何炳棣教授所撰《明清社會史論》（Ho Ping-ti. The Ladder of Success in Imperial China: Aspects of Social Mobility, 1368-1911.New York and London: Columbia University Press, 1967.）係根據近一萬五千名明清進士、兩萬多名晚清舉人與特種貢生三代履歷，以及大量且多樣史料，用以討論明清「社會流動」（social mobility）者。此書早著大名，近半世紀以來，中國史研究、社會史研究、東亞史研究與社會科學界同聲譽為劃時代之經典鉅著，且已有意大利文及日文本、韓文本問世。惜中譯本至今未見刊行，誠一大憾事也。泓刻經何炳棣教授同意，授予該書翻譯權。迻譯之時，乃逐一查對所引原始文獻，還原於譯文之中，若有出入則以〈譯者註〉形式說明。此書出版已屆五十年，相關文獻與研究論著出土、出版者正復不少，均得與何教授對話；此不同意見與文獻資料之修訂、補強，亦見〈譯者註〉。何教授所徵引之資料，既博且精，不見於臺灣圖書館者甚多，此部分則一一親向何教授請教，力求復原何教授引用之原典，此實中譯本所以不同於其他文字譯本之處。本次發表為第五章，從科舉考試制度，公立的各級學校教育制度，地方社學與私人書院，地方上幫助舉子應考的機制，宗族制度、刻書出版業，戰爭與社會動亂及人口與經濟因素等方面論述影響明清社會流動的因素。何先生的這本書初版於1962年，1967年修訂再版，其中本章的部分圖表數字與1962年原版有所不同。本譯文即以1967年修訂本為底本。

In 1962, Professor Ping-ti Ho published his book on Chinese civil service examination and social mobility, The Ladder of Success in Imperial China: Aspects of Social Mobility, 1368-1911. This is a first-class contribution to the subject of social mobility in traditional China. It has almost exhausted the existing data which may be treated statistically and which bears on the subject through the family background of members of the elite class in that society. As his primary source, he uses lists of holders of economic degrees which, according to Chinese law, include each candidate's ancestry for three generations. He also makes use of other sources, such as government statutes, certain local history, biographies, genealogies, and some works of contemporary observers. This book is a classic for all of the students of Chinese Studies and social sciences in past 50 years. It has been translated into Italian, Korean and Japanese since its publication. Yet, the most wanted Chinese version of this book has not published. Therefore, with Professor Ho's blessing, I proposed a project to translate The Ladder of Success in Imperial China: Aspects of Social Mobility, 1368-1911 (New York and London: Columbia University Press, 1967.) into Chinese with connoted notes. This is the fifth chapter, "Factors Affecting Social Mobility."