李冰石犀厌水辨

An Analysis of the Legend of Li Bing Using Stone Rhinoceros to Suppress Water

《蜀王本纪》载有秦蜀守李冰作石犀厌水精以止"江水为害"之事,古今论者除任乃强外,多从其说。其实李冰治蜀时尚无厌胜水精以止风波之观念,且犀牛在时人信仰中亦非镇水之灵物。是故李冰石犀厌水事不可能发生于战国末期之蜀地,此乃后世附会之辞。

According to Shuwang Benji(《蜀王本纪》),Li Bing,when he was the governor of Prefecture Shu in late Warring States period,made a stone rhinoceros to suppress local water disasters.Such a story has been taken as factual by most ancient and contemporary scholars,except Ren Naiqiang( 任乃强).This article argues that when Li Bing took an office in Shu there was not such kind of ideas.Moreover,rhinoceros was not then considered as a fetish with such kind of power in that area.Therefore,that story is a later legendary saying instead of a fact.