光绪皇帝的英语学习与进入清末宫廷的英语读本

The Guangxu Emperor's Study of the English Language and English Textbooks in the Palace during the Late Qing

本文通过中外文献中零星的记述,考证出光绪皇帝学习英语的准确时间是在光绪十七年(1891)十月廿五日(11月26日)前开始的。留美学生颜永京曾作为光绪英语教师的候选人,1891至1894年间正式担任光绪英语教师的是京师同文馆的毕业生张德彝和沈铎。光绪的英语自学过程一直持续到1908年前后。作者还分析了光绪皇帝当年在宫廷中使用过的英语辞典《华英音韵字典集成》和《英华大辞典》,英语读本《华英进阶全集》等。并就光绪皇帝学习英语对于皇族外语教学和整个社会外语学习的影响与意义,提出了初步的看法。

Based on an analysis of fragmentary documents in both Chinese and other languages, this article verifies precisely the beginning period of English study initiated by the Guangxu emperor that began on the 25th day of the tenth month of the Guangxureign （November 26th） in 1891. Yan Yongjing, who had studied in the United States, was nominated as a candidate to teach English to the Guangxu emperor. Between 1891 and 1894, formally assisting the emperor＇s English were Zhang Deyi and Shen Duo, who were graduates of the Tong Wen Academy in Beijing. The Guangxu emperor continued to study English on his own until approximately 1908. The author analyzes the English dictionaries used in the palace by the Guangxu emperor during the late-Qing dynasty, such as Commercial Press English and Chinese Pronouncing Dictionary, Commercial Press＇ English and Chinese Dictionary, and English and Chinese Readers From-Primer to Fifth Reader Bound in lvol. The author also presents his preliminary views concerning the influence and significance of English study by the Guangxu emperor overall on foreign language studies within the imperial family and on Chinese society as a whole.