马戛尔尼：对中国来说，对现代性的抵抗是徒劳的

 英国人要求中国放宽广州的贸易体系，为商业开放更多的港口，按照国际惯例确定关税，并允许一名大使居住在北京。

对乾隆和他的大臣们来说，这些要求是不可能的。

The British had asked China to liberalise the trading system at Guangzhou, to open up more ports for commerce, to fix tariffs in line with international practice and to allow an ambassador to reside at Beijing. For Qianlong and his ministers these were impossible demands.

在他的答复中，皇帝承认乔治三世提出的 "贡品"，但指出中国 "从不重视巧妙的物品"，而且 "对贵国的产品没有丝毫的需求"。

至于在北京派驻大使的要求，'除了不符合天朝的规定外'，这对'贵国没有好处'。

因此，'贡使'被命令回国，而他们的君主只被要求'按照我们的意愿行事，加强忠诚度，发誓永远服从，以确保贵国可以分享和平的祝福'。

In his response the emperor acknowledged the ‘tribute’ proffered by George III but pointed out that China had ‘never valued ingenious articles’ and did not ‘have the slightest need of your country’s manufactures’. As for the request to station an ambassador at Beijing, ‘apart from not being in harmony with the regulations of the Celestial Empire’ this would be ‘of no advantage to your country’. Therefore the ‘tribute envoys’ had been commanded to return home, while their monarch was enjoined simply to ‘act in conformity with our wishes by strengthening your loyalty and swearing perpetual obedience so as to ensure your country may share the blessings of peace’.

这份诏书是在几个月前马戛尔尼在渤海湾上岸之前制定的。

他的远征花费了东印度公司7.8万英镑，而东印度公司却一无所获，尽管这位贵族自己还赚了2万英镑的便宜。

这是一次失败。

The edict had been drawn up before Macartney’s disembarkation at the Gulf of Bohai months earlier. His expedition cost the East India Company £78,000, for which it got nothing, although the peer himself cleared a handy £20,000 profit. It was a failure.

在回家的路上，马戛尔尼写下了一套著名的印象，直到今天还影响着几代西方外交官。

他判断说："中华帝国是一艘古老而疯狂的一流战舰，幸运的是，一连串干练而警惕的军官设法让它在这一百五十年中保持漂浮，并且仅凭它的体积和外观就能让他们的邻居们感到震惊。

但是，如果由能力较差的统治者执政，它就会漂移，并在岸上被摔得粉碎。

他认为，历史是站在进步的一边，而清朝正在进行一种徒劳的尝试来阻止人类知识的进步。

对中国来说，对现代性的抵抗是徒劳的。

 On his way home, Macartney wrote down a famous set of impressions which have influenced generations of Western diplomats until the present day. ‘The Empire of China is an old, crazy first-rate man-of-war, which a fortunate succession of able and vigilant officers has contrived to keep afloat for these one hundred and fifty years, and to overawe their neighbours merely by her bulk and appearance,’ he judged. But it would drift and be dashed to pieces on the shore when officered by less competent rulers. History was on the side of progress and the Qing, he believed, were conducting a vain attempt to arrest the progress of human knowledge. For China, resistance to modernity was futile.