科举社会的消逝与士子的境遇——读沈艾娣《梦醒子》

The Vanish of Imperial Examination Society and the Circumstances of Literates——book review of The Man Awakened from Dreams written by Henrietta Harrison

沈艾娣博士主要依据刘大鹏《退想斋日记》加上其他地方史志,并辅以自己的实地寻访,对于生活于19世纪后半期至二十世纪中叶山西太原乡下的及第举人在科举社会逐渐消逝时代的各种境遇进行了细致的白描。其中揭示出身处乡间的刘大鹏对科举制度变迁反应的迟钝、面对社会变迁形势而体现出的对儒家思想的坚守以及为了应对社会现实生活而被迫不断退却的人生历程,阐明了人生历程背后的心态史以及心态与人生走向间的相互关联,可以说这是一本很细腻、很有深度的个案研究著作。因为个案研究案例独特,因而其中彰显的悲剧性或许只能揭示社会中的一个侧面,个人的成败固然有时代因素与社会因素的影响,但个人的心态、品行与抉择均存在差别,且影响是根本性的。

According to Diaries in Meditation Room written by Liu Dapeng,other local records and his field inquiries,doctor Henrietta Harrison describes village Juren＇s circumstances in Taiyuan Shanxi province during the time when imperial examination society gradually vanishes from the later half of the nineteenth century to the mid-20st century.In the book,he reveals Liu Dapeng＇s life course that Liu Dapeng,born from countryside,reacts slowly to the changes of imperial examination system,adheres to Confucianism when society changes and is forced to retreat to respond to real life,which shows the history of mental state behind one＇s life course and the relation between one＇s mental state and life trend.It is observed that The Man Awakened from Dreams is a case study book that has exquisiteness and depth.Because the case in the study is unique,the tragedy shown in the book perhaps reveals only one side of society.No doubt personal success or failure is affected by the times and society,but is influenced fundamentally by one＇s mental state,conduct and choice.