来华外国人对辛亥革命的认知

Foreign Visitors Cognition of the Xinhai Revolution in China

武昌起义爆发后,来华外国人极为关注,当时便著书撰文阐述他们对辛亥革命的见闻和看法。震惊之余,他们虽未能完整揭示辛亥革命的资产阶级革命性质,但在相当程度上指出了革命势在必然,并必将走向共和的各个因素。他们看到,作为历史转折点,辛亥革命对中国的政治外交、经济社会、思想文化等领域均产生了重要影响,且具有世界意义。同时,对革命自身存在的缺陷和不足,他们亦作了观察,尤其是对在“反满”这一辛亥革命特殊形式中出现的过度暴力,作了直观的披露。他们或直接接触,或耳闻目睹,了解和认识了这一历史转折时刻的各种人物,揭示了这场革命的另一面。来华外国人对辛亥革命的认知,既提供了一些新的史实和某些客观评论,又反映了西方国家的思想立场及主观偏见。

The outbreak of Wuchang Uprising attracted the keen attention of foreign visitors in China,and they wrote books and articles about their observations and views on the Xinhai Revolution.With shock,although they failed to fully reveal the nature of the bourgeois revolution,they pointed out to a considerable extent the various factors that led to the inevitability of the revolution and the trend towards the republic.They saw the Xinhai Revolution as a turning point in history,which had a significant impact on China s political diplomacy,economy and society,ideology and culture,and had worldwide significance.At the same time,they also observed the shortcomings of the revolution itself,especially the excessive violence that appeared in“anti Manchu”,the particular form of the Xinhai Revolution,which they revealed in an explicit manner.By either direct contact,or hearing and witnessing,they understood and recognized the different figures at the turning point in history,showing the other side of the revolution.The foreign visitors cognition of the Xinhai Revolution not only provided some new historical facts and objective comments,but also reflected the ideological standpoint and subjective biases of Western countries.