《趙氏孤兒》不僅是最早傳入歐洲的中國古代戲劇,而且也是被歐洲劇作家改編得最多的中國古代戲劇。就中西戲劇交流而言,它的重要性不言而喻。在《趙氏孤兒》的歐洲改編本中,伏爾泰的《中國孤兒》和詹姆斯·芬頓的《趙氏孤兒》最具革命意義。為清晰顯示這兩部劇作的革命意義,本文以西方現代正義觀念和中國古代義的觀念為視角,討論以下五個問題:(1)伏爾泰和詹姆斯·芬頓為何要解構《趙氏孤兒》?(2)《趙氏孤兒》所彰顯的哪一種價值觀是伏爾泰和詹姆斯·芬頓解構的具體對象?(3)何為伏爾泰和詹姆斯·芬頓解構《趙氏孤兒》的策略和方法?(4)對《趙氏孤兒》的解構為何均出自歐洲劇作家之手?(5)伏爾泰和詹姆斯·芬頓在解構《趙氏孤兒》時使用了何種思想武器?

The Orphan of Zhao is not merely the earliest ancient Chinese play that was introduced into Europe,but also the most-often-adapted one by the European playwrights.As far as the east-west dramatic communication is concerned,this play is self-evidently important.Among the European playwrights’ adaptations of The Orphan of Zhao,Voltaire’s The Orphan of China(l’ Orphelin de la Chine) and James Fenton’s The Orphan of Zhao are of most revolutionary significance.To manifest the revolutionary significance of the two plays,this essay will discuss the following five questions based on the perspectives of concepts of western modern justice and ancient Chinese rightness or Yi(義):(1) Why would these playwrights deconstruct The Orphan of Zhao?(2) Which value of The Orphan of Zhao is the specific object that they deconstructed?(3) What are the strategies and methods that they adopted to deconstruct The Orphan of Zhao?(4) Why was The Orphan of Zhao deconstructed only by European playwrights?(5) What thought weapon was used when these playwrights deconstructed The Orphan of Zhao?