英文摘要
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Among the extant commentaries on the play Pipa ji (The Lute), the one produced by the early Qing critics Mao Shengshan and his son, Mao Zonggang, is given credit for its comprehensive and insightful treatment of the play. Their text is of significance in the history of Chinese dramatic criticism, especially that of the late Ming and early Qing, a period of major aesthetic transformations. Their commentaries are noteworthy in several respects. First of all, the Maos made a new interpretation of the meanings of qing (emotional sensibility) and xing (nature); whereas the Confucians advocated ”regulating qing by xing,” the Maos theorized about the possibility of ”presenting xing through qing.” Their commentaries explained the moral teachings of the playwright in terms of narrative techniques and dramatic construction: moral consciousness is hence tied to the representation of the characters. Secondly, through a well-thought-out concept of character types, Mao Shengshan provided an unprecedented reflection on dramatic structure and human dilemmas in ethical practices. It is an exposition that stresses timing and sequencing. Thirdly, Mao Shengshan proposed a schematic view of textual construction in which the relationship between the ethical purpose, the development of ethical conflict and the structural design of the play can be identified and fully discussed. In addition, Mao's readings brought to light important issues such as how to make ethical drama artistic. Finally, after examining the ethical framework and the episodic framework of Pipa ji, we may contemplate the allegorical framework of the play. We will come to understand the playwright's purpose in writing the play and the significance and value of the Maos' commentaries in the critical tradition of Pipa ji.
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