| Not only the definition of fiction varies from the ancient times to the present times, strangely enough with the same name, but also in ancient China, the concepts of fiction genre had been evolving. Regarding this, we are quite clear, so when expounding the ancient fictions, we generally adopt the scientific approach including the viewpoints of the ancient and the present times. However, it is a reality that we tend to be more persistent in conceiving the ideas of modern people, sounding off the works with massive literariness which were not included into the range of fiction in ancient times, but ignoring the fictions with little or no literary features of those times. Thereby, not only sympathetic comprehensionof the fiction viewpoint and its evolution of the ancient people would be affected, but also a number of obvious problems would be complicated. For example, the development of the Song-dynasty novels became more and more distant from the literature, which seems that the people in Song Dynasty were not as good as those of Tang Dynasty about the art of fiction, but the conception of fiction was clarified in Song Dynasty for the first time when a large number of literary fictions had been included, and what's more, the style features had been more deeply realized; the different associations of the ancient fictions with history:anecdote fiction isolated from history during Wei, Jin and South-North Dynasties, mythical fiction before Tang Dynasty classified as history, Da Xiao Shuo as the complement of history during Tang and Five Dynasties, and fiction of "Zi-bu" during Song Dynasty, all of which are influenced by history, but the reasons varied with the specific performance so it could not be generalized; fictions of Song Dynasty showed obvious tendency of popularization, which were related to the regulations of fiction development, the historiztion of fiction and the policies of education and culture of rulers, but the diversity of modes of transmission, the strong involvement of business and entertainment factors of the fiction transmission and the prosperity being driven were the important factors leading to the fundamental transformation of composing the fiction in the Song Dynasty, such as on the content, form, artistic style and aesthetic characteristics. Major development of classical Chinese fiction flourished before Yuan Dynasty. And the Song Dynasty was the transition of the classical Chinese novel, so the author chooses the classical Chinese fictions before Yuan Dynasty as the object to study, centering on the literary factors in the development of viewpoints, the specific connotation of the historical features of the fiction, the prosperity of the transmission of Song-Dynasty fictions, and the transformation of fiction viewpoint, and dividing the main part of this article into three chapters:Chapter One consists of two parts, mainly elaborating on the gradual development of the literary factors concerning the changing fiction viewpoints before Yuan Dynasty.Chapter I Based on the thoughts of Chronicles novels and other fictions, the author analyzes the fiction viewpoint of "unimportant theory" from the perspectives of the Confucian classics during East and West Han Dynasties, and explores the literary characteristics of anecdote fiction during Wei, Jin, North and South Dynasties, penetrating the approach of the fiction before Tang Dynasty from Zi-bu (philosophy) to Shi-Bu (history). The concept of genre fictions first appeared in the Han Shu Yi Wen Zhi(bibliography in Han Dynasty Historical Record) through research 15 works of fiction. I believe that 15 works of fiction were the books promoted by the country's large-scale cultural development after the Han Dynasty, they were not based on Confucian work or t unrelated to military and politics, not always out of the hands of alchemists. Confucian literati of Han dynansty such as Lin Xin, Ban Gu just located it from the view of academic and Confucian, so they thought that fiction's value was not high, but still gave it some surviving space. Therefore, the fiction in the Han Shu Yi Wen Zhi was cumbersome and had no style standard. This was also consistent with other Han people's understanding of fiction. Sui Shu Jing Ji Zhi(bibliography in Sui Dynasty Historical Record) was the overall outcome of the previous bibliography,so it basically reflected the view of Wei,Jin,North and South Dynasties' literature category, in which the fiction attached to the philosophy, the subject of fiction was anecdote fiction ofWei,Jin,North and South Dynasties. From these anecdote fiction, we kan see that it did not service for a specific theory and obtained the independent style character with preliminary entertainment aesthetic features; Anecdote fiction recorded people' words and deeds without comment, writing attitude more closed to historians and began to highlight the narrative feature. In particular, Yin Yun of Liang dynansty compiled the remainder when compiling Tongshi into Fiction compiled by dynasty, which in practice combined historical "biographies" focusing on narration with philosophyl "fiction" emphasised on discuss and ensured that fiction approached to the history from the philosophy. Fiction contained rumors of the emperor and the official celebrity different from orthodox history books and folk tales, jokes that had literature features such as fiction, singularity, interesting, which also inspired Liu Zhi-ji of Tang Dynasty Subsumed History books except for orthodox history books and philosophical "fictionl" into the "Partial Fictions". But Sui Shu Jing Ji Zhi "fiction" was more concerned with "discussion", recorded a number of free classes and miscellaneous works of art close contacting with the alchemist,which not omly meet with the fiction viewpoint of Han Dynasty and the value evaluation of "unimportant theory",but also consistent to classification principles of fiction during Han Dynasty. Preface to fiction of Sui Shu Jing Ji Zhi was still followed Han Shu Yi Wen Zhi, but was made a little adjustment in view of the fiction performance and furtherly enhanced the fiction's social function and status. Other people's fiction viewpiont at that time most followed Han Shu Yi Wen Zhi, but "Comedians fiction"with the features of narrative and entertaining had been regarded as fiction, the transmission of anecdote fiction besides "Comedians fiction" at the time began to show Confrontation between history standards and literary aesthetics. In short, fiction before Tang Dynasty was essentially belonging to a sub-phylosophy, anecdote fiction narrated without comment, which was similar to history books, but its writing purposes far from history books', and hardly introduced the material source as mythical fiction to confirm the record at the time, and hardly consciously realized "illusory" and "reality". But fiction was gradually going from philosophy with the purpose of reasoning to narrative history, which not only could seek asylum from history, but also could be nurtured by historical narrative art. Of course, fiction's entertainment and aesthetic would gradually shrink or even disappea under the suppression of history, which was the trend of anecdotes fiction after Tang dynasty.Chapterâ…¡, the author states the fiction viewpoints during Tang and Song Dynasties from the following aspects:the formation of the genre of Da Xiao Shuo during Tang and Five Dynasties, the limited literary pursuit of anecdote fiction during Tang and Five Dynasties, and the exploitation of literary style features of fiction during Song Dynasty. The fiction viewpoint of Sui Shu Jing Ji Zhi and Old Tang shu Jing Ji Zhi was too conservative and unrepresentative. Liu Zhi-ji of Tang Dynasty General History inherited "history remaining" fiction viewpoint ofYin Yun and seized the narrative feature which classified all works except for orthodox history books and philosophical anecdote fictions, so fiction was highlighted from the complex genre before Tang Dynasty and closed to modern fiction viewpoint. In the spirit of pure history, Liu Zhi-ji closely criticized fiction linking to real,elegant and orthodox,which dug out fiction factors such as fiction and entertainment. After Liu Zhi-ji, a Da Xiao Shuo genre including anecdote fiction of Zi Bu and mythical fiction of Shi Bu quickly formed.Mythical theme added a lot of literary factors to fiction of Tang Dynasty. Anecdote fiction became historicalized fiction with the main purpose of making up history books and exhorting while faithfully recording historical rumors, then lost their metaphysics charm. However, the purposes such as helping laughing opened up a literary space where the auther could play on subjectivity and explore the works'interest; Stressing to record rumors and moderate supernatural content opened up a gap for the fiction imagination, also increased the interest and strange color,which showed the feature with integration mythical fiction and legendary fiction. The contents that the authers of history books of Earlier Tang Dynasty collected from Shi Shuo Xin Yu and the replication of Shi Shuo Xin Yu during Tang Dynasty also reflected increase of history facters and weakening of literary aesthetic. From fiction anthology such as Tai Ping Guang Ji and the bibliographies and people's comments, the called fiction of Song Dynasty probably included "notes" and "fiction" categories we used to call, the fiction viewpoint was not perfect. However, the people of Song Dynasty further defined the fiction viewpoint of merging Shu Bu and Zi Bu and explored the many stylistic features of fiction. Their appreciate taste in literary features such as fictional nature of fiction, structural art, characterization techniques and the unique aesthetic effects closed to the artistic aesthetic to some extent.Chapter two depicts the specific connotation of the historical features of the fiction before Yuan Dynasty in three sections.Chapter I The author analyzes the historical factors of mythical fiction before Tang Dynasty, from the point of views on aesthetics and records of mythical fiction. We used to use the "record", "making up history" and other words to general historical features of ancient fiction, in fact, not all fictions were subject to the impact of history,not only that, the historization reasons and the specific historization performance of different times and different types were different. anecdote fictions of Wei,Jin,North and South Dynasties recorded reality events, so they were collected and recorded by history books, but anecdote fiction was belonged to Zi Bu whosewriting was basically not affected by historical viewpiont. But mythical fiction that attached to Shi Bu before Tang Dynasty and was not involved with the fiction concept, came from the history books and limited by the world view at that time, then it looked the supernatural Phenomenon as fact and naturally showed a number of historians features on material resource, writing style and writing techniques,etc. Yao Xiang Bu Meng Mode(a narrative mode Forecasting fate by monster, auspicious, dvination, dream) in many mythical fictions of Wei,Jin,North and South Dynasties directly came from the history books, and their authers often hoped to pay attention to the political reality by disaster or auspicious events as the historians. But at this time mythical fictions did not deliberately imitate the narrative principles of history books or pursuit historical intention of persuading and punishing evil. Mythical fictions Before Tang Dynasty were mainly looked as history books to be transmit and some receivers started thinking it value with the Confucian standards. However, the "record" of mythical fictions during Wei,Jin,North and South Dynasties was not the spirit of the historian,its specific narration was also different from history books. The authors of mythical fictions during Wei,Jin,North and South Dynasties liked to name their works with "strange", "exotic" and did not taboo curious psychology, sometimes they took care of the readers'psychology from the point of fiction's transmission, which had never happened. The gradual mature of imagination theory and fictional theory in literary theory during Wei,Jin,North and South Dynasties also had an impact on the writing of mythical fictions. Some of mythical fictions had been quietly escaping the norm of the history books, initiating entertainment aesthetic awareness, and starting to pay attention to and reflect reality life, merg poetic meaning into the narration, plot setting and the image depiction were also relatively well, which opened a harbinger for Tang's legency fiction. At that time, the receivers began to suspect the authenticity of some mythical fictions, and revealed the intention of distinction mythical fictions and history books. Not only that, some people such as Xiao Qi who had introduced literary theory into fiction field tried to judge and understand fictions from the aesthetic point, which had great significance in the fiction out of the shackles of history and becoming an independent art form.Chapterâ…¡, the author depicts the historization of mythical fiction during Tang and Five Dynasties based on the historization and literarization of mythical fiction. A large number of mythical fictions came into Da Xiao Shuo genre of Tang and Five Dynasties, but the value location as making up history books did not make them stay away from history. Because of the progression of world view and history view of Tang Dynastiy, false nature of mythical contents increasingly exposed,which would require mythical fictions to continue looking for other shading, so historocal narrative style and knowledge of value and warning purposes of history books became its protection gear. The legend fictions rising at that time came from the single biographical of Shi Bu, so their historization tendency was more obvious. Mythical fictions' authers of the Tang and Five Dynasties also drew on methods by which biographical doscripted figures, and more naturaly understood "Record" principle, used fiction to critical and expose the reality, comprehensively displayed social life, reflected the artistic reality in the illusion; not only that, they also consciously controled exhortation and punishment of history books by the entertainment of telling stories at night, then sign differences to, so they wrote attistic gem compared with poet by swaying writing, sincere feelings and deep historical consciousness. The increase in quanlity and improvement in quality made scholars increasingly be interested in fiction. Although three fiction viewpoints from Confucian, historian and writer at the same time populared, the readers of fictions during Tang and Five Dynasties, was also scholars good at poet and prose as the authers of fictions, so they samely had strange psychological needs of entertainment. Liu Zong-yuan persuaded people to read mythical fictions by metaphor with "taste"; Yi Wen Ji, a fiction anthology compiled by Chen Han, only elected masterpieces of legendary fictions during Tang and Five Dynasty; readers of fictions during Tang and Five Dynasties often showed great enthusiasm for participation in writing. The readers of fictions during Tang and Five Dynasty was a mature acceptance group,their appreciation of the fictions reflected the people's general acceptance, which created a well wrting atmosphere where the authers could fullly play their imagination and literary talent.Chapterâ…¢, the author explores the historical tendency of the fiction of Song dynasty based on the historization of fiction, the influence on anecdote fiction and the historization of mythical fiction. By Song dynasty, Fiction style had been away from Shi Bu, but fiction viewpoint was still dependent on history. Many reasons, such as the traditional political system and ethics order that were threatened, scholars'worrying sense,academic research, slanding by the fiction, the prosperity of history books compiled by private and writing of fiction in order to make up for history, were promoted the writing and communication of all fictions followed the tendency from the imagination into the reality since Late Tang Dynasty. The historization of fiction during Song Dynasty embodied in strengthening the authors' consciousness of compiling private history books and making up history in anecdote fictions, then anecdote fiction continue to degenerate towards realism, miscellaneous notes. Legendaryfictions of realistic themes also excluded author's sentiment and mixed materials excessively by learning, knowledge, ethics ideas, so their narration pay no attition to literary talent; but they dwelled on the past incidents, different from anecdote fictions focusing on current events,which also affected the writing of legendary fictions about supernatural events. Mythical fictions that had been exposed their false nature of Song Dynasty was no longer looked as a materials source of history books, but the intention of persuad and punishment the people of Tang Dynasty still did not seriously purist, knowledge value, and continually enhanced writing attitude of proving trulity when recording mythical events, narrative techniques of end to end, became exceptionally practical and sincere in the pursuit of moral consciousness and the viewpoint of pursuiting knowledge and sincere, so plain and taoism had become two characteristics of mythical fictions. No matter which style of fiction, were dismembered by respecting ethics while controling feeling and stressing learned. The fictions of Song Dynasty focused on the news that the authors saw or heard by thenselves, then they drew broad scope than previous fictions, many of which started to engage in public themes, so their aesthetic gradually secularized, their language also tended to be simple and obviously popular. The popularization of fiction form and content began to attract the general public, some folk artists also looked fictions as important information sources and basic reading improving the quality of themselves, which was bound to affect the further secularization of fiction writing.Chapter three mainly analyses the prosperity of the transmission of fiction and the transition of fiction viewpoints during Song Dynasty in two sections.Chapterâ… , the author discusses the proper conditions serving the transmission of fiction from the following aspects of economic base, necessary cites, technical condition and the cultural and educational policies. Song Dynasty, in the transition stage of feudal society in China, was still dominated by the natural economy, but the commodity economy had undoubtedly shown epoch-making change. Prosperity of commodity economic gave birth to the public sectors demanding for a wide range of entertainment, which had greatly stimulated the development and prosperity of tertiary industry. In addition to increase of restaurants and brothel, a large number of WaSheGouLan(special place where ShuoHua,drama and othe artistic skills) firstly appeared in the town. The surg of WaSheGouLan and performances flourish in WaSheGouLan promoted development of the drama and rap art. LiYuan went from the court to the public and market, which provided the conditions for fiction transmission by performance. Economic prosperity also brought improvement of productive capacity and technological level. Block Printing became main mode of producting book of Song Dynasty, which greatly enhanced the copying efficiency of books and reduced the cost of books. Technology maturity of paper-making and expansion of the productive scale, made paper-supplying more fully. Three printing system including official printing, workshop printing and pravite printing gradualy matured, large numbers of bookshops appeared engraved around many printing centers,which formed a nationwide book sales base. A large number books printed by bookshops entered the market as commodity. In order to meet the needs of scholars and ordinary citizens, bookstore liked printing books such as fictions, and various scripts of folk art, which made the fiction's mass transmission possible. Marking as books, Because of the prosperity of books-saling, the empire collections and private collections of Song Dynasty were very rich, and more private collectors opened to lend books, which promoted the dissemination of books and culture. The basic national policy of suppressing generals but respecting scholars nurtured a strong class of scholars, which provided the basic guarantee for the writing and transmission of fictions. Rulers of Song Dynasty also attached great importance to ordering and printing the literature, also encouraged private to print and collect fictions,which improved the living environment of the fiction.Chapterâ…¡, the author elaborates on the prosperity of the fiction transmission and the popularization of fiction viewpoints on the basis of the diversity of the transmission methods, and the commercialization and entertainment of the fiction transmission. The change of other aspects except for transmission environment in the overall structure of transmission activities were usually caused by the change of the transmission modes. The transmission modes not only determined the fiction's popularity degree, but also restricted the interpretation about the text of the fiction and impacted on the development of fiction style. The appropriate environment of Song Dynasty made the transmission modes of fiction suddenly enrich. The text forms of fiction transmission such as selections, Annotations, adaption, record, verbatim, Replication, etc, with advanced pringting technology and huge book-saling network, made fiction transmission unprecedented prosperity. Many fiction anthologies (especially fiction anthology compiled accord to category) were printed as soon as they were compiled. The people of Song Dynasty often collected previous fictions to revision for printing, a number of fiction books scattered had also been re-compiled and published. Bookstores printed fiction in the purpose of looking it as a special commodity to sell, so they must consider to meet demand and consuming psychology of more readers order to obtain maximum economic benefit and liked choosing popular fictions;while some authors and compilers of fictions were also impacted for their works to be published, so their fiction viewpoints naturally transited. Compared with the elegant literature, fiction were more restricted in the sharing of written communication resources. By adaptation and annotations, the people of Tang and Song Dynasties introduced fiction into verse field such as poetry, then through the singing of geisha, the fiction came into the multi-dimensional space. The highlight of fiction oral transmission during Song Dynasty was adapted for rap arts as ZhuGongDiao and ShuoHua or integrated Arts as drama and Southern opera. Rap arts began large-scale commercial performance only in Song Dynasty.ShuoHua,one of rap arts, was very popular in the Song Dynasty, its footprint infiltrated every corner, there had been many professional artists. Drama,based on CanJunXxi of the Tang Dynasty, integrating ancient song and dance,also popular. Both ShuoHua and drama survived and developed in the WaSheGouLan, they were also performanced accompaniedly in other occasions. Through erformances by folk artists, the ficyions entered the field of business performance, which not only broke the restriction of cultural level, but also had "more strong ornamental value, aesthetic immediacy and universality of infection", so fictions firstly went into the daily lives of ordinary people. In this process of acceptance, the public aesthetic tendency pursuiting of stimulating eyes and ears affected the literati class, which made their fiction-writing approach to the secularization and the popularization on the content, form, artistic style and aesthetic characteristics. |
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