以编代作:≪情史≫的编辑特色

Abstract

In the late Ming dynasty, the flourishing printing industry provided more opportunities for various books to be published, leading to a trend in the publication of novel anthologies. Numerous compilations of selected novels, often categorized into volumes or genres, emerged. These compilations each had their own distinctive features during editing. Some, like Wanjin qinglin, did not include volume titles and only divided works by volume numbers. Others, such as Yanyi Bian, divided works into volumes and set up categorical titles. Still others, like Qingni Lianhua Ji, not only set volume titles but also included prefaces and commentaries by the editors during compilation. Among these types, the first type is characterized by the editor's non-intervention in the meaning of the compiled texts. The second type slightly influences the ethical narrative of the compiled works through its volume titles. The compilation method used in Qingni Lianhua Ji, where the editor constructs the entire book's meaning through titles, categorical headings, prefaces, and commentaries, can be seen as an alternative form of creation. In this kind of creation, Qingshi is the most representative. Under the book title "Qingshi," it features 24 categorical topics such as "Qingzhen" (Emotional Fidelity) and "Qingyuan" (Romantic Fate), with subcategories under each topic. The varied forms of commentaries, combined with the selected works, construct Qingshi into a cohesive text with interconnected narrative themes. This categorization and commentary method emphasizes the role of "qing" (emotion) and reinforces the ethical narrative constructed by the 24 categories. This paper will examine how Qingshi uses editing as a form of creation, exploring the roles of categorical titles, commentaries, and post-volume evaluations in shaping the narrative focus and textual integrity of Qingshi. It will investigate the characteristics of its selection and classification to provide a concrete and in-depth understanding of the literary phenomenon of "compiling as creation."