10月21日
……周四我参加了一个“毁烧圆明园”的狂欢活动。圆明园离我这儿大约有四英里，其中一部分优雅地坐落于山坡上，融入壮丽的山色中。不同于一切欧洲宫殿的风格，它由一大群散落山脚平原的楼阁组成，无边无际。
这些庙宇里满是绝美的青铜和珐琅，但实在太大太沉，搬不动……我成功抢到了不少青铜和珐琅花瓶，还有一些极其精致、镶绣帝王黄绿龙纹的瓷杯与茶碟，但是它们太脆弱易碎了，我真害怕能否完好无损地把它们带回家。
这一段惊心动魄的文字节选于英国海军上校哈利·刘易斯·埃文斯(Harry Lewis Evans)与家人的信件。
这些信件明确记录了1860年他跟随英法联军侵略中国并参与洗劫圆明园的细节。
而正是在这次掠夺之中流失海外的中国稀有青铜器“虎鎣(yíng)”近日又将现世，不过令人痛心的是，这次露面是因为它即将被拍卖。
据《古董贸易公报》(Antiques Trade Gazette)报道，这件中国稀有青铜器，圆明园被掠夺的文物之一，“虎鎣”将于4月11日在英国肯特拍卖，消息一出便吸引了众多关注。
A rare Chinese bronze water vessel believed to have been taken during the looting of Beijing’s Old Summer Palace in 1860 has been discovered in Kent, southeast England. The relic will go on sale at The Canterbury Auction Galleries on April 11 with an estimate of 120,000 to 200,000 pounds ($170,000 - $285,000).
looting：抢劫；洗劫
虎鎣
这尊距今约3000年的稀有西周青铜盛水器“鎣”因其器盖和出水口的老虎造型设计而得名“虎鎣”，是目前世界仅存的七件“鎣”类青铜器之一。
According to The Canterbury Auction Galleries, only six similar archaic vessels, known as Ying, are said to exist, and five of them are in museums. The vessel dates back to the Western Zhou dynasty (1027-771 BC). It is called the Tiger Ying because the spout and lid are both cast with models of the creature.
archaic [ɑ？'ke？？k]：古代的；古香古色的
vessel ['v？sl]：容器；船；舰
英国海军上校哈利·刘易斯·埃文斯(Harry Lewis Evans)
与往常不同的是，此次事件中，“虎鎣”的前任拥有者——英国海军上校哈利·刘易斯·埃文斯(Harry Lewis Evans)与家人的信件也同时被发现。这些信件明确记录了他跟随军队侵略中国并参与洗劫圆明园的细节。
Also found was an archive of letters and photographs from Royal Marines Captain Harry Lewis Evans (1831-83), who fought in the war, gives a vivid account of his time in China.
埃文斯上校家中摆放的“虎鎣”
让我们来读一读这封信，揭开那一段埋藏在历史深处充满屈辱的真相：
25th October
10月25日
…Rather a good trait in their character was it not, restoring the prisoners without having tortured them or done them any injury… we found that our shells had done great execution. In one place I counted not less than 18 dead bodies in a space of less than 50 yards...
……清军性格中的这一点很好啊是不是，他们释放的俘虏都未受虐待、毫发未损……我们发现我们的炮弹杀伤力十足。在某处方圆50码以内，就有不下18具尸体，伤员全都被运走……
Their loss was tremendous. A flag of truce was sent over and the surrender of the remaining forts was demanded.
他们的损失极为惨重。最终一面停战的旗帜被送来，剩下的堡垒也全被要求投降。
The war is now virtually at an end, and before many months are over I expect we shall all be on our way home, I am afraid that I shall not be at home in time for Xmas…
现在战争显然已经结束了。我估计过不了几个月，我们就该踏上回家的路了，我担心我没法在圣诞节前赶回家了......
Peking is now virtually ours, one of the gates have been surrendered to us several days ago, on the day on which we were to have opened fire…
北京现在已经几乎是我们的了，就在好几天前我们将要开火的时候，它的一个城门上向我们竖起了白旗……
...the following day we were to have gone on to the Summer Palace... there being only about 300 servants left to look after the place, and a small guard of about 50 men, who of course did not attempt any resistance.
第二天我们就要进入圆明园了……那里只留下了大约300个照看圆明园的仆人，和50人左右的卫兵，当然他们没尝试任何抵抗。
The French got lots of valuable loot in the way of watches, clocks, fur coats, silks etc. The General (Sir Hope Grant) sent out all the carts he could find, brought in as much as they could carry, and all the things were sold by auction for prize money for the force actually present on the 6th, and a considerable amount was realized as the things went at fabulous prices.
法国人搜刮了大量值钱的战利品，包括手表、钟表、皮大衣、丝绸等。霍普·格兰特将军号令用上所有能找到的推车，能装多少就装多少回来。而所有这些宝贝都被现场拍卖掉，卖的钱作为奖励发给6号参战的部队，这些宝物售价高昂，最后的金额相当可观。
There was also a large sum of sycee silver and gold found, which will also be divided amongst the troops. Some of the money has already been distributed. I expect to get about five and forty Pounds for my share.
还发现了一大笔银锭和金锭，这些钱也会被分发给军队上下。其中一部分已经被派发出去了。我预计自己能分到54镑。
21st October
10月21日
…I went out on Thursday with a party to burn down the Summer Palace. It is about four miles from here, and a portion of it is beautifully situated on a spur of the hills which form a magnificent background; it is very different from all European notions of a palace, and consists of range of buildings scattered over an immense extent of ground on the plain at the foot of the hills.
……周四我参加了一个“毁烧圆明园”的狂欢活动。圆明园离我这儿大约有四英里，其中一部分优雅地坐落于山坡上，融入壮丽的山色中。不同于一切欧洲宫殿的风格，它由一大群散落在山脚平原的楼阁组成，无边无际。
The temples were enriched with quantities of most beautiful bronzes and enamels, but were too large and heavy to be moved conveniently...
这些庙宇里满是绝美的青铜和珐琅，但实在太大太沉，搬不动……
I succeeded in getting several bronzes and enamel vases as well as some very fine porcelain cups and saucers of the Emperor's imperial pattern (yellow with green dragons) but they are so dreadfully brittle that I quite despair ever being able to get them home in their present condition.
我成功抢到了不少青铜和珐琅花瓶，还有一些极其精致、镶绣帝王黄绿龙纹的瓷杯与茶碟，但是它们太脆弱易碎了，我真害怕能否完好无损地把它们带回家。
拍卖消息的不胫而走和令人震惊的信件内容，让许多中国民众愤慨不已，昨天中国日报相关报道的评论中也不乏惋惜的声音：
也有一些声音表达了要用大量金钱买回自己东西的不满：
此次拍卖会的顾问阿拉斯泰尔·吉布森(Alastair Gibson)在公开信函中的一段话更是刺眼，其对中国买家的示好似乎别有用意：
“回顾这个家庭的爱国军事历史，将剩下的物品拍卖掉是一个令人心酸的时刻。”埃文斯家族希望通过这样一个机会，“使来自世界各地的新一代藏家珍爱收藏这些青铜器，也希望它们中的一些可以再回到中国收藏家那里。”
The Evans family of Fronfelen now hope that this opportunity will allow the bronzes to be cherished by a new generation of collectors from around the world, and hopefully some of them may find their way back to collectors in China.
然而究竟是通过拍卖直接买回文物，还是寻求其他的手段尝试带回我们自己的宝物呢？如何让流失文物回家，是一个长期而复杂的议题，这困扰着世界上多个拥护和平的文明古国，也让很多守着赃物宝库的发达国家在没有强大国际法和成功案例的情况下持续傲慢了几个世纪。这样的窘境期待着我们用智慧与魄力去寻找体面的解决方案。
作为千年文明古国，中国有巨量的海外遗珍散落在世界各地。
每个中国人都无时无刻不在牵挂着它们的安危。
这次“虎鎣”事件究竟如何发展，且待观察，而那些成功回归或仍处争端漩涡中的流失文物，还有那些可能成为明日海外遗珍的濒危文物，更值得每一个中国人用心珍惜和保护。
希望它们早日回家！
原标题：勿忘国耻!英法联军家书曝光,详细记录洗劫圆明园细节
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