晚清民初科學小說研究（1902-1919）

Abstract

本文將探討晚清至民初的科學小說敘事，並試圖指出：科學小說的書寫不僅止於展示西方新奇事物，也不限於對船堅砲利、物質文明的讚頌，而是在敘事之中蘊含著知識分子對社會多方面的關懷與自覺，這種態度既是對「數千年來未有之變局」的回應，同時也是「與世界接軌」的嘗試。回到「小說期刊」這一原始的刊載場域，便可窺見知識分子在所表現的立場與姿態：一方面，在「救亡圖存」和「開啟民智」的雙重訴求下所建立的「科學救國」意識體系，使得小說文本中帶有強烈的啟蒙意味，知識分子不斷挪用、援引各式各樣的域外知識，並嘗試以此啟發讀者，塑造出新時代所需的國民形象，亦勾勒國富民強的未來圖景；另一方面，民初以來消費市場興起、印刷資本影響及編輯群體逐步成形，使小說文本逐漸流露出「消閒娛樂」的日常化傾向，在這樣的背景下，知識分子將科學知識與閱讀趣味相結合，創造出一種「寓教於樂」的新型閱讀方式。本文以「科學小說」為切入，意在重新探索知識分子在不同歷史背景下對科學的理解、表述與想像，其中透露的不僅是時代變遷所帶來的現代性認識，更是對自身文化的調適與反思。事實上，科學小說所呈現的，無論是扮演域外經驗，亦或是新知識的創造性表述，其目的都是在吸收、轉化或重組來自西方的科學話語，將其深植於新舊交替的時局之中，並以此為基礎，探索或想像中國未來社會的圖景。This article explores science fiction from the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China. The results indicate that science fiction narratives not only display Western novelties and material civilisation, but also contain the contemporary intellectuals' concern for various aspects of society. This attitude is both a response to the “unprecedented changes in thousands of years” and an effort to connect with the world. As a publishing medium for science fiction, novel journals reveal the stance and attitude of intellectuals when publishing their ideas. On one hand, the “science for salvation” system advocated by Liang Qi-chao imbued novel texts with a strong enlightenment significance. Intellectuals constantly drew on foreign knowledge to inspire readers, shaping the desired image of citizens and envisioning a future of national prosperity and people’s strength.On the other hand, since the Republic of China era, the rise of the consumer market, the development of printing technology, and the formation of editor groups have led to a tendency toward entertainment and leisure in fiction texts. In this context, intellectuals combined scientific knowledge with entertainment to create an educational yet enjoyable reading experience.This article focuses on science fiction to explore how intellectuals understood, expressed, and imagined science in different historical contexts. What is revealed is not only the modernity brought about by historical changes but alsoa reflection on their own culture.In fact, whether introducing foreign knowledge or expressing new knowledge, the purpose of science fiction is to absorb and transform Western scientific discourse, using it as a basis to explore or imagine the future of Chinese society.