新马华文文学萌发时间之我见

由于新马华文文学的发生、发展受中国五四新文学影响至重,历来的文学史都只关注其新文学的发生、发展,有意无意地忽略了所谓旧文学的萌发及其延续,因此,往往把新马华文文学的萌发时间定于1919年之后。我们认为,本土意识是海外华文文学的灵魂和纲领,考察海外华文文学,必须把立足点放在海外华文文学赖以产生的海外各国本土上。海外华文文学的萌发,必须具备三个条件:第一必须得有形成规模的华人移民群体(即华人社会)和华人学校;第二必须得有华文文学的创作者及其创作事实,并且这些作品必须得对当地的社会生活有所反映或表现;第三必须得有能让这种文学作品传播的载体,并且通过一定的传播手段传播于世。根据这三个必要条件,新马华文文学的萌发不应该忽视所谓的旧文学,其萌发时间应该是在1919年之前的旧文学诞生之时。

A New Exploration of Germination Time of Chinese Literature in Singapore and Malaysia

The rise and the development of the Chinese literature in Singapore and Malaysia was so greatly influenced by the New Literature of May the Fourth Movement that all literary historical records are concerned about the rise and development of the New Literature while neglecting either consciously or unconsciously the germination and the continuation of the so-called old literature. Thus, the germination time of the Chinese literature in Singapore and Malaysia tends to be set after 1919. This paper argues that indigenous awareness is the soul and guideline of the Chinese literature overseas. The survey of the Chinese literature overseas must be based on the corresponding lands overseas where the Chinese literature is produced. The germination of the Chinese literature overseas has three conditions. Firstly, the Chinese immigrants, or Chinese community, and Chinese schools, of certain scale; secondly, the writers and facts for communication, with the writings reflecting or expressing the local social life; thirdly, the necessary carrier that transmits the literary works. In the study of the Chinese literature in Singapore and Malaysia, the old literature must be considered, whose germination time is sometime before 1919.