英文摘要
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Wang Tao was the reformation forerunner in China's modernization movement. In 1862, he objected to the Taiping Rebellion and was then wanted by the Qing government. He spent the following 22 years in exile. From 1867-1870, while at Ying Wa College, Wang Tao accepted Dean James Legge's invitation to go to Europe to assist with translation of books. He was the first Chinese intellectual who could unofficially travel to Europe in late Qing. In his unique travels, Wang Tao experienced the dramatic impact of Western material civilization. In 1887, he serialized his travelogue ”Selections from Jottings of Carefree Travels” on the Dianshizhai Illustrated Journal issued by the Shanghai Shen newspaper. This personal memoir includes not only the record of his travels to Europe, but also describes his trip to Jiangnan and stays in Shanghai and Hong Kong before going to Europe.Because the old knowledge system could not describe Western material civilization accurately, Wang Tao used traditional Chinese imagery to highlight the blurred and fuzzy appearance of the new material. This cognitive framework incorporated the exotic colors of the material. His alternative to the usual interpretation was to use the technique of abstract amazement, such as ”It is bizarre and difficult to watch intently.” The combination of these two writing habits made the foreign material images in ”Selections from Jottings of Carefree Travels” seemingly clear, but also hard to determine. Creating the material images through Wang Tao's writing techniques made his memoir splendid and profound. His memoir also reflects the author's self-image. Wang Tao insisted on wearing Chinese Confucian dress in foreign countries because it reflects Chinese cultural values. In his hometown tour, he emphasized ”three kinds of plants” imagery - the lotus, plum, and pine - which is a metaphor for himself, the image of a gentleman.With more travel time, Wang Tao gradually turned towards exploring the institutional and ideological levels of society. He recognized the diverse implications derived from cultural, political, economic, social, and educational differences.
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