西方媒體再現的中國：文化的誤解

Abstract

本研究試圖檢視西方新聞媒體的報導影響了西方社會對中華文化的印象及想法，從而間接造成西方社會對華人文化的誤解。從十九世紀以來，英語逐漸的變成了世界的主流語言。一次世界大戰后，美國主流文化漸漸地開始入侵蔓延至全球文化的各個角落。透過愛德華·薩伊德於1978年出版的⟨⟨東方主義⟩⟩，我們可以看到在十九世紀至二十世紀之間，英美兩國開了先例，為了剝削中國，基於政治及利益上的考量，透過打壓、邊緣化，在翻譯與再現中國的形象時，往往刻意使中國成爲西方社會眼裡的「他者」。現今，中國大陸已然變成世界最大的經濟體之一，但西方社會仍無法接受這個曾經第二世界國家的崛起，因此西方的新聞媒體會有意無意地挑選負面消息做爲新聞報導。本文一開始會以歷史角度切入，透過追溯歷史，讓讀者瞭解到西方世界對中華文化偏見的起源。此後本文會藉由2018年發生的中美貿易戰以及近日發生的新型冠狀病毒全球大流行來探討中英媒體資源對此的報導立場。

This research examines the impact translation plays within Western news media sources in the formation of perspective, specifically the perception of China and Chinese culture. For the past century, as the English language has become the dominant form of global communication, as American culture – since the end of World War I – continues to tactfully weave its way through the fabric of global cultures, we are now seeing a resurgence of what Edward Said famously coined in his 1978 publication as ‘Orientalism’: the habitual condescending attitude of Western countries toward Asian, Middle Eastern, and North African societies and cultures. The United States and United Kingdom created a historic precedent during the late 19th century and early 20th century of forcing China into a periphery position – into the subject of ‘Other’ for the purpose of exploitation. Jumping forward to present day in which China has become one of the largest economies in the world, we see difficulty in Western countries to cope with a once second world nation rising to power. The use of media during these times aids in the creation of a China which solely serves the interests of Western countries. The former part of this thesis will provide the reader with the historical precedent in which Western countries have demonized China. The latter portion of the essay will examine English and Chinese information circulated amongst the variety of 21st century media sources concerning events that have transpired from late 2018 to present day, including: US-China Trade War, Hong Kong extradition bill, and the voracious COVID – 19 pandemic.