清高宗《御撰資治通鑑綱目三編》的編纂與重修

Emperor Ch'ien-lung's Yü-chuan Tzu-chih t'ung-chien kang-mu san-pien: An Account of its Compilation and Revision

乾隆四年八月，清高宗下諭編纂一部明代的綱目，與上月刊成的紀傳體《明史》相為表裏。高宗積極參與此書的編纂工作，除指示取裁義例外，還規定史官每撰成二、三卷，便須呈交給他評審和修改。此舉既使於高宗監察修史的進度，亦能確保史書的內容合乎他的心意。此書在編纂過程中，有不同的名稱。全書在乾隆十一年閏三月修成，共二十卷。同年刊行，改書名為《御撰資治通鑑綱目三編》，以示此書乃賡續朱熹等的《資治通鑑綱目》與商輅等的《續資治通鑑綱目》而作。儘管高宗當時對此書甚表滿意，張廷玉更推崇它為有史以來御製史學的極致，但到了乾隆四十年五月，高宗下諭改纂此書，務求官方對明代歷史的觀點和表達方式，與新修的《御批歷代通鑑輯覽》及《遼金元三史國語解》畫一。可是，由於當時清朝官方編纂的書籍甚多，高宗對此書的改纂，起初不大關心，及至乾隆四十二年三月以後，改纂的工作才納入正軌。此書在乾隆四十七年初改纂完竣，共四十卷，高宗下令將改革本交武英殿刊刻及繕寫入《四庫全書》中。然而，改革本在數年後才刊出，至《四庫全書》所載改纂本的書名，則改為《御定資治通鑑綱目三編》。

Shortly after the compilation of the Ming-shih was completed m August 1739, Emperor Ch'ien-lung decreed an edict to compile a ''mirror of history'' for the Ming Dynasty. The ''mirror of history'' to be written in the kang-mu style, was compiled with a view to complementing the Ming-shih which was presented in the chi-ch'uan style. The Emperor took an active role in the compilation and with much enthusiasm. Not only did he engage in setting out the outline and scope of the contents, he also required his court historians to show him drafts once every two or three chüan were finished for his comments and amendments. This practice allowed him to closely monitor the progress of the compilation and ensure that the contents of the work were presented to his satisfaction. During the compilation, the various drafts bore different titles. The final product entitled Yü-chuan Tzu-chih t'ung-chien kang-mu san-pien (hereafter San-pien) was a work of twenty chüan and was printed in 1746. The Emperor was at first very satisfied with the San-pien. His court historian Chang Ting-yü even called it the best imperial historical writing produced in China. However, some thirty years later in June 1775, the Emperor ordered that the San-pien be revised. The main objective of this revision exercise was to unify the views and interpretations of the Ming history, and to unify the terminological differences of the San-pien with those other new historical works published under his auspice. Since there were too many official compilation projects launched at the same time, the Emperor did not pay as much attention to the revision of the San-pien. Only after May 1777 was the progress of the revision on track. The revision was finished in early 1782. The San-pien then became a work of forty chüan under the same title, but it took a few years before it was finally published. When the revised version of the San-pien was included in the Ssu-k'u ch'üan-shu, the title was amended to Yü-ting Tzu-chih t'ung-chien kang-mu san-pien.