《万国公报》与中日甲午战争

Chinese Globe Magazine and the Sino Japanese War of 1894-1895

《万国公报》是中日甲午战争期间对战争进行报道、评论最具影响的刊物 ,它自身也因此名声鹊起。但其报道、评论 ,是非参半 ,真伪互见。就其以英美在远东的利益为价值取向 ,不惜混淆是非 ,为日本侵略张目而言 ,它是应当受到谴责的 ;但是 ,当它以较为客观的立场比较中日 ,尖锐地指陈中国致败的深层原因 ,并从中引出教训来 ,疾呼清政府幡然改过 ,革故鼎新时 ,显然又具有合理性。此种是非真伪的互见 ,也决定了《万国公报》的宣传得失两分。战后清政府亲俄 ,既反映了英美远东利益的受损 ,也说明了《万国公报》前一取向的失败 ;而此时勃然兴起的康梁维新派 ,视《万国公报》为启蒙的教科书 ,并对李提摩太诸人深抱希望 ,则反映其后一取向获得了很大的成功。历史是多样性的统一。《万国公报》的这种两面性说明 ,林乐知诸人终究无法超越自己毕竟代表本国殖民主义利益的局限 ;但是 ,于其关于热爱中国的表白 ,不可轻信 。

At the time, Chinese Globe Magazine was the most influential magazine report and commenting on the Sino Japanese War of 1894-1895. It gained great fame from these activities. However, the reports and commentaries included both right and wrong, truth and falsehood. On one hand, grounding its values in American and British interests in the Far East, it did not hesitate to confuse right and wrong, and argued in favor of Japan's invasion. For this it should be criticized. On the other hand, when it compared China and Japan more objectively, it incisively pointed out the deep causes of China's failure, found out the lessons, and urged the Qing government to rise up and transform itself. At such time, clearly it was quite reasonable. This mixing of right and wrong, truth and falsehood also determined Chinese Globe Magazine 's uneven public image. When the Qing government drew closer to Russia after the war, this reflected the losses suffered by American and British interests in the Far East, and made clear the failure of the first of Chinese Globe Magazine 's tendencies. However, that Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao and other reformers of the time regarded the magazine as the textbook for enlightenment, and had great hopes for Timothy Richard and his colleagues, indicates that its second tendency gained great success. History is a unity of the various. The two facedness of Chinese Globe Magazine indicated that Young John Allen and his colleagues could not overcome the limitations of being, in the end, representatives of their own countries' colonial interests. However, though we cannot give credence to Chinese Globe Magazine 's protestations of its great love for China, we needn't be overcritical. It is sufficient to be practical and realistic and reveal Chinese Globe Magazine in its true colors.