介绍中国的英文介绍

介绍中国的英文介绍（精选7篇）

介绍中国的英文介绍 篇1

The origin of the Chinese New Year is itself centuries oldbut black and white are out, as these are associated with mourning.After dinner, the family sit up for the night playing cards, board games or watching TV programmers dedicated to the occasion.At midnight, the sky is lit up by fireworks.On the day itself, an ancient custom called Hong Bao, meaning Red Packet, takes place.This involves married couples giving children and unmarried adults money in red envelopes.Then the family begins to say greetings from door to door, first to their relatives and then their neighbors.Like the Western saying “let bygones be bygones,” at Chinese New Year, grudges are very easily cast aside.The end of the New Year is marked by the Festival of Lanterns, which is a celebration with singing, dancing and lantern shows.Although celebrations of the Chinese New Year vary, the underlying message is one of peace and happiness for family members and friends.农历新年的起源是它几个世纪的历史岁月，事实上，这由于年代过于久远而无法被准确的追溯。人们通常称之为春节并庆祝长达15天的时间。

准备的工作通常在农历新年（类似于西方的圣诞节）之前的一个月就已经展开，也就是人们开始购买礼物，装饰品，材料，衣服和食物。

大扫除会在新年之前展开，华人的房屋会被彻底的打扫，扫去厄运，给门和窗子上新漆，通常都是红色的。在门和窗子上贴上剪纸和印有喜气，长寿，发财主体的对联。年三十夜或许是最激动人心的部分，如预期般的悄悄接近。这里，服装和食物上都体现着族传统礼仪的遵从。

晚餐，通常都是饺子和海鲜酒席。象征着不同的美好祝愿，微妙的东西包括有虾来祝愿幸福快乐，干贝祝愿完事顺利，生鱼来祝愿好运和繁荣。Fai-hai 一种像头发般的可食用海藻带来繁荣的祝愿，水饺意味着对家庭的美好祝愿。

通常穿上红色的衣服，认为这种颜色可以避邪。但是绝不穿黑色和白色的。那些颜色通常和悲痛相联系。饭后家人们不睡，玩棋牌，看电视节目都融入于这种气氛。深夜，天空被烟花所点亮。

在农历新年当天，有一个古老的传统叫做红包，意思就是红色的小包。就是已婚的夫妇给小孩和未婚的成年人装在红信封里的钱。而后一家人开始串门问候，先去他们的亲戚家，而后是邻居。就如西方所说的，让过去的就成为过去吧。在农历新年，过去的过劫非常容易就被抛开了。

新年的最后一天被称为灯笼节，以唱歌跳舞观灯笼的方式来庆祝。

介绍中国的英文介绍 篇2

美国《简明不列颠百科全书》、中国博物馆协会、《苏联大百科全书》都明确表示博物馆是通过实物和文字向公众告知某种事物、传播某种文化的场所。宁波帮博物馆汇集并整合了宁波帮的历史人文资源, 是传播中国文化, 尤其是宁波文化的重要媒介。博物馆中陈列着许多富有宁波帮文化特色的展品, 中外参观者可以通过博物馆陈列语言及其英语翻译来理解展品名称、用途及其由来。

我对宁波帮博物馆进行了实地采访, 获取第一手可靠资料, 对其进行研究, 并取得一定的研究成效。本文以宁波帮博物馆实地文字翻译为基本材料, 对博物馆翻译与文化两者之间的关系进行了探索, 并从翻译策略角度———主要是归化和异化翻译策略, 对宁波帮博物馆英语介绍语的翻译进行分析, 比较译者在博物馆翻译中采用的归化与异化翻译策略, 探讨宁波帮博物馆英文介绍语是如何做到既通俗易懂, 又不失文采, 同时还保留其文化内涵的。

2. 博物馆介绍语翻译研究的发展

李莹 (2005) 根据Lawrence Venuti对归化与异化翻译的定义, 对博物馆中文化现象所运用的翻译手段进行分类, 描述性地阐释了在文化背景各异的情况下, 译者由于受到不同意识形态的影响而趋向于选择与占支配地位的意识形态相符合的翻译策略。

丁宁 (2009) 认为在进行异化翻译处理时, 一般以突出异域色彩为出发点, 注重异域风俗文化、价值取向、思维方式和表达习惯等。归化翻译处理则反之。二者的特点决定了译者在博物馆翻译工作中应该灵活掌握, 具体情况具体采用为好。

谭金利 (2006) 认为翻译目的、文本类型、作者意图及读者的接受能力等因素制约着归化和异化策略的应用, 这两种翻译策略之间存在辩证关系, 应该根据具体场景采取适当的策略。

古今中外, 关于博物馆介绍语、博物馆文化及翻译的归化异化策略的研究为数不少, 但是将三者结合为一体, 从归化异化的角度, 研究博物馆介绍语中的文化翻译问题的文章寥寥无几。上述三位学者亦是如此, 有些没有选取特定博物馆进行研究, 其研究过于笼统。有些则没有将其思想与博物馆文化研究相结合。通过调查, 我发现, 专门针对某个博物馆进行的研究几乎为空白。

3. 归化与异化翻译策略

美国翻译理论家Venuti (1995) 在《译者的隐形———翻译史论》一书中提出归化和异化两种翻译策略。归化翻译法是指在翻译中采用透明、流畅的风格, 最大限度地淡化原文的陌生感的翻译策略 (Shuttleworth&Cowie, 1997:43-44) 。它应尽可能地使源语文本所反映的世界接近目的语文化读者的世界, 从而达到源语文化与目的语文化之间的“文化对等”。而异化翻译法是指偏离本土主流价值观, 保留原文的语言和文化差异;或指在一定程度上保留原文的异域性, 故意打破目标语言常规的翻译 (Shuttleworth&Cowie, 1997:59) 。它主张在译文中保留源语文化, 丰富目的语文化和目的语的语言表达方式。

归化翻译使“外国文本的种族中心让位于英美译入语的文化价值观” (Venuti, 1995:20) 。韦努蒂的归化翻译包括目的语文化对文本的选择, 即有意挑选那些能够采用归化翻译方法的外国文本, 以便于将之同化到目的语主流文化当中去 (Venuti, 1997:241) 。

异化翻译是“对译入语文化价值观施加种族离心的压力, 以在翻译作品中体现外国文本语言和文化的差异, 从而把读者送到国外” (Venuti, 1995:20) 。韦努蒂的异化翻译能够抑制翻译中种族中心的暴力, 抑制英语国家“暴力”的归化翻译文化价值观 (Venuti, 1995:20) 。

4. 宁波帮博物馆翻译实例分析

宁波帮博物馆英文介绍语中存在着许多有可分析价值的实例, 篇幅有限, 本文仅选择其中几个具有代表性的实例进行探讨。

4.1“帮”的翻译

“帮”在《现代汉语词典》中的解释是“群;伙;集团 (多指为政治的或经济的目的而结成的) ”。这是一个带有浓重中国文化意味的字。英文中表示“群;伙;集团”意思的词, 如group, 它仅仅只是一小部分人的集合, 他们并不一定具有共同的目的;又如company, 它绝大多数情况下是指两人的友好关系:它们都无法将“帮”传神表达。“宁波帮”一词, 宁波帮博物馆的翻译版本, 直接就是“Ningbo Bang”。“Ningbo Bang”采用异化的翻译策略, 以汉语拼音来诠释“帮”的内涵, 故意打破目标语言常规的翻译, 从而在一定程度上保留原文的异域性。

4.2“宁波人”的翻译

“宁波人”在宁波帮博物馆中的翻译版本是“Ningbonese”, 这个翻译同时采取了归化与异化的翻译策略。“Ningbonese”看似是一个生造的词, 但是由构词学角度, 它可以被看作是“Ningbo”+“nese”。“nese”在英文中是“ (某国的;某地的) 人”的后缀, “Ningbonese”也就可以马上并清楚地被国外友人理解为“宁波人”了。同时, “Ningbonese”一词发音类似于“宁波宁”, 第二个“宁”在宁波方言中有“人”的意思, 因此, 这一个词的翻译完整地保留并传达了汉语的文化意味, 是一个非常精彩的翻译。

4.3 政治专有名词的翻译

在政治专有名词的翻译上, 归化与异化翻译策略的选择则更偏重于国家在外交时对外宣传的统一翻译口径。在宁波帮博物馆中, 有不少政治专有名词。“九一八事件”译作“The Septermber 18th”, “五四新文化带动的白话文运动”译作“May Movement”。针对其中的一些历史时期, 比如“道光年间”, 宁波帮博物馆中的翻译为“The Daoguang Period”, 这确实是对中国历史时期较普遍的翻译, 但是我认为, 参观博物馆的部分中国人还不一定熟悉中国过去的历史时期划分, 更何况是国外友人。因此, 我建议在此类历史时期后注明时间区间。

4.4 历史人物姓名的翻译

在人名的翻译上, 中西方已经基本达成了文化传播的共识, 即中文名一般以拼音形式翻译成英文, 英文名一般以音译形式翻译成中文。并且, 姓名的翻译还必须符合一定的文化及语法习惯, 即中文名姓在前, 名在后, 而英文名则正好相反。在宁波帮博物馆中, “潘天寿”译为Pan Tianshou, “谭盾”译为Tan Dun, “傅其芳”译为Fu Qifang, 这些都是很容易被国外友人理解的。其中也有一些较特别的人名翻译, 比如“董浩云” (Chao Yung Tung/C.Y.Tung) 、“王宽城” (Wang Kwan Cheng/K.C.Wong) 、“包玉刚” (Pao Yue-kong) 、“张敏钰” (Ming Yu Chang) 、“应昌期” (Ing Chang-ki) 等, 他们是宁波帮的代表人物, 迁居中国港澳台, 并且有着西学的背景, 采用的姓名英文翻译已经约定俗成, 同样的还有“孙中山” (Sun Yat-sen) 、“毛泽东” (Mao Tsetong) 、“蒋介石” (Chiang Kai-shek) 等历史人物。

4.5 宁波歌谣的翻译

宁波帮博物馆中有许多带有宁波本土味道的歌谣, 比如只有八字的“大海洋洋, 忘记爹娘”。没有了实体展品帮助理解, 这类翻译更趋近于文学翻译, 即更偏重于采用归化的翻译策略。宁波帮博物馆中的翻译是“Living so far on the other side of the ocean, I can hardly remember the faces of my parents”。以“I (我) ”为叙事主体, 讲述个人离家甚远思念父母的情感。从中, 国外友人能很快地理解简短的八字中文的内容。

4.6 实例分析小结

宁波帮博物馆的翻译, 根据不同翻译对象的类型, 采取不同的翻译策略。馆中英语介绍语部分采用归化翻译策略, 如“大海洋洋, 忘记爹娘”翻译成“Living so far on the other side of the ocean, I can hardly remember the faces of my parents”, 它最大限度地淡化原文的陌生感, 达到“文化对等”, 使英语国家朋友容易接受;部分采用异化翻译策略, 如“宁波帮”翻译成“Ningbo Bang”, 它故意打破目标语言常规的翻译, 保留原文文化差异;部分同时采用归化和异化翻译策略, 如“宁波人”翻译成“Ningbonese”, 它既保留了源语言的文化, 又接近目的语言文化读者的世界。针对宁波帮博物馆馆中的一些特例, 比如政治专有名词和人名的翻译, 归化与异化翻译策略的选择则更偏重于已经约定俗称的翻译标准。

5. 结论

文化是一个区域独有的表现形式, 通过翻译, 其他区域的人们也能够了解它的文化。在翻译策略中, 归化法要求译者向目的语读者靠拢, 采取目的语读者习惯的语言表达方式来传达原文的内容, 而异化法则正好相反, 要求译者向源语言作者靠拢。宁波帮博物馆英语介绍语针对不同对象, 恰当地使用归化和异化的翻译策略, 既清楚明了, 又保留了本土文化。

参考文献

[1]Shuttleworth Mark, Cowie Moira.Dictionary of Translation Studies.St.Jerome Pub. (Manchester, UK) , 1997.

[2]丁宁.浅谈博物馆文字翻译的归化异化.中国科教创新导刊, 2009, (10) :80-82.

[3]姜智慧.异化翻译与文化形象的保存——浙江省博物馆“文化介绍”的翻译研究.新疆财经大学学报, 2010, (1) .

[4]李莹.从文化角度看博物馆文物翻译中的归化异化.广东外语外贸大学, 2005.

[5]刘薇.归化与异化在广告翻译中的运用.US-China Foreign Language (Serial No.63) , 2008.12.

[6]谭金利.从跨文化角度论翻译中的异化和归化.西安电子科技大学, 2006.1.

[7]韦努蒂.译者的隐形:翻译史论.外语教学与研究出版社, 2009.

春节英文小介绍 篇3

Introducing Spring Festival

The Spring Festival is the most important festival for the Chinese people and is when all family members get together, just like Christmas in the West. It originated^[起源] in the Shang Dynasty from the people’s sacrifices^[祭品] to gods and ancestors^[祖先] at the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one.

During the last ten days before Spring Festival, store owners are busy as everybody goes out to purchase^[购买] necessities for the New Year. Materials not only include edible^[食用的] oil, rice, poultry^[家禽], fish and meat, but also fruit, candies and all kinds of nuts. What’s more, various decorations, new clothes and shoes for the children as well as gifts for the elderly, friends and relatives are all on the list of purchasing.

Before the New Year comes, people completely clean the inside and outside of their homes. Then they begin decorating^[装饰] their clean rooms with an atmosphere^[气氛] of joy and festivity^[欢庆]. All the door panels will be pasted with Spring Festival couplets^[对联]. Also, pictures of the gods of doors and wealth will be posted on front doors to ward off^[避开] evil spirits and welcome peace and abundance^[充裕]. Red paper-cuttings can be seen on window glass.

According to custom, each family will stay up to count down for the New Year on the eve of the Spring Festival. Lighting firecrackers^[爆竹] was once the most typical custom during the Spring Festival. People thought the banging and popping could help drive away evil spirits. Children will get money as a New Year’s gift, wrapped^[包裹] up in red packets. A series of activities such as lion dancing, dragon lantern^[灯笼] dancing, lantern festivals and temple fairs will be held for days. The Spring Festival then comes to an end when the Lantern Festival is over.

春节是我国民间最重要的传统节日，就像西方的圣诞节一样，这是一家团聚的时刻。春节起源于殷商时期辞旧迎新之际的祭神祭祖活动。

在春节前最后十天，大小商铺生意兴隆，因为人们都忙于置年货。年货包括油、米、鸡、鸭、鱼、肉，还有糖饵果品及各式各样的果仁。除此之外，人们还要准备各种各样的装饰物，为小孩子添置新衣新鞋，以及准备过年时走亲访友、孝敬长辈的礼品。

春节前，人们会把屋子里里外外都打扫得干干净净。然后，他们会把家装饰得充满节日气氛—门的两侧贴上春联，大门前还要贴上门神和财神的画像以避邪迎福，在窗户玻璃上贴上红色剪纸。

中国著名旅游景点英文介绍 篇4

1.The Great wall

The Great Wall, located in northern China, is 6,700 kilometers long and thus known as the “10,000-li Great Wall”.Construction of the wall went on for more than 2,000 years, from 7 th century to 14 th century AD.The wall has become a symbol of both China’s proud historyand its present strength.2.The Palace Museum

The Palace Museum, also called the Forbidden City, is located in the center of Beijing.The imperial palace used by emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties is the largest and most complete ancient wooden-structure building complex in the world.Construction of the Forbidden City started in 1406 and lasted 14 years.24 emperors were enthroned there.3.Zhoukoudian: Home of the Peking Man

Remains of the Peking Man(homo erectus)are located on the Dragon Bone Hill at Zhoukoudian Village, Fangshan District, Beijing.In the 1920s, archaeologists discovered the complete skull of Peking Man.Later, more skull bones as well as stone and bone instruments were unearthed.Peking Man lived 690,000 years ago, during Paleolithic times.Findings indicate that Peking Man knew how to make fires.4.Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum and Terra-cotta Army

Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum is located in Lintong District, 35 kilometers east of Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi Province.Construction ofthe mausoleum lasted 38 years and involved over 700,000 workers.Over the years, a total of 50,000 important cultural relics have been unearthed.In 1980, two bronze painted horse-drawn chariots were unearthed.They are the largest and most complete bronze chariots and horses discovered so far.In 1974, farmers who were digging a well about 1.5 kilometers east of Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum discovered three vaults containing Qinshihuang’s Buried Legion.The largest of the three vaults contains 6,000 life-size terra-cotta warriors and horses.The collection of warriors is

often dubbed the“eighthwonder of the world”.5.The Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang

Dunhuang Grottoes comprise of the Mogao grottoes, West 1,000-Buddha Cave, and Yulin Cave.The Mogao Grottoes, representative of the three sites, are located 25 kilometers southwest of Dunhuang City, Gansu Province.Construction of the grottoes began in 366 AD.The well-designed grottoes are a treasure house containing painting, sculptures, documents, and cultural relics.6.The Huangshan Mountain

Located in Huangshan City in southern Anhui Province, the scenic area of the Huangshan Mountain covers 154 square kilometers and is famous for its four wonders: strangely-shaped pines, grotesque rock formations, seas of clouds and hot springs.It also features a natural zoo and botanical garden.7.Huanglong

The Huanglong Scenic Area is located in Songpan County, Sichuan Province.Calcified ponds, beaches, waterfalls and embankments characterize Huanglong scenery.8.Chengde Summer Resorts and Surrounding Temples

Chengde Summer Resort, known as “The Mountain Hamlet for Escaping the Heat”, is located in northern Chengde, Hebei Province.Qing Emperors used to spend their summer days handling state affairs at the resort.Construction of the resort lasted from 1703 to 1792.It is the largest and best-preserved imperial palace outside the capital.Many of the scenic spots around the resort’s lake area mimic famous landscaped gardens in southern China, and the buildings of the Outer Eight Temples feature architectural style of minority ethnic groups such as Mongolian, Tibetan and Uygur.9.Qufu, Confusius’Mansion, Temple and Cemetery

Qufu, in southwestern Shandong Province, was the capital of the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period(770-476 BC)and the hometown of Confusius, a great thinker and educator.Confucius’Mansion was the residence of Confucius’ eldest male descendants for generation.The mansion holds more than 9,000 volumes of archives dating from 1534 to 1948 and many cultural relics, ancient costumes, and utensils.Confucius’ Temple is famous for its 2,000 stone steles and more than 100 portrait stones from the Han Dynasty.Confucius’Cemetery houses tombs for Confucius and his

descendants.10.Ancient Buildings on the Wudang Mountain

The Wudang Mountain, located in northwestern Hubei Province, is a sacred Taoist mountain that is best known as the birthplace of Wudang martial arts.The Gold Hall built on the mountain in 1416 represents advanced architectural styleand building techniques of that period.11.Potala Palace Potala

Palace in Lhasa is situated on Red Hill 3,700 meters above the sea level.The palace was built by Tibetan King Songtsan Gambo in the 7 th century for Tang Princess Wencheng.Potala features the essence of ancient Tibetan architectural art and houses many artifacts of the Tubo Kingdom.12.The Lushan Mountain

The Lushan Mountain, located south of Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province, is one of the most famous mountains in China.The mountain features beautiful peaks, seas of clouds, waterfalls and historical sites.Bailu Academy is one of Chinese first schools of higher learning.13.The Emei Mountain and Leshan Giant Buddha The Emei Mountain is one of China’s four famous Buddhist Mountains.It is located 7 kilometers southwest of Emeishan City, Sichuan Province.There are 150 temples on the mountain.The mountain features more than 3,000 plant species and 2,000 varieties of animals.Leshan Giant Buddha is located on the east bank of the Minjiang River in Leshan city, Sichuan Province.The Buddha is carved out of a cliff and, being 70.7 meters tall, is the largest sitting Buddha in China.Carving of the Buddha

started in 713 and was completed in 803.The body of Buddha has a water drainage system to prevent erosion.14.Lijiang Ancient City

Lijiang ancient city, located in Lijiang, Yunnan Province, is an ancient town inhabited mainly by the Naxi minority people.The town was founded in 1127.The roads in the town are paved with colored pebbles produced in Lijiang, and there are many stone bridges and memorial archways built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.Most of the residences are made of earth and wood.Palace murals depicting religious themes were painted during the Ming Dynasty.The traditional Dongba Culture of the Naxi ethnic group

has been preserved in Lijiang.15.Pingyao Ancient City

Pingyao of Shanxi Province was built 2,000 years ago during the Zhou Dynasty.The city wall was renovated in 1370.It is one of China’s earliest and largest county-level city walls.Ancient streets, government offices, markets, stores and residences have been preserved, providing invaluable resources for research on China’s ancient Ming Dynasty county seat.16.Suzhou Gardens

Suzhou in Jiangsu Province is a famous historic and cultural city that is more than 2,500 years old.Suzhou features more than 200 ancient gardens.The small private gardens are especially famous nationwide and reflect architectural styles of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.17.The Summer Palace of Beijing

The Summer Palace, featuring the best of China’s ancient gardens, is located in the western suburbs of Beijing.The palace was built in 1153 as a temporary imperial palace.It was rebuilt in 1888.The Summer Palace consists of the Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake.The Long Corridor, painted with exquisite paintings, was included in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1992 as the longest corridor in the world.The corridor links the area where Empress Dowager Cixi handled state affairs with the residential

and sightseeing areas.18.The Temple of Heaven of Beijing

中秋节的来历简单介绍英文介绍 篇5

译文：受中华文化dao的影响，中秋节也是东亚和东南亚一些国家尤其是当地的华人华侨的传统节日。

Since , the Mid-Autumn Festival has been listed as a national statutory festival.

英文版家乡介绍,自我介绍 篇6

It’s really a great honor to have this opportunity to introduce my hometown to you.My hometown is Qiqihar ,the second largest city in Heilongjiang province.It’s well known as crane city，because it is the homeland of red-crowned crane.All the year round ,there are so many different kinds of birds living in the Zhalong Nature Reserve.It’s true that my hometown is the paradise of birds.Besides my hometown isfamous for producing green food, which is more tasty and nourishing than the ordinary food ,and it is also good to our health.I have lived in my hometown more than twenty years , and I love it so much.So if you want to come here , don not hesitate it any more.I promise you will have a good time!

自我介绍模板

古伯察向西方介绍的中国(上) 篇7

评判中华帝国(清朝)和中国人的态度

通读全书会发现,古伯察评价中国时,有一种明显的宗教优越感和文明优越感。在某些部分,甚至流露出种族优越感。在他的著作中,不时对他所见到的某些中国人和某些现象进行嘲讽、戏谑。他甚至津津乐道地讲述了一次亲身破坏清朝司法的小事件并且颇为得意。尽管这一事件的起因是,古伯察为了保护当地的一个基督教徒免被诬陷,而突发奇想将清朝的地方官晾在一旁,亲自充当了一次主审官。他的讲述,客观上产生的效果让人觉得,清朝官员在他这个带着黄帽子系着红腰带的洋人面前唯唯诺诺,对象征皇权的“符号”没有原则的尊敬,而且也令读者感到清朝司法缺乏严肃性。他在记述另一事件之后写道:“在中国,你要想让别人尊重你,就得拿出点颜色给他们看看。”1可以说,他的著作,在一定程度上迎合并强化了当时欧洲人的优越心理。当时的欧洲列强正在崛起,古伯察的著作给读者呈现的中华帝国(清朝)的形象是懦弱、奇异的、落后的,某种程度上为欧洲列强的侵华行为提供了心理支持。

但是,我们必须承认一点,古伯察对当时中华帝国的评判在某些方面是比较公允的。从某种意义上,《中华帝国纪行》这部书可以看成是古伯察前一部书(即《鞑靼西藏旅行记》)的续篇。古伯察在《鞑靼西藏旅行记》中记录了他在西藏的见闻。他在西藏只待了两个月,便被清朝驻藏大臣驱逐出西藏,押送到成都,随后进入了广阔的中华帝国的心脏地区。值得一提的是,尽管古伯察与他的同伴受到了一些不公正的待遇,但是他依然对当时所见的中国的积极一面加以肯定甚至赞美。这让我们相信,他在著作中关于当时中国某些方面的记述,是比较公允的、客观的。

这种特征,可以从古伯察对伏尔泰、孟德斯鸠这两位欧洲启蒙作家关于中国论述的评价可以看出来。他显然非常熟悉伏尔泰与孟德斯鸠的著作,明确地提到了前者的《风俗论》和后者的《论法的精神》。他认为,伏尔泰是把中国当做其心中的梦想国家加以介绍与评价的,因此有美化、夸大之处;而孟德斯鸠则将中国作为一个暴虐政府统治的国家例子来论述,因此也有夸张之处。他指出,伏尔泰与孟德斯鸠笔下的两幅关于中国的画面同实际情况完全不一样,两者均有夸张,关于中国的真相应该在两者之间寻觅。2关于伏尔泰和孟德斯鸠在他们的著作中所呈现的中国和中国人形象,我在此前有专文论文,在此不赘。由此,我们也可以看到,从古到今,西方世界关于中国的观念,有一个传承与变化的过程。不同时期的作家、观察家都对旧观念进行一定的继承与批判,都为旧观念注入一些新的内容。

在介绍基督教在中国传播历史的时候,古伯察参考一封他收到的由四川省宗座代牧主教写来的信。古伯察在他的介绍中,比较客观地记述了从五、六世纪起,基督教在中国过程与所经历的风波,他提到了柏朗嘉宾(Plan Carpin,即普兰加尔宾3)、鲁布鲁克、利玛窦、圣方济各·沙勿略4、南怀仁等历史上著名的来华传教士。但是,在对中国对宗教态度进行评价时,古伯察却暴露出了他的狭隘性。在古伯察的观念里,中国是一个极端世俗的国家,他不无鄙夷地写道:“中国人完全专注于现世的利益,专注于他眼前感觉到的事情,他整个的一生仅仅是付诸于行动的物质主义。钱财是他眼睛一直盯视的唯一目标,对获得或大或小的利益的渴望占据了他的整个身心。除了财富和物质享受,他从不热心追求其他东西”5。他因中国人不相信基督教而否定中国人在精神方面的其他追求,显然是武断的、片面的。在这一问题上,古伯察的见识不如比他稍晚的丁韪良。丁韪良特别强调了中国人对基本美德(仁、义、理、智、信)的追求6。但是,毫无疑问的是,古伯察的这种观点与诸多西方人士类似的观点一起,形成了关于中国人因为没有宗教信仰,所以道德低下的偏颇之见。这种观念至今依然流行。

古伯察眼中的中国劳动人民和官员

在古伯察的著作中,不少地方提到他所认为的中国人的性格。在他眼里,“中国人的性格里面有很多像猴子一样机灵的东西”7。他还说,中国人“是个厨师的民族,还可以加一点,这也是个演员的民族”8。这些评价,包含了积极的一面,也包含了消极的一面。他认为,正是因为中国人有这种机灵的东西,所以在中国有很多智者和哲学家,也会到处充斥江湖骗子、小偷、小丑和喜剧演员。

古伯察也注意到在中国劳动人民身上所体现出的勤劳、坚忍等许多可贵的品质。他写道:“我们在农田和路上看到中国勤劳的人民,他们一直从事贸易和农业”9。他在被押送前往成都的路上,由轿夫抬着翻越飞鱼岭,那些为他抬肩舆的轿夫,令他印象极为深刻。他在书中写道:“给我们抬肩舆的轿夫发挥了惊人的技巧、力量和勇气”,“没有什么可以和这些坚持不懈的轿夫的沉着和机灵相比,只有在了不起的汉人中间才能找到这样的人”10。他仔细观察了那些轿夫,对他们的生存状态流露出深深地同情,说他们是“汉人之中最地道的一类人之一”11。他注意到轿夫们穿着非常简单,穿着两条内短裤(长到大腿中间),有几双草鞋,通常只有一件短袄,多半不穿。

在古伯察眼中,当时中国的文明程度是比较高的。在成都时,他注意到上层阶级人数众多,举止优雅,服饰上乘,中产阶级也彬彬有礼,堪与上层阶级相比,经济也宽裕,但是穷人实在众多,占人口的绝大多数。12

古伯察认为中国人也有一些缺点,尤其对当时清朝大多数官员印象不好。他写道:“中国人,特别是清朝官员恃强凌弱,盛气凌人对待和制服他们周围的一切,是他们经常考虑的目的。为了达到这个目的,他们在性格天生狡诈和圆通有着无尽的能量”13。在谈到清朝外交官时,古伯察则用了“狡猾”这样的词来加以修饰。古伯察的这种评论不是凭空而发的,而是基于他的亲身经历。在他的书中,有不少或狡诈、或圆通的官员、吏员形象。有个被古伯察叫做“丁老爷”的人就是一个典型。此人负责护送古伯察离开成都前往内地,古伯察注意到此人为了从路费和招待费中克扣出钱,不断耍一些小伎俩,比如本来四人抬轿,此人只雇佣三个轿夫,本来原定走陆路,此人为了省出路费安排一行人改行水路。这个“丁老爷”的贪婪和狡猾,让古伯察非常反感、讨厌。