孙 玫 台湾中央大学
Sun, Mei, National Central University
原文Original
跨文化语境下中国传统戏曲表演体系之研究
在中国传统社会里，戏曲原属“小道末流”，不得进入学术殿堂。到了近代，在西方思潮和观念的影响之下，经过几代学者孜孜不息的努力，关于中国戏曲历史和理论研究的体系逐步建立，已经成为中国新学术传统中不可缺少的一个组成部分。吸收异质文化的养分，从而产生出一种新的学术传统，这无疑具有划时代的积极意义。然而，新传统起于中华民族内忧外患、明显落后西方发达国家的历史阶段，其时至今，西方理论一直占据着思想制高点。同样，在戏曲研究中，西方的理论也时常被当作具有普世意义的绝对标准，并以此来衡量、要求中国本土的事物。问题在于，戏曲研究虽无法不借重西方学术的一些观念和方法，但戏曲艺术本身却又与西方的戏剧理论不尽吻合。世界戏剧千姿百态，中国戏曲和西方戏剧分属于不同的文化体系，任何人也无法完全套用西方的戏剧理论来分析中国戏曲。
众所周知，东方/亚洲传统戏剧与西方传统戏剧有着不同的美学原则和艺术特征。相较于西方传统戏剧重文学性（准确说应是，重情节性）的特征，亚洲传统戏剧则是以歌舞化的戏剧表演（或戏剧化的歌舞表演）见长。亚洲传统戏剧的这一特征在中国传统戏曲中更是显现出万千变化、绰约风姿。西方文艺理论的鼻祖亚里士多德，在构成戏剧的诸种要素之中，大力突出情节的重要性，他还特别强调情节结构的整一性。与西方传统戏剧不同，亚洲传统戏剧，无论是中国的京剧和昆曲，还是日本的能乐（Nogaku）和印度的库提亚特姆(Kutiyattam)。基本上都没有什么复杂的情节和人物，常常也没有什么强烈的戏剧冲突。它们的剧本，并非一定要以文本的形式存在，有时只是以演出者的身体为载体。仍以中国的京剧或昆曲为观察点，它们的情节大都为观众所熟知，其结构中通常隐含着可供表演者挥洒的空间（而这种表演者的发挥往往是以歌舞的形式出现）；观众看戏，与其说是被未知的剧情所吸引，还不如说是为表演者独到的阐释方式所迷恋。换言之，观众通常不是从未知的情节中，而是从表演者对已知故事和人物别具一格的阐释中，获得充分的审美享受。
中国传统戏曲说到底是一种歌舞剧。它和文学相关，但究其本质则属于表演艺术的范畴。作为艺术学科的戏曲研究，必然要分析、探讨演剧艺术。然而，在演剧方面，前人留下的历史材料和思想资源实在是少得可怜。极度的歧视和偏见使得历代绝大部分的戏曲演剧信息遗失；和其辉煌的演出实践相对照，戏曲演剧理论的不足则显得更加突出。
西方的戏剧研究很早就成理论体系，自有多种历史原因，而其中不可否认的一点是，西方戏剧从古希腊悲剧直到现实主义戏剧都有一个很强的文学传统，而用语言文字去研究文学占主导地位的西方戏剧，当然要比研究表演占主导地位的中国传统戏曲更直接、更方便。因为前者基本上不存在研究媒介/手段转换的问题，而后者却不得不面对如何以语言文字去描述形/肢体控制、变化等难题。
推进中国传统戏曲表演体系之研究，除了需要克服上述困难之外，还需要跨学科合作，引进新的学科知识和方法，如现代医学的脑科学研究成果，以科学地、深入地阐明传统戏曲艺人所擅长的非文字形式思维和记忆方式，等等。
译文Translation
Research on the Performance System of Chinese Traditional Local Operas in a Cross-Cultural Context
In the Chinese traditional society, operas were regarded as “straws”, unimportant and inferior, and not qualified to enter the academic sphere. It was not until modern Chinese history, with the influence of western ideas and the constant striving and hard work of several generations, that the systematic study of Chinese local opera history and theory was established. It is now an inseparable part of the Chinese new academic tradition. Undoubtedly this has epoch-making significance because it adopts the nurture of other cultures to produce a new academic tradition. This new tradition, however, emerged at the period when China was suffering disasters both outside and inside. From then on, western theories have been predominant. Similarly, in the field of Chinese opera studies, western theories have been regarded as the only universal criteria to judge and evaluate the local operas in China. The problem is that although opera studies have to borrow western ideas and research methods, the local operas themselves cannot be entirely measured up to western theories. Among the various kinds of operas, local operas in China and western operas belong to and represent two different cultural systems. Therefore, it is impossible for anybody solely to use western opera theories successfully to analyze Chinese operas.
As is known to all, Eastern/Asian traditional dramas and western traditional dramas represent different aesthetic principles and characteristics. Compared to the emphasis on literature (plot, to be specific) in the western dramas, Asian traditional dramas’ strength lies in the singing and dancing in dramatic performances (or theatrical singing and the performance of dance). This characteristic of Asian traditional dramas is totally represented in Chinese traditional operas which are presented in different forms and with a variety of attractive features.
Among all the elements that constitute opera, Aristotle, the originator of western literary theories, attached great importance to “plot” and its “coherence”. Different from western operas, traditional Asian operas, such as Beijing opera, Kunqu opera in China, Nokaku in Japan and Kutiyattam in India, do not present complicated plot or characters. Neither do they show any intense theatrical conflict. Sometimes the libretto does not exist in a written text, but is presented by the performers’ bodies. Let’s take Beijing Opera or Kunqu opera as examples. The audience is usually familiar with the plot. However, the opera structure allows space for the performers to perform in their own way (usually in singing and dancing). Actually, the audience is more infatuated with the performers’ unique way of presentation than attracted by the unwinding of plot. In other words, the aesthetic enjoyment comes not from the anticipation of an unknown plot, but from the appreciation of the unique manifestation of the familiar plot and characters by the performers.
Basically, Chinese traditional opera is a kind of musical opera. It is connected with literature, but considering its essence, it should be classified as an art of performance. Opera studies, as a subject in the sphere of Arts, definitely should analyze and explore this performing art, which, unfortunately, has left us very few historical documents or thoughts and ideas to explore because most of the documents on the opera did not survive the ferocious prejudice and discrimination which is shown in the Chinese history against opera performers. The scarcity of dramatic theories is even more apparent compared to the abundance and splendor of the performances.
There are many historical reasons why the systematic theoretical study of western opera has long been established. One that should not be neglected is that from ancient Greek Tragedy to Realism, western opera carries a strong literary tradition. It is more direct and convenient to use language to study the literature-dominant western opera than to study the performance-dominant Chinese traditional operas. This is because the former study does not face the problem of research tool/ means transformation while the latter cannot avoid the difficulty of using language to describe the control of bodies and diversified body postures.
To promote the study of the performance system of Chinese traditional local operas, besides overcoming the above-mentioned difficulties, interdisciplinary co-operation and the absorption of the latest forms of knowledge and methodology, such as the achievements of research in brain science, are also essential to explain scientifically and profoundly the non-character mode of thinking and remembering of these traditional opera performers.