以传记游——以莫理循旅华游记《一个澳大利亚人在中国》为例

Biography As Travel Writing:A Study of George Morrison’s An Australian in China

乔治·莫理循凭借1895年出版的旅华游记《一个澳大利亚人在中国》,获得了《泰晤士报》主管的赏识,担任该报驻华记者,并逐渐成为对华问题专家,后曾担任中国政府的政治顾问,完成了从无业游民到大国顾问的华丽转身。这部游记究竟有何价值,能获得如此巨大的成功?本文将就此问题展开讨论,并提出游记成功的两个主要原因:首先,采取以传记游的创新写法,突出人物,淡化风景,这让游记更加生动有趣;其次,坚持秉笔直书,不存偏见,尊重客观真实,这让游记的真实性超越众多同类作品。

The Times’ chief manager was impressed by George Morrison’s travel writing An Australian in China published in 1895,and appointed him as a correspondent to China for The Times,Later on,Morrison grew up to be one of the most important experts on China,and had worked as an adviser for the Chinese government.Basically the book had turned Morrison the vagrant into an adviser for a prominent country.How could this book make such a huge success?This paper attempts to answer this question from two perspectives.First,Morrison writes his travelogue as a biography,namely he focuses on people rather than the scenery.This makes his book more readable.Secondly,Morrison holds no biases,but writes about whatever he saw in an objective way.This again ensures the readability of his book.