明代小说《戚南塘剿平倭寇志传》考论

A Study on the Historical Novel Qi Jiguang Exterminating Japanese Pirates

《戚南塘剿平倭寇志传》是一部以戚继光剿平倭寇为主题的历史演义。小说作者虽不可确考,但相关信息显示,其作者与建阳余邵鱼、余象斗、郑世容三位书坊主兼小说家的关系最为切近,创作时间当在隆庆至万历前期,刊刻时间的下限约在万历二十六年。小说内涵深刻,对嘉靖平倭战争、倭患根源、官吏贪酷、客兵作乱等诸多问题的反映体现出强烈的批判意识和忧患意识。郑振铎评价此书是"有重大的政治意义"的"奇书"。《戚南塘剿平倭寇志传》是晚明时事类历史演义的早期代表作品之一,是明清两代唯一一部比较全面地反映东南倭患和平倭战争历程的专题历史演义,也是唯一一部以民族英雄戚继光平倭功业为主题的长篇小说,在小说史上具有特殊意义。

Qi Jiguang Exterminating Japanese Pirates is a historical novel of the Ming Dynasty. This paper argues that the author of the novel had a close relationship with Yu Shaoyu, Yu Xiangdou and Zheng Shirong, who were bookstore owners and novelists. The novel was written between Longqing to early Wanli, and published approximately before the 26th year of Wanli. This novel covers many important issues such as the war against Japanese pirates, roots of the pirates, the corrupt officials and the riots of Kebing soldiers. It has so strong a sense of critical consciousness and adversity awareness that Zheng Zhenduo evaluated it as a ＂marvelous book＂ with ＂great political significance＂. It is the only historical novel that relatively comprehensively describes the Japanese pirates and the war against them in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and the only long novel whose theme is on Qi Jiguang＇s contribution to the extermination of Japanese pirates. In this sense, the novel possesses a special significance in the history of novels.