泡网俱乐部

今天去了大英图书馆，瞎转转，看了看鸦片战争爆发前英国和中国的一些通信。看的是170年前的真迹，都是手写体，认得有些吃力。有一封信很有意思，是英国外交部长写给中国皇帝的，是宣布鸦片战争开始的信，一共18页。想复印，太贵，而且不能当天取，于是抄了一段：

 

“Now, although the law of China declared that the importation of opium should be forbidden, yet it is notorious that for many years past, the importation has ben connived (1) at and permitted by the Chinese authorities at Canton, nay more (2), that those authorities from the government downwards, have made an annual and considerable profit by taking money from foreigners for the permissions to import opium, and of late the Chinese authorities have gone so far in letting this law at defiance, that mandarin boats were employed to bring opium to Canton from the foreign ships lying at Lintin.

 

Did the imperial government at Peking know these things?"

 

(1) 和（2）我看不懂，有明白的么？是不是我抄错了？手写体难认。

 

Lintin是哪里？是不是文天祥“过伶仃洋”里得伶仃洋？

 

我觉得这段有意思是因为以前我以为中国鸦片泛滥就是该死的英国人干的呢。现在看来，清政府有不可推卸的责任。有意思得是，最后一句问句，意味深长。

 

信里然后又提了三点要求，然后说，通讯不方便，我们就不等你们的回信了，我们的舰队和远征军已经启航了。

 

今天收获不小啊。