许景澄是近代外交史上的重要人物,长期驻使国外,对中德、中俄外交贡献良多。他受命出使西洋时三十九岁,人生已至不惑之年。对他出使之前的这段人生经历,过往论述往往湮没不彰、语焉不详。实则这是他品格、学识与思想器局的重要形成期,这一时期,他由传统教育下的翰林儒生,蜕变为通达时务的知识分子。 Xu Jingcheng is an important figure in the history of modern diplomacy. He has been stationed abroad for a long time and contributed a lot to the diplomatic efforts of China and Germany and China. He was appointed to make the age of thirty-nine in the West, and his life had never been confused. Before his expedition to this life experience, the past discourse is often submerged, is not elaborate. In fact, this was an important period of formation of his character, knowledge and ideology. During this period, he was transformed from a Confucian student of the Han Dynasty under the traditional education into an intellectual who had timely access to current affairs.