以及志怪文本主要在體現集體而普遍的文化思維，而傳奇則側重作者個別觀點的指涉等等；關於文本的性質、文本意義的建構和撰作意識的議題，皆有助於理解由志怪到傳奇的演變圖象。This paper will attempt to flesh out the view, now considered authoritative, put forth by Lu Xun 魯迅 that the transition from zhiguai 志怪 stories of the Six Dynasties to chaunqi 傳奇of the Tang dynasty can be characterized one from “rough overview” 粗陳梗概 to “subtle narrative” 敘述宛轉. By borrowing the concepts of “story” and “narrative” from narratology, two stories that appear in both formats are analyzed in order to demonstrate how the narration change from one format to another. Specifically, in terms of the stories’ organization and how they are narrated, we can see from the fact that the chuanqi versions develop more complex mechanisms than those appearing in the zhiguai versions that chaunqi expands on and surpasses the framework of zhiguai. Our look at the change in narration between these two formats brings out the realistic narrative characteristic of zhiguai on the one hand and the overlaying of fictional elements thereon in chaunqion on the other ,as well as the weaker foundation (vis-?-vis chuanqi texts) for constructing meaning in zhiguai texts. We will also see that while zhiguai texts focus on presenting a collective and widespread cultural prejudice, chuanqi texts are usually a vehicle for authors’ own expression of their individual points of view. These three elements, i.e., the nature of the texts, construction of meaning within the texts, and authorial intention, all go to show the specifics of the narrational transition between these two formats