The Cross-Cultural Interpretation Research on Modern Chinese Diplomats in France

Based upon the framework of Sino-French cross-cultural relations, this study focuses on the earliest diplomats visiting France during China's modern history, who inspects Sino-French cross-cultural activities of translation and transmission. The timeline includes the second half of the nineteenth century, in other words, from the Opium Wars to the end of the nineteenth century. Since in 1866 Qing Empire sent the first embassy represented by Bin Chung to Europe, there were subsequent Chinese diplomatic missions including the embassy led by Zhi Gang, Ambassador to England and France Kuo Sungtao, Ambassador Tseng Chitse, Ambassador Xue Fucheng, Counselor Tcheng Kitong, Counselor Li Shuchang, translator Ma Kitchong, and Li Hongzhang, who visited France. Under the worldwide upheaval, these diplomats walked out the gate of the dynasty and toward the world. Being pushed to the frontline and to the other place totally distinctive from Chinese culture, they initiated the process of dialogues beyond cultural boundaries. About the conceptual framework, this thesis will use diachronism as comparison and synchronism as dialogue. Diachronically, the thesis will examine how Chinese and French cultures in the seventeenth and eighteenth century launched early exchanges through the French Jesuits and how Chinese culture was translated and transmitted reversely. These exchanges not only brought different sensual experiences, sparked the imagination of exotic culture, but also inspired and innovated intellectual ideas. Synchronically, the thesis retraces the historical context of Sino-French cultural exchanges and returns to the Sino-French historical and linguistic environment in the second half of the nineteenth century. First, this thesis will focus on Tcheng Kitong, 'the most Parisian Chinese' called by the French press. He published books, gave lectures, and frequented salons, parties, and official residences. He even made the cover of French magazines, newspapers and became a best-selling writer. He translated and transmitted the East-West cultural differences, constructing an idealized Chinese world and image. Secondly, I will focus on 'modern city Paris' and 'intellectual transformation' two dimensions. Based upon the three levels including material objects, institutions, and ideas, I will explore how the Qing diplomats watched, learned and experienced western industrial civilization, city life, diplomatic etiquette, norms of interactions between the king and his subjects, and changes of regimes during the French Second Empire and the Third Republic. Challenging their previous perceptions and conceptions, these cultural shocks made them reexamine the relationships between the world, countries and themselves. In addition, during the process in which Chinese diplomats traversed different cultures, this thesis tries to break through the singular historical and linguistic context. Through the investigation of historical documents, this thesis aims to represent the double backdrops of Chinese and French environments and to return to the historical scene to clarify these modern cross-cultural translators' confrontations with foreign cultures. From shock, repulsion, thinking to finally, the change of world view, they embodied an important age when the East clashed with the West, the new substituted the old and knowledge underwent transformation. Finally, this study expects its result to be able to enrich the issue of Chinese modernity in the cross-cultural perspective.本文以中法跨文化關係作為框架，研究範疇聚焦於十九世紀下半葉，即自鴉片戰爭起至十九世紀末，研究對象為近代中國最早一批遊出使法國的外交官群，考察其中法跨文化傳譯活動。自1866年大清國第一次派出以斌椿為代表的遊歐使團起，陸續有志剛帶領的中國使團、駐英兼法公使郭嵩燾、公使曾紀澤、公使薛福成、參贊陳季同、參贊黎庶昌、翻譯員馬建忠等，以及李鴻章訪問法國。這群外交官在世局巨變之下走出天朝大門、走向世界，被時代浪潮推往最前端，推到一個完全迥異於中國文化的他處，展開跨越文化疆界與對話的歷程。 在研究架構方面，以歷時性做為對照軸，共時性做為對話軸。歷時軸方面，耙梳十七、八世紀中法文化透過法國耶穌會士的穿針引線展開初次交流，反向傳譯中國文化，不但帶給啟蒙時期的法國在物質層面上不同的感官經驗，開啟異文化的想像，同時也給予思想的啟發與革新。在共時軸方面，沿著中法文化交流的歷史脈絡下開展，回到十九世紀下半葉的中法歷史語境，首先關注法國報刊媒體界稱之為「最巴黎人的中國人」──陳季同，他出書、演講，穿梭沙龍、舞會、官邸，成為法國報刊雜誌的封面人物、暢銷作家，並且傳譯東西方不同的文化差異並形塑、建構一個理想化的中國世界與形象。其次，分別以「現代化城市巴黎」、「思想變革」兩個面向，同時從物質器物、典章制度到思想觀念等三個層次探討大清國外交官在法國第二帝國與第三共和時期錯綜複雜的異國文化時空裡，觀看、認識、體驗西方工業文明、城市生活、外交禮儀、君臣倫理以及政權的變動，這些文化衝擊挑戰著原有的感官與認知，使其重新審視自我、國家和世界之間的關係。 此外，在近代中國外交官文化越界的歷程中，本文嘗試突破單一歷史語境的侷限，透過史料文獻的考證，再現的中法雙重時空背景，回到歷史現場，重新釐清這群近代跨文化傳譯者與異文化正面交鋒，從驚懼、排斥到思考、進而轉變世界觀，並體現了一個東西文化碰撞、新舊交替與知識轉型的重要時代。最後，希冀本研究成果能夠以跨文化的視野豐富近代中國現代性研究的課題。第一章 緒論 1 第一節 研究動機與問題意識 1 一、從近代中法交流談起 2 二、中國輿地學裡的世界 3 三、中國輿地學裡的法國 7 四、跨文化視域的開展 16 第二節 研究範疇與文獻回顧 18 第三節 研究方法與章節安排 27 第二章 尋找他者：十八世紀中法相遇的文化空間 35 第一節 發現中國：中國文化思想的旅行 35 一、國王的數學家來華 35 二、法國漢學的先驅 41 三、變動中的觀看方式 60 第二節 時尚中國：中國工藝品的旅行 68 一、東方舶來品的誘惑 68 二、中國風尚的生活 78 三、從商品到符號 87 第三章 從想像到跨越：中法文化傳譯先驅陳季同 95 第一節 停滯的帝國?翻轉的形象 96 第二節 開眼看世界?赴法外交官 104 一、出使法國外交官群 104 二、跨文化傳譯先驅：陳季同 117 第三節 越界法國?跨文化展演 127 一、比巴黎人還要巴黎人 125 二、法國卓越的暢銷作家 130 三、報刊雜誌的封面人物 138 第四節 傳譯中國與形象重塑 149 一、瓷器迷戀與辮子嘲諷 149 二、從文化傳譯到傳譯差異 159 三、重塑中國的文化形象 175 第四章 進入現代化之都巴黎：逾越∕愉悅身體感 187 第一節 異文化空間中的身體感 189 一、物質新空間與感官新經驗 190 二、從感官新體驗到身體感 209 第二節 現代城市生活與消費景觀 219 一、巴黎，現代化之都 223 二、夜未眠的城市生活 236 三、百貨公司消費新景觀 248 第三節 炫奇會抑或博覽會？外交官眼中的巴黎萬國博覽會 263 一、現代帝國與萬國博覽會 264 二、現代工業文明的宮殿 285 三、物玩精奇的朝聖地 295 第五章 思想變革的界線∕限：異文化的觀察與思辯 303 第一節 倫理疆界的浮動 305 一、遣使疑慮與民族倫理的重構 306 二、外交禮儀與君臣倫理的體驗 312 三、法國報刊眼中的「中國使團」 325 第二節 革命抑或叛亂？新觀念的跨語際傳譯 332 一、觀看他者動亂：進入革命之都，巴黎 334 二、對革命的認識：在「巴黎公社」現場 340 三、對民主的認識：觀看帝國到共和的轉變 349 第六章 結論 358 參考書目 365 附錄 中法文化同時空對照表 38