自然與意境：論中國古典山水景觀的興發

法文「Imagination」一詞能否譯為中文？在中國傳統書畫藝術理論中有沒有與「imagination」相應的觀念？本文以「自然與意境」為題，探討中國書畫、園林藝術理論中與「Imagination」可能相應的途徑。除了「自然」一詞作為中國書畫藝術理論的重要詞彙外，本文尤其將探討中國文人傳統對於所謂「意境」一詞的構思與解釋。假如我們認為「imagination」原則上不是本身就有，而是受激發引起的存在，那麼大約可以在中國藝術理論中找到相應的說法。大致而言，「imagination」觀念的意義約略相應於中國書畫理論中的「意」的概念，尤其是在創造過程中的「意」的興發。所謂「意在筆前」即意味創造過程由「意」而始，此外，「意」也存在於作品與觀者所謂之「意境」中。其次，如果我們假定「imagination」乃出自感性(sensible)、而且由感性而生，則意味感性與想像具有密切的相關性；而且，如果假定「imagination」是介乎理性與感性之間的界面(interface)，那麼類似的問題也存在於中國傳統書畫、或園林藝術理論之中，此即早在唐代山水詩提到中的「情」與「理」的問題。本文亦將指出，之後這個問題如何一再出現於繪畫理論之中，尤其見於山水畫論、與園林中之造景思想裡。以園林理論而言，感性豐富的原因之一是因為「借」的過程，尤其是「借景」之故。因此遊園者，通過與想像力有關之「情」與「理」之運作，得以達到特殊的心境。山水畫和園林的作用類似，皆在於讓觀者和遊園者在內心興起一種「境界」或「意境」，使他能夠通過「遊」培「養心」境。

關鍵字

想像力；意；意境；山水；園林；中國藝術理論

並列摘要

Can ”imagination” be translated in Chinese, and especially can it be conceived in traditional Chinese artistic, pictorial and calligraphic theory? ”Nature” seems to be so present in Chinese tradition that it's no need to explain it. Though, this paper will examine the way Chinese literati tradition has conceived and described a kind of mental or spiritual landscape. The paper shows that, if we accept the principle that imagination is not given in itself, but has to be aroused, then we can notice it has been theorized in calligraphic, pictorial and gardening tradition. We can consider that the concept of imagination can correspond in these treatises to yi, that means ”intention, idea” when the word is applied to the creative process. It presides this process (”intention precedes execution”) and can be found after end of realisation, in work's or watcher's yijing. On another hand, if we consider imagination is coming from sensible and produces sensible, that there is an imaginative relation to sensible, that imagination is an interface between reason and sensible, then this problem has been well theorised in Chinese. The question of the relationship between sensitivity/emotion (qing, 情) and principle of the world (li, 理) had been asked since the beginnings of ”mountains and waters” poetry, under Tang dynasty. Later, it also has been examined in painting, especially in shanshui painting, and in gardens creations. The paper will examine how, for instance, in Chinese gardens, perception is enriched because of ”borrowings”, especially ”scenes borrowings”, and the rambler, through imagination, and through the relationship to ”nature”, must be able to attain a specific state of being. The paper will examine how the role of painting as well as garden's, is to bring the rambler or the watcher to get to an ”imaginary world” that must resource him through a wander.