人形智能機：晚清科幻小說中的身心改造敘事

Humanoid Intelligent Machine: The Narrative of Body and Mind Modification in Late Qing Science Fictions

賈立元(Jia Liyuan)

《中國現代文學》 35期 (2019/06) Pp. 3-28

摘要

近代以來，西學新知重塑了國人對身體與心靈的認識，激發了依靠技術改造、管理身心的期待。本文將晚清科幻小說中的相關內容置於這一背景下考察，探討虛構敘事如何搬運、模擬、戲仿科學話語，以此與教科書、科技資訊、域外見聞、報刊廣告、民間傳說、公開表演聯結成喧囂的敘述場域，共同言說著人之定義：現代生理學與醫學將人視作可拆解、修補的機器，小說中的換血、洗腦、洗心因而不止是民族新生的誇張寓言，也在相當程度上成為科學幻想；治心法、催眠術等理論構建的「心－身」模型則啟動了以明確的技術程式操控心力、驅使靈魂的嘗試；無處不在、貫通萬物的「電氣」成為生命力之源與靈魂棲居地，千人震、電氣帶等醫療設備由此問世，全面電氣化的烏托邦夢幻因此而生，靈魂不死的信條從此得證。在此敘述場中，「人」實質上成為軀體與精神皆可編輯、又需要能量驅動的機器。這樣的定義，為「人」的後世命運預埋了伏筆。

關鍵字

晚清 ； 科幻小說 ； 造人 ； 生理學 ； 催眠術 ； 電帶

並列摘要

Since 1840, the introduction of new Western learnings has reshaped the Chinese people's understanding of the body and mind. The introduction of these teachings stimulated them into expecting the possibility of modifying and managing our bodies and minds through modern technology. This paper analyses relevant content found in late Qing science fiction (SF), and discusses how SF carried, simulated, and parodied scientific discourse in late Qing, and how the definition of ＂human being＂ changed in a narrative system consisting of: fictional narrative, textbooks, technological information, overseas experience, newspaper advertisements, folk hearsay, and public performances. Specifically, three kinds of knowledge that changed the definition of human beings are discussed. Modern physiology and medicine regard people as detachable and fixable machines. Blood transfusions, physical ＂brain-washing＂ and ＂heart-washing＂ technologies in SF are not merely exaggerated fables of the rebirth of the nation, but also the worship of science and utopian expectations. Secondly, the ＂mind-body＂ model constructed by theories of hypnotism and mental cultivation methods made people believe that there were scientific ways to manipulate minds and harness souls. Lastly, the ubiquitousness of ＂electrical energy＂ has become the source of vitality and the seat of the soul. From this belief, many people trusted medical equipment invented by industrialized nations, such as TENS devices and electric belts. They dreamed of an electrified utopia and the immortality of the soul. In this narrative, ＂human＂ has essentially become a machine that is both editable and energy-driven, whose fate is foreshadowed by the definition given herein.

並列關鍵字

late Qing ； science fiction ； body modification ； physiology ； hypnotism ； electric belt

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