在對卡萊爾的研究上，其年輕時所遭遇的「憂傷與改變」為學者們探討其智識與道德發展的關鍵。雷絲路事件是卡萊爾自述其「憂傷與改變」的關鍵事實，因此雷絲路事件深受歷來研究卡萊爾的學者們所重視。但是他們大體上是在探討卡萊爾「憂傷與改變」的過程，著重雷絲路事件在此過程中的定位，而非雷絲路事件本身的事實。因此對於雷絲路事件產生了某些誤解，而這些誤解皆與雷絲路事件年代的討論有關。歷來學者們對於雷絲路事件年代的說法，不僅有很大的爭議，並且迄今尚未有定論。 在雷絲路事件的年代問題上所顯示的爭議性與複雜性，使我們可從雷絲路事件年代的探討來分析史料與觀點的問題。在觀點上要批判歷來學者們所附會卡萊爾自傳式小說《衣裳哲學》書中「三階段」的說法，不採取學者們所慣用的「智識與道德發展的」角度，而採用卡萊爾當時的書信所強調的「身體健康」的角度(尤其是他的神經疾病)來探討卡萊爾的雷絲路事件。因此，我們需特別注意史料的解讀與運用。故本文企圖經由對各種史料的嚴謹批判與運用，尤其著重以《卡萊爾夫婦書信全集》中卡萊爾當時的書信，來驗證回憶錄與自傳式小說《衣裳哲學》中所歸納出來的線索，重新去探討雷絲路事件的年代。透過對於雷絲路事件年代的探討，不僅能探討出雷絲路事件的年代，並且顯示前此學者們對於雷絲路事件的誤解，甚至進一步顯示卡萊爾「憂傷與改變」研究模式在史料與觀點上的問題。

Young Carlyle’s “sorrow and conversion” is essential in explaining his intellectual and moral development. It is due to the proclamation of Carlyle himself that the Leith Walk incident is seen as critical to his conversion, and it has therefore attracted the attention of scholars. They have explored the process of the so-called three stages of Carlyle’s “sorrow and conversion,” focusing on the role of the Leith Walk incident for Carlyle, but not on the event itself. It is not surprising that they have some misunderstandings about the facts of the incident, which are relevant to the problem of the year when the incident occurred. The year of the Leith Walk incident has aroused debate among scholars, and the answer generally accepted by scholars is no longer convincing. Owing to the controversy and the complexity of the discussion on the year of the Leith Walk incident, we must explore both the problems of the sources and different views. The myths stemming from the formula accepted, either critically or uncritically, of three stages from Sartor Resartus are reviewed here. However, the approach of this essay instead is based on Carlyle’s “physical” problems (especially nervous disorder), which were emphasized in Carlyle’s letters. In the meantime, we also distinguish the nature of the different sources and criticize earlier scholarly discussions of the main issues. This essay analyzes a wide variety of sources, especially Carlyle’s numerous letters, to test the clues abstracted from the records of Carlyle’s Reminiscences and Sartor Resartus, in order to determine the facts of the Leith Walk incident. Thus we are able not only to determine the year of the incident , but also correct scholarly misunderstandings of the incident, and even further reveal the problems of the whole formula in dealing with both sources and different views.

雷絲路事件；憂傷與改變；三階段過程說；神經疾病

Leith Walk incident; sorrow and conversion; process of three stages; nervous disorder