在上世纪二三十年代，由于外界形势和社会舆情的变化，吕思勉《白话本国史》中某些“不合时宜”的叙述和评论，是否需要修改、如何修改？对作者和出版方都是一个难题。大致说来，商务印书馆较多地考虑形势与舆情的压力，虽不得已、但仍按要求做审时度势的修订，以保证史书的再版续印。吕思勉则不愿随波逐流地改书，尤其不愿按某种现实的需求来修改自己的学术观点；但他又不能不顾及社会舆情和商务印书馆的处境。《白话本国史》的二次修改，最终都由商务编辑代笔，实在是无可奈何的解决办法。作为一个案例，《白话本国史》的修订，印证了史学研究中的老问题：当史学研究的求真与现实社会的致用发生矛盾冲突时，史学家是放弃求真以迎合社会舆情？还是相反？社会的相关方面是希望史学家掩饰真相以保证与现实舆情的一致，还是相反？这个难题，似乎至今还未找到两全的办法。

With the change of the situation and public opinions in 1920s and 1930s, it became a difficult problem for both LÜ Si-mian, the author and the Commercial Press, the publisher whether it is necessary and how to revise certain “inappropriate” depictions and comments in LÜ’s A History of China in Modern Chinese Language. Despite of its unwillingness, the press tended to make necessary revision under the pressure of the situation and public opinions so as to ensure the reprint of the book. On the contrary, LÜ refused to revise his book because of external forces, let alone revising his academic opinions according to certain practical needs. However, he had to take public opinions and the situation of the press into account. As the last choice, the revision of the book was eventually carried out by the editor of the press. The case of this revision shows the lasting problem in historical study: Should a historian pander to public opinions in the price of the truth or persist in the truth when there is conflict between seeking for the truth in historical study and practical needs of society? Should a society demand a historian to cover the truth to cater to public opinions or not? There seems to be no answer to this dilemma up till now.