西晉末年魯褒(317-344 A.D.)隱居而撰〈錢神論〉,此文亦莊亦諧,以論體為名,實則賦體呈現,極力抒發對奢侈時風之厭斥,且對當時社會金錢崇拜,進行有力之諷刺與批判,至今仍為人所傳誦不絕,且後世模仿之作亦多。而魯褒為時之隱士,對於世俗以為「錢能通神」乖謬之說,至為鄙視,故於錢文對世人愛錢的嘲弄之情,表達深刻諷刺,達到無以復加的地步。筆者認為錢文所以為中國文學史上最重要、最完整的嘲弄金錢代表作,應有其更為豐厚的內在意蘊和認知秩序,值得吾人深加精研。故本文試從三重結構之層次加以理解,即:貨幣權力→金錢崇拜→貨幣神物。而〈錢神論〉採擬人對話之形式,指出對貨幣的認識、金錢對人的腐化、人們對貨幣的迷戀等……種種現象,對社會上金錢崇拜之成風,進行有力之批判,同時亦指出人與貨幣之間的緊密關係,頗具文化、文學之價值。
In the last years of the Western Jin Dynasty, hermit LuBao(魯褒) (317-344 A.D.) writes the Qian Shen Lun(錢神論). He expresses his deep satire and criticism of the phenomenon of money-apotheosis of the society at that time. Since this book has been a masterpiece which mocks the money, it should have more generous internal connotations and cognitive order, which are worth studying intensively and thoroughly. Also, analyzing the main reason why it can spread so far, can be approached through the three-layer structure: first, to probe into the situation in which the power that currency forms overflows and expands very much; second, to probe the psychology of money-apotheosis in that society; third, to probe why currency is a kind of magical treasure.