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光绪三十一年（1905）中国人首次越洋诉讼——严复参与了开平矿务局在英国伦敦高等法院的国际股权诉讼纠纷案。

In 1905, the Chinese people's first overseas litigation——Yan Fu participated in the international stockrights litigation dispute of Kaiping Mining Bureau in London's High Court, England.

翻检《朱批奏折》《录副奏折》《刑案汇览》等档案文献，我们不难发现，在传统社会的话语体系中，统治者总是将包揽词讼的“讼棍”“哗徒”描述为“架词唆讼”者，充满了根深蒂固的负面情感。比如乾隆二十九年（1764）制定的《积惯讼棍例》中规定：“若系积惯讼棍，串通胥吏，播弄乡愚，恐吓诈财，一经审实，即依棍徒生事扰害例，发云贵、两广极边烟瘴充军。”不过，广大民众与之相反，他们将讼师刻画成利用文刀剑笔“劫富济贫”“才智出众”的豪侠形象。更重要的是，尽管存在截然对立的官民认知，但由于诉讼当事人对法律服务的客观需求以及愚昧官员不断制造冤假错案，因此“笔砚贩子”始终能够经久不衰地存在着。

If we look through the archives and documents such as Zhu Pi Zou Zhe, Lu Fu Zou Zhe, and Criminal Case Summary, we can easily find that in the discourse system of traditional society, the governor always describ the agent ad litem as shyster and the troubler.Those who are described as “arguing and instigating” are full of deep-rooted negative emotions.For example, the Accumulation of Lawsuits Law enacted in 1764 stipulates: “If the lawsuits are used to accumulate lawsuits, collude with subordinate staff, play tricks on the country, intimidate and swindle money, once the case is verified, you will be prosecuted by sticks.Cases of harassment are sent to the borders of Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangdong and Guangxi.”On the contrary, the majority of the people portray the litigants as heroes who use their swords and pens to “rob the rich and help the poor” and “excellent intellect”.More importantly,despite the existence of diametrically opposed cognitions between officials and the people, due to the objective needs of litigants for legal services and the constant unjust, false and wrong cases created by ignorant officials, the “shyster” has always been in resquest for a long time.

开平矿务有限公司发行的股票
Kaiping Mining Co.，Ltd.issued stocks

(https://www.daowen.com)

光绪二十八年（1902）开平矿务有限公司发行的金融券
Financial bonds issued by Kaiping Mining Co.， Ltd.in 1902

光绪二十七年（1901），思想家严复在天津就任开平矿务有限公司华部总办。四年后，他作为诉讼代理人，代理张翼（醇亲王奕侍从、工部侍郎）和开平矿务局在英国伦敦高等法院起诉德璀琳、开平矿务有限公司的股权诉讼。严复此次在英国参与诉讼的经历，开启了中国人越洋诉讼的先河。

In 1901, the thinker Yan Fu served as the Chinese General Office of Kaiping Mining Bureau in Tianjin.Four years later, he represented Zhang Yi (the attendant of the Chun Prince Yixuan, the attendant of the Gong Ministry) and the Kaiping Mining Bureau in London's High Court to sued Gustav von Detring and Kaiping Mining Co., Ltd.in equity litigation.Yan Fu's experience of participating in litigation in the UK opened the first Chinese litigation overseas.

严复这段鲜为人知的伦敦法院诉讼经历无疑说明了清廷在与洋人利用诉讼规则的对抗中，不得不选用具有法律技巧的专业人士来提供帮助。清政府对律师既排斥又依赖的矛盾心理，逐渐摧毁了民族记忆里讼师咆哮公堂的负面形象，取而代之的是对律师欲言还羞的实际需求。

This little-known London's High Court litigation experience by Yan Fu undoubtedly shows that the Qing goverment had to choose professionals with legal skills to help in the confrontation with foreigners using the rules of litigation.The ambivalence of the Qing government's rejection and reliance on lawyers gradually destroyed the negative image of lawyers roaring in court in national memory, and replaced it with the actual need for lawyers to speak and be ashamed.

丁立莹律师采访严复侄曾孙严孝潜老师
Lawyer Ding Liying interviewed Yan Fu's greatgrandson of nephew teacher Yan Xiaoqian