This paper discusses the biography, thought, and works of Li Ruqian （1852-19o9）. He was appointed Consul in Kobe 1882-84, during which period he studied the political institutions and culture of Meiji Japan and the ...This paper discusses the biography, thought, and works of Li Ruqian （1852-19o9）. He was appointed Consul in Kobe 1882-84, during which period he studied the political institutions and culture of Meiji Japan and the West, eventually translating Washington Irving＇s biography of George Washington into Classical Chinese, a book which exercised a great influence on late Qing reformers. Li＇s literary theory strongly emphasized the importance of originality. He also cultivated a style that was simpler and closer to spoken Chinese than many of his contemporaries. He eventually espoused a thoroughgoing reform of Chinese government and society. He abandoned the idea of the centrality of Chinese culture for a worldview of cultural relativity in which all cultures of the world are viewed as equally valid. After his return to China Li became even more involved in reform activities, but soon he became almost totally alienated from Chinese society and even began expressing strong doubts about the whole tradition of classical writing. In his poems and prose works, he warned Chinese intellectuals to abandon their smug conservatism and adapt to the new world or perish, making fun of his own society in biting satirical pieces that remind one of the writings of Lu Xun＇s May Fourth era. Li Ruqian may, indeed, be the first Chinese author to develop the idea of Chinese inadequacy and guilt which is so common in the literature of the next century.展开更多
晚清士人黎汝谦与蔡国昭合作翻译的《华盛顿全传》是华盛顿·欧文所著Life of George Washington的首个中译本,目前国内存在译本由英语原著直译和日语译本转译两种观点。现有史料显示蔡国昭在神户领事馆担任的是西文译员一职,且黎...晚清士人黎汝谦与蔡国昭合作翻译的《华盛顿全传》是华盛顿·欧文所著Life of George Washington的首个中译本,目前国内存在译本由英语原著直译和日语译本转译两种观点。现有史料显示蔡国昭在神户领事馆担任的是西文译员一职,且黎汝谦、蔡国昭合译的《华盛顿全传》的地名译法并无日语转译的痕迹,此皆指向译本系依照华盛顿·欧文的英语原著译出。展开更多
文摘This paper discusses the biography, thought, and works of Li Ruqian （1852-19o9）. He was appointed Consul in Kobe 1882-84, during which period he studied the political institutions and culture of Meiji Japan and the West, eventually translating Washington Irving＇s biography of George Washington into Classical Chinese, a book which exercised a great influence on late Qing reformers. Li＇s literary theory strongly emphasized the importance of originality. He also cultivated a style that was simpler and closer to spoken Chinese than many of his contemporaries. He eventually espoused a thoroughgoing reform of Chinese government and society. He abandoned the idea of the centrality of Chinese culture for a worldview of cultural relativity in which all cultures of the world are viewed as equally valid. After his return to China Li became even more involved in reform activities, but soon he became almost totally alienated from Chinese society and even began expressing strong doubts about the whole tradition of classical writing. In his poems and prose works, he warned Chinese intellectuals to abandon their smug conservatism and adapt to the new world or perish, making fun of his own society in biting satirical pieces that remind one of the writings of Lu Xun＇s May Fourth era. Li Ruqian may, indeed, be the first Chinese author to develop the idea of Chinese inadequacy and guilt which is so common in the literature of the next century.
文摘晚清士人黎汝谦与蔡国昭合作翻译的《华盛顿全传》是华盛顿·欧文所著Life of George Washington的首个中译本,目前国内存在译本由英语原著直译和日语译本转译两种观点。现有史料显示蔡国昭在神户领事馆担任的是西文译员一职,且黎汝谦、蔡国昭合译的《华盛顿全传》的地名译法并无日语转译的痕迹,此皆指向译本系依照华盛顿·欧文的英语原著译出。
