他者之域的文化想像與國族論述－林獻堂《環球遊記》析論

Abstract

林獻堂(1881-1956)出身臺中霧峰林氏望族，歷經清朝、日本殖民及民國政權的更替，一生戮力於臺灣民族運動，其生平事蹟與臺灣詭譎的政治局勢緊密相繫。一九二七年臺灣文化協會分裂，林氏偕同二子遊歷歐美，欲效法梁啟超，考察政治國情，以裨爾後推動政治事業。耗時一年之久的環球之旅，足跡遍歷歐美十餘國，旅遊見聞與感思，輯成《環球遊記》一書。這部二十萬言的旅行書寫，既是林獻堂四十九歲壯遊世界的見聞記錄，頗能概括呈現中年林獻堂的識見、學養與思想感情，是研究林獻堂不可或缺的珍貴史料；更是日治時代臺灣人走向世界、尋找民族出路、追求現代化的精神實錄。遂使《環球遊記》能夠超越一般旅行文本的文學價值，讀來格外沈重，也異常豐厚。因此，本文擬就《環球遊記》的內容詳加析論，藉以彰顯林獻堂的世界觀與國族印象，及其如何透過旅行書寫以再現其文化想像與國族論述。

Lin Xian-tang, from 1881 to 1956, was born into a wealthy family in Wu-fong, Taichung. Having experienced the political turnovers of the Manchu Dynasty, Japanese occupation and the Taiwan Republic, he devoted his whole life to Taiwanese nationalist movement, with the deeds of his life closely related to the vagary political situation. After the disruption of the Taiwan Cultural Association in 1927, Mr. Lin traveled around Europe and the United States with his two sons, with the intention of following the footsteps of Liang Qi-chao in examining and exploring the political states of different countries, so as to impel future political career. The journey around the world lasted a year, inclusive of over a dozen countries across Europe and the United States. Combining the knowledge and impressions of his travel, he completed the book ”The Voyage Around the World.” In a way, this twenty-thousand-word voyage is a collection of Lin Xian-tang`s journey around the world, and what he learned, at the age of forty-nine. Generalizing his knowledge, intelligence and sentiments as a middle-aged man, the book itself is indispensable to the study of Lin Xian-tang. More importantly, this book is an actual record of how Taiwanese, during the Japanese occupation, marched toward the outside world seeking for realization of nationalism and modernism. Thus, ”The Voyage Around the World” surpasses general travel books in terms of literary value, while being especially burdening, but enriching at the same time, to its readers. Accordingly, my dissertation will analyze and discuss the content of ”The Voyage Around the World,” in turn bring out the world view and national impression of Lin Xian-tang, and how his cultural imagination and national discussion were represented through the travel journal.