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发帖数: 9770 | 1 翻译教学与研究
奉天承运，皇帝敕谕，英吉利国王知悉：
咨尔国王，远在重洋，倾心向化，特遣使恭赍表章，航海来廷，叩祝万寿，并备进
方物，用将忱悃（还带了不少礼物，忠心可嘉）。朕披阅表文，词意肫恳，具见国王恭
顺之诚，深为嘉许。所有赍到表贡之正副使臣，念其奉使远涉，推恩加礼。已令大臣带
领瞻觐（让大臣带领他们瞻仰天朝文明，赐予筵宴，叠加赏赉，用示怀柔。其已回珠山
之管船官役人等六百余名，虽未来京，朕亦优加赏赐，俾得普沾恩惠，一视同仁（已经
回到宁波珠山的管船役使等600多人虽然没有来京，我也一视同仁给与优厚赏赐，让大
家都沾沾光）。
至尔国王表内恳请派一尔国之人住居天朝，照管尔国买卖一节，此则与天朝体制不
合，断不可行。向来西洋各国有愿来天朝当差之人，原准其来京，但既来之后，即遵用
天朝服色，安置堂内，永远不准复回本国，此系天朝定制，想尔国王亦所知悉。今尔国
王欲求派一尔国之人居住京城，既不能若来京当差之西洋人，在京居住不归本国，又不
可听其往来，常通信息，实为无益之事。且天朝所管地方至为广远，凡外藩使臣到京，
驿馆供给，行止出入，俱有一定体制，从无听其自便之例。今尔国若留人在京，言语不
通，服饰殊制，无地可以安置。若必似来京当差之西洋人，令其一律改易服饰，天朝亦
不肯强人以所难。设天朝欲差人常驻尔国，亦岂尔国所能遵行（假设我天朝也派人常住
你国，恐怕你国也不同意吧？）？况西洋诸国甚多，非止尔一国，若俱似尔国王恳请派
人留京，岂能一一听许？是此事断难准行。岂能因尔国王一人之请，以至更张天朝百余
年法度（不能因为国王你一人之请，将天朝一百多年的规矩给废了）。
若云尔国王为照料买卖起见，则尔国人在澳门贸易非止一日，原无不加以恩视（若
派人来京是为了照顾买卖起见，那你国人在澳门贸易也不是一天两天了，天朝原本对商
人就没有另眼相看）。即如从前博尔都噶尔亚、意达哩亚等国屡次遣使来朝，亦曾以照
料贸易为请。天朝鉴其悃忱，优加体恤（像以前葡萄牙、意大利几国好几次派人来，也
曾经以照顾贸易的名义请我关照。天朝看他们挺真诚的，也不容易，就多加体恤）。凡
遇该国等贸易之事，无不照料周备。前次广东商人吴昭平有拖欠洋船价值银两者，俱饬
令该管总督由官库内先行动支帑项代为清还，并将拖欠商人重治其罪。想此事尔国亦闻
知矣，外国又何必派人留京，为此越例断不可行之请？况留人在京，距澳门贸易处所几
及万里，伊亦何能照料耶（何况你们派人驻京，京城距澳门差不多一万里，他怎么能照
顾到？）？若云仰慕天朝，欲其观习教化，则天朝自有天朝礼法，与尔国各不相同。尔
国所留之人即能习学，尔国自有风俗制度，亦断不能效法中国，即学会亦属无用。
天朝扶有四海，惟励精图治，办理政务，奇珍异宝，并不贵重（天朝管辖的地方那
么大，我想的是如何励精图治，至于奇珍异宝啥的我并不看得很重）。尔国王此次赍进
各物，念其诚心远献，特谕该管衙门收纳（你啊这次进贡了不少礼物，念你特别诚恳大
老远献来了，我才特别下旨让有关部门收了）。其实天朝德威远被，万国来王，种种贵
重之物，梯航毕集，无所下有，尔之正使等所亲见（其实天朝德泽四方，威加海内，万
国来朝，通过水旱两路给我进贡，咱啥贵重玩意儿都不缺，这些你的使者都是亲眼见过
的）。然从不贵奇巧，并无更需尔国制办物件。是尔国王所请派人留京一事，于天朝体
制既属不合，而于尔国亦殊觉无益。特此详晰开示，遣令该使等安程回国（我把话都挑
明了，现令让你国使者马上安排回国行程）。尔国王惟当善体朕意，益励款诚，永矢恭
顺，以保义尔有邦，共享太平之福（国王你应该很好地领会我的意思，对天朝要更加诚
心归附，发誓永远对天朝恭顺，天朝的恩泽就能施予你们国家，共建和谐社会）。除正
副使臣以下各官及通事兵役人等正贯加赏各物件另单赏给外，兹因尔国使臣归国，特颁
敕谕，并赐赍尔国王文绮珍物，具如常仪，加赐彩缎罗绮，文玩器具诸珍（除了正副使
臣以下一干人等都按等级赏给各种物件，因为你国使者马上就要回国，我又特别下令，
除了按常规赏给你的好玩意儿以外，加赐你绫罗绸缎、文玩器具等好玩意儿若干），另
有清单。王其祗受，悉朕眷怀（皇恩浩荡，那都是我对你们的关怀）。
特此敕谕。 ——《清实录》
Qianlong's Letter to George III, 1793
You, O King, live beyond the confines of many seas. Nevertheless,
impelled by your humble desire to partake of the benefits of our
civilisation, you have dispatched a mission respectfully bearing your
memorial. Your Envoy has crossed the seas and paid his respects at my Court
on the anniversary of my birthday. To show your devotion, you have also sent
offerings of your country's produce.
I have perused your memorial: the earnest terms in which it is couched
reveal a respectful humility on your part, which is highly praiseworthy. In
consideration of the fact that your Ambassador and his deputy have come a
long way with your memorial and tribute, I have shown them high favour and
have allowed them to be introduced into my presence. To manifest my
indulgence, I have entertained them at a banquet and made them numerous
gifts. I have also caused presents to be forwarded to the Naval Commander
and six hundred of his officers and men, although they did not come to
Peking, so that they too may share in my all-embracing kindness.
As to your entreaty to send one of your nationals to be accredited to my
Celestial Court and to be in control of your country's trade with China,
this request is contrary to all usage of my dynasty and cannot possibly be
entertained. It is true that Europeans, in the service of the dynasty, have
been permitted to live at Peking, but they are compelled to adopt Chinese
dress, they are strictly confined to their own precincts and are never
permitted to return home. You are presumably familiar with our dynastic
regulations. Your proposed Envoy to my Court could not be placed in a
position similar to that of European officials in Peking who are forbidden
to leave China, nor could he, on the other hand, be allowed liberty of
movement and the privilege of corresponding with his own country; so that
you would gain nothing by his residence in our midst.
Moreover, our Celestial dynasty possesses vast territories, and tribute
missions from the dependencies are provided for by the Department for
Tributary States, which ministers to their wants and exercises strict
control over their movements. It would be quite impossible to leave them to
their own devices. Supposing that your Envoy should come to our Court, his
language and national dress differ from that of our people, and there would
be no place in which to bestow him. It may be suggested that he might
imitate the Europeans permanently resident in Peking and adopt the dress and
customs of China, but, it has never been our dynasty's wish to force people
to do things unseemly and inconvenient. Besides, supposing I sent an
Ambassador to reside in your country, how could you possibly make for him
the requisite arrangements? Europe consists of many other nations besides
your own: if each and all demanded to be represented at our Court, how could
we possibly consent? The thing is utterly impracticable. How can our
dynasty alter its whole procedure and system of etiquette, established for
more than a century, in order to meet your individual views? If it be said
that your object is to exercise control over your country's trade, your
nationals have had full liberty to trade at Canton for many a year, and have
received the greatest consideration at our hands. Missions have been sent
by Portugal and Italy, preferring similar requests. The Throne appreciated
their sincerity and loaded them with favours, besides authorising measures
to facilitate their trade with China. You are no doubt aware that, when my
Canton merchant, Wu Chao-ping, who was in debt to foreign ships. I made the
Viceroy advance the monies due, out of the provincial treasury, and ordered
him to punish the culprit severely. Why then should foreign nations advance
this utterly unreasonable request to be represented at my Court? Peking is
nearly two thousand miles from Canton, and at such a distance what possible
control could any British representative exercise?
If you assert that your reverence for Our Celestial dynasty fills you
with a desire to acquire our civilisation, our ceremonies and code of laws
differ so completely from your own that, even if your Envoy were able to
acquire the rudiments of our civilisation, you could not possibly transplant
our manners and customs to your alien soil. Therefore, however adept the
Envoy might become, nothing would be gained thereby.
Swaying the wide world, I have but one aim in view, namely, to maintain
a perfect governance and to fulfil the duties of the State: strange and
costly objects do not interest me. If I have commanded that the tribute
offerings sent by you, O King, are to be accepted, this was solely in
consideration for the spirit which prompted you to dispatch them from afar.
Our dynasty's majestic virtue has penetrated unto every country under Heaven
, and Kings of all nations have offered their costly tribute by land and sea
. As your Ambassador can see for himself, we possess all things. I set no
value on objects strange or ingenious, and have no use for your country's
manufactures. This then is my answer to your request to appoint a
representative at my Court, a request contrary to our dynastic usage, which
would only result in inconvenience to yourself. I have expounded my wishes
in detail and have commanded your tribute Envoys to leave in peace on their
homeward journey. It behoves you, O King, to respect my sentiments and to
display even greater devotion and loyalty in future, so that, by perpetual
submission to our Throne, you may secure peace and prosperity for your
country hereafter. Besides making gifts (of which I enclose an inventory) to
each member of your Mission, I confer upon you, O King, valuable presents
in excess of the number usually bestowed on such occasions, including silks
and curios-a list of which is likewise enclosed. Do you reverently receive
them and take note of my tender goodwill towards you! A special mandate.
You, O King, from afar have yearned after the blessings of our
civilisation, and in your eagerness to come into touch with our converting
influence have sent an Embassy across the sea bearing a memorial. I have
already taken note of your respectful spirit of submission, have treated
your mission with extreme favour and loaded it with gifts, besides issuing a
mandate to you, O King, and honouring you with the bestowal of valuable
presents. Thus has my indulgence been manifested.
Yesterday your Ambassador petitioned my Ministers to memorialise me
regarding your trade with China, but his proposal is not consistent with our
dynastic usage and cannot be entertained. Hitherto, all European nations,
including your own country's barbarian merchants, have carried on their
trade with our Celestial Empire at Canton. Such has been the procedure for
many years, although our Celestial Empire possesses all things in prolific
abundance and lacks no product within its own borders. There was therefore
no need to import the manufactures of outside barbarians in exchange for our
own produce. But as the tea, silk and porcelain which the Celestial Empire
produces, are absolute necessities to European nations and to yourselves, we
have permitted, as a signal mark of favour, that foreign hongs [merchant
firms] should be established at Canton, so that your wants might be supplied
and your country thus participate in our beneficence. But your Ambassador
has now put forward new requests which completely fail to recognise the
Throne's principle to "treat strangers from afar with indulgence," and to
exercise a pacifying control over barbarian tribes, the world over. Moreover
, our dynasty, swaying the myriad races of the globe, extends the same
benevolence towards all. Your England is not the only nation trading at
Canton. If other nations, following your bad example, wrongfully importune
my ear with further impossible requests, how will it be possible for me to
treat them with easy indulgence? Nevertheless, I do not forget the lonely
remoteness of your island, cut off from the world by intervening wastes of
sea, nor do I overlook your excusable ignorance of the usages of our
Celestial Empire. I have consequently commanded my Ministers to enlighten
your Ambassador on the subject, and have ordered the departure of the
mission. But I have doubts that, after your Envoy's return he may fail to
acquaint you with my view in detail or that he may be lacking in lucidity,
so that I shall now proceed . . . to issue my mandate on each question
separately. In this way you will, I trust, comprehend my meaning....
(3) Your request for a small island near Chusan, where your merchants
may reside and goods be warehoused, arises from your desire to develop trade
. As there are neither foreign hongs nor interpreters in or near Chusan,
where none of your ships have ever called, such an island would be utterly
useless for your purposes. Every inch of the territory of our Empire is
marked on the map and the strictest vigilance is exercised over it all: even
tiny islets and farlying sandbanks are clearly defined as part
of the provinces to which they belong. Consider, moreover, that England is
not the only barbarian land which wishes to establish . . . trade with our
Empire: supposing that other nations were all to imitate your evil example
and beseech me to present them each and all with a site for trading purposes
, how could I possibly comply? This also is a flagrant infringement of the
usage of my Empire and cannot possibly be entertained.
(4) The next request, for a small site in the vicinity of Canton city,
where your barbarian merchants may lodge or, alternatively, that there be no
longer any restrictions over their movements at Aomen, has arisen from the
following causes. Hitherto, the barbarian merchants of Europe have had a
definite locality assigned to them at Aomen for residence and trade, and
have been forbidden to encroach an inch beyond the limits assigned to that
locality.... If these restrictions were withdrawn, friction would inevitably
occur between the Chinese and your barbarian subjects, and the results
would militate against the benevolent regard that I feel towards you. From
every point of view, therefore, it is best that the regulations now in force
should continue unchanged....
(7) Regarding your nation's worship of the Lord of Heaven, it is the
same religion as that of other European nations. Ever since the beginning of
history, sage Emperors and wise rulers have bestowed on China a moral
system and inculcated a code, which from time immemorial has been
religiously observed by the myriads of my subjects. There has been no
hankering after heterodox doctrines. Even the European (missionary)
officials in my capital are forbidden to hold intercourse with Chinese
subjects; they are restricted within the limits of their appointed
residences, and may not go about propagating their religion. The distinction
between Chinese and barbarian is most strict, and your Ambassador's request
that barbarians shall be given full liberty to disseminate their religion
is utterly unreasonable.
It may be, O King, that the above proposals have been wantonly made by
your Ambassador on his own responsibility, or peradventure you yourself are
ignorant of our dynastic regulations and had no intention of transgressing
them when you expressed these wild ideas and hopes.... If, after the receipt
of this explicit decree, you lightly give ear to the representations of
your subordinates and allow your barbarian merchants to proceed to Chêkiang
and Tientsin, with the object of landing and trading there, the ordinances
of my Celestial Empire are strict in the extreme, and the local officials,
both civil and military, are bound reverently to obey the law of the land.
Should your vessels touch the shore, your merchants will assuredly never be
permitted to land or to reside there, but will be subject to instant
expulsion. In that event your barbarian merchants will have had a long
journey for nothing. Do not say that you were not warned in due time!
Tremblingly obey and show no negligence! A special mandate!
From Backhouse, E. and J. O. P. Bland, Annals and Memoirs of the Court of
Peking. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1914. pp. 322-331. | p*a
发帖数: 7676 | 2 200多年过去，中国人的思维好像还是和那时一个样撒。 | s*****r
发帖数: 43070 | 3 只是西方已经不派使臣来了，来的都是穷哥们
【在 p*a 的大作中提到】
: 200多年过去，中国人的思维好像还是和那时一个样撒。
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