论晚清社会对博览会的观念认知

On the Conceptual Recognition of International Fair in the Late Qing Dynasty

清朝灭亡前的半个世纪里,时人有不少关于博览会的言论,这些言论反映了晚清社会对近代博览会的观念认知,即先是从"博览会"本身出发,认知到了博览会的"炫奇斗异"及其所具有的联交睦谊、增长识见和奖材励能的作用,再是立足中国的社会现实,认知到了兴办博览会事业,能兴发商利、开展商战,能启发民智、劝兴实业。晚清社会的博览会认知是层层深入的,与中国的社会环境密切相关,具有很强的实用主义目的性和"自省"倾向。其背后有很明显的民族主义情感,首先是对博览会上中国落后的深深忧虑,其次是在承认和审思中国落后的基础上,主张积极学习西方先进文明,大兴博览会事业,以此来达到国富民强的目的。这样的民族主义是一种理性的民族主义。

Half a century before the collapse of the Qing dynasty,many people had commented on international faire.These comments reflected the conceptual recognition of expositions in the late Qing dynasty,beginning from the expositions themselves to their function of showing off,their connections with other parts of the world,expansion of people's horizons and awarding those excellent,and based on China's social reality,they realized that holding international faire could also benefit commerce launch commercial war,cultivate people and help develop enterprises.The recognition of world expositions by the late Qing dynasty was developed step by step,closely linked with China's social reality,and also showed a strong trend of pragmatism and introspection.Behind these recognitions,there is a clear feeling of nationalism.Firstly,they were greatly concerned about the backwardness of China in international faire,and then,after admitting and thinking over China 's backwardness,they proposed to learn from the advanced western civilization by enhancing world expositions course in China,so as to make China stronger and people richer.This kind of nationalism is a rational nationalism.