夏鼐《<敦煌石室画像题识>后记》撰写缘起及内容旨趣

The Background and Purport of Xia Nai's Postscript of the Inscriptions on the Portraits of Dunhuang Grottoes

夏鼐《〈敦煌石室画像题识〉后记》一文原载《文物周刊》第93期,《夏鼐文集》未收,学界基本上未曾给予关注。《夏鼐日记》中记载了该文的撰写缘起及发表始末。整体而言,夏鼐对史岩《敦煌石室画像题识》一书评价不是很高,但对向达抄录的题识评价甚高。该文采用"互证"的研究方法,对《敦煌石室画像题识》进行补正,力求得出客观、正确、全面的结论,反映了夏鼐严谨、求实的治学态度。该文为相关研究提拱了一些有价值的史料,如敦煌洞窟编号等重要问题,夏鼐文中提出的观点即使在今天看来仍有一定的学术价值。该文的主要材料是抗日战争期间夏鼐在敦煌考察、发掘所得,反映了他不怕困难、忠于学术的精神,亦反映了他与向达、劳斡交谊的点滴。作为一位著名的考古学家、历史学家,新中国考古工作的主要组织者和领导者,夏鼐对敦煌学的发展做出了重要贡献。

Xia Nai＇s article Postscript of the Inscriptions on the Portraits of Dunhuang Grottoes was first published in the No.93 of Weekly of Cultural Relics, but not collected in A Collection of Xia Nai＇ s Works and scarcely paid attention to by academia. The background of writing and publishing the article is recorded in Xia Nai＇s Diary. On the whole, Xia Nai doesn＇t estimate highly of Shi Yan＇s book the Inscriptions on the Portraits of Dunhuang Grottoes while he thinks highly of the inscriptions copied by Xiang Da. By the Ymethod of ＂mutual verification＂ with a precise and factualistic attitude, Xia makes some supplements and corrections to the book to draw an objective, exact and comprehensive conclusion. Xia＇s article could provide valuable historical data for relative research and refers to some significant issues such as the numbering of Durthuang grottoes. The opinions in it still have some academic value even today. The main materials in the article are collected because of his investigation and exploration in Dunhuang during the War of Resistance against Japan. All of these reflect his spirits in overcoming the difficulties and devoting himself to learning as well as the friendship with Xiang Da and Lao Gan. As a celebrated archeologist and historian, the important organizer and leader of archaeological work in new China, Xia Nai has made an essential contribution to the development of Dunhuang studies.