对一般读者来说,中国社科院历史所研究员吴丽娱的研究领域相当冷僻:礼仪制度。虽然现代人对礼制不免隔膜,但在中国古代社会,象征着秩序的礼仪是国家建构政治正当性的核心手段,对古人生活的世界也有重要意义。吴丽娱的《终极之典》一书,讨论的就是唐代皇帝及官员的丧葬制度,从中能够见出中国中古社会的方方面面,尤其是社会结构的变化和社会风气的转变。 For the average reader, Wu Li, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences history, is quite isolated: the etiquette system. Although modern people can not help but politeness, in ancient Chinese society, the etiquette symbolizing order is the core means of constructing political legitimacy in our country, and it is of great significance to the world in which the ancients lived. The book “The Ultimate Code” by Wu Li-yun discusses the funeral system of the emperors and officials of the Tang Dynasty. From this perspective, we can see all aspects of the society in the Middle Ages of China, in particular the changes in social structure and the changes in social ethos.