生平

宣和五年（1123年）生，南宋名臣洪皓第三子。洪皓使金，遭金人扣留，洪迈年仅七岁，随兄洪适、洪遵攻读，「幼读书日数千言，一过目辄不忘，博极载籍，虽稗官虞初，释老傍行，靡不涉猎」。赵与旹有言「知古者莫如洪景卢」。十岁时，随兄洪适避乱，尝往返于秀州、饶州二州之间。绍兴十五年（1145年）进士，授两浙转运司。受秦桧排挤，出京为福州教授。累迁吏部郎兼礼部郎。绍兴三十一年（1161年），迁左司员外郎。绍兴三十二年（1162年）春，金世宗遣左监军高忠建来告登位且议和，洪迈为接伴使，充贺登位使，出使金国，「自旦及暮，不给饮食，三日乃得见」，洪迈熬不过，屈节称臣。金大都督怀中提议将洪迈扣留，左丞相张浩以为不可，乃遣还。殿中御史张震弹劾迈「使金辱命」，罢归家居。

隆兴元年（1163年），知泉州。乾道二年（1166年），知吉州，入京为起居舍人。乾道三年（1167年），迁起居郎，拜中书舍人兼侍读、直学士院。乾道六年（1170年），知赣州。淳熙二年（1175年），知婺州，兴修水利 。特迁敷文阁待制。淳熙三年（1176年），建议许浦开河三十六里，梅里筑二大堰；又建议建造多桨底平船，召募濒海富商入船予爵，招善操舟者以补水军。同年以提举佑神观兼侍讲、同修国史。淳熙四年（1177年）九月，拜翰林学士。绍熙元年（1190年），进焕章阁学士，知绍兴府。绍熙二年（1191年），上章告老，进龙图阁学士。不久以端明殿学士致仕。嘉泰二年（1202年）卒，年八十。赠光禄大夫，谥文敏。

著作

洪迈二十岁即潜心于《夷坚志》之编撰，至死方休。其他著作包括《容斋随笔》五集、《四朝国史记》、《钦宗纪》等。编有《万首唐人绝句》。洪迈著作《经义考》，其中的观点之一坚持看不起《逸周书》的偏见：「周书今七十篇，殊与尚书体不相类，所载事物亦多过实，无所质信。」

注释

参考

• 《宋史‧列传第一百三十二》

• 王德毅：《洪容斋先生年谱》，载《幼狮学报》第三卷第二期

Life

Hong was born in the year of 1123 in Poyang. His father Hong Hao was a Song official who participated the negotiations between Song and Jin during the wars of Jingkang era. He also had two elder brothers whose name were Hong Kuo and Hong Zun respectively.

In 1145, with the favor of Emperor Gaozong of Song, Hong Mai was given a government post in the department of transportation (Zhuanyun Si).

In 1162, Hong Mai was sent to Jurchen Empire; which ruled the northern half of China at the time; as a diplomat. During his stay in the north, he tried to establish a truce in Shandong but the Jurchens were not ready to accommodate. Mai did not receive any response from the north and returned south by autumn.

In 1166, Hong was appointed the magistrate of Jizhou. In the following years, he also governed Ganzhou and Wuzhou in turn.

In 1175, Hong became a member of the national archive and participated in the compiling of Chronicles.

In 1190, Hong was appointed the magistrate of Shaoxing. In Shaoxing, he rectified the population registry and petitioned a tax cut for the people of Shaoxing.

Hong died in the year of 1202, aged 80. He was posthumously given the name "Wenmin" (文敏).

Works

Yijianzhi was one of Hong's major contribution to the Chinese Yaoguai mythology tradition that dates back to the time of Gan Bao. The record spoke widely about incidents that are mythical, fantastic, and supernatural during Song dynasty. More importantly, the record depicts the daily life of Song dynasty Chinese in detail which otherwise would remain unknown to modern time researchers.

Hong Mai was an advocate of Chinese colloquial fiction writing. He elevated the writing of fiction to the same level of poetry. Especially, Hong praised the Tang dynasty fiction writers for their touching renditions of common people's day-to-day emotions.

In 1180, Hong Mai initiated his project of compiling ten thousand Tang dynasty poems. The compiling was completed in the year of 1190. The publication is known as "Ten thousand quatrains of Tang".