五四時期跨文化視野下的中國：兼與日本比較

「五四運動」標誌著近代中國政治、社會、文化、思想史的一大轉折，百年來持續受到研究者的關注，視角紛呈，詮釋疊出。本文以一九二○年代，即廣義的「五四時期」為背景，分析並比較幾部出自於國際名士手筆的中國論述，一窺在當時的權力格局之下，顯得既巨大又奇特，落後卻又隱含著救贖意味的中國形象，藉此反映出一次大戰之後的世界文明展望。此外，與西方列強遙相對應，日本於二十世紀初期也已晉身世界強權，國際上對於日本的興趣也水漲船高。本文在剖析名士們所觀察到的中國時，亦與其日本論述相參照，目的不僅在於凸顯兩者國際形象的差異，更會觸及「東西文化」、「近代化」、「世界史」等思想課題。最後，透過本文的嘗試，筆者也希望能在已然百花齊放的五四研究園地別開一生面。 The May-Fourth Movement marked a turning point in the political, social, cultural, and intellectual history of modern China. It has been receiving academic attention for nearly a century since its inception. This article focuses on the 1920s, widely known as the “May-Fourth era” in China, and analyzes some international intellectual discourses on China. This is an attempt to explore the image of post-WWI China that was considered backward but hopeful for its potential to imbue world civilization with a new spirit. In the meantime, Japan had become one of the world powers and drawn worldwide interest in the early twentieth century. While examining China's image in the eyes of international observers, this article also touches upon their views on Japan. The purpose is not only to reveal the different international images of China and Japan, but also to embark on discussions about “Eastern and Western cultures”, “modernization”, and “world history”. Hopefully, this article can break a new path in the already fruitful fields of May-Fourth studies.