《紅樓夢》中的「金玉良姻」重探   免費試閱

Revisiting “the Marriage Rite of Gold and Jade” in The Dream of the Red Chamber

由於《紅樓夢》伊始便嘹亮奏出「金玉良姻」的主旋律，一般在二元對立的思考架構下乃視之為木石情盟的壓迫者，與「金」有關的人物也隨之淪為罪惡因子。唯經過仔細檢視與通盤考察，本文發現：「金玉良姻」是對結局的預言，不是敘事的現實；是源於命運的超現實神諭，並非來自世俗社會的人謀安排，更不構成改變情節發展主軸的動力。超越結果論的蒙蔽與誤導，從客觀的統計結果可見，小說中「金玉良姻」被提到的次數、延續情況、當事者的心態、尤其是輿論涵蓋面，都遠不如「木石姻緣」，在在指向寶、黛的聯姻才是故事鋪陳的主軸，而此一結果極有助於對包括薛姨媽、薛寶釵、賈寶玉等相關人物的正確定位；至於〈慈姨媽愛語慰痴顰〉、「待選」、「金項圈」、「紅麝串」、「柳絮詞」、《紅樓夢曲•終身誤》等諸多情節的意義，也隨之重新獲得釐清，實則寶釵才是寶玉「祿蠹說」的真正同道，顯示小說家對人情世事之複雜幽微的洞澈之深。

A popular reading of the love and marriage between the protagonists of The Dream of the Red Chamber involves opposing the marriage rite of gold and jade (Jin-yu-liang-in, 金玉良姻) to the pledge between plant and stone (Mu-shi-qian-mon, 木石前盟). This article investigates and contends such interpretations on textual grounds. Fundamentally, in the narrative of the novel, the marriage of plant and stone is referred to, supported, and emphasized considerably more than Jin-yu-liangin. This suggests that the main line of the narrative is a would-be marriage of Jia Bao-yu with Daiyu, rather than with Bao-chai. This paper concludes that Jin-yu-liang-in is not a motive or motor of the plot, nor an actualization of a theme with fully developed episodes, but rather an oracular “fl ash” anticipating a fateful end, which occurs despite purposes and intentions. From this perspective, some related episodes reveal signifi cances different from popular interpretations, including, among others, all the episodes relating the attitudes of Xue Bao-chai to Jin-yu-liang-in and her attitude to the “career worm” (祿蠹). This paper carefully analyzes these episodes.