赖际熙与早期香港中文教育的发展

1912年9月香港大学成立,作为香港地区的最高学府,如何承担起发展中文教育的重任就成了摆在有识之士面前的严峻问题。恰当此时,身为前清进士的赖际熙受聘担任港大中文讲师,协助创办中文教学单位,并担任负责人直至1932年底退休。赖际熙任教20年间对港大及香港的中文教育发展作出了重要贡献。港大中文教学单位从无到有,由小组升格为学系,直至得到港商捐助兴建中文图书馆和教学办公大楼,师资队伍逐渐增强,都与赖氏的努力有直接的关系。许地山加盟港大后确定的港大中文系文、史、哲、翻译四大教学板块的结构,也是赖际熙主政期间创立的由文、史、哲、经学、翻译所组成的课程的进一步发展。赖际熙所推动的中文教育,尽管存在着偏重文言文和轻视新文化等种种不足,但开拓性贡献应予充分肯定。

LAI Ji-xi and Development of Chinese Education in Early Twentieth Century Hong Kong

LAI Ji-xi is widely recognized in Hong Kong as an erudite scholar of Chinese culture.However,there is hardly any detailed research of his life,academic activities,and educational achievements.This article,by analyzing the relevant primary and secondary sources,explores LAI's role in the development of Chinese education at the University of Hong Kong during the 1912-1932 period,and argues that the Chinese programs designed by LAI and his colleagues,albeit overemphasizing the importance of traditional Confucian culture,laid out a solid foundation for systematic education of Chinese in the colonial Hong Kong area.