| Date | 2011 |
| Publish_location | Guilin Shi 桂林市 |
| Publisher | Guangxi shifan daxue chubanshe 廣西師范大學出版社 |
| Collection | Ricci Institute Library |
| Edition | |
| Language | Chinese 中文 |
| Record_type | Book (Text in Collection) |
| Series | Ai Rulüe Hanwen zhushu quanji 艾儒略漢文著述全集 ; v. 2 |
| Shelf | Hallway Cases |
| Call Number | BV3427.A38 A2 2011 v.2 |
| Description | p.125-154 ; 26.5 cm. |
| Note | 《西方答問》二卷. In Ai Rulüe Hanwen zhushu quanji 艾儒略漢文著述全集 = Collection of Jules Aleni's Chinese works. Vol. 2, p. 125-154. Each page represents two leaves of the original. Reprint of ARSI edition. Full bibliographical citation see: Ad Dudink & Nicolas Standaert, Chinese Christian Texts Database (CCT-Database) http://www.arts.kuleuven.be/sinology/cct Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana Borgia Cinese, 324.17 (1st ed. 1637) online Hong Kong Catholic Diocesan Archives
JapSin II, 22 The cover bears a Latin inscription: “Quaesita et responsa | de rebus et moribus | Europaeis | a P. Julio Aleni S.J.”The title page bears the title in four large characters. On the verso of this folio there is a declaration that explains the rule of the Church that translations of sacred books and other texts must be read three times (by censors) before permission is granted for publication: 遵教規凡譯著經典諸書，必三次看詳，方允付梓. This is followed by the names of the censors: Fu Ruwang 伏如望 (João Fróis), Yang Manuo 陽瑪諾 (Manuel Dias Jr.), and Luo Yagu 羅雅谷 (Giacomo Rho). The imprimatur was given by Manuel Dias Jr., then Vice-Provincial. There are two seals with the emblem of the society of Jesus: one square and the other round. Hsü Tsung-tse (1949, pp. 300–301) reproduces a preface, dated 1641, by Mi Jiasui 米嘉穗 of Qiaochuan 樵川 (Fujian), which is not in our edition. The table of contents of juan A and B consists of two folios. Folio 1r bears the title (西方答問首卷) and below are given the name of the author (遠西艾儒略撰) and of the proofreader, Jiang Dejing 蔣德璟. Each half folio has nine columns with nineteen characters in each column. The title of the book is printed in the middle of each folio with the number of the juan and the number of the folio below. Juan A consists of folios 5–29 and juan B of folios 1–7. The text is punctuated and geographic names are marked with lines. This book has seemingly been written to satisfy many of the author’s friends who were eager to know something about the West. Although the two juan are short, they cover nearly all the subjects an inquisitive visitor would want to know about a strange land, then unknown to the Chinese. The Xifang dawen has been translated by John L. Mish from an early edition (Vatican Library, Borgia Cinese 324 no. 17) with the title: “Creating an Image of Europe for China: Aleni’s Hsi fang ta wen,” Monumenta Serica, 23 (1964), pp. 1–87 (pp. 4–30: reproduction of the Chinese edition). Jiang Dejing (d. 1646) was a native of Jinjiang 晉江 (Fujian). He obtained the jinshi degree in 1622. In the Chongzhen period (1628–1644) he was once Minister of Rites and later served as Grand Secretary (1642–1644). Cf. Hsü 1949, p. 300; JWC 1:195–196. |
| Multimedia |  |
| Subject | Europe--Description and travel--17th century |
| Series | foo 133 |
