CAJ | 학술논문

清末民初，严复与日本首相伊藤博文是留英同学的传闻开始出现，其内容和细节在流传中愈益翔实。1990年代严复一些未刊书信面世，在《致梁启超》一函中，严自称留英期间与伊藤博文同窗数载，回国后的待遇、命运则大相径庭。尽管该函两个标点本的识读有一定差异①，但考查这一时期严、梁的言行、交往、境遇，其内容有真实性，不能简单认定为伪，何况传闻的出现时间远早于此函。依据传播学原理判断，“同学说”的始作俑者可能就是严复本人。
청말민초，엄복여일본수상이등박문시류영동학적전문개시출현，기내용화세절재류전중유익상실。1990년대엄복일사미간서신면세，재《치량계초》일함중，엄자칭류영기간여이등박문동창수재，회국후적대우、명운칙대상경정。진관해함량개표점본적식독유일정차이①，단고사저일시기엄、량적언행、교왕、경우，기내용유진실성，불능간단인정위위，하황전문적출현시간원조우차함。의거전파학원리판단，“동학설”적시작용자가능취시엄복본인。
The statement that Yan Fu and Japanese Prime Minister ho Hirobumi were classmates in Britain appeared in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, and went into details in its spreading. In his letter to Liang Qichao, published in the 1990s, Yan wore that he and ho Hirobumi had studied together in Britain for several years, but their treatments and lots were entirely different while they went back home. Judging from Yan and Liang＇s association and circumstances in this period, we cannot simply say that this letter is false, although its two punctuated versions differ greatly. On the basis of the principle of medium, we can say that probably Yan Fu himself was the man who first made such astatement.