[目的/意义] 分析古代提要和现代摘要的异同得失,有助于完善文献揭示的技术方法,并为理解"文献的本质是什么"从而进一步反省人类现有的知识观念提供观察视角。[方法/过程] 结合中西方文化差异以及两者对文献本质的不同定位,系统比较古代提要和现代摘要在"陈述什么"和"怎么陈述"上的不同取向。[结果/结论] 先贤从"文以载道"的高度定位文献,因而重视"知人论世",期待通过作者之"人"及其生存境遇之"世"的还原,揭示"文"背后的"道";现代文献只是"记录有知识的一切载体",缺乏形上之"道"的内涵,相应地,现代摘要重在对文献所记录的客观知识的"浓缩",由此形成了形式化、规范化的陈述标准。

[Purpose/significance] This paper aims to analyze the similarities and differences, the advantages and disadvantages between the ancient synopsis and the modern abstracts. It helps improve the technical methods of literature and provide an observation angle to understand "what is the essence of literature" in order to further reflect the human existing concept of knowledge.[Method/process] We combine the differences between Chinese and Western culture and the different positions of the literature essence, compare the different orientations of the ancient synopsis with that of the modern abstract systematically on "what to state" and "how to state".[Result/conclusion] The sages positioning literature in the height of "literature for moral instruction" attach great importance to "the nature of man and the world", expecting to restore the "human" through the author and the living circumstances of the "world" and revealing the "literature" behind the "Tao"; however, the modern literature is only to record all the carriers that have knowledge, which lack of the connotation of "Tao". Accordingly, the modern abstract emphasis on concentrating the objective knowledge that the literature records, thus a formalized and standardized statement of standards is formed.