日治時期臺灣文人聽覺經驗中的工具現代性

Abstract

傳統學界對感官經驗的研究多偏重於視覺面向，聲音稍縱即逝的特色往往使聽覺感受被排除在生活經驗之外。近年來，這種差異在感官與環境互動的議題漸受關注下日漸縮小。「聲音理所當然存在」的想法則重新被放進文化與歷史脈絡中再檢視，其中現代化因素的影響更被視為是造成聲響空間轉變的關鍵。日治時期的臺灣文人就面臨到這個課題。

就現今來看，幾乎不會有人懷疑時鐘聲、汽車聲、廣播聲等聲響的存在，但對日治臺灣剛接觸現代生活的文人而言，這些聲音並非那樣的「自然」。這些聲音透過不同工具媒介的發聲為當時由傳統邁向現代的臺灣社會帶來新的聲景。然而，這些聲響的實踐卻載負著功能性的意涵。透過現代工具的運作，聲響被加載上特定的功能性質，例如：鐘錶聲用來強化標準時間的秩序、汽笛聲用作提醒路上的行車安全、農機聲則指出高效的生產效能。這些聲響的出現顯示出其工具特質與「現代性(modernity)」在臺灣實踐的連結。當中，臺灣文人除了透過對現代聲響的感知建立全新的身體感，也覺察到樂聲脈絡的質變過程，呈現出一種帶有「工具現代性(instrumental modernity)」意涵的聽覺書寫模式。對此，本研究則聚焦在臺灣開始系統性的接觸現代文明的日治時期，並以具有書寫習慣的臺灣文人為對象，探討臺灣文人的聽覺經驗在這段時期裡逐漸邁向工具現代性的「建制化(institutionalization)」過程。

Traditional researches of sensational experience put more emphasis on the visual aspect. Auditory senses were igored from living experiences due to the fleeting features of sounds. In recent years, the gap is getting narrower when the issues of interaction between sensation and environment attract more attention. The thought of “sounds exist as a matter of course” is re-considered in cultural and historical context. Under this context, modernization is the key factor to change acoustic space. Taiwanese literati under Japanese Rule did confront to this situation.

Today, few people would doubt about the existence of sounds of clocks, cars, broadcast, etc.. Conversely, these sounds sound “unnatural” for the Taiwanese literati who had encountered the impact on modernization in Japanese colonial period. These sounds through different instrumental medium had formed brand-new soundscapes when Taiwanese traditional society had transformed into a modern one. The practice of the sounds, however, appended to a new meaning, that is, sounds are loaded with certain function through the working of modern instruments. For example, sounds of clockwatches strengthen the order of standard time; sounds of steam whistles assure safety drive; sounds of farming machines indicate the efficiency of production. The appearance of these sounds reveals the link between instrumental features and modernity practicing in Taiwan. Taiwanese literati construct new body perception not only through the sense of sounds, but by percieving the subtle transition of musical context. Their auditory writing represents the meaning of instrumental modernity. Consequently, this research will focus on Taiwanese literati under Japanese Colonial Rule, and argue how the listening experiences of Taiwanese literati institutionalize the instrumental modernity.