世界不允许清朝守护者们躺着沉思。

 在乾隆的长期统治下，在外国人看来，中华帝国似乎存在于一种政治和官僚的惰性状态。

事实上，中国的历史记录显示，由其哲学家官员组成的政府比人们认为的更加灵活和反应迅速。

但是，东印度公司的野心、荷兰海上贸易的压力、西班牙的残余势力、葡萄牙在澳门的坚定立足点以及来自新独立的美国的船只首次出现在中国南部海岸，都不允许守护者们躺着沉思。

 During the long reign of Qianlong the Chinese empire appeared to foreigners to exist in a state of political and bureaucratic inertia. In fact, Chinese histories record that government by its philosopher-officials was more flexible and responsive than it has been given credit for. But the ambitions of the East India Company, the pressure of Dutch seaborne commerce, the residual power of Spain, the resolute Portuguese foothold at Macau and the first appearance of ships from the newly independent United States off the south China coast did not allow the guardians to recline and contemplate.

1792年，英王乔治三世的政府派遣其最能干的外交官之一马戛尔尼勋爵远航中国。

马戛尔尼是一位爱尔兰贵族，他曾在欧洲巡游，见过伏尔泰，出色地担任过俄国凯瑟琳大帝的特使，并完成了马德拉斯总督的任期，没有丑闻。

他的任务是撬开清帝国的大门，成为英国驻北京朝廷的第一位大使。

其目的是将贸易建立在一个可靠的基础上，并迫使中国加入当时正在形成的国际国家体系。

中国王室并不打算允许这些事情发生。

随后发生的错误喜剧被记录在马戛尔尼自己的日记和他的套房里其他人的叙述中，成为国内漫画家的一场盛宴。

In 1792 the British government of King George III dispatched one of its ablest diplomats, Lord Macartney, on the voyage to China. Macartney was an Irish nobleman who had toured Europe, met Voltaire, served with distinction as envoy to Catherine the Great of Russia and completed a term as governor of Madras without scandal. His mission was to prise open the gates of the Qing empire and to become Britain’s first ambassador to the court at Beijing. The aim was to put trade on a sure footing and to compel China to enter the international state system then coming into existence. The Chinese throne had no intention of permitting any of these things to take place. The comedy of errors that ensued was recorded in Macartney’s own journal and the accounts of others in his suite, becoming a feast for cartoonists back at home. 

马戛尔尼受到了精致的礼遇，但当在场的官员意识到他们的客人并不打算行 "叩头礼"，即在皇帝面前跪下来九叩首的要求时，这种礼遇变成了惊恐。

通过运河向首都进发，他意识到装饰在船队上的旗帜宣称他是向皇室进贡的大使。

Macartney was greeted with exquisite courtesy, which turned to alarm as the mandarins in attendance realised that their guest did not intend to perform the ‘kowtow’, the requirement to fall to his knees before the emperor and to prostrate himself nine times. Travelling by canal towards the capital, his lordship became aware that the banners adorning the fleet of junks proclaimed him to be an ambassador bearing tribute to the throne.