| Summary: | The British Empire was a latecomer in establishing Chinese studies.
British Sinologists made strenuous efforts to establish the first program
at the University College London in the mid-1830s. The empire did not
contribute to the making of it. University College London, the
institution where the program was set up, was apathetic about the
whole establishment. When the first term ended, University College
London was unwilling to continue the program despite the clamor for
learning Chinese in the society. The program was finally revived in
1846, only this time at another college at the University of London.
Relying on an extensive amount of private and public archival records
centering on Sir George Thomas Staunton, this paper demonstrates
that it was under his patronage that the Chinese program was
reinstitutionalized in London. Known to be an unassuming political
figure, Sir George Staunton was determined to rekindle the program.
Not soon after the Treaty of Nanking was signed did a scandal of
translation break out: an article in the peace treaty was missing in the
translated version. The interpreter for the British Empire was accused
of being bribed by the Chinese to betray the British Empire. Was it
true? Or was this simply a political intrigue to humiliate the British?
In fact, during the war, Staunton, being an old Chinese hand
and an expert of Chinese translation, had already warned about the
vulnerability of the government in view of the chronic lack of competent interpreters. However, as party politics prevailed, his good
intentions were ignored. Even worse, he was sidelined. After seeing
that the scandal had hijacked Britain’s war glory, he was resolute in
fixing the problem. This time he used his own might to set the tone for
British Sinology for years to come.
|
|---|