差异:曾国藩与李鸿章

On the Differences Between Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang

曾国藩和李鸿章都是中国近代史上举足轻重的人物。不少人认为李鸿章是曾国藩的得意门生 ,完全接受了曾国藩的衣钵 ,李鸿章的身上“罩着曾国藩的影子”。其实 ,曾李之间虽有许多相同之点 ,但差异也是很大的。这主要体现在 :在对洋务的认识 ,对西方“长技”的看法上 ,李鸿章更高一筹 ;在对外交涉上 ,曾李虽一脉相承 ,但二者的态度和出发点却不一样 ,李鸿章的主和比曾国藩的保和要积极得多 ;从个性和人格上看 ,曾国藩的人格有很强的魅力 ,而李鸿章是一个有才华而乏品性的人。当然 ,曾李之间的差异只是迟钝与敏感、被动与主动、消极与积极。

Both Zeng Guofan and LI Hongzhang were figures occupying pivotal positions in modern Chinese history.Many hold that the latter was the former′s favourite disciple,who completely accepted Zeng′s thoughts and was covered with Zeng′s shadow.It was true that the two are common in many ways,but there were still great differences between them,which lay in that Li had a better understanding of the foreign affairs and of the western techniques,that,though the two held the same views in diplomatic policies,their attitudes and starting points were different,Li′s peace advocation was more constructive than Zeng′s,and that Zeng had a strong and glamourous personality,whereas Li was talented but characterless.In short,their differences were relatively between slowness and quickness,between passiveness and activeness,and between narrow-mindedness and broad-mindedness.