一位农学家笔下的灾害实录——明末湖州沈氏与《奇荒纪事》

Factual Records of Disasters by an Agronomist——Shen and His Records of the Unusual Disasters

明末湖州农学家沈氏,身当灾害频仍、社会动乱之世,撰成《奇荒纪事》一文。它详细记录当时的水灾、旱灾和瘟疫灾害实况,论述灾害造成破坏农业生产、引起物价上涨、导致人口损耗、激化阶级矛盾等社会经济影响。该文反映沈氏推行粥赈,厚道助人、缓解灾荒的救灾举措,还表现他反对苛征,耕读节俭、防备灾害的荒政观点。沈氏虽有一定阶级局限,但其文章的科学性、人民性更具价值。

Records of the Unusual Disasters by Shen, an agronomist in Huzhou in the late Ming dynasty, records in detail the factual situations of floods, droughts and pestilences of the then society and also the impacts of agricultural damage, soaring price, population loss and intensifying class contradictions. The article gives an account of his measures of disater relieving, such as relieving famine with thin porridge and benevolence. It also reflects his ideas opposing excessive taxation, carrying forword the family traditions of cultivation-education and practising frugality to guard against disasters. Althought Shen had a certain class limits, his article＇ s scientificity and peoplehood are of implicative value today.