《司马光之园》再读——法国耶稣会士与18世纪中国园林艺术转译

"Le jardin de Sée-Ma-Gouang: Pöeme" Revisited: French Jesuits and the Transposition of Chinese Gardens Art into 18th-Century Europe

关键词:  风景园林  司马光之园  韩国英  法国耶稣会士  转译  英华庭园  圆明园  独乐园

Key words:  landscape architecture  le jardin de Sée-Ma-Gouang  Pierre-Martial Cibot  French Jesuit  transposition  le jardin anglo-chinois  the imperial garden Yuanming Yuan  Garden of Solitary Enjoyment

摘要:

18世纪，一种崇尚自然、追求如画景致与漫步体验的新式园林风尚在西欧兴起：不仅体现于私人造园热潮，也反映在跨语际的园林艺术理论争鸣中。中 国园林作为这场艺术变革的重要源泉，为其提供了意象、灵感与价值参照。这一影响既与2个世纪的跨洲际商品贸易催生的“中国风”相关，也归功于入华传教士 的中国园林记述。围绕韩国英(Pierre-Martial Cibot)1770年的一篇争议之作《司马光之园：诗作》(Le jardin de Sée-Ma-Gouang: P?eme)，追溯法国 耶稣会北京传教团推动中国园林艺术在欧传播的过程、阶段与作品；以文献分析法，厘清文本创作目的、内容构成及其与西欧园林理论的联系；提出并论证这一 时期的2条转译路径：一是强化中国园林的田园特性，以响应与引导欧陆新风；二是聚焦感觉效应，感通并汲取其景境组构艺术。以此指出，文化影响并非仅限于 文化产物的流通与仿制，还应关注在文化关联与交织中，由重新诠释生成的混合物，它加深自我认知，并有助反思18世纪世界多元文化中心接触中形成的现代园 林艺术的根源。

Abstract:

During the 18th century, Western European society experienced the emergence of a new style of gardening characterized by a deep appreciation for nature, the pursuit of picturesque forms, and an emphasis on the experiential dimension of strolling. Following the conclusion of the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), this movement rapidly expanded from England to the broader European continent, ultimately becoming a pan-European cultural phenomenon. The shift manifested not only in increased interest in establishing private rural estates and gardens but also in translingual discussions about garden art theory and aesthetics debates, which persisted into the early 19th century and contributed substantially to the development of the modern urban park. Chinese gardens played a significant role in shaping these transformations in environmental sensibility and garden design, offering imagery, inspiration, and reference for alternative values that contrasted with the geometrical and symmetrical conventions of Baroque gardens. This influence was fostered by the flourishing trend of "Chinoiserie", stimulated by two centuries of intercontinental trade, and by the accounts and interpretations of Chinese gardens conveyed by missionaries via letters, translations, treatises, and images. Despite notable historical cross-cultural contact, scholarly consensus remains elusive regarding the transmission and impact of Chinese garden art in 18th-century Western Europe. The debate focuses on how Chinese garden principles were incorporated into Western European theory and practice, and whether this integration altered or diminished the authentic qualities of Chinese gardens through processes like interpretation, adaptation, hybridization, or even fictionalization. This paper examines the works of the French missionary Pierre-Martial Cibot, specifically his text "The Garden of Sima Guang: Poem"?(Le jardin de Sée-Ma-Gouang: Po?me), which constitutes an adaptive translation of Chinese historian Sima Guang's?Record of the Garden of Solitary Enjoyment(Dule Yuan Ji 独乐园记), a renowned literary piece from Song Dynasty, that described both the layout of his garden in Luoyang and his reclusive way of life. Written in 1770, Cibot's controversial translation was produced within the context of the French Jesuits' reports on the imperial garden Yuanming Yuan and its Forty Scenes for Henri Bertin, French Minister of State. These accounts have significantly influenced Western Europe's perception of Chinese gardens over the past two centuries. The study first examines the stages, approaches, and works through which the French Jesuit missionaries in Beijing facilitated the dissemination of Chinese garden art in Europe, with particular emphasis on the third phase of "orientated depiction". Employing translingual and philological methods, it then clarifies Cibot's creative intentions, content construction, and the links between his translation and contemporary Western European garden theories, particularly the possible influence of British architect William Chambers' ideas on Chinese garden scenery art and the adoption of the French architect Marc-Antoine Laugier's artistic stance that sought to blend Sino-European concepts in modern gardening. Furthermore, the paper identifies two strategies for translating Chinese garden art in this period: firstly, accentuating its pastoral characters to align with evolving European landscape gardening trends, notably demonstrated in the development of a new model of "jardin anglo-chinois" which merges the ancient Roman ideal of otium with the Chinese literati tradition of garden retreat; and secondly, highlighting sensory effects of garden scenes to evoke emotional resonance and stimulate imaginative understanding, thereby assimilating the art of scenery composition. This latter strategy helped pave the way for the integration of Chinese garden aesthetics into the Western Romantic movement. In summary, the paper argued the forms and essence of cultural influence, encompassing not only the circulation and imitation of cultural artefacts but also the hybrid outcomes resulting from their reinterpretation within interconnected cultural frameworks. Examining the cultural contacts and their hybrid elements of the eighteenth century deepens our insight into cultural identity and prompts a critical evaluation of the origins of modern gardening art, developed within the context of early modern polycentrism