黑船事件中的羅森 Luo Sen and the Opening of Japan

Description

1854年，美國海軍准將佩里第二次率領艦隊遠征日本，迫使日本結束鎖國，並簽訂了《美日親善條約》，開放下田與箱館兩個口岸，此即日本史上里程碑式的「黑船事件」。在美日兩國談判過程中，中國人羅森的參與及其影響很少得到史家關注。本文通過對羅森事蹟的全面發掘和梳理，展示了這位中日包括中美文化交流先驅的風貌和貢獻。他在美日談判中不僅參與翻譯，而且起到了類似潤滑劑的作用。他為日本方面帶來了太平天國以及中國局勢最新和相當準確的情報，他的著作不僅為幕末志士吉田松陰親自翻譯，而且部分地引發了其思想變化，進而影響到日本開國進程以及幕末政治的走勢。另外，本文還力圖讓雅好清詩的人士注意到一位可能被忽視和低估了的晚清詩人。羅森開拓了詩歌的題材──畢竟有他那樣隨美國軍艦乘風破浪，且作為美方一員參與條約談判之傳奇經歷者絕無僅有，他的詩比起那些名為「海外竹枝詞」的泛泛之作具有更為親切和厚重的歷史感。 In 1854, US Commodore Matthew Perry led a fleet on his second expedition to Japan and forced the country to end its lock-up, sign the Treaty of Peace and Amity and open the two ports of Shimoda and Hakodate, which marked a milestone in Japanese history. However, the involvement of Chinese Luo Sen in the negotiations between the US and Japan received little attention from historians. Through a comprehensive exploration and carding of Luo Sen's deeds, this paper shows the style and contributions of this pioneer of cultural exchanges between China and Japan and even those between China and the US. Luo Sen not only participated in the translation of the first US-Japan treaty but also had the important role of a great lubricant. He brought up-to-date and accurate information in order for Japan to understand the Taiping Rebellion and the situation in China. His works were not only personally translated by Yoshida Shoin, a master in the period of Bakumatsu, but also partly led to changes in the thinking of this great hero and influenced the opening of Japan and the politics in Bakumatsu. This paper also encourages scholars of poetry to focus on a poet from the late Qing Dynasty who may have been neglected and underestimated in the literature.