剑桥大学图书馆藏明刊《异域图志》考

Study on the Good Edition Called Yi Yu Tu Zhi Collected in Cambridge University Library

明刊孤本《异域图志》,曾由王闻远、彭元瑞递藏,后归英国驻华公使威妥玛,并由威妥玛捐赠给剑桥大学图书馆。《异域图志》的作者问题聚讼纷纭,然据《浙江采进遗书总录》,则以明宁献王朱权的可能性为最大,海外汉学界亦多主此说。本书有一部分为郑和下西洋时代所获知的前沿认知,然更多的是从《山海经》《太平寰宇记》《太平广记》等十几种古籍中抄撮而来,并进行了整理加工,其材料与宋人《诸藩志》和《岭外代答》多有重合,且可能与《蠃虫录》有直接的沿承关系。《异域图志》被《三才图会·人物篇》整体采录,并对后世产生了深远的影响。本书以小说猎奇的心态和视角呈现了明朝大航海时代新的地理知识图景,虽不能说是一部谨严的历史地理著作,但此书对我们了解明人的世界-地理观以及中国人"睁眼看世界"的认识历程,都具有重要的文献价值。

Yi Yu Tu Zhi（《异域图志》）,the only existing copy,had been collected by Wang Wenyuan,Peng Yuanrui and Thomas Francis Wad.In 1886,it was presented to Cambridge University by Thomas Francis Wade.It is likely that the author of Yi Yu Tu Zhi was Zhu Quan,a vassal king lived in the early Ming Dynasty.Some of the knowledge in the book came from Zheng He＇s voyages in the South Seas as far as Africa and more form ancient works such as The Classic of Mountains and Rivers（《山海经》）,Taiping Huanyuji（《太平寰宇记》）and so on.Yi Yu Tu Zhi was reprinted by San-ts＇ ai t＇u-hui（《三才图会》）which was well known by intellectuals in Ming and Qing dynasties.Comparatively,Yi Yu Tu Zhi was more close to a fantasy novel rather than a rigorous book about historical geography.