再論元代至明初小說戲曲中貨幣的使用

Abstract

元代至明初，朝廷明令推行紙幣，禁止白銀作為貨幣流通。然而，在這一時期的小說戲曲中，白銀在日常生活和交易中的使用卻隨處可見。這是當時社會生活的生動反映，表明朝廷禁令對官民的實際約束力相當有限。由此可見，以小說情節中人們廣泛使用白銀來證明《水滸傳》成書於嘉靖初年，未必可靠。這不僅提示我們充分注意朝廷律令與實際生活的差距，更讓我們領悟到「史料二重鑒定法」的重要價值。

During Yuan Dynasty to early Ming Dynasty, the government forbade silver as currency by introduction and promotion of paper currency. But in novels and operas of this period, the use of silver in daily life and transaction is quite common. This is the lively image of social life at that time and reflects the limited effect of government rules. So the conclusion that Tale of Water Margin was written in early Jiajin period due to the widely use of silver in scenarios may not be credible. This can not only remind us of the difference between government regulation and actual daily life, but also the importance of “double check on historical materials”.