“西人掠食小儿”传说在中国的起源及流播

The Origin and Spread of the Legend That "Westerners Steal and Eat Children" in China

"西人掠食小儿"传说既有某种历史事实的影子,又掺杂了相当多的想象成分,是一个复杂的历史现象。它曾经在明清时期流播了四百年,凝结了文化传统、偶发事件、历史情境、虚构成分、排外心理、国人认知水平等诸多因素。传说最早由16世纪初葡萄牙人在华贩卖儿童的行为所引发,明中后期及清前期已在士民间具有广泛影响。在晚清特定的土壤中,这一传说迸发出巨大的能量,构成一系列教案直接或间接的诱因。四百年间,国势愈蹙,排外愈烈,传说愈盛。而在深层意义上,这一传说既是人类共同的排外心理的折射,也与国人传统的华夷观念及修炼方术脱不开干系。

The origin and spread of the legend that Westerners steal and eat children is a complex historical phenomenon.There are hints of it in history,but these are mixed in with a quantity of imaginary elements.Circulated through the Ming and Qing dynasties for four hundred years,the story reflects many factors,including cultural tradition,chance events,historical circumstances,fictitious elements,xenophobia,the level of knowledge of the Chinese at the time,and so on.It originated in early sixteenth century with Portuguese trafficking in Chinese children,and had a wide influence on both the gentry and the masses in late Ming and early Qing Dynasties.In the special soil of the late Qing,the story burst out with enormous energy,providing the direct or indirect stimulus for a series of incidents involving Christian churches.We can see that,over the four hundred years,the weaker China was,the stronger xenophobia became,and the more widely the story spread.In the deepest sense,this story not only reflects the xenophobia common to all human beings but is also inseparable from the influence of traditional Chinese ideas about Chinese and foreigners as well as traditional alchemy,sorcery,etc.