《中國叢報》是外國人在中國境內創辦的第一份成熟的綜合性英文期刊。本文以它為切入點，介紹和分析了其所刊載的中國刑法及其相關內容，並總結出19世紀西方人的中國刑法觀，進而對其真實性及成因進行了具體的闡析。此種中國刑法觀包括：暴力犯罪，尤其是殺人罪眾多，對於殺人罪，不管是故意還是過失，只要發生致人死亡的結果，實施者都要被處死刑，殺人者必須付出自己的生命，這是一項基本規則，例外者則是少數；刑罰的目的是懲罰，而非感化，刑罰措施殘酷，並廣泛適用死刑，且其執行方式殘忍；濫用刑訊拷問，法外刑訊屢禁不絕；包括刑法在內的中國法律具有不確定性，不僅立法、修律本身具有隨意性，而且賦予地方官吏過大的自由裁量權，並且沿襲採用反映出觀念落後和殘酷性的株連制度。幾乎可以用「落後野蠻」、「血腥殘忍」來指稱的這種中國刑法觀，雖然有一定的真實性，但並不全面，存在一定程度的想像。這既是由於語言的障礙，也是受到西方中心主義和民族優越論的意識形態的影響，還存在中西傳統法律制度及其觀念的衝突等原因。當時的《中國叢報》，雖然不是中西交流的唯一媒體，但卻是主導性的傳播媒介，借助它所傳播的此種中國刑法觀，影響深遠。

The Chinese Repository was the first well-established compre-hensive English Journal in China. Based on the exploration of The Chinese Repository, the article gives a general view and an analysis of the contents concerning the Chinese criminal law and other relevant information published thereon, summarizing the views of Chinese criminal law held by the Westerners of the 19th Century and elaborating on the accountability and causes of the final consequence. Typical Westerners’ views of Chinese criminal law are as follows. There are too many provisions on violent crimes, especially those on homicides, and as for homicides, whether murders or manslaughters, life for life is always a principle to be followed and the perpetrator must be executed. Because the purpose of criminal punishments is to penalize rather than to correct or reform the criminals, the punishments are severe and of them the capital punishment is widely employed in a cruel way. The abuse of extortion is widespread and unlawful extortion or torture is common though prohibited. Laws in China, including criminal laws, are lack of certainty and so arbitrary in law-making and law-amending; local government officers are conferred on an excessive degree of discretion and practice of implication (zhu lian) reveals the backwardness and cruelty. These nearly "backward and barbarian" or "bloody and cruel" views of Chinese criminal law, though somewhat correct are partial and incomplete to certain extent. These views rooted in the minds of Westerners at that time partly owe to the language obstacles, partly to the influences of West-centerism, the ideology of racial superiority, and conflicts or different ideas between the Chinese and Western traditional or historical legal systems. The Chinese Repository was the main, though not the only, widespread media between China and the West, through which the Westerners’ views of Chinese criminal law undoubtedly spread far and wide.