胡适1917年受聘北大之由

The Reason Why Hu Shi Was Hired by Peking University in 1917

1917年胡适因白话文学的倡导及陈独秀的荐引受聘北大,但在晚年他却强调是因他的考据学功底。考诸史实,胡适所说并不属实。究其因,与他初进北大时所面临的北平学界考据学风压力及其在民国学界扬名立万的考据学因素息息相关。即便在1930年代成为学界泰斗后,其"西学其底、考据其表"的治学路径及具体治学成就始终未得学界公认。从这个角度看,其长期对外界称他生于"世传汉学的绩溪胡家"的说法默认不否,晚年又说当初进北大是因为19岁时的一篇考据文字而误导后人,应与这一尴尬而缺乏自信的学术心态密切相关。

Hu Shi was recruited by Peking University in 1917 because of the advocacy of vernacular literature and the recommendation and introduction of Chen Duxiu. In his later years, however, he emphasized that the reason was Cai Yuanpei’s appreciation of his textual knowledge. The historical facts of what Hu Shi said are not true. The reason is closely related to the pressure of textual research in Peking University and the famous textual research factors in the academic circles in China. Even after becoming a scholar in the 1930s, the academic path and achievement of his “Western learning its bottom, textual research of its form” had never been recognized by the academic circles. From this point of view, he had long been tacitly acquiesced by the outside world saying that he was born in the “Jixi Hu Family of Sinology of the World”. In his later years, he also said that he had entered Peking University at the age of 19 and misled his descendants because of an article of textual research at the age of 19, which should be closely related to this awkward and low-confident academic mentality.