利玛窦与中西文化交流

Matteo Ricci and Sino-Western Cultural Communication

利玛窦拉开了中西文化双向交流的序幕,他与之后来华的西方传教士汤若望、南怀仁等,在中国传播西方文化的同时,也积极把中国文化传播到西方,由此西方的思想、文化、科技,诸如语言学、地理学、数学、天文学、美术等传入中国,而以儒学为代表的中华文化也流入欧洲。这一段中西文化在平等地位上交流的历史,倘从世界史范围内加以考察,将因其辉煌而深远的影响,让我们寻回文化的自信和增强我们的文化自觉。

Matteo Ricci pioneered in the cultural communication between China and Western countries. Ricci, together with other missionaries like Johann Adam Schall yon Bell and Ferdinand Verbiest who came to China afterwards, was active in the dissemination of Western culture into China or vice versa. Thanks to their efforts, Western thoughts, cultures and science and technology as manifested in linguistics, geography, mathematics, astronomy and fine arts were introduced to China while Chinese culture as represented by Confucianism, back to Europe. Historically, it was a period of equal and mutual communication of Sino-Western cultures. Realization of the glorious significance of the period will help to reestablish the cultural confidence and strengthen the cultural consciousness of Chinese people.