晚清万国史著的译介与传播

The Translation and Introduction of General World History in the Late Qing Dynasty

晚清西方万国史著作陆续被引入中国。这些著作基本可以从1900年为界,前后划分成两个阶段。前一阶段以传教士撰写、编译的万国史著作为主,后一阶段主要是以中国学者自主翻译为主。传教士所撰的万国史,带有鲜明的神学色彩和"欧洲中心论"的特征。为照顾中国读者的感受,虽然他们在译书中偶尔有意突出"中国为世界中心",但这仅是传教策略,实际是为了赢得中国知识阶层对基督教的好感。针对这种情况,中国学者在翻译过程中通过增加按语、调整结构、添加史料等方式对原著进行"纠偏"。晚清万国史的译介与传播,使世界史的影响力迅速扩散,大大延伸了国人对世界历史地理的认知范围,上至皇帝,下至底层的知识分子,对世界历史的了解与19世纪初相比已显著加深。

During the late Qing dynasty,many general world history works were introduced into China.There was a difference between the books translated before 1900 and those after it.Before 1900,the publications were mainly translated by western missionaries,but after 1900,most of them were translated by Chinese scholars.The former ones were characterized by theologies and Eurocentrism.Chinese scholars intended to make a change through adding comments,incorporating more historical materials and adjusting structures of the original versions.The translation and introduction of general world history works in the late Qing dynasty had greatly expanded the Chinese understanding of the world history and the global geography.