许云樵的华侨华人研究

An Assessment of Hsu Yun-Tsiao's Chinese Studies

许云樵为马新史及东南亚史研究的泰斗,著述等身,研究领域广泛。华侨华人研究亦是其重要的研究领域之一,除了十余篇有关东南亚华侨华人专题和人物研究的论文外,他还留下了一部约四十万言的《华侨篇》。他的华侨华人研究,是在马新国家历史的基础上进行,以人物传记的撰述最具代表性,同时能开拓新的研究领域,注重文献和工具书的整理和统计数字的引用。许云樵的华人史研究,除了史料丰富,旁征博引,同时叙事原委脉络清晰,娓娓道来,常能在生涩的学术论著中看到通俗的书写。

Hsu Yun-Tsiao was the doyen of South East Asian studies in Malaysia and Singapore. Among his broad research interests was a special focus on the Chinese. In addition to many papers on South East Asian Chinese and well-known persons, he left behind a lengthy manuscript entitled Essays on the Overseas Chinese. His research on the Chinese was placed in the context of the national histories of Malaysia and Singapore. His works on selected personalities were representative of his writings. At the same time he also explored other areas of research, emphasized the collection of documents and source materials, and the use of statistical references. Besides assembling large quantities of documents, Hsu＇s research on the history of the Chinese was well supported by references and its accounts were lucid and absorbing.