; g! c) x! g7 UJonathan D. Spence的《God’s Chinese Son》一书,记录了东王问题的英文版本 1 Q( [( }' N/ h/ Q8 E4 v5 E4 R9 `8 _* u " T. [5 W& F! {- G `, N& J; Q+ O* G6 c. d. i: g0 |- v
1853年,杨秀清曾经向来访的英国舰长盖勒麦询问了一些有关基督教的问题,而对方也进行了积极的回应,结果 – 仍然是鸡同鸭讲……# u" l$ l) Z, i2 @
1 ?0 Z- u& {2 ?. @在太平天国的历史上,杨秀清和盖勒麦船长的书信往来只是颇有些戏剧性的一页。由于对话中双方立场和价值观相去甚远,让人觉得整个对话更像一个玩笑。有些话,比如“上帝原配是我们天母,即生天兄耶稣这个老妈否?”“耶稣元配是我们天嫂否?”听来很有些郭德刚的风格,于是,有人认为这种事儿闹不好是满清弄出来,丑化太平天国形象糊弄老百姓的。: Z! g/ ?9 G. \- O% Z
7 x6 z1 o8 w7 V不过,参考外文文献,会发现这事儿真实发生的可能性很大,除非清政府神通广大,能够驱使英国人为自己做宣传工作。 6 r+ ?+ `( S2 E( z5 I, N) n& |3 K' S" J* L# N
在英国出版的《God's Chinese Son》一书中,用英文记录了当时的问答,要是翻译过来,东王的问题和流传下来的中文版本基本是一致的,只是三十问以后英方没有完整记录。 N- j$ g) v% [& Y2 U+ D
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看看东王这些问题,是不是很有些英国诗歌的感觉?; j8 T% T7 P2 T" w; h
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How tall God is, or how broad?* U2 Z# W1 O6 [" b; s% J2 L
What his appearance or color is? # s7 s( l3 D0 ZHow large his abdomen is?* S) k% G) C( d4 c+ }6 Z
What kind of beard he grows?" A: D6 M" A" l1 e' k+ m4 z5 I ^
How long his beard is? 9 m) o7 t" U" G' L4 o" x) }) hWhat cap he wears? 2 T6 ~% v U( z/ M5 xWhat kind of clothes he wears?* b2 W+ T! ]7 Z6 N
Whether his first wife was the Celestial mother, the same that brought forth the Celestial elder Brother Jesus?8 ?! `% ^, _0 U
Whether he has had any other son born to him since the birth of Jesus his first born?* C( o7 F, [+ S: [ G
Whether he has had but one son, or whether, like us mortals, a great many sons?! l6 M$ Q2 z0 {' k4 S# ]! s
Whether he is able to compose verse?! @1 a) H) N. U# [# P# z
How rapidly can he compose verse?) ^# y- Y7 G5 g) f) T( M
How fierce his disposition is? . Y5 C5 p, J) _. ^How great his liberality is?1 i4 c9 Q- D: R7 Y) G I8 s
-Your nations having worshipped God and Jesus for so long a time, does any one among you know, 2 W6 A% ?4 S/ e* E" ]How tall Jesus is, or how broad? ) U) h; o- u, R8 p! H6 TWhat his appearance or color is?2 c! u& Y) A8 \% w% M, @- \3 ^4 `
What kind of beard he grows?9 r$ ?& J& }! t3 S- h" h0 I& ~
Of waht color his beard is?7 y0 m; x- W7 s! o A; g3 O3 H
What kind of cap and clothes he wears?1 P5 M2 j: o) [6 q/ s
Whether his first wife was our elder sister?) ]. j+ i1 e1 u2 |2 ?- R
How many children he has had? 3 |7 p( H: U0 q4 h1 BOf what age is his eldest son?* b) n: F. A/ C0 q; x
How many daughters has he had? / B! d5 R, X8 M/ o, o! b! ?6 {+ eOf what age is his eldest daughter? 7 `* q) E& E: U3 T; OHow many grandsons has God at this moment? E7 z, @$ W0 Y, u5 R
How many granddaughters has God at this moment? / j3 |! y3 ?7 r/ ?) RHow many heavens are there?% B$ b5 a3 P! w" U# R
Whether all the heavens are of equal height? 0 O$ \) U' j* I' PWhat the highest Heaven is like? ! r+ g) @0 c! Q+ m2 U# U5 _& F" P1 j0 i# V
看完这些问题,估计每个人都会认为东王应该改行去当查户口的,而耶稣他们一家子象是住空置房的。) E9 m7 s% S* _2 M7 b9 [: W4 q
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除了这些类似查户口的文字,英国人笼统地描述剩下的问题,说它们都是关于“圣神风劝慰师” – 也就是杨秀清在世界上的使命,太平天国奉上帝之命摧毁满清统治,以及对英国在这场战争中采取中立态度的质疑, ) A( v/ ^0 o+ K$ @3 s0 e* q) g# u# G+ l
英国人的回答也大致和记载相同。只是有一个细节 –当时英国军舰上没有人是学习神学的,所的答案是众人一齐努力之后凑出来的。饶是如此,我们也知道了一个这样的事实 -- 这位东王所问的所有问题,面对《新约》和《旧约》,都是莫名其妙的。显然,自称亲奉上帝命令来凡间的太平天国东王,连看看基督教最基础的经典这样的表面功夫,也是没有作过的。" B; c, D; @+ V: w
1 Y8 M: a4 f6 A1 E: L$ N. y' Y+ U然而,我们因为这个就可以嘲笑杨秀清吗?我认为是不应该的。因为在那个时代,封建王朝的皇帝对外国人也是持敬而远之的态度的,一般士大夫,要么盲目排外,要么俯首屈膝,真正能够平静地,睁着眼睛面对洋人的凤毛麟角,掌国大臣中不过是清政府有李鸿章,太平天国有杨秀清而已。尽管杨秀清的水平有问题,试图和英国人沟通的方法也不对头,没有做到知己知彼,但有和“洋人”交往的勇气和行动,而不是将其视作魔鬼,躲得越远越好,已经是满了不起的了。 : z6 n, h* M5 Z$ |% Y6 @ 9 s* e$ V! A3 }2 T! M敢于把门打开的人,总是勇者。 9 w( i# P: R, E2 j3 A a/ H( H- h # ~. M- O, e: t8 \9 C# j! Q[完] 0 ?1 }! O P4 _# Z( _$ [* F( \, Y4 r+ H! w3 c' O! i 作者: 魔术师 时间: 2012-6-9 09:54
估计英国人看了这些问题以后该这样了吧?——0 L# |% S. P5 w1 L
6 S; \; a1 K+ g' t- I2 x: P; w , m0 Y5 B3 g8 y 作者: kenlee 时间: 2012-8-24 20:25
感觉杨秀清是故意的。那时,东王府不至于如此无人。& Q' q5 o8 X% k. r3 J6 C1 y5 ^
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上帝对他而言,跟以前那条白蛇,和以后那个老马,都是同一作用的东西。