錢竹汀的校勘學和同時代藏書家

CH'IEN CHU-T'ING'S METHODS OF TEXTUAL CRITICISM AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE BOOK-COLLECTORS OF HIS TIME

羅炳綿(Lo Ping Min)

《新亞學報》 8卷2期 (1968/08) Pp. 179-288+ap8-9

並列摘要

Textual criticism underwent a remarkable development during the Ch'ing period and presented various aspects and characteristics. As regards Ch'ien Chu-t'ing, his methods of textual criticism have found their best illustration in his critical examination of the twenty-two Dynastic Histories. In his textual criticism, he borrowed from a wide gamut of knowledge which goes well beyond the scope of that particular discipline. Far from limiting himself to mere problems of textual variations, he brought to bear notions of astronomy, chronology, administrative institutions, epigraphy etc. etc. Not contest simply with rectifying mistaken words, he brought out the hidden meanings of words; he restored the original passages where later authors had introduced unwarranted modifications; he pointed out the origin of certain information and indicated doubtful passages. So, as much by these methods as by their scope, he enlarged the field of textual criticism until it became that of historical criticism. Ch'ien Chu-t'ing was master of a firm and encyclopaedic culture; in his personal life he advocated a scrupulous respect for concrete reality, and we can say that he applied that principle to his works of textual criticism. Another factor which enabled him to achieve such remarkable results in the field of textual criticism, springs from the fact that he had a large personal library. Moreover, he maintained close relation with the leading book-collectors of his time (such as Chou Hsi-tsan, Yuan Shou-k'ai, Ko Pao-ch'ung, Huang P'i-lieh - the "four great bibliophiles of Su-chou"-, and also with Wu Ch'ien, Ch'en Yun-t'ao, Ku Au-tao etc.) exchanging with them rare editions, manuscripts and various ancient documents. Therefore a discussion of Ch'ien Chu-t'ing's methods of textual criticism should ideally be accompanied by a study of the great book-collectors of his time.