晚明乡村士人的科举生活与社会交往——以魏大中的坐馆与举业为中心

Rural Literati’s Partipication of Social Service Examinations and Social Contacts in the Late Ming Dynasty:Focusing on Wei Dazhong’s Experiences

晚明中国社会复杂多变,士人生活已经被卷入到辉煌而持久的王朝历史大变革进程中。在士人的早期奋斗历程中,一些人是从乡村平民的生活世界,藉由科举、姻亲、师友与谋生等途径,介入城市生活,扩大并强化社交关系,奠立其基本的社会网,逐步在士绅社交圈中形成一种结构性的力量。世居浙江嘉善县北部乡村、出身贫寒的魏大中,通过屡次科考,从生员、举人、进士的逐步攀升,竭力迈入了主流社会,但很快因为朝廷政争遭遇挫折,于天启五年被迫害致死。廓清像魏大中这样的士人在乡村与城市生活中的坐馆与举业活动,有助于更好地理解传统时代的中国社会与士人的生活世界,特别是士人的权力关系与文化网络。

The society of late Ming China witnessed complex changes,which inevitably influenced literati’s life.In such an era,a few literati strived for success from rural area as nobody.To be established in urban area,they made efforts to expand their social connections through different ways,such as taking imperial examinations,getting married,seeking for mentors and making friends.Thus,they gradually formed a network within the circle of scholars and gentry.Among those literati,Wei Dazhong(魏大中),born in a poor family in the northern country of Jiashan(嘉善)in Zhejiang province,was typical.He passed a series of examinations from the county level to the national level,obtained the Advanced Scholar title,and eventually entered the mainstream society.Before long,however,he got involved into a political conflicts,and was persecuted to death.Detailed examination of Wei Dazhong’s experience may lead to a better understanding about the life of traditional Chinese literati,as well as the society they lived in.