英军焚毁圆明园原因辨析

On the Reasons of the Burning up of Yuanmingyuan

1860年10月,英军劫掠并焚毁了圆明园。关于圆明园被焚的原因,我国史学界大致有"掩盖罪证说"、"掩盖罪证,同时惩罚清帝说"和"军事行动说"三种不同的观点。上述三种说法,皆不符合或不完全符合历史事实。英军焚毁圆明园的最根本原因,是要对清帝及清政府进行最严厉的精神打击,并留下报复的痕迹,使之对外国人更加驯服。英法侵略者有关清政府在圆明园将英法战俘虐待致死的指责,亦难以完全成立。应该修正以往有关侵略者焚毁圆明园原因的种种错误观点,还历史以本来面目。

In the October of 1860, Yuanmingyuan (the Garden of Perfect Splendor) was plundered and burned up by the troops of England. In the history academic circle of China, there're three view points about the reason that Yuanmingyuan was burned up,'covering the evidences of the crime up', 'covering the evidence of the crime up and punishing the emperor of the Ch'ing dynasty at the same time' and 'a military action'. This article thinks that these answers do not suit or not completely suit the historical facts. The fundamental reason is that the troops of England wanted to strike the most strongly at the emperor of the Ch'ing and his government and leave the retaliate marks behind so that the emperor could become more obedient and soft to them. The invaders from England and France reproached that the death of the British and French prisoners of war resulted from the ill-treatment by the Ch'ing officials.This view is not true either.Now, it is time to correct the errors and have an explanation suitable to history