从《异教徒中国佬》看19世纪70年代美国排华浪潮

Viewing American Movements of Chinese Exclusion in the 1870s from "The Heathen Chinee"

《异教徒中国佬》是布莱特.哈特于1870年发表的一首反映美国西部特色的短诗,此诗一经发表,在美国社会便引起了轩然大波。而19世纪70年代在美国历史上是一个颇具转折意义的年代,此时正值美利坚民族意识的成型期①,一个具有独特社会价值观念的新型移民社会正在走向成熟。而排华已经成为在对待中国移民问题上美国东部和西部的一致立场。《异教徒中国佬》的问世恰好暗合了美国社会的排华立场,因此延续几十年的全国性的排华浪潮由此发端。

The publication of Bret Harte＇s short poem ＂The Heathen Chinee＂ in 1870 gave rise to a huge sensation in American society.The 1870s has been proved to be the watershed in American history,in which the national consciousness began to take form,and a new-type ＂immigrant society＂ with her unique values was maturing.It was the time when American East began to share the exclusion of Chinese with the West.As a result,＂The Heathen Chinee＂ fueled unintentionally American deep-rooted prejudices against Chinese immigrants and their culture.Since then,the succession of nationwide movements of Chinese exclusion was initiated.