额尔金眼中的太平天国

The Heavenly Kingdom of Taiping in the Eyes of the Eighth Earl of Elgin

1858年额尔金访华,在清政府的许可下游历长江流域,此时正值太平天国与英国方面再度进行外交接触之际。在大叙事结构的背景下,额尔金的书信、日记记录了当时双方的真实交互。以此为切入点,可以更加清楚地看到太平天国作为一个政治主体,在1858~1861年间其官方外交手段是如何失败的。

Elgin came to China in 1858.With the permission of Qing government,he travelled along the valley of Yangtze River.Meanwhile,the Heavenly Kingdom of Taiping was in a diplomatic interaction with the United Kingdom.Viewed from a global perspective,Elgin＇s diary and letters provide truthful records of those interactions.These records also give us a clearer picture of the diplomatic failures of the Heavenly Kingdom of Taiping between 1858and 1861.