《才子牡丹亭》，又名《箋注牡丹亭》，是清笠閣漁翁刻湯顯祖名著《牡丹亭》的評注本，批者署名「阿傍」，厥為女性。筆者在將此書批語，與清史震林在《西青散記》中，有關吳震生和程瓊夫婦的記載對勘，找到了有力的證據，足以證實此書刻者「笠閣漁翁」，就是生活於康、雍、乾之際的戲曲家吳震生（1695-1769），而批者「阿傍」，即其妻程瓊；《才子牡丹亭》乃夫婦二人合作而成。書內有關《牡丹亭》的批語部分，主要本於程瓊自批的《繡牡丹》，其中亦雜有吳氏的批釋；而附錄部分，如曾單獨廣為流傳之〈笠閣批評舊戲目〉，則大抵為吳震生一人所作。 　　《才子牡丹亭》在今日非常罕見。當今之戲曲學者，甚至湯顯祖研究者，均極少論及此書。此書批語，數量龐大，都約三十萬言，內容包羅萬象。批者對《牡丹亭》主旨「情」的闡發，又另闢蹊徑︰除強調才、色與情的關聯，從人心自然需求的心理層面，反對禮教禁殺情欲之外，甚且將各齣曲文和賓白中的許多字辭，特意標出，引為意涵「性事」或男女「二根」。女性批者的聲音，在戲曲評點史上固已罕聞，更難得的是程瓊明言，此批除自娛外，尚為滿足「閨人」的需求而作。因此，本文對於《才子牡丹亭》內容的介紹與作者的考訂，不僅廓清了長期以來，有關「笠閣漁翁」的身分之謎、《繡牡丹》的存佚問題，亦且對湯學、戲曲批評學、清代婦女文學，乃至社會文化學等的研究，皆具拓展的意義。 　　本文係筆者一系列探討《才子牡丹亭》論文的第一篇，旨在釐清此書之作者問題。內容主要包括三部分︰首先是《才子牡丹亭》的版本及內容介紹，其次是由《西青散記》相關記載，考證《才子牡丹亭》的作者，最後是作者之生平述要。

　　　　　This article investigates the problem of authorship of Ts'ai`tzu Mu-tan-t'ing (also known as Chien-chu Mu-tan-t'ing), an annotated edition of T'ang Hsien-tzu's Mu-tan-t'ing, or Peony Pavilion, printed by“Li-ke yu-weng”during the Yung-cheng reign of the Ch'ing dynasty. The annotator was a female alias“Ah-p'ang.” After a careful cross-examination of Shih Chen-lin's Hsi-ch'ing san-chi and of Ts'ai-tzu Mu-tan-t'ing, I have found sufficient proofs to conclude that“Li-ke yu-weng”was none other than the dramatist Wu Chen-sheng (1695-1769) and that“Ah-p'ang”was his wife Ch'eng Ch'iung; Ts'ai-tzu Mu-tan-t'ing was co-authored by this couple. Based on Ch'eng's work Hsiu mu-tan, this book includes commentaries on the Peony Pavilion by both husband and wife, and appendixes most likely written or compiled by Wu when he prepared the manuscript for print. 　　Extremely rare nowadays as it is, Ts'ai-tzu Mu-tan-t'ing has only been briefly mentioned by very few contemporary drama scholars. It is an unorthodox and extraordinary commentary on T'ang Hsien-tzu's well-known play. Treating it as a text on se-ch'ing, or sensual love and desire, the annotators marked all the glossaries in the text that have sexual connotations, elaborated on his or her views on ts'ai (talent), se (sensual beauty), and ch'ing (love), and attacked the unnatural stringency of Neo-Confucian orthodoxy. 　　This article, being the first in a series of discussions on Ts'ai-tzu Mu-tan-t'ing, has three main parts: first, an introduction to the editions and contents of Ts'ai-tzu Mu-tan-t'ing, second, a list of evidence which can help determine the authorship of this book, and third, an account of the authors' lives.