《使清日记》所见柳原前光的中国认识

Yanagiwara Sakimitsu’s Understanding of China Seen in Diary of an Envoy to the Qing Dynasty

1870年柳原前光奉命出使中国谋通信贸易之事,并以典雅的汉文撰有《使清日记》一卷三册,其中对晚清社会的观察和记录尤为珍贵。柳原通过和清朝官员、士人、外国驻华领事的公私交往深化了中国认识。《使清日记》兼有纪行、纪游和纪事三方面内容,对天津教案、鸦片危害、外国在华租界、中国沿海防务等信息收集和情报刺探着墨尤多,并留意到当时中国府学不兴、文学不振的颓势。较之以前来华日本人的游记,《使清日记》的中国认识相对公允和深刻,柳原前光敏锐地关注到晚清社会兼具传统与近代的两面特征,并体现出对中国仰望与俯视相叠加的态度。在睁眼看世界与从周边看中国的双重视域下,柳原前光《使清日记》所呈现的中国认识在当时和当下都具有宝贵的参照价值和自知知人的镜鉴功用。

In 1870,Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent Yanagiwara Sakimitsu to China,which paved the way for the following year’s signing of diplomatic relation between the two countries.Yanagiwara wrote a three-volume Diary of an Envoy to the Qing Dynasty in elegant Chinese,among which the observation and records of the late Qing Dynasty were particularly precious.Yanagiwara deepened his understanding of China through official and private communications with Chinese officials,intellectuals and consuls of western countries in Shanghai and Tianjin.The Diary contains three aspects:travel records,tour descriptions and event records,in which particular attention was paid to gathering information in such areas as Tianjin Massacre,harm of opium,foreign concessions in China and China’s coastal defence.The decline of Chinese government-run school systems and academic failures at that time were also noticed in the Diary.Compared with the previous Japanese travels of China,the understanding of China in the Diary is relatively fair and more detailed.Yanagiwara was keenly aware of both traditional and modern features in the late Qing Dynasty society.Therefore,he had mixed feelings of both looking up to and looking down on China in his understanding of China.Under the dual vision of opening eyes to see the world and looking at China from the surrounding,the understanding of China shown in the Diary has important reference value and a mirror’s function,i.e.,while deeply understanding others,it is possible for Chinese people to have a correct self-understanding both at that time and at present.