摘要:《儒林外史》是我国古代讽刺小说的奇文，其深刻的思想内容和高超的艺术技巧，为我国的讽刺文学树立了典范。它高超的讽刺艺术主要表现在以下几个方面：讽刺艺术形象真实；讽刺方式灵活多变，主要运用对比、适度夸张、白描等手法来刻画人物，揭露科举制度的罪恶本质，以达到讽刺效果。吴敬梓对讽刺艺术的全方位探索，使得《儒林外史》成为一部文学史上罕见的成熟的讽刺巨作。

【关键词】讽刺；真实性；对比；适度夸张；白描

【Abstract】The Scholars is a satirical novel of Chinese ancient satires. Its deep ideological content and superb artistic skill set an example for our country's satires. Its excellent sarcasm art is shown mainly in several the following aspects. First, the sarcasm art is vivid and true. Second, the satire way is flexible. It mainly applies techniques such as contrast, moderate hyperbole, and traditional delineation during depicting a personage. In this way, it reveals the criminal essence of imperial examination system, in order to reach sarcasm effect. Wu Jingzi is probed to the entire bearing satirizing art, making The Scholars become a rare literary giant for mature irony.

【Key words】satire;authenticity;contrast;moderate exaggeration;traditional delineation

　　　《儒林外史》就是通过描写那些追逐名利、丧失天良、道德沦丧的人物，折射一个时代的罪恶，抨击物欲横流导致道德失范，精神虚无的社会现实。作为“第一部有意识地从儒家的思想观点出发而写作的讽刺小说”（19），作为讽刺传统的集大成者，《儒林外史》不仅在讽刺观念而且在讽刺艺术方面都创造了一个历史高峰。它的艺术方法，一方面造就了自身的创作成就；另一方面，为后代讽刺文学的继续发展提供了艺术标准。这种讽刺的现实主义创作方法，对后世文学的影响是巨大的、深远的，清代后期问世的四大谴责小说，就是例证。讽刺笔法遂成为针砭社会的武器。