传统的保护与发明

The Protection of Tradition and Invention

“传统”一词的含义并不因其被不断言说而拥有了自明性。相反,其原初的含义已经变得非常模糊。对传统是什么以及传统被言说的语境进行考察之后就会发现,传统并非某些人类学家手中的古董,传统也不是现代经济增长的障碍。传统是一个建构与发明的过程,传统的生命力就在于它能为现实的民族发展提供动力。

Tradition' cannot speak for itself just because it has been constantly interpreted. On the contrary, its original definition has faded. Through a study of the meaning of tradition and its context under which it has been interpreted, the authors conclude that tradition is not an antique played with by some anthropology or an obstacle hindering the growth of modern economy. Tradition is a process of construction and invention and its vitality lies in its motivation for the development of the ethnic groups.