Wang Nian Sun "on Reading" Research

To carry out the special study on Wang Nian-sun's Reading Journal is a significant research item in the field of the Chinese history study, ancient literature exegetics, and compilation of dictionaries. In 2007, two doctoral papers (Research on Wang Nian-sun's Xungu Theories and Practice by Liu Jing-sheng of Shaanxi Normal University and Study on Reading Journal by Cheng Yan-mei of Nanjing Normal University) conducted full research on Wang Nian-sun's work. These two papers summarize research fruits of the forerunners and expatiate on Wang Nian-sun's theories and the terms on scholium, etc. This paper, however, based on the research fruits of Reading Journal since 2007, and especially made reference to the unearthed literature in nearly half a century, elaborates its history contribution and modern significance. Furthermore, the paper draws reference from the hermeneutic theory of the West making a comparison to the traditional and new scholium. Finally, in view of the ongoing "Amendment Project of Twenty-Four History Books" and revision of Chinese Dictionary, the paper researches and discusses Wang Nian-sun's collation study under a broader academic field, and also verifies previous research fruits and puts forward own new points.The following are the five new points put forward in the dissertation.First, Hu Shi has thought that the traditional Chinese academic research advocated by the Qianjia school is similar to the Renaissance of the West. As a representative academic works of the Qianjia school, Du Shu Za Zhi just reflects the academic progress of the Qing Dynasty.Second, in the past some scholars thought that Wang Nian-sun made too much mistakes in Reading Journal because of his overtrust of the classified books, but actually, his mistakes were due to the historical limitation, because it is rare to find that Wang Nian-sun marked out the misuses of classified books, and from this point, the conclusion that he was not superstitious about classified book can be drawed.Third, in the aspect of the collation methodology study, although he is the , representative of the school of rationale collation, Wang Nian-sun,was criticized for his collation methodology that he provided in Du Shu Za Zhi. Focusing on the particular era and the scientific development concept, the paper discusses the historical reasons of how school of rationale collation came into being and developed, and further explores its modern sense.Fourth, most of previous studies on Du Shu Za Zhi neglect or do not pay enough attention to the unearthed literature to verify the achievements of Wang Nian-sun, but the paper especially plan a column to elaborate it.Fifth, the previous works and papers mentioned that Reading Journal can provid valuable references for the revision of Chinese Dictionary but which were insufficiently stated. The paper, however, also set up special provision column to make up what are neglected before.