驻日使馆东文学堂考探

Exploration on the Japanese Language School of China's Embassy in Japan

1882年驻日使馆东文学堂正式成立,标志着西方语言独霸中国近代外语教育资源的时代彻底终结。驻日使馆创设东文学堂的目的在于填补馆内东文翻译官与通商口岸日语译才的严重缺口,然而令人遗憾的是其办学成效甚微。首先它未能化解甲午战前日语译才紧缺的窘境,其次培养的译才总体质量不高,能够委以重任者屈指可数。不过就办学意义而言,驻日使馆东文学堂的设立不但拉开了中国近代系统培养日语译才的序幕,也为其后日语译才的培养提供了参考范式。

The official establishment of Japanese Language School of China＇s Embassy in Japan in 1882 marked the end of western languages＇ dominance in China＇s modern foreign languages education. Japanese Language School aimed to fill up the gap of the shortage of Japanese translators in the embassy and trade ports. However, it made few achievements. First, it did not meet the demand for Japanese translators before Sino-Japanese war in 1895; second, the translators it trained were not up to the standards, and few of them could shoulder great responsibility. Yet, in terms of the significance of running the language school, the establishment of Japanese Language School not only turned a new page of systematic training of Japanese translators in modern China, but also provided the model that can be taken as reference by following successors.