鮑照〈梅花落〉看似平淺易解，事實卻未必然，癥結出在近人心目中對梅與梅花的想像去中古有間。筆者耙梳先秦至陳、隋的典籍，指出：理會這段時期作品中「梅」這詞彙時，須分辨指涉的是梅花或梅實，若屬前者，由於當時以梅花為春信，非冬兆，予人的感受是輕薄脆弱，從未將之視爲堅貞的象徵，連帶的也便得梅見棄於歲寒不凋者之列。江左以前作品若提到具有正面意象的梅，幾乎都是從梅實著眼，喻爲輔佐君王的賢材。至於梅花贏得中上層文士青睞，以往那些被輕鄙的性質轉爲賞玩歎美來由，乃蕭梁以來的事，竊以爲：此一細節義蘊匪淺，堪覘當時與其前後期文化的重大變遷。在這樣的認知下，再佐以鮑照的生平及其他作品，可知：這首在劉宋中葉寫成的〈梅花落〉固然旨在自嘲譏人，但梅花在鮑照筆下乃是被譏刺者的譬擬，非本身孤芳自賞的喻象。

While readers of the middle and modem ages have different imaginations about plum（mei 梅）， Pao Chao's "Meihualuo” should not be taken as plain and facile as it is acknowledged now. By scrutinizing texts from pre-Chin period to the Sui Dynasty, the article is trying to indicate that, it is crucial to distinguish plum flowers from plum fruits in realizing the word "plum" used in works of this period. Plum flowers at the time served to foreshadow spring rather than winter, and were taken slight and fragile, and thus were not viewed as the symbol of royalty. "Plum", if referring to plum flowers, accordingly did not belong to those "withering not in chilly winter." Before the East Jin Dynasty, almost every work mentioning plum in its positive sense referred to plum fruits, which was used to symbolize distinguished officials. It was not until the Southern Liang Dynasty did plum flowers start to attract literati of the middle and upper stratums with the traits formerly despised. I am convinced that this nuance is of great significance and serves to gain a picture of the consequential cultural changes of the time. With such an understanding and pertinent comprehension on Pao Chao's biographical information and other works, we are able to conclude that Meihualuo, which was accomplished in the middle Southern Liu Song and whose theme was to self-mock as well as to express contempt, used plum as the emblem of those derided, rather than that of the idea of self-appraisal.

鮑照;梅花;梅實

Pao chao;Plum flowers;Plum fruits