明清江南乡村民众的生活与地区差异

Rural Society in the Jiangnan Delta during the Ming and Qing Dynasties

江南是一个以太湖为中心的水乡泽国 ,传统研究中所认为的该地区作为一个整体 ,在生产和生活习俗等方面是共同无差别的。但是应该注意 ,区域内地理环境所存在的细微差异 ,都会导致民众生活形态的很大不同。本文以乡镇为集中讨论的对象 ,指出江南传统的大宗生产基本已形成了“蚕桑区”、“稻作区”和“稻棉区”的分异 ;而且大田劳作、家庭副业、集市贸易、外出经商、岁时节俗、民间信仰 ,既有着共同点 ,更有着诸多迥异之处 ,原因都与太湖周边平原低乡的地理环境差异有关。具体而言 ,有从西部山地延续下来的低丘 ,也有东部以“冈身”为界线的“东乡”、“西乡”的分域 ,更有滨海沙地独特的生活环境 ;在这些差异本属细小的区域内 。

Although it was regarded as integrity by some studies that the inner differences of the Jiangnan Delta were not existed, the slight environmental diversity would cause the great difference of rural life. The article pointed it out that the Jiangnan Delta formed three ecological sections by detailed materials on little towns, and the inner differences of it were closely related to the lower plain surrounded Taihu Lake. Besides, Jiangnan's people were unwillingly to leave their home generally because they could maintain live by various living methods during both normal and abnormal conditions, the latter including flood, drought, locust or tide calamity and wars.