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Chen Menglei

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In this Chinese name, the family name is Chen.
Chen Menglei
陳ちん夢ゆめ雷かみなり
Born1650
Fuzhou, Fujian, Qing dynasty
Died1741
Heilongjiang, Qing dynasty
Occupation(s)Encyclopedist, historian, philosopher
EraKangxi era
OrganizationHanlin Academy
Known forGujin Tushu Jicheng
Chinese name
Chinese陈梦雷かみなり
Transcriptions
Zezhen
Simplified Chinese则震ふるえ
Transcriptions
Shengzhai
Simplified Chinese省しょう斋
Transcriptions
Songhe laoren
Chinese松まつ鹤老ろう人ひと
Transcriptions
Tianyidaoren
Chinese天てん一いち道みち人ひと
Transcriptions

Chen Menglei (Chinese: 陳ちん夢ゆめ雷かみなり; Chinese: 陈梦雷かみなり; 1650–1741) was a Chinese encyclopedist, historian, and philosopher during the Qing dynasty. He was a scholar-writer known for being the chief editor, compiler, and author of the Gujin Tushu Jicheng Chinese encyclopedia. In 1670, he became a Jinshi. Chen Menglei conducted research for over 50 years, covering more than 10,000 volumes of books,[1] and in 1701 was entrusted by the Kangxi Emperor to compile the Gujin Tushu Jicheng encyclopedia, which Chen completed in four and a half years.

Chen Menglei also had the courtesy name Zezhen (则震), sobriquet or art name Shengzhai (省しょう斋), and epithet "Pine Crane Elder" (松まつ鶴づる老人ろうじん).

Life

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Chen Menglei was born in modern-day Fuzhou in Houguan county. In 1670, at the age of 20, he obtained his scholar degree, became a Jinshi, and was selected as a scholar for the Hanlin Academy. In 1673, he returned to his hometown to visit his relatives, which coincided with the Revolt of the Three Feudatories, and he was caught in the midst of Geng Jingzhong's rebellion. Chen Menglei at the time was friends with fellow writer Li Guangdi. Chen Sui (陈遂) and Li Guangdi together went to the office of Fujian chancellor Fu Hongji (富とみ鴻おおとり基もと) to demonstrate their loyalty to the Qing dynasty. In 1676, in September, the Qing soldiers passed through Xianxia pass (仙せん霞かすみ关) to enter Fujian, and Geng Jingzhong surrendered. At this time, as part of machinations by Li Guangdi, Menglei was framed and falsely accused by Xu Hongbi (徐じょ鴻ひろし弼) from the Geng faction. Chen Menglei was mistakenly taken for Chen Fang (陳ひね昉). But later Chen Menglei cleared his name and showed his innocence.[2][3]

Writing the Gujin Tushu Jicheng

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In 1698, the Kangxi Emperor made an eastern tour, and Chen Menglei went to work and study with the third son of the Kangxi Emperor: Prince Cheng, Yinzhi.[4] Chen Menglei's study was changed to "Songheshan Room" (松まつ鶴山つるやま房ぼう), and he called himself "Songhe Elder" (松まつ鶴づる老人ろうじん), meaning "Pine Crane Elder" as the Kangxi emperor gave the couplet "The pine is tall and the branches and leaves are luxuriant, while the old crane has new feathers."[5]

During this period, in October of 1701, Chen began to compile the book, the Compendium, or Tushu Huibian (图书汇编).[4] Chen Menglei referred to the "Xieyitang" (协一堂いちどう) book collection and more than 15,000 volumes of ancient books in his own family to classify and edit the encyclopedia. After five years (1701-1705) of 'eye to eye inspection, morning and evening' (“目め营手检，无间晨夕”), in May of 1705, he completed the Compendium.

There are 10,000 volumes of the book and 40 volumes of catalogues, with a total of 160 million words. The whole book is divided into six parts: Astronomy/Calendar, Geography, Society, Nature, Philosophy, Economics, etc. (历象、方ほう舆、明あきら论、博物はくぶつ、理学りがく、经济等とう). Each edition is divided into several codices, totaling 36 codices, and each codex is divided into cadres, totaling 6,109. There are many contents, and the classification is clear.[3]

In the 1706, the first draft was completed, and after the Kangxi emperor inspected it, he changed the title from Compendium to the Gujin Tushu Jicheng (古今ここん图书集成しゅうせい), literally a 'compilation of ancient and modern books'. When the Yongzheng Emperor ascended the throne, he ordered Jiang Tingxi to help Chen Menglei finish completing the encyclopedia. In 1934, the Zhonghua Book Company (中ちゅう华书局きょく) published copies of the encyclopedia signing Chen Menglei's name.[3][6]

Zhang Tingyu commented: "Since the book contract was established, one book has been used throughout the past and the present, covering everything, and there is no one like the author of Gujin Tushu Jicheng."[7]

In Chen Menglei's "Songheshan Fangji" (《松まつ鹤山房ぼう集しゅう》), Volume 2, "Starting the Compendium" (《进汇编启》 jin huibian qi), it is mentioned that in this great book "everything across the country, including Thirteen Classics and the 21 Histories, was covered. Almost nothing was left out from the collection of ancient history except maybe one or two words deleted."[8]

In 1722, the Kangxi emperor died. Chen Menglei continued to study with Prince Cheng, Yinzhi. However the incoming Yongzheng Emperor had been opposed by Yinzhi, and in January of 1723, Chen Menglei and his two children moved to Heilongjiang, having been exiled by the new emperor. At this time, Chen Menglei was 74 years old. In 1741, Chen Menglei died of illness in a garrison, aged 92.[9][10]

Works

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References

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  1. ^ “读书五ご十じゅう载”、“涉わたる猎万まん余よ卷かん”
  2. ^ Wang Chonglü (王おう充たかし閭) (2016-06-01). 充たかし閭文集しゅう：面めん對たい歷史れきし的てき蒼茫そうぼう. 萬卷まんがん出版しゅっぱん公司こうし. p. 41. ISBN 978-7-5470-3945-8. Archived from the original on 2020-08-18. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  3. ^ a b c Fang, Chao-ying (2019-10-24), Publishing Group, Berkshire (ed.), "CHEN Menglei", Eminent Chinese of the Qing Period, Berkshire Publishing Group, doi:10.1093/acref/9780190088019.001.0001, ISBN 978-1-61472-033-1, retrieved 2022-04-23 (Oxford reference)
  4. ^ a b Elman, Benjamin A. (2009-06-30). On Their Own Terms: Science in China, 1550-1900. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-03647-5.
  5. ^ 松まつ高だか枝えだ叶かのう茂しげる，鹤老羽毛うもう新しん
  6. ^ Jin Changzheng (金きむ常つね政せい) (March 2005). 百科ひゃっか全ぜん书的故事こじ. 北京ぺきん: 北京ぺきん图书馆出版しゅっぱん社しゃ. pp. 42–44. ISBN 7501326231.
  7. ^ 自じ有ゆう書契しょけい以來いらい，以一書しょ貫ぬき串くし古今ここん，包つつみ羅ら萬有ばんゆう，未み有ゆう如我朝あさ《古今ここん圖書としょ集成しゅうせい》者しゃ。
  8. ^ 凡在六ろく合ごう之これ内ない，钜细毕举，其在十じゅう三さん经、二に十じゅう一いち史し者しゃ，只ただ字じ不ふ遗；其在稗史はいし集しゅう者しゃ，亦また只ただ删一二に
  9. ^ Wang Zhonghan: Chen Menglei and Li Guangdi (王おう锺翰：《陈梦雷かみなり与あずか李り光ひかり地ち绝交书》)
  10. ^ Hanson, Marta (2003). "The "Golden Mirror" in the Imperial Court of the Qianlong Emperor, 1739-1742". Early Science and Medicine. 8 (2): 111–147. doi:10.1163/157338203X00035. ISSN 1383-7427. JSTOR 4130134. PMID 15043047.

Further reading

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