林紓的海軍情結－從《不如歸》說起

Abstract

1908年，林紓與魏易合作，從英譯本譯出日本明治時期的暢銷書《不如歸》。與日人眼中的「家庭小說」與出版方商務印書館的標記「哀情小說」不同，林紓看重的是此書關於中日甲午海戰的敘述。故譯序中，林紓主要訴說由小說引發的「冤抑之情」。他不只希望借助日人名作，證明此戰中北洋海軍非如世人所指斥的「遁逃」，而是將士用命；並進而有意利用其古文家之筆，為海軍申辯、鑄史，留下了三篇紀實文章。追溯林紓為何如此關切海軍，實與福建船政局及船政學堂本是「中國近代海軍的搖籃」，清末海軍將士多半出身閩籍有關。林紓乃是將傳統的鄉土之情與現代國家思想融合，投射在海軍身上，由此表現為同海軍的榮辱與共。

In 1908, Lin Shu (林紓), collaborating with the interpreter Wei Yi (魏易), translated Hototogisu (Nami-Ko), a bestseller in Meiji Japan, from its English rendition into Chinese under the title of Bu Ru Gui 《不如歸》. Instead of following the Japanese view regarding this novel as a ＂family story＂ or complying with the label of ＂melancholy novel＂ (哀情小說) branded by the publisher, the Commercial Press, Lin Shu put his emphasis on the narration of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 in the book. Thus, he devoted the main part of his preface to relating ＂the feeling of injustice＂ (冤抑之情) aroused by the novel. Not only did he mean to take advantage of the renowned Japanese work to disprove the ＂coward abandonment＂ (遁逃), of which people generally accused the loyal and devoting Northern Navy, but he also brought into full play his classical writing skills to defend and historicize the Navy with three pieces of non-fiction works. The reason why Lin Shu was so deeply concerned with the Navy could be traced up to the fact that the Fujian Shipbuilding Bureau and the Institute were ＂the cradle of Chinese modern navy＂ as well as the fact that more than half the Navy officers were born ＂Fujianese＂ (閩人). Having fused his traditional local affection and the idea of modern state, Lin Shu projected his complex onto the Navy and ended up sharing the same breath with it.