论近代中国早期的官商关系--以《胡雪岩全传》为透视点

高阳著名长篇历史小说《胡雪岩全传》以文学艺术的形式反映了晚清官、商、洋之间的复杂关系。出身低微的胡雪岩由于后来升任浙江巡抚的王有龄、更由于"中兴"名臣左宗棠的鼎力扶持,从而成为既富且贵的"红顶商人"。胡雪岩的发迹史正是晚清步入近代之初商必依赖于官的真实写照。但从当时整个社会来说,资本主义性质的近代企业难容于封建专制的帝国政治,整体上官商之间对立的传统关系并无根本的调适,胡雪岩在与洋商的竞争中因得不到清政府的切实支持而破产,这既是他个人的不幸,更是时代的悲剧。

On the Relationship Between Officials and Merchants in China of Earlier Times--From the Perspective of Biography of Hu Xue-yan

Biography of Hu Xue-yan, a famous historical novel by Gao Yang, reflects the complicated relationship among officials, domestic merchants and foreign merchants in the artistic form of literature. Hu Xue-yan rose from humble origins to become a Hongding merchant, not only wealthy but also noble, with the help of Wang You-ling and Zuo Zong-tang, the former later promoted to governor of Zhejiang, and the latter respected as the courtier having contributed to the prosperity of middle Qing Dynasty. Hu Xue-yan's rise to power produces a true story about merchants' indispensable reliance on officials when late Qing Dynasty proceeded into modern age. But as far as the whole society is concerned, modern enterprises with characteristics of capitalism were incompatible with imperial politics of feudal monarchy. Overall, there wasn't any adjustment in the contradictory relationship between officials and merchants. Hu Xue-yan's bankruptcy, as a result of his failure to win support from the government in the competition with foreign merchants, is a tragedy of the age more than a tragedy of an individual.