戴維斯

繁體中文

戴維斯（John Francis Davis，1795–1890）係著名漢學家，1813年獲東印度公司廣州商館聘任為書記員並專責學習中文，1816年隨亞美士德使團赴京，1832年任公司駐廣州特別委員會主席，1834年出任駐華商務副總監。他翻譯《好逑傳》及中國詩歌，著有《漢文詩解》等，係早期英國漢學嘅代表人物。1844年5月他接任第二任港督，任內香港財政極度緊絀，倫敦逐年削減補助，政府須靠土地拍賣同徵費維持；1844年8月立法局通過《人口登記條例》，要求居民登記並繳費，觸發華人罷工、罷市同離港潮，最後要押後執行。他任內亦把華人習俗納入管治考量，確立「以華治華」嘅雛形。1848年離任後返英繼續研究中國語文，並獲冊立從男爵，1890年逝世。

English

John Francis Davis (1795–1890) was a noted sinologist. He joined the East India Company's Canton factory as a writer in 1813 and was selected to study Chinese, accompanied Lord Amherst's embassy to Peking in 1816, chaired the Company's Select Committee at Canton in 1832 and became Deputy Chief Superintendent of Trade in China in 1834. His translations, including 'The Fortunate Union' and 'The Poetry of the Chinese', made him a leading figure in early British sinology. He became the second Governor of Hong Kong in May 1844. His term was dominated by severe fiscal strain as London cut its subsidy year after year, forcing the government to rely on land sales and fees. In August 1844 the Legislative Council passed the Registration Ordinance, requiring inhabitants to register and pay a fee; it triggered a Chinese strike, shop closures and an exodus, and had to be suspended. Davis also brought Chinese custom into the administration's reckoning, setting the early pattern of governing through Chinese community leaders. He left in 1848, returned to Britain to continue his Chinese studies, was created a baronet and died in 1890.