《花笺记》在英国的收藏与接受

A Study of Different Versions of Hua Jian Ji and Their Reception in Britain

岭南木鱼书《花笺记》虽有"第八才子书"之美誉,但由于中国古代不重视俗文学的学术传统,该作长期未引起学界重视。其早期版本多流入海外的藏书机构,更在19世纪出现了多个西文译本。英国图书馆至少入藏6种不同版本的《花笺记》,其中不乏珍稀的明刊本。将英藏本与其它版本进行比对,不仅可了解这部作品的历史演进经历,更能一窥民间出版社在明清的发展生态。而通过分析汤姆斯与包令爵士的两种英译本,可以了解广府俗曲的在西方的接受历程。

Hua Jian Ji,a Cantonese Muyu Shu,has a great reputation in the Qing Dynasty. However,due to the Chinese academic tradition of looking down upon folk literature, this book does not get the attention it deserves for a long time. Besides, many of its early versions scatter overseas and they are now kept by some western libraries. According to the author’ s investigation, there are six different versions collected by British libraries, including a rare Ming version. By comparing the British versions with others, we can not only have a better understanding of how this work changed in the past, but also the private publishing environment in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Last but not least, through the comparison between Peter Perring Thomas and Sir John Bowring’ s translations, we can learn how the Cantonese folk literature was introduced to the West.