关于太平军的两个问题

Two Issues Concerning the Taiping Army

太平军造反十几年，主要活动于南方几个省的一些城镇，并没有统一全国，局部的军事占领不能称为国家；国内绝大多数百姓和国际社会也都不承认它是一个国家的中央政权，因而不应照其自称的“国号”作为正式的称谓。国外的有关著作，绝大多数称之为叛乱，即使奉之为“革命”，也没有视为国家，今后不应继续将太平军叛乱（或革命）译为“太平天国”。《赋情汇纂》是清方人员编撰的情报汇集，在当时有很高情报价值。《李秀成供词》是太平军后期主要领导人之一李秀成被俘后，出于多重目的而写给曾国藩看的，与前者在时间上正好衔接。（太平天国天京观察记测是英国人伍士礼1861年在南京观察一星期后，写给英国公众看的长篇报道。三者写作意图不同，都是了解太平军真相很重要的史料。应当尊重史实，走出美化“农民革命”的误区。

The Taiping Army operations were active chiefiy in several provinces in southem China. Itsmilitary occupation of scome local areas doesn't mean that it established a separate kingdom Most people in China, as well as in the intemational community, do not regarded it as a kingdom. Therefore, the Seif - proclaimed title of dynasty is no justified. As the be bo 'Directory of Information about the Enemy Army', 'Confession by Li Zi - cheng' and 'Observations on the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom'followed one another in terms of time of writing, they serve as impotant historical data for learning the truth about the Taiping Army.