陈平原:现在的学生写论文,最大的问题是太庞杂

学问千差万别,文章更无一定之规。“学术文”的标准,到底该如何确立?唐人刘知几讲,治史学的,应具备三本领:才、学、识。清人章学诚又添加了一项“史德”。史才、史学、史识、史德,四者该如何搭配,历来各家说法不一。我想补充两点:第一,选题及研究中“压在纸背的心情”;第二,写作时贯穿全篇的文气。

—— 陈平原“现代中国学术”专题课

(以下内容来自梨视频对陈平原教授进行视频专访的文字整理)

述学文体,简单说来,就是学术论文的文体。晚清以降,整个中国的思想、文化、教育等等都发生变化,包含了写论文的方式。今天大家习以为常的论文,其实和传统中国的论文是不太一样的。今天我们动不动写下来的两万字的论文,或者是十万字的博士论文,在传统中国没有这样的文体。而这种状态其实是晚清以后,中国学人跟西方学术对话以后产生出来的。所以我才会说,所谓现代性是现代人的生活方式、现代人的思考方式、现代人的表达方式,而这个“表达”就是我所说的“文体”。胡适当然不用说了,钱穆也再三说这一点,会写文章是作为学者的第一要务,能把文体讲清楚,而不要故作高深,不要佶屈聱牙。这是一个本事。

我们一般是这样子,在中学还是还会讲怎么样写作,到大学以后不怎么讲怎样写作。大部分学生一进来就进入专业。有的老师比较讲究,他会培养学生们的专业论文的写作,但学校里面没有一个专业论文的写作的教育,我觉得是一个遗憾。

我记得我当初博士论文答辩的时候,有位老先生告诉我,说你会写文章。当初觉得不太高兴,因为在1980年代,会写文章好像是一个小儿科的事情。希望听到的应该是,你的思想很深刻,或者是说你的史料,或者是说其他方面的。过了多少年以后我才逐渐体会到,其实对于人文学者来说,会写文章确实是非常关键的,这种训练我们在大学里面少,而中学里面“论”的方面比较少。比如说,叙事、抒情,这样的写作大家会比较熟悉。逻辑严密、准确、优雅,这种表达能力我们没有很好地建立起来。

我在北大讲学术规范、研究方法,文学史的写作我聊得比较多,也比较熟悉。相对来说,今天的大学生的论文写作,包括硕士论文、博士论文(因为本科论文我没有指导),还有他们在写作过程中最大的问题是,很容易被史料给湮没了。以前,在没有数据库之前,找资料很困难,大家会花很多时间来查阅资料。这方面老师会特别看重你的资料的丰富性。可是今天会出现一个问题,因为数据库的出现,很多学生只要立一个题目,就很容易地检索。通过检索获得大量的资料以后,没有很好地消化资料的内在的联系,然后直接地往上面贴。以前我们唯恐学生们太空疏,今天我们会特别感慨学生们太庞杂。

面对大量的资料,我会有一些技术性的要求,就是所有的论文写出以后能不能读得下去。你先告诉我能不能读得下去。我会要求学生们写一篇十万字的论文,看能不能十分钟给我讲出来,通过十分钟我大概知道你在讲什么。然后我们再进一步要求,在论文的写作过程中,在推进的过程中,哪些是必须拎得出来,哪些是可以作为注释来解决的。在这么多的资料里面,哪些是直接的引文,哪些是间接的引文,哪些是整段的引用,哪些是作为一个注,诸如此类的。以前我们好不容易找到两条资料,尤其是古代的研究的话,两三条资料我们铺陈开来就了不起了。现在一检索,这么多资料出来以后,就很容易变得人被资料给湮没。所以在选择若干重要资料后,再综合其他资料组织成你的论文的过程中,其实更多地需要一个立意以及逻辑,还有文体的选择

《现代中国的述学文体》是陈平原“学术史研究三部曲”之一。晚清以降,著作体例与述学文体的巨大变更,使得现代中国的人文学者步履艰难。从当初的“拿来主义”,到今日的“与世界接轨”,在20世纪中国学界,占主导地位的声音是以“科学”取代“夸饰”。著述的不严谨乃至抄袭成风,确实是中国学界的痼疾,可这并不能掩盖问题的另一面,即人文学本身带有很强的修辞意味。谈论人文学的修辞学,不妨先从述学文体说起,因这既牵涉到学术训练、表达能力,更根源于文化心态。不管是赓续传统,还是译述西学,如何弥合自身文体与论述对象之间的缝隙,都是一个必须直面的难题。本书谈论现代中国的述学文体,主要是谈在中外新旧文化激烈碰撞的时代,中国学者如何建立“表达”的立场、方式与边界。

目 录

前 言················································································1
    第一章 现代中国的述学文体
    ——以“引经据典”为中心 ·····································13
    一 作为述学文体表征的“引语” ···································13
    二 明引与暗引 ···························································17
    三 正引与反引 ···························································24
    四 全引与略引 ···························································29
    第二章 有声的中国
    ——演说与近现代中国文章变革 ·······························35
    一 演说之于“开启民智” ············································38
    二 演说的诸面相 ························································49
    三 演说与学堂之关系 ··················································57
    四 “学艺”还是“事业” ·············································65
    五 文章体式的革新 ·····················································76
    六 以“演说”为“著述” ············································85
    第三章 学术讲演与白话文学
    ——1922年的“风景” ··········································95
    一 四座城市与四位学者(上) ······································98
    二 四座城市与四位学者(下) ····································· 105 
    三 讲演者的风采 ······················································· 111 
    四 “白话”如何“文学” ············································ 122 
    五 以“讲演”为“文章” ··········································· 136 
    第四章 何为“大学”以及如何“大学” 
    ——蔡元培的学术立场及文体意识 ··························· 144 
    一 大学史及“蔡元培神话” ········································ 145 
    二 “博大”而非“精深”的教育家 ································ 151
    三 “大学”面面观 ····················································· 160 
    四 作为演说家的蔡元培 ·············································· 173
    五 “演说”是如何成为“文章”的 ································ 178 
    六 大学是做出来的,也是讲出来的 ······························· 185 
    第五章 兼及“著作”与“文章” 
    ——关于章太炎的《国故论衡》 ······························ 189 
    一 学术史家的自我定位 ·············································· 190 
    二 “精心结构”的“著作” ········································· 194 
    三 在“管籥”与“堂奥”之间 ····································· 199 
    四 “文实闳雅”的著述 ··············································· 203
    第六章 “元气淋漓”与“绝大文字” 
    ——梁启超及“史界革命”的另一面 ························ 209 
    一 “史界革命”与“文界革命” ··································· 210 
    二 政论文章与历史著述 ·············································· 216 
    三 “极宜着意修饰”的“论学文字” ····························· 226
    四 史家的“文人习气” ·············································· 232
    第七章 分裂的趣味与抵抗的立场 
    ——鲁迅的述学文体及其接受 ·································242
    一 文体家的别择 ·······················································242
    二 论著、杂文与演讲 ·················································250
    三 古书与口语的纠葛 ·················································258
    四 直译的主张与以文言述学 ········································263
    五 文体的“抵抗” ····················································274
    第八章 “精心结构”与“明白清楚”
    ——胡适述学文体研究 ··········································282
    一 “论学”与“述学” ···············································284
    二 述学文体之选择 ····················································293
    三 文章结构与名学根基 ··············································304
    四 演讲兴趣与文章功底 ··············································313
    附录一 关于现代中国的“述学文体” ···································322
    附录二 如何“述学”,什么“文体” ····································334
    引用及参考书目 ·································································346
    人名索引 ··········································································358
    书名、篇名索引 ·································································369
    后 记 ·············································································394

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