英国维多利亚时代的道德整肃——以《帕尔摩报》“现代巴比伦的少女献祭”系列报道为中心

A Study of the Moral Purge in Victorian England:Centered on “The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon” from Series Reports of The Pall Mall Gazette

维多利亚时代的英国卖淫问题突出,对社会道德造成恶劣影响。为解决这一问题,社会净化运动在英国应运而生,英国政府也试图通过立法加以干预。但要真正解决这个问题,仍然面临重重阻力。1885年7月,《帕尔摩报》刊登系列报道"现代巴比伦的少女献祭",揭露了伦敦严重的卖淫尤其是童妓问题,指出了该问题背后的社会与思想根源,呼吁议会与政府加快立法,推进该问题的解决。该报道发表后,引起英国社会震惊,形成强大的社会舆论与压力,迫使议会与政府改变视而不见的冷漠态度,直接推动了《1885年刑法修正案》的通过,社会净化运动也因之得到快速发展,卖淫问题的解决取得很大进展,助推了19世纪英国道德整肃目标的达成。

Prostitution was a critical problem which had a bad influence on the social morality in Victorian England.The Social Purity Movement arose in response to this problem,and the government wanted to regulate prostitution by means of legislation,but it met with resistance.The series report of'The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon:the Report of our Secret Commission'revealed the critical problem of prostitution,especially child prostitution.It pointed out the root of these problems and called for accelerating the process of lawmaking.This report aroused social shock,and the parliament along with the government were compelled to give up their indifference to this problem.In virtue of the influence of this report,the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885 was passed,and the Social Purity Movement accelerated its development.The aim of the moral purge had been accomplished to a considerable degree in the nineteenth century England accordingly.