A Study Of The Collation Methods About Wang Niansun's Miscellaneous Reading Notes

The study and collation of the ancient document in our country came to its boom during Qian-long period in Qing Dynasty, he result of which was that a great many of extensive and profound classic works were created, among which was the all-round development of the Textual Criticism. Wang Niansun's Miscellaneous Reading Notes was the pressentative works of collation hi the period, whose contents were beyond Confucian classics and consisted of Chronicles Section, Zi Section, Anthology Section and the inscription on the tablet. The works had extensive contents, special view-points and skillful methods which could synthesize several collating approaches, esp. the ways of the inference meanings from sounds and documentary cooperation. That is to say, the book had achieved a lot in the collating theories and studying methods. So the paper selected this great works of collation as the object of study. The paper employed the inductive method, the deductive method and the comparative and confirming method. Beginning with the most important aspects like collation with traditional Chinese philology, collation with grammar and rhetoric, collation with historical facts and institution system, the paper stressed on its collation methods comprehensively and evaluated the technical terms of collation adapted by Mr., Wang. Through the analyzing of the collation methods, the paper concluded Wang's characteristic achievement and deficiency, then issued its own ideas about the related questions, so as to provide some useful usages for reference to the future revision of ancient books.