「無聲的說法者」：利瑪竇的著書過程與讀者理解

Abstract

本篇論文是以利瑪竇中文著述作為明清之際耶穌會士在中國著書的個案研究，企圖觀察從作者書寫到讀者理解，在這兩個階段中，書籍所扮演的角色和其發揮的功能。第一部分先將焦點放在作者端，觀察利瑪竇事前的預備，到提筆書寫，他前半生的歐洲經驗和後半生的中國經驗，如何呈現在他中文文本的書寫。第二部分則是將焦點放在讀者端，書籍離開作者之手，經過印刷刊行，而在中國流通，教徒和非教徒讀者是如何閱讀利瑪竇的著作，能否正確無誤地接收作者的意圖，還是存有個人解讀的空間。此外，書籍並非孤本存在，而是要在中國學術中，尋找自我的定位。書籍在圖書目錄上的著錄和分類，將可呈現個別圖書和學門之間的互動，同時也是書籍流動的終點。瑪竇曾經擔任耶穌會在中國傳教初期的主要負責人，耶穌會日後在中國傳教的發展方向，不少是奠基於當時利瑪竇的決定。本篇論文也發現利瑪竇在中、西文著述中不斷地表示在中國著書的急迫性，並強調著書所帶出傳教的果效，敦促歐洲當局應加派人力並運送書籍東來，以滿足中國人的需求。利瑪竇的著作也不斷地在中國內部複製流傳，成為中國傳教區的重要資產。

The aim of this research is to depict the role of Matteo Ricci’s Chinese books in the Sino-western cultural relations during the Ming and Qing dynasties. This research is divided into two main parts: one is on the missionary author and the other is on the Chinese readers. The western books Jesuits brought with them, as well as China’s book culture, consisted important elements of consideration for Ricci’s writing. In the first part about the missionary author, we will show how Ricci embodied both European and Chinese experiences in his writings. In the second part about the readership, we will reveal the various ways with which the Chinese readers, including Christian converts and even anti-Christians, responded to the messages conveyed by Ricci. Since books are not “islands” isolated from each other, the classification of Ricci’s books in the existing corpus of Chinese knowledge expresses another way to understanding Ricci’s writings.his research points out the critical role of Ricci in Jesuit publication in China. As a Jesuit leader in early mission, Ricci’s decisions and strategies became more or less the model to follow for his successors. Ricci not only showed his passion for writing Chinese books, but also simultaneously urged his fellow Jesuits in Europe to satisfy the need for more missionary workers and western books for the China mission. Moreover, in the following centuries, Ricci’s Chinese writings had been continuously reprinted and read by Chinese people, thus becoming the legacy of numerous Chinese Christians