论秦史蝗灾记录及其学术价值

On the Record of Locust Plagues in the History of Qin Dynasty

《史记》卷六《秦始皇本纪》和卷一五《六国年表》有关秦王政四年(前243)"蝗虫从东方来,蔽天"及"蝗蔽天下"的记载,是正史所见最早的关于蝗灾的明确记录,也很可能体现了所有传世文献所见最早的有关形成一定危害规模的蝗灾的历史记忆。这一记载对于农业史、灾荒史、生态环境史以及昆虫学史意义重大。秦文化重视灾异的传统,也因此得到反映。《史记》关心民生的史学精神,也应当为后世史家认真领会并努力继承。

In Chapter 6 The First Emperor of Qin from Records of the Historian and the fifth section of Chapter 1 Chronology of Six Kingdoms,there were such records as " locusts come from the east,covering the sky" and " locusts cover the world" in the fourth year of Ying Zheng,King of Qin in power( B. C. 243). They are the earliest clear records of locust plagues seen in official historical documents,and probably reflect the earliest historical memories of all the handed-down literature about locust plagues at certain scales.The records are of great significance for the history of agriculture,famine,ecological environment and entomology,and reflect the tradition that Qin culture attaches importance to disaster. The historical spirit of Records of the Historian,which is concerned about people’s livelihood,should also be seriously understood and inherited by later historians.