A Study Of Shijizhiyi

Since Shiji came into existence 2000 years ago,it has experienced hosts of harassments,and so it is difficult to distinguish what is true and what is false in content which are juxtaposed. Hence, the scholars in Ming and Qing Dynasties made quite a lot of examinations and corrections to try to make it return to what it originally was. Shijizhiyi by Liang Yusheng is the most remarkable one. However, few research works into it can be found, and the limited number of previous comments are either too brief or inappropriate. So the author, though not knowledgeable, attempts to comb out the work Zhiyi thoroughly and put forward some commonplace viewpoints in order to attract jade.The whole paper is made up of four parts:Part One :Yusheng's family, learning and worksLiang Yusheng (1744-1819) styled himself Yaobei was born into a literary family in Renhe of Qiantang (Hangzhou in Zhejiang nowsdays). Although his grandfather and father were both high officials, he himself did not indulge in wealth and rank. He abandoned the imperial examination and devoted himself to writing. Immersed in the family of learning, Yusheng read a lot; owing to his highly renowned family, he associated with many contemporary famous people. Master Liang was learned and qualified as a scholar as a result of wide-experience and many friends. He was interested in writing books, diligent and tireless in it; he was expert in the historical works, in which he was especially proficient in Shiji and Hanshu. Apart from Shijizhiyi, he wrote 28-volume Qingbaishiji.Part Two :The background to the appearance of ShijizhiyiShijizhiyi by Master Liang appeared in Qianlong and Jiaqing Ages not by accident.The first factor is the factor of times. At the beginning of Qing Dynasty, academic study is flourishing, and it is particularly prosperous in Qianlong and Jiaqing Ages. The major achievement in learning is textual criticisms. The scholars in Qianlong and Jiaqing Ages apply their research methods to the study of the classics as well as to the study of history. Shijizhiyi taking as its main traits examining, proofreading, correcting and solving remaining questions, is produced in this period, which is an inevitable outcome under the academic background of the times.Since Shiji came on the scene, many researchers can be found in different ages. Han-wei-six-dynasty was the times when Shiji began to be spread and studied; inTang Dynasty its position in the history of literature and the science of history was established, and three notes to Shiji were formed, which became a milestone in the history of the study of Shiji; in Song Dynasty, the atmosphere of the comment on Shiji came into shape; in Ming Dynasty, the comment on Shiji thrived, and the compiling and arranging work represented by Ling Zhilong's Shijipinglin,collecting and arranging the comments from different schools to make one copy, provided great conveniences for the following researchers; Qing Dynasty was the peak age of the study of Shiji, and the greatest contribution the scholars in Qing Dynasty made to the study of Shiji was the textual criticism. The textual criticism of Shiji, initiated in the late Han Dynasty, has made rich achievements by Qianlong and Jiaqing Ages. Therefore, Shijizhiyi was an inevitable outcome of the development of the study of Shiji as well.Part Three: The nature, layout and content of ShijizhiyiIn terms of the nature, this book belongs to the textual criticism of the historical work.In terms of the layout, this book does not take the whole text as the object of comments, but discriminates items on the contents of Shiji.The content of book Zhiyi is abundant, and it can be summarized as follows:Collating scripts. Quite a few parts of this book serve to proofread Shiji, involving error, missing fractions, redundancy, transposition, and so on. The methods of collation are diversified, either being single-use or double use.Examining historical facts. The content this book examines is extensive, touching the truth and falsity of th...