“反文明”的文明圣人:排华酝酿时期美国媒体的孔子形象

19世纪是中西力量对比最为悬殊的时期,西方社会蔑视中国文明之举极为普遍。美国媒体的孔子观具有强烈的代表性。孔子本为中国的文明圣人,但美国的媒体话语却让其走向文明进步的对立面,被刻画为中国融入近代世界的巨大障碍。美国媒体认为,孔子控制着中国人的思维,造就了极其保守、极具惰性的中国国民性格,导致了中美社会发展程度之间的鸿沟。他们沾沾自喜于以基督教为基础的美欧文明的"先进性",某些中国人皈依基督教以及日本人抛弃孔子思想的积极态度被毫不犹豫地用作了支撑证据。19世纪后半期的美国媒体论及孔子的真正目的在于证明欧美文明的优越。

A Civilized Saint against Civilization:Image of Confucius in U.S.Media in the Pre-Chinese Exclusion Period

It was extremely common for Western societies to slight Chinese civilization in the 19th century.A typical example is the U.S.media image of Confucius.Originally a civilized saint,Confucius had been described in the media discourse as an oppositional force against China's integration into the modern world.Highlighted in media coverage were Confucius's control of Chinese thinking style and the consequent "conservative and static" national character of China.U.S.media unhesitatingly displayed their complacenc...