区域史研究与方志利用——论史景迁《王氏之死》

Regional History Research and Use of Local Chronicles:On Jonathan Dermot Spence’s The Death of Woman Wang

近几十年,中国史学研究出现重视地方、深入平民的部分转向。伴随区域史研究的兴起,方志资料受到高度重视。美国汉学家史景迁曾撰写小书《王氏之死》,可谓方志入史的学术典范。通过方志资料挖掘,史景迁建构了明清交替之际山东郯城动荡的城乡面貌,体现了方志入史的价值。但由于核心故事没有充分展开,也折射出历史研究过分依赖方志时导致的问题。盛世修志,当代中国已有数次编修方志的热潮。对于中国当代史研究而言,审视方志价值,合理利用方志,意义尤为深远。

In recent decades,there has been a partial shift in Chinese historiographical research to emphasize the local and the grassroots.Along with the rise of regional history research,local chronicles have been highly valued.The Death of Woman Wang,written by Jonathan Dermot Spence,is regarded as a scholarly example of the incorporation of the local chronicles into history.Through the excavation of local chronicles,Spence constructed the turbulent urban and rural landscape of Tancheng county at the turn of the Ming and Qing dynasties,reflecting the value of local chronicles in history.However,because the core story is not fully developed,it also reflects the problem that this research relies too heavily on local chronicles.In contemporary China,there have been several booms of local chronicles compilation.For the contemporary Chinese history research,it is particularly meaningful to make use of local chronicles.