主篇序
Preface to the “Second Collection of Essays on Shiji Studies and World Sinology”
Martin Kern
I was delighted when my friend and colleague at Foguang University, Professor and Dean Lee Chi-hsiang, invited me to join him for the second conference on “Shiji Studies and World Sinology.” Under Professor Lee’s thoughtful guidance, the conference brought a wonderful group of scholars from around the world—Taiwan, China,? Russia, France, Japan, and the United States—to Foguang University’s beautiful campus in Yilan where we enjoyed three days of excellent papers and lively discussion, not to mention a refreshing trip to the shore.
In every sense, the Shiji is one of the great texts of world literature. First, it is a book about not just China but the world as Sima Qian knew it. Second, it has been an inspiration to historians as well as to writers of literature much beyond China’s borders, especially across East Asia. And third, it is a true monument to history and to the human condition altogether. It does not merely teach us about history; instead, it asks us to think about the driving forces in history, and how to grapple with them. To understand the Shiji is to understand humanity’s quest for knowledge of the past and, just as important, the need to make sense of the past. Sima Qian asks what is knowable and how; he asks about justice and moral principles in light of historical events; he asks about the gain, succession, and loss of power; he asks about the ruler and the ruled; he asks, sometimes despairingly, about Heaven. These are still our questions today, in China and elsewhere, and they are what makes the Shiji a classic of human heritage.
In all this, the Shiji is then a most fitting text to practice what we call “World Sinology.” Transcending our different academic environments and intellectual histories, it is a text that inspires us and brings us together. To some of us, the Shiji is written in a foreign language, and yet we believe we can not only read but also understand the text. A true classic, it continues to speak to all of us beyond linguistic and cultural boundaries; and it is a text forever inexhaustible by interpretation. The present volume, which presents selected essays from our conference, shows the richness of “World Sinology” today, but even more does it show the enduring richness of the Shiji.
李序
佛光大學是一所新創辦的學校，矗立在太平洋畔的林美山麓，自在1999年時舉辦了第一屆的世界漢學中的史記學會議，會後在陳隆昊先生支持下，由唐山出版社出版了《史記學與世界漢學論集》。現在，呈現在讀者眼前的，則是《史記學與世界漢學論集續編》，由柯馬丁教授與我一同主編。我與柯馬丁教授相識甚早，結識於孫康宜教授因主編劍橋版《中國文學史》而邀集各篇撰者於耶魯大學討論書寫原則與編例，我不是撰者，但仍參與了孫教授的餐敘，因而結識柯教授。多年後，佛光大學在林美山上續辦第二屆世界漢學中的史記學國際研討會，他慨然遠道而來，繞過太平洋，除了發表論文主持會議與參加討論之外，還在會議最末的送別宴上，一一與辛苦工作的學生們致意，造成的結果便是，同學們的排隊一一向他敬酒並與他合影。
在會議召開中，俄羅斯的前輩Juri Kroll教授最後雖因年紀與身體之故，未能與會，但他對此會議的關心迄今都不曾間斷，我們迄今仍保持通信的聯繫。在會議開始前夕，他傳來了一份賀詞，現在我將其翻譯為中文而附於下，中文是由本系助理教授王舒津博士翻譯的：
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親愛的同仁、第二屆「世界漢學中的《史記》學國際學術研討會」全體與會人員、各位女士與先生，大家好：
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近年來，研讀司馬遷的名著已成為全世界漢學家的共同使命，這位偉大的中國史學家當時撰述此書時，能夠「一親芳澤」的只有與他惺惺相惜的一些文人雅士。如今，這本偉大的著作已經離開「名山」而愈來愈被全世界所知曉。今天，來自世界各地的大家齊聚在熱情好客的佛光大學。我們會在這裡聚首皆是源自於一股對於研讀《史記》的熱情，以及對於作者司馬遷學識文采的景仰。你們或許早就知道，有無數的譯者正孜孜矻矻地翻譯，以便讓不懂中文的讀者也能夠閱讀司馬遷的傑作。今天我要告訴你們，他們所取得的一項成就。《史記》最後一卷的俄文版最近已經在莫斯科出版了，這是《史記》全書首次有歐語譯本的問世。這項偉大的工程大約在1950年代中期由越特金（（Rudolph V. Vyatkin）與塔斯金（Vsevolod S. Taskin）開始著手進行，全書大部分的翻譯工作都由越特金擔綱，他總是夢想著有一天能夠出版完整的《史記》譯本，遺憾的是，他未能親眼見到這項工程的完成。
越特金去世之後，《史記》的翻譯工作由他的兒子（Anatole R. Vyatkin）接手（可說是孝道的典範），他召集了一群年輕的漢學家同心協力完成他父親遺留的翻譯工作。據我所知，美國有倪豪士（W. H. Nienhauser）帶領著一批漢學家在從事《史記》的翻譯，並且於十幾年前開始出版他們的《史記》譯本，他們翻譯《史記》的卓越成果有目共睹。
我多麼夢想與你們大夥一起走進佛光大學，然而事與願違，我的健康狀況不允許我出遠門。我只能無奈地寄上我欲發表的論文紙本，而且，如果你們願意，也可以在會議上宣讀。在此，我誠摯地預祝你們豐收順利，不虛此行!
親愛的同仁，祝你們好運！
Juri Kroll敬啟
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