史梦兰的科举历程

Shi Menglan’s Imperial Examination Process

史梦兰自幼好学,从县试、府试到院试,试辄一等。十九岁始应顺天乡试,连续七次秋闱,中式举人。后参加四次春闱,不第。第五次会试本已拟中,适因房师与总裁为选刻闱墨事发生冲突,内监又借端生事,本房拟中闱卷被撤,史梦兰遂与进士无缘。榜后议叙选山东朝城知县,以母老未就。再经两次会试后,方绝意进取。自此在家奉母教子,修身弘道,课徒会友,著书立说。史梦兰学问淹通,著述宏富,是晚清卓有成就的文史大家。

Shi Menglan had been eager to learn since childhood,and he had passed a three-stage examination,namely,infant or apprentice examination,the prefectural examination and an academic examination.Since the age of 19,he had taken the provincial examination for seven times in Shuntian County and became a successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the provincial level.Then he participated in the metropolitan examination four times and failed each time.He had been planned to be drafted for the fifth examination.But because of some conflicts,his paper for the imperial examination was withdrawn.So,he failed again.Later he was proposed to be elected county magistrate of Shandong Chaocheng County,but he did not take office on the grounds that his mother was old.After two more unsuccessful trials,Shi Menglan was determined not to continue the examination.Since then,he had served his mother and taken care of children at home,cultivated his moral integrity,taught his apprentices and made friends,and written books.Shi Menglan was an accomplished master of literature and history in the late Qing Dynasty.