文笔 – Chinese philosophy and culture

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wénbǐ 文笔

Writing and Writing Technique

泛指各类文章。经历了不同时期的概念变化,两汉时泛指文章的技法、风格及各类文章。魏晋南北朝时期,文论家们认识到不同文体的特性,首先将文笔与经典解释类著作相区分,用“文”“笔”分别指纯文学写作和应用文写作;继之又以外部形式作为区分标准,将诗赋颂赞等文学类作品与奏章书策等“杂笔”进行区分,提出有韵为文、无韵为笔的观点。梁元帝萧绎以内容为尺度,进一步提出文(诗赋等)不仅有韵,还应该表达内心的情感并有华丽的辞藻;而笔(应用文)只需要一般写作能力即可。今“文笔”主要指文章的技法与语言风格。

The term generally refers to different types of writings. Its meanings have evolved over time. During the Western and Eastern Han dynasties, it generally referred to writing techniques, writing styles, and various types of articles. During the Wei, Jin, and the Southern and Northern dynasties, literary scholars began to identify different features in different types of writings. They distinguished, for the first time, literary writings from those interpreting classical works, and identified pure literature as literary writings and practical writings as technical writings. They subsequently distinguished, on the basis of form, literary works such as poems, fu (赋 descriptive prose interspersed with verse), song (颂 verses in praise of merits and virtues), and zan (赞 mostly verses in praise of heroes) from essays such as memorials, documents, and policy proposals submitted to the emperor by officials. They concluded that all writings with rhyme were literary writings and those without were technical writings. Xiao Yi, Emperor Yuan of Liang, argued further that literary writings should not only have rhyme, but also express the author’s inner feelings and use elaborate rhetoric, while technical writings required only general writing skills. Today, this term mainly refers to writing techniques and language styles.

引例 Citations:

◎无韵者笔也,有韵者文也。(刘勰《文心雕龙·总术》)

(没有固定节奏和韵律的作品称为“笔”,有固定节奏和韵律的作品称为“文”。)

Writings without rhyme or rhythm are technical writings while those with rhyme and rhythm are literary ones. (Liu Xie: The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons)

◎少有志气,博学洽闻,以文笔著称。(《晋书·习凿齿传》)

([习凿齿]少年时有志气,博学多闻,以写文章著称。)

Ambitious and studious from a young age, Xi Zaochi was an erudite scholar known for his writings and writing techniques. (The History of the Jin Dynasty)

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