《台湾外志五虎传》考证

Research on Tai Wan Wai Zhi Wu Hu Zhuan ( 《台湾外志五虎传》)

《台湾外志五虎传》一书演绎明末清初闽台史事,体近小说,率多不经之语,是以学者多不注意。通过考证,我们发现该书并非个人创作型的章回体小说,而属于胡适先生所谓的历史演进型作品,和《西游记》《水浒传》等传世经典当属同类。民间传说"漳州五虎将"是《台湾外志五虎传》的主体,部分内容或可补史传之阙。而比较该书另外一个重要来源江日昇《台湾外记》,则又为我们展现了部分明清史料的演进线索。

Tai Wan WaiZ hi Wu Hu Zhuan( 《台湾外志五虎传》) narrates some historical events that took place during the late Ming and early Qing periods. Since it is similar to novel in genre and usually has no basis in history,most scholars pay no attention to that. Through textual research,this book,actually,is not a serial novel originally created,but a so-called literary work reflecting historical evolution as what Hu Shih said. Classics such as Journey to the West( 《西游记》) and Water Margin( 《水浒传》) belong to the same genre. Zhang Zhou Wu Hu,a folk legend,is the main body of Tai Wan WaiZ hi Wu Hu Zhuan( 《台湾外志五虎传》,which some of its contents could be further supplemented the local history. Besides,compared to Tai Wan WaiJ i( 《台湾外记》),another important source of the book written by Jiang Risheng,it provides us with an evolutionary clue of some historical documents in the Ming and Qing dynasties.