A Cultural Envoy Who Should Not Be Forgotten

A Cultural Envoy Who Should Not Be Forgotten:

American Sinologist Charles S. Gardner and His Chinese Collection

by Li Wang

In recent times, as the Sinology (Chinese Studies) attracts greater academic interest overseas outside of China, there is one pioneering figure in the discipline from the 20th century that is seldom mentioned and lacking in focused study. That figure is Charles Sidney Gardner (1900-1966), a noted Sinologist and former Harvard University professor who has become attached to Brown University Library since the 1960s. Gardner was not only an avid Chinese historian and bibliographer himself, but he also contributed to further learning by future scholars. As a devotee of Chinese traditional culture, especially ancient print books, in his later years, Gardner donated his entire collection, a total of more than 35,000 books and other literary materials, to Brown University. His generous donation then became the cornerstone of the Brown University’s East Asian Collection. Among the Chinese books donated, 9,000 volumes of these are thread-bound in the traditional Chinese-style and housed in engraved wooden bookcases, comprising the East Asian Collection’s most treasured works.

My office is in the antique collections of the “Gardner Room.” In the early days of working in the East Asian Collection at Brown University, whenever I passed the bookcases upon bookcases of classical Chinese works, I was struck with a sense of admiration and curiosity for the devoted Sinologist that Gardner was. These books are of utmost cultural and research value and, therefore, should be publicized and promoted. In recent years, I have had the opportunity to oversee various research projects relating to Brown University’s rare Chinese books and gain further insight from publications of various memoirs and other overseas Sinology resources. As a result, Gardner’s life, scholarship, and contributions to the Collection have been further understood. I have also gained a deeper understanding of the academic exchanges he had with many Chinese and foreign scholars at the time by discovering various autographed materials that

 The original article in Chinese (attached) was published on China Reading Weekly, April 3, 2019. The English translation (with a few updates) was assisted by Whitney Su, Brown ’20.

1 were given to him. It is quite fortunate for Brown’s East Asian Collection to acquire numerous rare, precious family photos from Gardner’s descendants and relatives. I would like to especially thank Gardner’s granddaughter, Professor Sarah Beckjord of Latin American Studies at Boston College, for her support of the project. Noting that next year is 120th anniversary of Gardner’s birth, I wrote this article in the hopes of commemorating Gardner and his pioneering role as a cultural envoy who contributed tremendously to cross-cultural exchange between China and the United States. (Note: Due to limited space, only a few key annotations are included.)

Prof. Charles S. Gardner (1900-1966)

A Lifetime Linked to China

C. S. Gardner was born January 1, 1900 in Toledo, Ohio, U.S.A. His father, Charles Gardner, was an architect who later worked in real estate and as an investor in the stock market. His mother, Anna B. Gardner, was the daughter of a judge. Gardner was the youngest of four children in the family. He and his family moved to Massachusetts in his early childhood. Coming

2 from a well-off family, Gardner was very well-educated. He studied at Harvard University, receiving his bachelor's degree there in 1921, and his master's degree in 1923. Later in 1935, he received his Ph.D. in history, also from Harvard University. His doctoral dissertation was a study of the history of China’s Qing Dynasty and its border frontier, entitled “A Chapter of the Basic Annals from the ‘Draft Tsing History.’”

As for scholarly activities, from 1930 to 1933, he served as Director of ACLS Survey of Materials for Chinese Studies, the China Council of Learned Societies. From 1933-1937, he was an Instructor in Chinese at Harvard University. From 1937 to 1941, he worked as an Assistant Professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations. After the outbreak of the Pacific arena of World War II, Gardner served as Assistant Director of Chinese Language and Regional Studies at the University of Pennsylvania Army Special Training Program from 1943 to 1945. After the end of World War II, he taught History of Japan at Columbia University and History at Wellesley College respectively from 1944 to 1945. From 1948 to 1949 he served as a consultant for Chinese history at the Yale University Library.

Even as an undergraduate student at Harvard, Gardner had a keen interest in Far Eastern civilizations, specifically Chinese history and traditional culture, and was determined to conduct relevant research. From 1922 to 1923, he studied under the famous Chinese scholar Zhao Yuanren (Chao Yuen Ren), who taught Chinese at Harvard University. Under Zhao’s guidance, Gardner was able to establish a fundamental understanding of both Chinese culture and history and also learn the basics of the Chinese language. Zhao Yuanren later recalled that three students studied Chinese with him at the time: one was Professor Woods, former Head of the Harvard Philosophy Department, the other was from Russia, and then there was Gardner. Of these three, only Gardner went on to further pursue Chinese Studies and become a Sinologist. In 1924, Gardner studied at the University of Paris, France, focusing specifically on the works of Edouard Chavannes (1865-1918), Henri Maspero (1883-1945), and Paul Pelliot (1878-1945). The perspective of these academic influencers of the “French School” of thought who led the international Sinology community at that time had a great influence on Gardner’s later scholarship. Gardner would visit China twice: once from 1925–1928 and again from 1938-1939 (if there were brief visits besides these, they are not known). During his visits, he studied at Peking University and other such academic institutions.

Gardner’s two visits to China were very fruitful. The first time he visited China was early on in his marriage to his wife Margaret. To help Gardner focus on studying Chinese and work on his doctoral thesis, the couple lived in No. 61, East Biaobei Hutong, Beijing. Their eldest daughter, Sarah, was born in Beijing the following year. Located in Chongwenmen, adjacent to the Gongyuan (the examination hall), East and West Biaobei Hutong were named together as Biaobei (literally meaning “mount and past”) Hutong (“alley”) by the time of the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty. This district was famous for its rich tradition in the mounting and pasting of paintings and calligraphic works a place where the arts and humanities flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties. As Beijing was a long-established capital of many Chinese dynasties, its residential neighborhoods have always been a place for the gathering of scholars and flourishing of ideas. Gardner traveled across the vast Pacific Ocean to be in Beijing, so naturally he was very excited to be immersed in a Beijing neighborhood so rich in Chinese culture and history. When he first arrived, he sent a postcard from Beijing to his parents, who lived on Highland Ave., Newtonville, M.A., about his life there.

Gardner’s postcard from Beijing on Nov. 18, 1925 to his parents who lived in Massachusetts, U.S.A.

Sent on November 18, 1925, the card featured on the front a picture of a knife-sharpener calling out onto the street, being lively and amusing. On the back, he wrote, “Very busy moving into new house. Carpenters, screen makers, window covers all thru. Painters & electricians still at work. Hope to move into our living room in 3 more days – now living in our bedrooms. Coal stoves give us plenty of heat. Excellent food. …… Korean chests sent to Tientsin – hope to have them in few days.”

Gardner's second visit to China was in the 1930s. He and several other American Sinologists came to China for scholarly studies. Gardner settled in Nanchizi area of Beiping (Beijing) during this trip. At the time, Yenching University, Fu Jen University and the Sino-German Institute actively hosted visiting scholars from abroad. According to the German Sinologist Wolfgang Franke (1912-2007) and others, Gardner invited about once a month foreign Sinologists who settled in Beiping to meet at his home. Gardner's book holding is also mainly from collections of this period. He was devoted to Chinese culture, well-trained in Chinese and Western bibliography, and had an understanding of ancient Chinese literary classics. He not only purchased a large number of books for the Harvard-Yenching Library, but also collected various precious works and established a personal collection of Chinese research and academic books.

A Pioneer of American Sinological Studies

Harvard East Asian Studies was still in its infancy in the 1930s, consisting only of Serge Elisséeff (the first director of Harvard-Yenching Institute), and Sinology scholars James R. Ware and Gardner, who taught Chinese and Japanese language courses, respectively. At that time, only three graduate students were studying Chinese Studies (there were no students pursuing Japanese Studies). The interdisciplinary course that Gardner opened in 1936 was titled “Introduction to Chinese History: The Evolution of Politics, Institutions, and Culture from Ancient to Modern.” That same year, Dr. John Fairbank (1907-991), who received his Ph.D. from Oxford University, was hired as a Harvard History Department lecturer. He opened a course titled “The History of the Far East since 1793.”

Gardner's masterpiece is Chinese Traditional Historiography (Harvard University Press, 1938, 2nd Ed., 1961). This is the first work regarding literary texts on ancient Chinese history by an American or any individual from the Western World. The book is not long, only 120 pages, divided into seven chapters. The first chapter introduces the origin, development and influence of China since the 18th century, with a focus on developments of the early 20th century. The latter six chapters discuss the motivations, textual criticism, historical materials criticism, synthesis, style and classifications of history, respectively. Most of the materials used in the book are taken from Western sources, although there are also many Chinese scholarly sources referenced. The work is considerably detailed and summarizes some of the characteristics of traditional Chinese historiography, including a brief comparison of the differences between Chinese and Western historical writing and research methods. At the end of the book, Gardner points out how Chinese texts are unique in the extent of detail and thoroughness in their recording of historical events by using primary sources. He also notes the synthetic method and the insistence on intellectual integrity of inquiry is truly a respectable and admirable feat. "No other ancient nation possesses records of its whole past so voluminous, so continuous, or so accurate.”

Gardner’s work was very well received by the international Sinology community. It is considered to be an essential work in understanding Chinese historiography and is of useful guidance to the scholarly training of those interested in the study of Sinology. This book has become a “must-read” for Chinese history researchers in the West. Gardner’s good friend Yang Liansheng (Yang Lien-sheng), a scholar who is well-known among Western Sinology circles, wrote in the preface of the book’s reprint in 1961: “Now, after some twenty-three years, this pioneer work is still found to contain much information and insight that students in the field cannot afford to overlook, and from which more advanced scholars continue to profit.”

Nevertheless, this pioneering work in Western Sinology is not without flaws. Some Chinese scholars have pointed out certain partialities, omissions, and misunderstandings in the work. Because Chinese is history is long and dotted with numerous events, it is difficult to summarize the content in a singular work. In addition, the book fails to discuss important Chinese history classics, such as Liu Zhiji's Shi Tong (Comments on Works of History) and Zhang Xuecheng's Wenshi Tongyi (General Interpretation of Historiography). Consequently, it can be said that this is an apparent shortcoming of the research. Nonetheless, the pioneering significance of this work

6 and the method of comparison between Chinese and Western are still very instructive. In particular, through this example, we can see that Chinese and Western scholars have different views on Chinese traditional culture, research methods, perspectives, and material selection. Though they are different and each has its own strengths, East and West should be used to complement each other. In general, Gardner was deeply influenced by European, especially French, academic traditions. He also read a lot of Chinese historiography, both ancient and modern. Incorporating his own understanding and creativity, he was able to publish his own book, which became a cornerstone work in Sinological studies in the United States.

In addition, Gardner also edited “A Modern System for the Romanization of Chinese” (China Journal 14 (1931), pp. 7-13), Union List of Selected Western Books on China in American Libraries (Washington, D.C., 1932), Chinese Studies in America: A Survey of Resources and Facilities, American Council of Learned Societies (Washington, D.C., 1935), “The Future of Chinese Studies in America” (Library Chronicle (University of Pennsylvania) 12 (1944), pp. 26-37), Bibliographies of Sinologists (Cambridge Mass., 1958), and other works.

Besides his writings, Gardner actively participated in and organized various academic activities. He spared no effort to advance Chinese research projects. In 1936, together with Serge Elisséeff and James Ware, he became one of the founding editors of the newly published Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, which was dedicated to the development of Chinese studies in America. Because of his outstanding knowledge, contributions, and fame, Gardner was elected Chairman of the Far Eastern Association (the predecessor of the Association for Asian Studies) in 1949.

Friendship Across the Pacific Ocean

Gardner was not only learned and tireless in teaching, but also very honest and modest. He was always willing to help others and spared no effort. He was deeply esteemed and admired by people from all walks of life around the world. William Hung, a scholar at the Harvard, once commented that among a few who can enter the heaven in the future, Gardner must be one of them.

During Gardner’s second visit to China, young scholars Zhou Yiliang and Yang Liansheng had been his research assistants in succession, helping him look up Japanese materials and Chinese ancient books. Professor Zhou in 1988 read and inscribed Xinkan Quanxiangcheng Zhai Xiaojing Zhijie (A Direct Interpretation of New Print “Book of Filial Piety” at the Quanxiangcheng House), which was given to him by Gardner about 50 years ago. He pondered a lot about the book and Gardner. As the closest Chinese scholar friend of Gardner, Yang recalled his friendship with Gardner, his “best friend from a foreign land” in a memoir in the Hafo Yimo (Posthumous Writings from Harvard). He was especially grateful to Gardner for personally sponsoring him to study at Harvard University in 1941. Gardner was a “great benefactor” for allowing him to advance his studies in the United States. He recalled that, “When Gardner returned to the U.S. in 1939, he knew that I was going to be left unemployed. He specifically left me a comprehensive edition of the Song Shi (History of the Song) and Hou Han Shu (History of the Late Han), and he asked me to insert punctuation marks and proofread for him. For this work, I still got paid.” I have looked for these two books in our Collection and really did see the red brush-pen marks on them! Seeing Yang’s handwriting attests to this anecdote among scholars. When Gardner came back to the U.S., he paid Yang as his personal secretary until Yang got a scholarship and was able to pursue a Harvard degree officially. Gardner also invited Yang several times to live at his home at Berkley Street, Cambridge, taking care of Yang in many aspects.

With regards to their relationship, Yang was both Gardner’s student and a friend. Gardner helped Yang in improving his language skills in English and French, as well as in Western scholarship; Yang assisted Gardner to read Japanese scholarly resources even after he completed his Ph.D. degree. Yang was especially helpful to Gardner when Gardner became afflicted by a serious illness that prevented him from revising his works by himself. Yang contributed to the revised edition of Gardner’s Chinese Traditional Historiography, supplying several pages of the “Additions and Corrections” section at the end of the book.

Yang wrote in a letter to Hu Shih on January 14, 1947: “Mr. Gardner wants to write ‘Introduction to Sinology,’ but he has not started it yet, I am really anxious for him. This gentleman is too good and enthusiastic. He always helps others and prioritizes others before himself.” It can be seen here that Gardner is generous, indifferent to fame, and always willing to

8 help others, putting others before himself. In particular, he is a noble role model for future generations of scholars.

Gardner had deep, lifelong friendships with many famous Chinese scholars. Sinologists from around the world would go to Gardner’s home in Cambridge (near Boston) for scholarly exchange. According to Hu Shizhi Xiansheng Nianpu Changbian Chugao (The First Draft of the Long Chronicle of Mr. Hu Shizhi’s Life), on February 10th, 1945, Gardner had a gathering at his place in which renowned scholars from all around the world, like Hu Shih, Paul Pelliot, S. Elusséeff，J. Ware, Zhang Qiyun (a geographer and historian), Zhao Yuanren, Hong Ye (William Hung) , Zhang Fuyun (a jurist, the first Chinese student who studied at Harvard University in the 1910s), Qiu Jaiming (Kaiming Alfred Chiu, the first Librarian of Harvard- Yenching Library), Zhou Yiliang, Yang Liansheng, and so on attended and engaged in scholarly dialogue.

I recently sorted out old files and surprisingly found some books and articles given to Gardner by scholars around the world (most are in English). There were signatures of authors, including Hu Shih, Zhao Yuanren, William Hung, Qi Sihe, Yuan Tongli, Zhang Qiyun, Chen Rongjie (Chan Wing-tsit), Zheng Dekun, Zhou Yiliang, Yang Liansheng, Zhu Shijia and so on. The article by Hu Shih was an English piece published in 1944, entitled “A Note on Ch'uan Tsu- Wang, Chao I-ch'ing and Tai Chen: A Study of Independent Convergence in Research as Illustrated in Their Works on the Shui-Ching Chu.” Zhao Yuanren gave Gardner two textbooks in Chinese and English: "The Romance of the Mandarin Language Dialogue: Guoyu Luomazi Duihuaxi Xipu: Zuihou Wufenzheng (Romanization Mandarin Dialogues in a Play: The Final Five Minutes) (1929) and Xin Guoyu Liushengpian Keben (A New Mandarin Textbook with Phonograph Records). It is worth noting that a student named Jim I. Crump, Jr. gave Gardner an English article about “pinghua”(storytelling with dialects) and the early history of the Sanguo Zhi (History of the Three Kingdoms). He wrote in Chinese on the cover of the pamphlet: “Teacher Gardner, please keep it, tudi (‘disciple’) Jim.” Those exchanges are evidence of the friendly academic communications and network Gardner had at that time, which give us invaluable insights into Gardner’s life in the present day.

The Gardner Collection and the Brown University Library

French Sinologist Paul Pelliot put forward: “The governance of ‘Chinese Studies’ must have three aspects: 1. Bibliography and books; 2. Collection of physical antique objects; and 3. Establishing contact with Chinese scholars.” Among Western Sinologists, Gardner played a prominent role in contributing to the compilation of bibliographies and the collection of classics. In his early years, he led the ACLS survey of materials for Chinese Studies and later compiled the union catalogues to guide Chinese collections in university libraries. Because of his special focus on the collection of Chinese books and documents, Gardner became a pioneering figure in the establishment of East Asian libraries in North America. In these ways, he has made distinctive contributions on China Studies in North America, which, although trailed behind studies done by Europeans initially, eventually managed to surpass that of their European counterparts.

Gardner was not only interested in Sinology, but also had a sincere vision for Sino- American cultural exchange. In an article published in 1944, “The future of Chinese Studies in America,” he writes insightfully:

“Whatever of evil has emerged from the present world conflagration, one good at least may be set against it: a new and rather startled awareness on the part of multitudes of Americans of certain fundamental similarity of outlook shared by the Chinese and ourselves. That bond may be in part expressed in terms of self-restraint, moderation, practical common sense, and respect for individual human dignity. There has come too a new awareness of our national ignorance, our insularity, provincialism; and with it a desire for light, for study of the Chinese civilization which we now increasingly see is superficially strange, but underneath so basically like our own. It is becoming clear that tomorrow will bring ever more insistent demands for those who can speak the national language of China, for those who can read her new living written tongue, and for those who possess the science to translate with precision her vast traditional literary heritage of twenty-five centuries’ growth. Against such demands of the morrow it is prudent to take thought and prepare today. The Chinese Library of the University will be the indispensable instrument of scholarship.”

Gardner suffered from Alzheimer’s disease in his later years and his health declined greatly as a result. But he was still thinking about Chinese Studies, his collection of Chinese books, and his dream of donating his collections to libraries in order to help future scholars make greater contributions to the field. His son, John B. Gardner, a former professor of English and Assistant Dean of the College at Brown University, helped donate all of Gardner’s book collections, along with their original Chinese bookcases. On October 30th, 1959, he signed the Original Deed of Gift, and on June 21.1961, the majority of the books were transported to Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Some other books were added afterwards, fulfilling the Gardner’s wishes. Gardner passed away peacefully at his home on November 30th, 1966. Harvard Journal of Asian Studies published an obituary in the issue of 1967, deeply mourning the scholar who dedicated his life to the study of Chinese history and bibliography, in which it is emphasized:

“Those who knew Charles Sidney Gardner will remember him for the unstinting gift of his time, help, and money to whatever students, colleagues, and friends sought it, a generosity exemplified by the donation of his extensive Chinese library to Brown University in 1962. Younger generations of students, who have not known him, may still be thankful that he has shared with them his knowledge in that useful manual that stands as his chief work, Chinese Traditional Historiography.”

The Gardner collection is mainly composed of Chinese books, but also includes a number of Japanese and Western books. Its contents span across a broad range of humanities and social sciences, such as but not limited to linguistics, literature, history, philosophy, religion, art, and archeology, with a focus on Qing dynasty history, which was Professor Gardner’s specialty. These books are located in the open stacks area as well as the Gardner Room on the third floor of the John. D. Rockefeller Library. The room is square in shape, occupying approximately 36 square meters. Though this space is limited in size, every detail is carefully planned. The sides facing the south, west, and north are composed of a complex of Chinese book cabinets, with a height of approximately 220 cm and a width of 37 cm. These cabinets are carved with traditional Chinese characters of the book titles, holding over 5,000 volumes (77 titles) of ancient texts from the Ming and Qing dynasties, and about 4,100 volumes (360 titles) of various thread-bound

11 books, chiefly the Sibu Congkan (A Series of Four Categories), published during Republican-era China. Therefore, the Gardner Collection, with its unique elegant antique-styled bookcases, has formulated one of the finest Chinese text depositories outside of China. As Harvard University Professor Francis W. Cleaves remarks, the Gardner Collection is “perhaps the best private Sinological collection in the United States.” Ever since the 1960s, the curators in charge of the collection such as Mr. I-min Chiang, Dr. Wen-kai Kung, and Ms. Annie Lin, have all dedicated significant time and care to the development and the preservation of these ancient Chinese books. Additionally, many East Asian Studies professors and scholars at Brown University have also been very helpful in maintaining the Gardner Collection.

As the Brown East Asian Collection progressed into the twenty-first century, many of its research facilities, as well as the Collection itself, underwent significant expansions. It is clear now that the original Gardner Collection includes approximately 250 titles (7,500 volumes) of classical books from the Ming and Qing dynasties and 590 titles (5,300 volumes) from the Republican period. Hence there are a total of 840 titles (12,800 volumes) of classical Chinese books, accounting for more than a third of the entire Gardner Collection. The Collection also encompasses the most celebrated works of nearly all prominent Chinese scholars of the time, and as such, rather comprehensively reflects the academic history of China. Categorically, the collection includes books on Confucian classics (Jing), history (Shi), the philosophical schools (Zi), and the collection of essays and poems (Ji). Taking the category of history as an example, the collection encompasses such sub-categories as biographies, annals, epigraphy, and catalogs. Although works dating back to the Song and Yuan dynasties are not part of the holding, finely selected and maintained Ming and Qing editions are well-represented in the Collection. Uniquely composed of both traditional Chinese styled bookcases that embody both artistic taste and practical function, the Gardner Room is the only one of such that exists outside of China, making it so precious. Indeed, it reflects the scholarly vision and appreciation for traditional Chinese classics that Gardner had as both a Sinologist and a bibliographer. Therefore, the academic and historical value of this Collection is of immeasurable worth.

On April 29, 2015 the author introduced the Gardner Room to President Peng Long and the delegation of Beijing Foreign Studies University (photo: Jenny Li)

In order to promote teaching, research, and international cultural exchanges, we have welcomed students, researchers, and visitors from a wide range of academic disciplines to access works or to tour the library. The Collection has also organized several public exhibits of the Chinese literary texts and manuscripts, sharing with members of the Brown University community and beyond aspects of traditional Chinese culture. When I was teaching a graduate seminar on Chinese bibliography and research methods, I incorporated some rare books from the Collection in the coursework. I have also had the opportunity to guide a graduate student in Art History in the writing of her Master’s thesis on the Guoxue Liyue Lu (Record of the Ritual Paraphernalia and Musical Instruments of the Imperial College), a rare book from the Qing Dynasty found in our Collection. Furthermore, the digital humanities project “Asia-Pacific in the Making of the Americas: Toward a Global History” launched by several Brown professors in American Studies Department such as Professor Evelyn Hu-DeHart also used information from the Collection’s copies of Dongxiyang Kao (Eastern and Western Continents: an Investigation), a book of the Ming Dynasty, and Liuqiuguo Zhilue (The State of Ryukyu: a Brief Record) from the Qing Dynasty. The works in the Collection have been also studied as part of an international project on surveying and cataloging classical Chinese books. In these ways, the Gardner

Collection has greatly aided many research projects over the years, fulfilling Gardner’s wish for his collection to help others interested in Chinese Studies.

Following the general trend of globalization, Chinese Studies outside of China has flourished and is increasingly popular, giving hope to continued scholarly inquiry in this field. Today, Chinese Studies in the United States has surpassed that of the last century, both in scholarly resources, in the lineup of scholars, and in the breadth and depth of research. However, we should not forget the perseverance, hard work, and dedication of the Chinese and Western scholars who pioneered the field of Sinology. Gardner is one of them. He studied endlessly, worked tirelessly, and persevered over a lifetime. Here, we commemorate his efforts to develop and advocate for Chinese Studies. In particular, his love for traditional Chinese culture and deep affection for the Chinese people are reflected in his writings, sayings, and deeds. His determination to learn, passion for knowledge, and selfless character have left a rare spiritual wealth for further development of Chinese Studies, and is just as valuable as the tangible collection of books he donated for future generations. Therefore, here, we commemorate Gardner’s dedication to promoting cross-cultural exchange and hope his legacy will live on in a flourishing Sino-American friendship.

读书人的精神家园

http://iculture.fltrp.com

中华读书报合办外语教学与研究出版社第 474 期

本刊主编：吴子桐本版编辑：赵雅茹电话：010-88819159 [email protected] 2019 年 4 月 3 日 ■ ■ ■ 17

不该被忘却的中美文化使者 ——美国汉学家贾德纳及其中文藏书

■王立

近年来对海外汉学或“中国学” 文，在专业知识和语言基本功方面打贾德纳的代表作是《中国传统史 Eastern Association，即亚洲研究协研究的热潮中，有一位时被提及，却尚下了良好的汉学研究基础。赵元任学》（Chinese Traditional Historiogra⁃ 会 [The Association for Asian 缺专题论述的 20 世纪美国汉学界的曾回忆，当时有三名学生跟他学中 phy, Harvard University Press, Studies] 前身）主席。先驱人物，这就是著名哈佛学者查尔文，一个是哈佛哲学系主任伍兹 1938, 2nd Ed., 1961），这是第一部斯·西德尼·贾德纳（Charles Sidney （Woods）教授，一个来自俄罗斯，还美国学者作的有关中国传统史学史跨越太平洋的友谊 Gardner，1900—1966）。贾德纳先生有一个就是贾德纳——只有他坚持的专著，也是西方最早的相关专不仅是一位勤勉的中国史专家和目录下来，后来成了汉学家。1924 年，贾著。书的篇幅不长，仅 120 页，共分贾德纳不仅学识广博、诲人不学家，而且和美国布朗大学图书馆有德纳在法国巴黎大学进修，潜心研修七章。第一章导言，略述 18 世纪以倦，而且为人极其忠厚正直，谦和诚着不解之“书缘”。他一生挚爱中国文了沙畹（Edouard Chavannes，1865— 来特别是 20 世纪初中国“新史学”之恳，一贯热心助人，慷慨奉献，不遗余化和典籍，拥有丰富的个人图书藏品， 1918）、马伯乐（Henri Maspero，起源、发展和影响；后六章分别论述力，深受中外各界人士的尊敬和爱贾德纳在晚年他将其全部捐赠给了布朗大 1883—1945）、伯希和（Paul Pelliot，了修史的动机、校勘学、史料批评、戴。洪业先生曾说，如果将来有谁能学，共三万五千多册（件），这成为布朗 1878—1945）等人的学术要旨，这些综合方法、体裁和分类。全书材料上天堂，一定有贾德纳。东亚图书馆典藏的核心和精华。其中当时引领国际汉学界的“法国学派” 大都取自西方学者，也有不少中国贾德纳第二次访华时，青年学者贾德纳藏书与布朗大学图书馆但设计极其别致。厅内南、西、北三九千多册中文线装古籍善本及由中国巨擘对他后来的学者生涯影响很学者的论著，搜罗尚属详尽。该书周一良、杨联陞都先后做过他的秘面都摆放着组合中式书柜，高约 220 传统书柜组成的藏书房，成为本馆最大。接着他又于 1925—1928 年、概括了中国传统史学的一些特点，书，帮他查阅日文资料和中国古籍。法国汉学家伯希和提出：“治‘中厘米，纵深约 37 厘米。这些镌刻有具特色的“镇馆之宝”。 1938—1939年两次访学于中国（其间并对中西历史写作和研究方式的差周一良先生于 1988 年再读五十余年国学’须有三方面的预备：1. 目录学中文原书名的书柜内藏有明清经史笔者的办公室就在古香古色的是否有短期访华尚未见资料），在北异作了简要的比较。作者在书的结前贾德纳教授所赠的《新刊全相成斋与藏书。2. 实物的收集。3. 与中国子集约 70多种、5000余册,还有以《四贾氏藏书房的套间内。刚到布朗工京大学等学术机构作过研究。尾指出：中国史书的原本性、综合方孝经直解》，在题记中见物思人，感慨学者的接近。”在西方汉学家中，贾德部丛刊》为主的约 360 多种、4100 多作时，每日出入必经那些极具东方文贾德纳的两次赴华访学都收获法和对探究完整性的坚持不渝是令不已。杨联陞是和贾德纳关系最密纳在编纂文献目录与收藏典籍方面册民国版线装书。这是海外所仅见明特色的藏书柜，自然对这位慷慨捐颇丰。1925 年的第一次访华时值他人尊重和钦佩的。“没有其他古代民切的华人学者，在《哈佛遗墨》中曾回贡献特别突出。他早年担任美国学的一套传统中式书房，古香古色、典赠其珍藏中文古籍的汉学界老前辈与爱妻玛格丽特（Margaret）新婚不族（像中国人一样），拥有整个过去忆他和这位“最好的西友”之间的交术团体理事会中国研究资料搜集调雅精致，使人宛若置身华夏典籍文化产生了景仰之情和探究之心。尤其久，为了贾德纳进修汉语和作博士论的记录，如此浩瀚，如此绵延不绝，往情谊，特别感激贾德纳个人资助他查室主任，后来还编篡联合目录，到之乡。自从上个世纪 60 年代以来，是这批图书经这位精于目录学的汉文研究，夫妇二人住进了北京东裱褙如此精审。”该书出版后受到国际汉 1941年赴美就读哈佛大学，是他留美一些大学图书馆指导中文馆藏等。主管过东亚馆的蒋以明先生、龚文凯学家亲手检阅，具有很高的文物价值胡同21号。他们的大女儿萨拉（Sarah）学界的好评，被认为是理解中国史深造的“大恩人”。他回忆道：“1939 由于特别重视中文图书文献的搜集、先生、林李美云女士等，都为馆藏建和研究价值，理应宣传并及早公之于就在次年诞生于北京。东裱褙胡同位收藏，实际上他也成为北美东亚图书设发展和中文古籍保管倾注了极大世。近年来笔者主持布朗的中文古于崇文门内，与西裱褙胡同在清宣统馆事业的老前辈。北美中国学能后的心力，贡献良多，成绩斐然。布朗籍整理项目，并得益于一些已出版的以前统称为裱褙胡同，因临近明清开来居上，超过欧洲汉学同行，他的努大学许多东亚地区研究方向的学者回忆录及海外汉学研究的资料，对贾科取士的贡院和字画裱褙工艺繁荣而力践行功不可没。也都非常关心东亚馆馆藏文献的建氏的生平事迹、学术贡献及其藏书有著称。作为历史悠久的京师古巷，其贾德纳不仅对汉学研究有着独设。了进一步的了解，还整理发现了他和中民居多深宅大院，历来人文荟萃，名到的理解，对中美文化交流也寄予真进入 21 世纪以来，布朗大学东当时许多汉学家、学者交往时获赠的人安居流连。贾德纳一家从北美大陆诚的愿景。他在 1944 年发表的《美亚馆馆藏和研究服务在各方面都得书刊等文献实物，尤其是有幸从贾氏漂洋过海，到此客居，感受到浓郁的老国中国学的未来》（“The Future of 到跨越式的发展，我们也大体上厘清后人处得到他的珍贵遗照和一些家北京传统文化氛围，甚为兴奋。刚到 Chinese Studies in America”，参考了贾氏藏书中古籍善本的概况：共有庭资料。在此特别感谢这些专家和时他曾给父母寄明信片讲述了这里的齐克彬中译文）一文中深刻地指出：明清古籍刻本、抄本等约 250 种、友人，特别是贾德纳先生的外孙女、点滴生活情景。这封明信片 1925 年 7500 册，民国版古籍约 590 种、5300 波士顿学院拉丁美洲研究系萨拉·贝 11月18日发自北京，正面是传统走街无论在这场世界性的灾难中将多册。从内容上看，这批馆藏大都是克约德（Sarah Beckjord）教授对研究串巷的磨刀人的照片，生动风趣。在会出现什么样的邪恶，至少会有一种明清学术精品，包括了当时几乎所有工作的支持和关照。明年是贾德纳背面他写道：“（我们）正忙着搬进新房善的东西来反对它：美国大多数人相知名学者的重要著作，较全面地反映先生诞辰 120 周年，特撰此文以略述子。木工、屏风、窗帘活都已完工，油漆当震惊地意识到，中国人民将和我们了当时的中国学术史；从类别上看，和纪念这位对中美文化交流传播作工和电工还在工作。希望再过三天能一样拥有一个明确的、基本相似的未经、史、子、集、丛各部类都有，而以史过突出贡献的文化使者和先驱（因篇搬进我们的起居室——现在我们住在来。其中的联系或许部分地以自律、籍为主，涵盖从“纪传”“编年”到“金幅所限，未列各引文注释）。小卧室里。煤炉给我们带来了充足的贾德纳 1925 年 11 月 18 日发给父母的明信片中庸、实用常识和对个体尊严的尊重石”“目录”诸史部子类；从版本上看，热量。食物非常棒……朝鲜式箱来体现。我们已经认识到了我们民虽无宋元旧椠，但大部分都是版本精（柜）子已运送到天津——希望几天与中国结缘的一生学的指南，对青年学者的学术训练年贾德纳回国时，知道我要失业，特族的无知、我们的狭隘、我们的本土选、印刷精良且保藏完好的明清善后就能得到。” 有重要帮助，该书由此成为西方中意留下一部百衲本《宋史》，一部《后观念，同时我们又渴望光明，渴望研本，非常难得。特别是贾德纳藏书房贾德纳第二次访华是在 20 世纪贾德纳于 1900 年 1 月 1 日生于国史研究者的必读书。贾德纳的好汉书》，请我替他用朱笔标点校对，每究这种表面看起来陌生但在深层却由中国传统书柜所组成，集装帧艺术 30年代，那时一些美国汉学家陆续来美国俄亥俄州托莱多市（Toledo，友、在海外汉学界享有盛誉的杨联月仍有酬报。”笔者特检阅馆藏此二和我们自己的文明基本相像的中国和实用功能于一身，为海外所独存，华访问或进修，他也于 1938 年再次 Ohio），后随父母迁居到马萨诸塞陞在该书 1961 年再版前言中写道：书，果真看见上面的朱笔批点，盖为文明。很显然，明天将对那些可以讲弥足珍贵。总之，这些都反映出作为访华，定居在北平南池子。当时的燕州。其父是一位建筑师兼房地产商， “《中国旧史学》出版 23 年后，无论是杨先生手迹！贾回国后又出资请杨中国的通用语言的人，对那些可以阅汉学家、目录学家的贾德纳独到的学京大学、辅仁大学和中德学会等都活其母是一位法官之女，家境殷实而温初学者还是研究专家都发现，这本到美国做他的私人助理，直到杨获得读她的现行书面语言的人，对那些掌术慧眼和对中文古籍的深湛的鉴赏跃着访华学者。据德国汉学家傅吾馨。贾德纳是家里四个孩子中最年开创之作中的大量信息和洞见依然奖学金正式攻读哈佛学位。贾徳纳握了将她发展了 2500 年的巨大的传力。因此这批馆藏具有独特的学术康（Wolfgan Franke，1912—2007）等幼的，从小受到良好的教育，就读于很有教益。毫无疑问，它还将被业内还多次邀杨住在剑桥伯克利街 5 号统文化遗产进行简明阐释的知识的价值和文物价值。回忆，贾德纳邀请所有在北平定居的哈佛大学——1922 年获哈佛大学学的学者所参阅。” 的家中，多方面给予照顾。杨联陞在人产生强烈需求，这种需求将是前所为了使这批珍贵古籍在教学研西方汉学家定期在他家聚会交流，每士学位，1923 年获硕士学位，后于当然，这本在西方汉学界具有开 1947 年 1 月 14 日致胡适的信中说：未有的。只有今天的审慎思考和仔究和文化交流中发挥更大的作用，月一次。贾德纳的藏书也主要来自 1935 年获历史学博士学位。他的博拓价值的书也不是没有瑕疵的。一 “ 贾德纳先生 …… 想作的《汉学入细准备才能满足明天的需求。美国我们时常接待各界来宾参观，如于这时期的收藏，他倾心于中国文士论文是研究中国清代制度史和边些中国学者指出其中的偏颇、疏漏和门》，一直还没有动笔，我真替他着大学的中文图书馆将成为学者们必 2015 年 4 月 29 日在布朗图书馆向北化，精于中西目录学，与中文古籍善疆史的，题为“A Chapter of the 误解之处。由于中国传统史学论著急。这位先生太好，总是热心给人家不可少的研究工具。京外国语大学彭龙校长及代表团介本尤有不解之“书缘”。他不仅为哈 Basic Annals from the ‘Draft Ts⁃ 渊源久远，且卷帙浩繁，仅凭这样一帮忙，自己的事情却耽误了。”可见贾绍了贾德纳藏书房，还举办过几次佛燕京图书馆选购了大批图书，而且 ing History’”（《〈清史稿·圣祖本纪〉薄册实在很难概括其全部精华。加德纳慷慨大度、淡薄名利、先人后己、贾德纳先生在晚年不幸患上阿中文古籍善本书展览以揭示馆藏精自己也收藏了大批珍贵典籍文献，建译注》）。学术工作方面，1930—1933 上该书对于中国典籍征引较少，像刘助人为乐的品格。特别是他对年轻、尔兹海默症，身体健康受到极大的损品并宣传中华传统文化，都很受欢立起个人的中国研究学术藏书。年，他担任美国学术团体理事会知几的《史通》、章学诚的《文史通义》后辈学人的扶持提携，堪称楷模。在害。但他仍然惦念着中国研究和他迎。笔者在布朗大学教授“中国文这样一些重要著作都未论及，不能不学术上，杨联陞和贾徳纳一直保持着收藏的中文图书，希望能把这批珍藏献目录学”研究生课程时，曾介绍过说是明显的缺憾。尽管如此，这部著亦师亦友的关系：贾在英法文和西方捐献给图书馆以发挥更大的作用。其中的部分古籍，并指导过一位亚作的开创意义和采用的中西比较的学术史方面给予杨指点，而杨在获得他的儿子约翰·贾德纳（John B. 洲艺术史的研究生专攻清康熙年间方法还是很有启发性的。特别是通博士学位后还帮助贾看日文资料。 Gardner）曾任布朗大学英语系教授刻本《国学礼乐录》，以此撰写其硕士过这一实例，我们可以看到中西学者尤其是杨在贾晚年患病无法亲自动和助理院长，在他的协助下，贾氏将论文。布朗大学美国研究系的胡其对中国传统文化的不同观点、研究方笔修订的情形下，为 1961 年再版的全部藏书连同中式书柜都捐赠给了瑜（Evelyn Hu-DeHart）等教授发起法、视角和选材侧重，可以说见仁见《中国传统史学》悉心做了数页的增布朗图书馆。1959 年 10 月 30 日，他 “亚太打造美洲——走进全球历史” 智，各有所长，应当互补。总体而言，补和修订，附录于书后。签署了赠予证明书，1961 年 6 月 21 （Asia-Pacific in the Making of 贾氏受欧洲特别是法国学术传统影贾德纳还和许多中国知名学者日，图书主要部分运抵位于罗得岛普 the Americas: Toward a Global 响较深，又参阅了大量中国新旧史学结下了深厚的学术友谊。国际汉学家罗维登斯市的布朗校园，次年又有一 History）的数字化研究项目，也选用的论著，加上他自己的理解和创意，们也常到贾德纳在波士顿附近的剑桥些增补，他的心愿终于完成。1966年了贾氏藏书中明万历刻本《东西洋他的书因此成为当时方兴未艾的美宅中聚会交流。如据《胡适之先生年 11 月 30 日，贾德纳在家中安详地逝考》和清乾隆刻本《琉球国志略》等书国汉学或中国学的崛起之作。谱长编初稿》记载：1945年 2月 10日，世。《哈佛亚洲研究》1967年卷发了讣中的图文资料。布朗大学图书馆还此外，他还编著有《中文罗马拼贾德纳在家宴客，参加者都是中外学告，深切悼念这位为中国历史和目录参加了海外中文古籍调查项目，把这音的现代方案》（"A Modern Sys⁃ 界名家，有胡适、伯希和、叶理绥、魏鲁学研究贡献了毕生精力的学者和友批古籍目录整理汇辑成册，并以此告 tem for the Romanization of Chi⁃ 南、张其昀（地理学家、历史学家）、赵人，其中强调：慰贾德纳先生。 nese",China Journal 14[1931], pp. 元任、张福运（中国第一位留学哈佛的 7—13)、《美国图书馆藏西方论述中学者、法学家）、裘开明（哈佛燕京图书所有认识查尔斯·西德尼·贾德在全球化发展的大趋势下，国际 2015年4月29日，作者向北外彭龙校长一行介绍贾德纳藏书房，Jenny Li摄国的书籍联合目录选辑》（Union 馆馆长）、周一良、杨联陞等。纳的人都将怀念他毫不保留地将其中国学研究已蓬勃兴起，蔚然成风， List of Selected Western Books on 笔者新近整理旧档，欣喜地发时间、帮助和财物赠予学生、同事和展现了光辉的前景。如今美国的中国学无论在学术资源、学者阵容或研（American Council of Learned So⁃ 美国汉学研究的先驱 China in American Libraries, Wash⁃ 现了一些中外学人赠送给贾的书刊朋友们，回应他们所需求的任何事 cieties, ACLS）中国研究资料搜集调 ington, D.C., 1932）、《美国中国学：文献（大多为英文论著），上面有各情。这种慷慨解囊的一个范例就是究领域的广度深度上都早已和上个资源与设施概览》（Chinese Studies 作者的签名。其中有胡适、赵元任、他于 1962 年将其广博丰富的中文图世纪不可同日而语。然而，我们不应查室主任。1933—1937年，他任哈佛 20 世纪 30 年代，哈佛的东亚研 in America: A Survey of Resources 书馆捐献给了布朗大学。年轻一代忘记当年那些中外先驱学者的坚毅大学中文讲师；1937—1941 年，任东究仍处于初创阶段，只有哈佛燕京学洪业（煨莲）、齐思和、袁同礼、张其的学者，即使不认识他，仍会感激他志向、辛勤耕耘和奉献精神。贾德纳亚语言与文明系助理教授。太平洋战社首任社长叶理绥（Serge Elisseeff） and Facilities, American Council of 昀、陈荣捷、郑德坤、周一良、杨联先生正是其中的一员，今天的进步里争爆发后，1943—1945 年，贾德纳担和汉学家魏鲁南（James R. Ware）、 Learned Societies, Washington, D. 陞、朱士嘉等。胡适的是发表于在其代表作、那本很有助益的指南任宾夕法尼亚大学“陆军特别训练计贾德纳分别教授中、日文课程。当时 C., 1935）、《汉学家书目》（Bibliogra⁃ 1944 年的关于全祖望、赵一清、戴震《中国传统史学》中分享的知识。有他努力开拓、倡导的一份功劳。他划·中国语言和地区研究室”助理主也只有三名研究生读中国研究（尚无 phies of Sinologists, Cambridge, 各校本《水经注》研究的英文文章。对中国文化的挚爱和对中国人民的任；1946—1947 年，任日本地区研究人做日本研究)。作为当时美国的新 Mass., 1958）等。赵元任的是两本中英文对照课本：贾德纳所捐藏品绝大多数是中深情都体现在他的著作、言行和珍藏室助理主任。同时，1945—1946 年，锐汉学家，贾德纳在中国政治史、边除了著述，贾德纳还积极参加和《国语罗马字对话戏戏谱：最后五分文图书，内容涵盖语言、文学、历史、之中。他矢志不渝的学术追求、忘我他在哥伦比亚大学教授中国史；1947 疆和邻国史以及相关的中西文书目组织各种学术活动，不遗余力地推进钟》（1929）和《新国语留声片课本》哲学、宗教、艺术、考古以及其他社会至善的人格特质、学贯中西仍孜孜不年教日本史。1948—1949年，他曾担方面均有独到见解。1936年，他开设中国研究资料项目。1936年，他和叶（1935）。有意思的是一位叫吉姆· 科学，其中古籍善本占了很大部分。倦的治学风范，为国际学术事业的发任耶鲁大学图书馆的中国史顾问。了题为“中国史概论：政治、制度和文理绥、魏鲁南一起成为新创刊的《哈克伦普（Jim I.Crump, Jr.）的学生送由于他精通清史，所以这方面的文献展留下了难得的精神财富，这与他临贾德纳在大学时代就对东方文化从古到今的演进”的跨系课程。同佛亚洲研究》（Harvard Journal of Asi⁃ 的关于“评话”与早期《三国志》的英尤为丰富。贾氏藏书的精华大多安终捐赠的中文典籍同样宝贵。因此，明特别是中国传统文化有着强烈的年，刚获牛津博士学位的费正清 atic Studies）期刊的首任主编，为美国文文章，上用中文题赠：“贾老师惠置于约翰·洛克菲勒图书馆三层，称我们今天纪念这位致力于跨文明交兴趣，并立志进行研究。他曾于（John Fairbank，1907—1991）受聘任中国学的发展辛勤耕耘奉献。由于存。徒弟 Jim”。这都是当时友好为“ 贾德纳藏书房 ”（Gardner 流的文化使者，并将继续努力，使这 1922—1923年间，师从在哈佛大学执哈佛历史系讲师，开了一门“1793 年卓越的学识、贡献和名望，贾德纳于学术交流和贾氏学缘人脉的见证， Room）。书房长宽各约 6 米，呈正方一见证中美友好的宝贵文化遗产更教的著名中国学者赵元任，学习中以来的远东史”的课。 1949 年当选为远东协会（The Far 相当珍贵。形，面积约 36 平方米。规模虽不大，添光彩。