A Study On The Variants Of Yuan Zaju From The Perspective Of Rhetorics

Yuan Zaju is a treasure of Chinese traditional culture.Because of its complex versions of scripts,it has been one of the central issues for Xiqu research.At present,the academic research on the variants of different versions of Yuan Zaju is mainly focused on the textual critics,such as collation,document study,value judgement and synchronic description in linguistics.There are very few systematically investigation and research on the variants from the perspective of linguistic rhetorics.The process of sorting out variants of Yuan Zaju from the perspective of rhetorics is itself a process of appreciating the language of scripts,which is an important part of the appreciation of Xiqu.The dissertation summarizes 77 scripts with variants among literature,which are Thirty Kinds of Yuan Zaju,The Masters in Ancient China,The Selection of Yuanqu and so on,analyzes and studies the variants of words,sentences,rhymes,etc.The dissertation is mainly divided into six chapters.The introduction first defines the topic and determines the research object of this paper,followed by the introduction of the relevant research review and the research materials,methods and significance.The first chapter is a study of the variants on words.It mainly sorts out and analyzes the differences in the expression effect between the Yuan’s version and Ming’s version,other Ming’s versions and Yuanqu Xuan in terms of nouns,verbs,adjectives and onomatopoeia of reduplication,numerals and idioms.From the effect of the use of words,the Yuan’s version has its own system.Although some words are used appropriately,in Ming’s version these are still mistakenly changed,maybe due to lack of understanding or other reasons.However,most of the changes in Ming’s version are still worthy of affirmation,especially the changes of Zang in Yuanqu Xuan can be described as "with the heart to the extreme" and have achieved better results.The second chapter is the study of variants on sentences.It is mainly divided into two parts: synonymous sentence variant and stylized sentence variant.With a few exceptions,Yuanqu Xuan changed many of the active sentences in other Yuan and Ming’s versions to passive sentences,declarative sentences to rhetorical questions,free prose sentences to complete sentences,and achieved better expression effects.In terms of stylized sentence variant in Yuanqu Xuan,some stylized responses and the stylized on-the-scene prompt of the next character,stylized villains’ exiting words,stylized opening and ending poems of each act and other aspects have been changed.On the one hand,it reflects Zang Maoxun’s view of Xiqu.On the other hand,these are certain changes of the language when Yuan Zaju is put on the readers’ desks rather than the stage.The third chapter mainly focuses on the rhymes in Zhou Deqing’s Zhong Yuan Yin Yun(Phonology in Central Plains in China),explores the differences in the use of rhymes at the rhyme feet of different versions of Yuan Zaju and divides into two sections: failed rhymes and changed rhymes.The phenomenon of failed rhymes in the Yuan’s version is mainly manifested as the omitting,addition of sentences,and errors caused by external factors such as rough engraving.In Ming’s version,the failed rhymes are intentionally changed for the sentence meaning,so it is quite different from Yuan’s version in this problem.There are fewer phenomena of changed rhymes in the Yuan’s version,and the rhymes are very close to the Zhong Yuan Yin Yun.The changed rhymes exist extensively in other Ming’s versions.On the one hand,it is the result of the Ming dynasty that particularly emphasizes the sentence meaning rather than rhymes.On the other hand,the pronunciation has been changed from the Yuan dynasty to the Ming dynasty,and the Ming dynasty has been influenced by ancient sounds.Yuanqu Xuan reshapes the model of the rhyme in Yuanqu,and there are very few failed rhymes and changed rhymes.Based on the analysis of variants in the former chapters,the fourth chapter first sorts out the relationship between the various versions of Yuan Zaju,that is,the 10 Yuan Zaju versions studied in the dissertation can be subdivided into four categories: the Yuan’s version,Neifu Ben(Zaju of Ming’s Court),Yuanqu Xuan’s version,and the Ming’s version except Yuanqu Xuan.Then,the dissertation analyzes the reasons for the Mings’ s adaptation of Yuan Zaju from the two aspects: the changes of Xiqu values and social political consciousness.The conclusion part summarizes the preliminary results obtained in the dissertation research,and also points out the shortcomings and the direction of future study.