1936年暑后，原在清华大学心理学系任教的叶麐（石荪）教授乘度假之便来到风景佳美的青岛山东大学中文系任教。那时我正在三年级学习。在此之前，朱光潜教授的《文艺心理学》已经出版，北京大学中文系已开设了这个课程，我们知道别的大学都还没有开设，希望山大也能开设。学校则苦于尚缺乏这种条件，主要是缺乏既深研文学又精通心理，并兼擅古今中外类似朱先生这样学养的师资。叶先生的来到，恰好非常及时地给我们解决了这个难题。叶先生在美、法两国专攻心理学，又一直爱好文学，读得既多，自己还能创作中国旧体的诗、词，非常优美动人。原来他从小就受过古典文学的训练，家学渊源，后来才决定专攻心理科学的。他和朱先生又是同辈老友，在清华心理学系虽未教过文艺心理学，在朱先生这部开创了中国文学研究新领域的著作影响下，原已对开设此课具有很大的兴趣。因此当学校向他提出后便欣然同意了。事实证明，我们能听到他的讲课，真是一种很大幸运。正如在这年之前，我们能听到老舍先生讲《小说作法》课一样。那时别的课程内容大都还以传统为主，这两个课程却不同了，内容、观点、讲法对我们来说几乎都是全新的。老舍先生是以有丰富生活经验和西方文学观念的中国著名小说作家的身份来讲他这一课程的，叶先生是以现代心理学专家同时又兼具中国古典文学及西方文学深厚功底这种学者、作者、鉴赏家集于一身的身份来讲他这一课程的。无论在教学内容、学习和研究的方法、形成师生间非常亲切的关系等各个方面，他们都给同学们大大开拓了视野，增添了许多新知，培养了自己钻研的能力，并以实际行动教育我们应当做个怎样的人，应当怎样关心、帮助比自己更年轻的下一代人的成长。他们给学生留下了永不会忘的印象。这两位老师都是在“文革”惨剧中受害死去的。叶先生则早在1957年就已被“扩大化”进去了。

青年时代的爱好与生活选择往往决定了一个人此后不会再改变的人生道路。从开始读小学起七十多年来我没有离开过学校这个生活圈。大学生时代开始爱好文学写作，正是老舍先生给了我指点和鼓励。从习作小说转向文学研究并重在古代文学理论的学习和探讨，正是叶先生给了我指点和鼓励。每当我回想半个多世纪以来的生活行迹时，我就总会想到这两位先生对我的厚爱和教育，纵然实际上在他们逝世以前的近二十年间，由于需要，彼此孤立，不仅未再见过面，甚至连信都没有通过。作为他们当时最亲近的学生之一，竟表现得如此淡漠，难道可以只用“不得已”来宽恕自己？无疑还是由于自己的软弱与胆怯。谁也不要重蹈这种历史的覆辙了。

我从叶先生的教学与研究以及课外的很多谈话、接触中，得到的启发与引导对我后来直到今天的研究、写作最有影响的是下面四点：

第一，要有个适合于自己认为真有意义、极有兴趣，而且力所能及的研究目标。客观上很有意义自己却认为没有或意义不大；虽也认为有意义自己却缺少兴趣；认为有意义也感兴趣实际却力所不及；这些情况都有，并不奇怪，但就不宜作为自己长远的研究目标。我生活经验不多，特别在听了叶先生《文艺心理学》的讲课后，对文艺理论研究深感兴趣。由于高中时期读的是师范、大学读的是中文系，外语读得很少也未努力读好，宜于重点研究本国古代的文艺理论，比较力所能及，而且这个范围也不能算小了。他赞同我朝着这个目标作长期的努力。

第二，要尽可能掌握与研究目标密切相关的丰富的第一手资料。他讲课时可以随意提供对某一问题有关的古今中外包括若干不同意见的资料，并指明其出处，令我惊叹。他有很好的记忆力，但他说主要还得依靠经常博览之后取精用宏地积累资料，方法即是亲做卡片，勤于简写读后笔记。他给我们看了他的大量卡片和笔记，并告诉我们他是怎样做、怎样运用和如何养成这一习惯的。从那时起，我也学习着进行了这种积累。

第三，对不同学派、不同意见要在积累的基础上逐渐培养、提高自己的分析、辨识能力。对合理的东西应兼收并蓄，各取其长，不要受任何束缚；应有自己的看法，既不苟异，亦不苟同，发现有误就改正，不完善就再探索。

第四，不能为研究而研究，为理论而理论；学习理论不能不读文学作品，自己毫无创作体验；也不可研究文学理论就只读这一方面的书籍，哲学、历史、心理等知识都不可缺。他非常重视人生、重视国家社会的需要。他对当时日本帝国主义造成的华北危局忧心如焚。这一点同样深深地影响了我，使我懂得研究工作者不能只是生活在书房里一味啃书本的人。

正在我已开始按着他的指引做起来的时候，卢沟桥事变发生了。青岛本是日帝侵华的一大据点，此时已成一触即发的前方，叶先生只得携家回故乡的四川大学去了。我辗转随校西迁，最后终于并入重庆沙坪坝中央大学读到毕业。刚开头的计划这段时期内不得已完全停顿。我之所以又进了中央大学研究院文科研究所去探索宋代的诗论，就因想继续原来的研究计划。那时我之所以花部分时间写了不少讨论抗战文艺的文章，即由于想到他的一贯指导：研究工作者不能脱离国家大事，不能忘记社会责任。两者其实并不矛盾，原是应该也能够统一的。这时他已在四川大学担任教务长了，我则已从云南到了粤北。他仍抽空在通讯里给我许多指导。

在研究院的两年中，我积累了成万张卡片。所谓卡片乃是用三层土纸糊在一起，勉强可以两面写字的代用品，至今总算还幸能保存着。在接着留校任教的五年中，开头还有条件继续积累，后来由于湘、桂大部沦陷，学校辗转迁去东江一带，书都散失，就没有条件了。抗战胜利后，我随着山大北回复校，竟因同情学生“反饥饿、反内战”运动，被国民党政府教育部指为“奸匪”而遭密令中途解聘。从此直到五十年代“反右”结束之前，将近十年由于运动频繁，观念骤改，古代文学遗产似已不必深究，虽仍在教书，信念未失，积累却很少有所增加，亦似无所可用了。反倒是在被“反右”扩大化进去以及“文革”中当“牛鬼蛇神”的二十年间，既然一切应有的权利都已无存，在“孤立”、抄家、扫地、背书、受审之余，为使身在“另册”而心灵有所寄托，觉得乘此机会利用一切空暇继续前功，不失为两全的办法。想不到离开当初定下计划也已二十年了的这段艰难时期，却成了我再度沉入的旺盛阶段。我继续从七百多种有关书籍中做了四五万张卡片，估计当写了不下一千多万字。手段原始，办法也笨，只是在这样读着写着想着的时候，什么烦恼牢骚都不复存在了，竟未把这当成一件苦事。被“抄家”多次，这些因都被视为废物而未受损，我独私心窃喜，得了“无用之用”。可是果若有用，用又在何时？我眼前一片茫茫。但我总还想，这种学问是有用的，我做不成，做不好，以后别人还是会做，会做成、做好的。疯狂的民族虚无主义者必不能永存。

又十多年过去了，我转入一个心情稍好却事务繁多的境地，前功远未完成，垂垂已老，积累从自己的高峰上直线下降，几乎极少增益，时间精力都不够。一方面是在积累过程中愈感到了这个工作的重要意义，另一方面又愈着急，应该怎样把这个很有意义的工作设法持续下去？我自己对这一大堆资料还没来得及好好利用，何况还有更多的资料可以搜集、整理、运用！我想到了跟我一些同事和几届古代文论专业的研究生一道来从事这个工程，这是唯一可能也还可行的法子了。这就是这个《中国古代文艺理论专题资料丛刊》得以产生的缘由。人的一生实在太短促了，一天一天过着时似乎很长，到老回头一看便只是一瞬间的事，真像正好开始忽已到了尽头。没有上述同志们的共同努力，凭我一个人的气力，是连自己也知道这还非常粗疏多漏的东西亦拿不出的。

中国古代文艺理论有悠久的历史，提出了许多符合规律的论点，资料十分丰富，而且越多接触便越感到它真像一个浩瀚的海洋，可贵之极。我认为，审美的主体性、观照的整体性、论说的意会性、描述的简要性，便是中国古代文论带有民族特色的思维特点。中国人大都不喜欢烦琐、抽象的思辨，从自己关门建构的一个什么理论框架出发来高谈阔论。中国人绝非缺乏这种能力，不是没有人这样做过，但一般人不愿意、不习惯，甚至还有认为这样做不合适的。即使在讨论问题、抒发己见的时候，文论家们总仍恪守文艺规律：有感而发，不得已而言，精语破的，点到为止，使人自悟并得以举一反三，而且始终仍保持着具体、感性、描绘、比喻、想象、意在言外等文艺色彩，有理有趣，举重若轻，愉人悦己。篇幅短小，形式多样，要言不烦，更是它的特色。当我们把它同西方古今的文艺理论进行了比较之后，就越发觉得它至少可以同西方文化成果并立而媲美，对人类文明发展起了同样巨大的作用。文艺理论和科技知识的不同之处，就是其中稳定的东西要多得多，而且有许多心灵方面的体会和艺术敏感往往前人已有而后来者反而大为迟钝了。文艺领域里某些精微奥妙的感受与洞察，往往并不是后出必愈精，时空限制不住它们的灵光。不能从思维方式表达方式上来强分高下优劣，应是自然之理。若说有系统、有体系的便好，那么有无是怎样来判定的？还要后人来研究、整理干什么？而且，不是已有够多的系统、体系早已被人们成捆成堆地丢到垃圾箱里去了吗？古今中外的很多事物，包括文艺评论，螺旋形发展的历史证明，互相补充、转化、融合的可能性正在增加，必要性亦一样。取精用宏、兼收并蓄，集大成而共求进步，这是历史的必然。

初步搜集、整理古代文艺理论资料正是为了便于进行研究和探索前人已经取得的成果，便于发扬光大他们的贡献，使中国文艺家的智慧和才识在全世界同行中得到理解，交换共识，进行融合。不消说，如果真是符合文艺规律的知识，无论多少年前的发现和经验，对当前的文艺创作和文艺评论肯定仍有积极作用。

当我们的视野随着改革开放的大潮涌起而也变得较前显著开阔了些的此刻，就感到即使编选文艺理论资料也不能只盯住文艺理论资料本身，而应扩大其范围。但这范围太广了，谁能预料到书画家还能从“公主与担夫争路”中悟到某种艺术妙谛呢？当我们连载有文艺理论直接资料的无数书籍尚远未读遍读透选准选全的现在，这就只能留到以后去逐步补充、修订、扩展了。对此，我是惴惴不安而仍抱着有生之年要继续为之的决心的。至于谈到要做得相当完善，恐怕至少要经过几代人的不断努力。好在我们这个伟大的民族是永恒存在的，总会有达到这目标的日子到来。

再一次乘此机会让我向老舍、叶石荪两位老师致敬，向参加这一工程的我的同事和研究生同志们的亲密合作致谢，向中国社会科学出版社和配合我们付出了大量劳动的季寿荣等同志表示衷心的铭感！

徐中玉

1991年6月17日

In the summer of 1936, Professor Ye Li (Shi Sun), who had been teaching in the Department of Psychology of Tsinghua University, took the vacation to teach in the Chinese Department of Shandong University in Qingdao. I was in the third grade. Prior to this, Professor Zhu Guangqian's "Psychology of Literature and Art" has been published, and the Department of Chinese of Peking University has opened this course, and we know that other universities have not yet opened it, and we hope that Shandong University can also open it. The school suffers from the lack of such conditions, mainly because it lacks teachers who are both deeply involved in literature and proficient in psychology, and who are also good at ancient and modern Chinese and foreign learning like Mr. Zhu. Mr. Ye's arrival happened to solve this problem for us in a very timely manner. Mr. Ye specializes in psychology in the United States and France, and has always loved literature, reading a lot, and he can also create poems and lyrics in the old Chinese style, which are very beautiful and moving. It turned out that he had been trained in classical literature since he was a child, and his family came from a background, and only later decided to specialize in psychological science. He and Mr. Zhu are also old friends of the same generation, and although he has not taught literary psychology in the Department of Psychology of Tsinghua, he has been very interested in this course under the influence of Mr. Zhu's book, which has opened up a new field of Chinese literary research. So when the school proposed it to him, he readily agreed. It turns out that we were very lucky to hear him lectur. Just as before this year, we could hear Mr. Lao She give a lecture on "The Novel Practice". At that time, most of the content of other courses was still traditional, but the two courses were different, and the content, perspectives, and teaching methods were almost completely new to us. Mr. Lao She lectured on this course as a famous Chinese novel writer with rich life experience and Western literary concepts, and Mr. Ye taught this course as an expert in modern psychology and a scholar, author and connoisseur of Chinese classical literature and Western literature. No matter in the teaching content, learning and research methods, forming a very cordial relationship between teachers and students, etc., they have greatly broadened the students' horizons, added a lot of new knowledge, cultivated their own research ability, and educated us with practical actions what kind of person we should be, how we should care for and help the next generation younger than ourselves to grow. They leave an impression on students that will never be forgotten. Both teachers were victims and died during the tragedy of the Cultural Revolution. Mr. Ye had been "enlarged" as early as 1957. The hobbies and life choices of youth often determine the path of life that a person will not change in the future. In the more than 70 years since I started elementary school, I have not left the circle of school life. When I was a college student, I began to love literary writing, and it was Mr. Lao She who gave me guidance and encouragement. From studying novels to literary research, focusing on the study and discussion of ancient literary theory, it was Mr. Ye who gave me guidance and encouragement. When I think back on more than half a century of life, I always think of the love and education of these two gentlemen, even though in fact for nearly twenty years before their deaths, isolated by necessity, not only did they never see each other again, but they did not even receive a letter. As one of their closest students at the time, he showed such indifference, could he forgive himself with only "last resort"? Undoubtedly due to his own weakness and timidity. No one should repeat this historical mistake. The inspiration and guidance I got from Mr. Ye's teaching and research, as well as many conversations and contacts outside the classroom, had the most impact on my later research and writing until today are the following four points: First, you must have a research goal that you think is really meaningful, extremely interested, and within your ability. Objectively very meaningful, but I think it is not or meaningless; Although they also think that they are meaningful, they lack interest; Think it is meaningful and interested, but in fact it is not enough; It is not surprising that these situations exist, but it is not suitable as one's long-term research goal. I don't have much life experience, especially after listening to Mr. Ye's lecture on "Psychology of Literature and Art", I am deeply interested in the study of literary and art theory. Since I studied teacher training in high school and Chinese in college, I read very little foreign languages and did not strive to read them well, it is appropriate to focus on the study of ancient literary and artistic theories in my country, which is more within reach, and this range cannot be considered small. He endorsed my long-term efforts towards that goal. Second, it is necessary to obtain as much first-hand information as possible that is closely related to the research objectives. I was amazed by the fact that he was free to provide information on a particular issue, including a number of different opinions, both ancient and modern, and attributing its source. He has a good memory, but he said that he mainly has to rely on accumulating information after frequent exhibitions, that is, making cards himself, and diligent in writing notes after reading. He showed us his lots of cards and notes and told us how he did it, how he used it, and how he got into it. Since then, I have also learned to accumulate this accumulation. Third, we should gradually cultivate and improve our ability to analyze and identify different schools and opinions on the basis of accumulation. What is reasonable should be eclectic, each taking its own strengths, and not bound by anything; They should have their own opinions, neither disagree nor agree, correct mistakes when they find them, and explore them again if they are imperfect. Fourth, you cannot study for the sake of research, theory for theory's sake; You can't learn theory without reading literary works, and you have no creative experience; You can't study literary theory and only read books on this aspect, and knowledge of philosophy, history, psychology and so on is indispensable. He attached great importance to life and the needs of the country and society. He was deeply worried about the crisis in North China caused by Japanese imperialism at that time. This also deeply influenced me, making me understand that researchers are not just people who live in a study and eat books. Just as I was beginning to follow his instructions, the Lugou Bridge Incident happened. Qingdao was originally a major stronghold of the Japanese Empire's invasion of China, and at this time it was already a stormy front, so Mr. Ye had to return to his hometown of Sichuan University with his family. I moved west with the university, and finally merged into Chongqing Shapingba Central University until I graduated. The initial plan had to come to a complete halt during this period. The reason why I entered the Institute of Liberal Arts of the Central University Research Institute to explore the poetry of the Song Dynasty was because I wanted to continue the original research project. At that time, the reason why I spent part of my time writing a lot of articles discussing the literature and art of the War of Resistance was because I thought of his consistent guidance: researchers must not be separated from national affairs and must not forget their social responsibilities. The two are not actually contradictory, and they should and can be unified. By this time, he was already serving as the provost of Sichuan University, and I had moved from Yunnan to northern Guangdong. He still found time to give me a lot of guidance in the newsletter. During my two years at the institute, I accumulated tens of thousands of cards. The so-called card is a substitute that is pasted together with three layers of earthen paper, which can barely be written on both sides, and it is still lucky to be preserved. In the five years that he stayed in the school to teach, there were conditions to continue to accumulate at the beginning, but later, due to the fall of most of Xiang and Gui, the school moved to the Dongjiang area, and the books were lost, and there were no conditions. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, I returned to school with Shanda University, but I was secretly dismissed midway because I sympathized with the students' "anti-hunger and anti-civil war" movement, and was accused of being a "traitor" by the Ministry of Education of the Kuomintang government. From then until the end of the "anti-rightist" in the fifties, due to frequent movements and sudden changes in concepts in the past decade, it seems that the ancient literary heritage no longer needs to be studied. On the contrary, in the 20 years that he was expanded by the "anti-rightist" and became a "cow, ghost, snake and god" during the "Cultural Revolution," since all due rights no longer existed, in addition to "isolation," raiding homes, sweeping the floor, endorsing, and being tried, he had some hope in his soul in order to make himself in a "separate book," and felt that taking this opportunity to use all his spare time to continue his achievements was a way to have both. I never imagined that this difficult period of twenty years since I left the original plan became a vigorous stage for me to sink into again. I went on to make 450,000 cards from more than 700 books on the subject, and estimated that I wrote no more than 10 million words. The means are primitive, the methods are stupid, but when I read and write like this, I no longer have any troubles and complaints, and I don't regard this as a hard work. I was "raided" many times, and these were not damaged because they were all regarded as waste, and I was selfishly happy and "useless". But if so, when is it useful? There was a blur in front of my eyes. But I always think that this kind of learning is useful, I can't do it, I can't do it well, others will still do it in the future, they will do it and do it well. The mad national nihilists will not last forever. More than ten years passed, and I turned into a situation where I was in a slightly better mood but had a lot of affairs, my previous achievements were far from complete, I was getting old, my accumulation plummeted from my peak, almost no gain, and I didn't have enough time and energy. On the one hand, the more I feel the importance of this work in the process of accumulation, and on the other hand, the more anxious I am, how should I try to continue this very meaningful work? I haven't had time to make good use of this large amount of information myself, not to mention that there is more information to collect, organize and use! I thought of working on this project with some of my colleagues and several graduate students in ancient literature, which was the only possible and feasible way. This is the reason for the creation of this "Special Information Series on Ancient Chinese Literary and Art Theory". Human life is so short, day by day it seems to be very long, and when you look back, it is only a moment, and it is really like the beginning has suddenly come to an end. Without the joint efforts of the above-mentioned comrades, I alone would not have been able to come up with something that I knew was still very crude and omissional. Ancient Chinese literary and art theory has a long history, put forward many arguments in line with the law, the information is very rich, and the more contact you have, the more you feel that it is really like a vast ocean, which is extremely valuable. I believe that the subjectivity of aesthetics, the integrity of observation, the contemplation of arguments, and the conciseness of descriptions are the thinking characteristics of ancient Chinese literary theory with national characteristics. Most of Chinese don't like tedious and abstract speculation, and start from a theoretical framework that they have built behind closed doors. Chinese is by no means lacking this ability, not that no one has done it, but the average person is unwilling, unaccustomed, and even thinks it is inappropriate. Even when discussing problems and expressing their opinions, literary theorists always abide by the laws of literature and art: they have feelings, and they have no choice but to say that they are shining and breaking the point, so that people can realize themselves and draw inferences from one another, and they always maintain literary and artistic colors such as concrete, sensual, depicting, metaphor, imagination, and intention beyond words, which are reasonable and interesting, weight-lifting, and pleasing to themselves. The short length and variety of forms are its characteristics. When we compare it with Western literary and artistic theories in ancient and modern times, we feel more and more that it can at least be comparable to the achievements of Western culture, and has played an equally huge role in the development of human civilization. The difference between literary theory and scientific and technological knowledge is that there are much more stable things in it, and there are many spiritual experiences and artistic sensitivities, which are often existing in the past, but the later ones are greatly dull. Some subtle and mysterious feelings and insights in the field of literature and art are often not refined later, and time and space cannot limit their aura. It should be natural that we cannot distinguish between the superior and the inferior from the way of thinking and expression. If it is good to have a system and a system, then how to judge whether there is one? What do you want future generations to study and sort out? Moreover, aren't there already enough systems, systems that have long been thrown into the trash in bundles by people? Many things, including literary criticism, have proved that the possibility of complementarity, transformation, and integration is increasing, and the necessity is also increasing. It is a historical necessity to draw on the best and use the macro, to be eclectic, and to seek progress together. The preliminary collection and collation of ancient literary and art theoretical materials is precisely to facilitate the research and exploration of the achievements of predecessors, to carry forward their contributions, so that the wisdom and talents of Chinese literary artists can be understood, exchanged consensus, and integrated among peers around the world. Needless to say, if it is really knowledge that conforms to the laws of literature and art, no matter how many years ago the discoveries and experiences are, it will definitely still have a positive effect on the current literary and artistic creation and literary criticism. At this moment, when our vision has become significantly broader with the tide of reform and opening up, we feel that even if we compile and select literary and art theoretical materials, we should not only focus on the literary and art theoretical materials themselves, but expand their scope. But this range is so broad, who would have predicted that the calligrapher would still realize some kind of artistic essence from "the princess and the bearer fighting for the road"? When we have read the countless books containing direct information on literary and art theory yet, we can only leave it for later to gradually supplement, revise, and expand. I am anxious about this and still have the determination to continue to do it for the rest of my life. As for the fact that it should be done quite perfectly, I am afraid that it will take at least several generations of continuous efforts. Fortunately, our great nation is eternal, and there will always be a day when this goal will be achieved. Once again, let me take this opportunity to pay tribute to the two teachers Lao She and Ye Shisun, thank my colleagues and graduate students who participated in this project for their close cooperation, and express my heartfelt feelings to China Social Sciences Press and Ji Shurong and other comrades who have put in a lot of labor with us! Xu Zhongyu, June 17, 1991（AI翻译）