明代西方传教士对中国国情的调查

The Investigation of China by the Western Missionaries in the Ming Dynasty

地理大发现之后,西欧商人、士兵、官吏和传教士纷纷来到中国,调查中国国情。其中传教士的表现尤为突出。明代西方传教士调查中国国情有明确的指导思想。所获得的情报或用于在中国的传教实践之中,或汇集起来传回欧洲。这既对他们在中国的传教有较大的帮助作用,同时也形成了东学西渐的局面。

After the great geographical discovery, many merchants, soldiers, officials and missionaries from western Europe came to investigate Chinese national conditions, especially those missionaries. In Ming Dynasty, the western missionaries did investigation in China not only for preaching but for a very positive purpose. The information they collected was either used in their preaching practice or sent back to Europe. This not only helped a lot in their preaching in China but also promoted the progressing of the west by learning the east, which helped the formation and development of the early enlightenment ideas in Europe and exerted great influence.