疑慮證詞作為臺灣清法戰爭之見證──《孤拔元帥的小水手》文本考證

A Contested Testimony Raised as Proof of the Sino-French War in Taiwan? Analysis of Le mousse de l’amiral Courbet

本研究分析自2000年代以來，由臺灣學界塑造、作為清法戰爭（1884-1885）第一手見證文本《孤拔元帥的小水手》（Le mousse de l’amiral Courbet）的應用與考證。《孤拔元帥的小水手》最初於1890年至1891年間以連載方式出版，被遺忘一個多世紀後，重新出現在討論福爾摩沙遠征的學界中。這樣的重新發現，衍生出歷史研究方法論的探討。本文首先透過對該證詞進行文本與校對的批評，研究該作品潛在作者的身分，以證明這部被視為戰爭真實證據的敘述，內容雖然基於真實事件，但無疑在事後經過不少修改。其次，藉由分析該作品的不同中文譯本及其在學界的應用，探討這份證詞被當作史料的景況，說明該作品目前在相關研究中的地位。《孤拔元帥的小水手》除了作為法軍對福爾摩沙遠征資料素材外，該部受殖民風格啟發的大眾連載小說，或許更反映了十九世紀末法國期刊界的情況，而非補足「官方歷史」的缺空；而小水手在臺灣的重新問世亦成為一面鏡子，除了折射出以福爾摩沙為中心的家國敘事形塑，也揭示了跨語境史料在信賴機制上的不穩定性。

The present article examines a long-forgotten French serialized novel, Le mousse de l’amiral Courbet (Admiral Courbet’s Little Sailor), which has been revived by Taiwanese scholars since the 2000s as a key first-hand account of the Sino-French War (1884-1885). Originally published between 1890 and 1891, the text’s recent resurgence raises important questions about historical research methodology. Through textual and documentary analysis, this study investigates the likely identity of the author(s) and argues that, while the narrative draws on real events, it has been significantly altered after the fact. It also examines Chinese translations and the text’s use in contemporary research, assessing its role as historical evidence. Rather than simply filling gaps in the official historical record, the colonial-era Le mousse offers deeper insights into the world of late 19th century French periodical publishing. Its reappearance in Taiwan not only reflects the emergence of a Formosa-centered national narrative, but also underscores the fragile foundations of trust in cross-cultural historical sources.