《中国人的气质》是19世纪晚期美国传教士明恩溥通过在中国传教二十多年的见闻和观察，介绍中国人生活、风俗和性格的文章的合集，生动概括、描述了中国人的一些典型性格特点。其观点客观犀利，可以让我们对那个时代中国人的生活“真相”有深刻的了解。本书为纯英文版。

　　《中国人的气质》：
　　从西方人眼中反观中国民族
　　西方研究中国国民性的第一本社会学经典
　　鲁迅深受影响并郑重推荐的著作
　　最佳的文学经典读物 最好的语言学习读本

　　明恩溥（Arthur Henderson Smith，1845-1932），原名阿瑟·亨德森·史密斯，美国人，1872年作为基督教公理会传教士来华。他最初在天津，1877年到鲁西北賑灾传教，在恩县庞庄建立起教会，并先后在此创建小学、中学和医院，同时兼任上海《字林西报》通讯员。1905年辞去宣教之职，定居在北京附近的通州，专事写作。

INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X
CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER XII
CHAPTER XIII
CHAPTER XIV
CHAPTER XV
CHAPTER XVI
CHAPTER XVII
CHAPTER XVIII
CHAPTER XIX
CHAPTER XX
CHAPTER XXI
CHAPTER XXII
CHAPTER XXIII
CHAPTER XXIV
CHAPTER XXV
CHAPTER XXVI
CHAPTER XXVII

　　THE Confucian Classics are the chart by which the rulers of China have endeavored to navigate the ship of state. It is the best chart ever constructed by man, and perhaps it is not too much to say, with the late Dr. Williams, Dr. Legge, and others, that its authors may have had in some sense a divine guidance. With what success the Chinese have navigated their craft, into what waters they have sailed, and in what direction they are at present steering—these are questions of capital importance now that China is coming into intimate relations with so many Western states, and seems likely in the future to exert an influence increasingly great.
　　It has been said that “there are six indications of the moral life of a community, any one of which is significant; when they all agree in their testimony they afford an infallible test of its true character. These are: (1) the condition of industry; (2) the social habits; (3) the position of woman and the character of the family; (4) the organisation of government and the character of the rulers; (5) the state of public education; (6) the practical bearing of religious worship on actual life.” 
　　In the discussion of the various characteristics of the Chinese which have attracted our notice, each of the foregoing points has been incidentally illustrated, albeit incompletely and without that observance of proportion necessary in a full treatment of these topics. In a survey of the Chinese character the field of view is so extensive that many subjects must be passed by altogether. The characteristics which have been selected are intended merely as points through which lines may be drawn to aid in outlining the whole. There are many additional “characteristics” which ought to be included in a full presentation of the Chinese as they are.
　　The truth is that the phenomena of Chinese life are of a contradictory character, and whoever looks upon one face of the shield, ignoring the other, will infallibly judge erroneously, and yet will never come to a perception of the fact that he is wrong. The union of two apparently irreconcilable views in one concept is not an easy task, but it is often a very necessary one, and nowhere is it more necessary than in China, where it is so difficult to see even one side completely, not to speak of both.