明清女史治生探赜

Women Earning Their Living in the Ming and Qing Dynasties Explored

“女史治生”在中国女性生活史上是一个不可忽视的现象。特别是在明清时期,女史们因夫早逝、夫外宦、夫无能、家道中落等外界因素被迫走上谋生之路,她们不仅在治家经营方面崭露头角,同时也在外出谋生的职业生涯中彰显出智慧与勇气。这种治生的行为不仅有利于女性地位的提升,有利于家庭的稳固和后续昌盛,同时在一定程度上促进女性社交圈的形成和发展。尽管在治生手段上与男性相比,稍显单一,偶尔也会遭受时人的讥谈微讽,但这无法掩盖她们所创的功绩伟业。她们的出现,标志着女性地位的崛起和女性形象的转变,为后世更好地认识明清女史开拓了一个全新的视角。

Intellectual women earning their living is a phenomenon that can not be overlooked in the history of the life of Chinese women,especially in the Ming and Qing Dynasties(1368-1911)when they were forced to do so either because their husbands died,their husbands served office afar,their husbands could not make proper living or because their family economy had failed.They were not only capable of running the whole family,but also showed great wisdom and courage doing so.This phenomenon not only helped promoting women's social position as well as stability and future prosperity of a family,but also,to a certain extent,helped formation and development of women's social circles.Although their means of making living was limited compared with that of men,and their deeds were not infrequently mocked by the public,their achievements can never be covered up.Their appearance marked the rise of women's social standing and the transformation of women's image,and provided a new perspective for later generations to better understand the history of women of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.