冯友兰中国哲学简史中英文版之作者自序.doc

AUTHORS PREFACE ? ? 作者自序A SHORT history of any subject should not simply be an abridgement of a larger one. It should be a picture complete in itself, rather than a mere inventory of names and isms. To achieve this, the author should, as a Chinese expression says, have the whole history in his mind. Only then can he give the reader an adequate and well-rounded account within his chosen limited scope.小史者，非徒巨著之节略，姓名、学派之清单也。譬犹画图，小景之中，形神自足。非全史在胸，易克臻此。惟其如是，读其书者，乃觉择焉虽精而语焉犹详也。According to Chinese historiography, a good historian must have wide scholarship in order to master all his materials, sound judgment to make proper selection of them, and literary talent in order to tell his story in an interesting way. In writing a short history, intended for a general public, the author certainly has less chance to display his scholarship, but he needs more selective judgment and literary talent than he would for writing a longer and strictly scholarly work.历稽载籍，良史必有三长：才，学，识。学者，史料精熟也；识者，选材精当也；才者，文笔精妙也。著小史者，意在通俗，不易展其学，而其识其才，较之学术巨著尤为需要。In preparing this work, I have tried to use my best judgment in selecting what I consider important and relevant from materials which I have mastered. I was very fortunate, however, to have as editor Dr. Derk Bodde, who has used his literary talent to make the style of the book interesting, readable, and comprehensible to the Western reader. He has also made suggestions regarding the selection and arrangement of the material.余著此书，于史料选材，亦既勉竭绵薄矣，复得借重布德博士（Derk Bodde ）之文才，何幸如之。西方读者，倘觉此书易晓，娓娓可读，博士与有力焉；选材编排，博士亦每有建议。Being a short history, this book serves as no more than an introduction to the study of Chinese philosophy. If the reader wishes to know more about the subject, I would refer him to my larger work, A History of Chinese Philosophy. The first volume of this has been translated by Dr. Bodde, and he is now translating the second one; also to my more recent work, The Spirit of Chinese Philosophy, translated by Mr. E. R. Hughes of Oxford