中國史學之要義，厥在「彰善顯惡」，可以「實錄」一詞當之。然自近代史學以降，對此多持貶義，以為史官之筆，不當有主觀之評斷涉入。顯然在兩套不同的史學世界中，近代史學在天平上與傳統史學相比，是不相稱的加碼。我們在五四激情已過的今日，已經可以重新對西方史學、傳統史學，乃而自身所處的近代史學，作出比較持平的研究、回顧與反省。從而也可以再對傳統史學中何以強調史官的「實錄」之意義在於「當世性」與「彰善顯惡」上，作出更深入的理解，也應當能在今目對此種「實錄」史學中的道德關懷，再度予以正視。 另外，本文也從劉知幾對《史記》的批評中，看出另一種「愛奇」說的興式實錄觀，被遮蓋在以「官史」為主的鑒式實錄觀之史學主流中。此，本文遂提出兩種「實錄」類型的觀點：「鑒式實錄」與「興式實錄」。

A “faithful record” 實錄 in traditional Chinese historiography fulfilled the role of “displaying the good and revealing the evil” 彰善顯惡. Contemporary historiography, on the other hand, has tended to take an unfavorable view towards this attitude and prefer that historians not give subjective evaluations of their subject. Clearly, what constitutes a “faithful record” in these two frameworks entails widely different elements. Having left the heyday of the May Fourth Movement behind us, we are today in a position to reexamine Western and traditional historiography and make a more balanced evaluation. Through this, we can get a better understanding of why, in traditional historiography, the “way of the present world” 當世性 and “displaying the good and revealing the evil” were crucial parts of the historian’s “faithful record” and further reaffirm to the modem reader the moralistic concern of traditional historians in presenting their “faithful record.” This essay likewise points to another view, the “evocative- faithful record” 興式實錄觀 characterized by the “love of the special” 愛奇 that is present in criticism of the Shiji 史記 by Liu Zhiji 劉知幾 but that was eclipsed by the mainstream “mirror-like faithful record” 鑒式實錄觀 typified by the official histories. Based on this, this essay identifies two potential models of a “faithful record”: “the mirror-like” and the “evocative.”