《法显传》不能作域外称中国人为“秦人”的例证——《辞海》“秦人”条纠错

The Biography of Faxian Can’t be Used as the Evidence that Chinese were Called "Qin People": Correcting the Entry of "Qin People" in Cihai

有些学者认为,北方和西方的邻族和邻国称"中国人"为"秦人"的做法一直沿用到晋时。该观点以《辞海》为代表,它的例证是《法显传》。这个问题连研究《法显传》的章巽先生也没有细究。但是,仔细研读《法显传》后发现,法显在称中国(或中国的一部分,因为当时的中国存在多个政权)时,概念使用极其严谨:(1)称北部中国为"秦"(源于十六国的"前秦""后秦",而非"秦国""秦朝");(2)称南部中国为"晋"(源于"东晋");(3)泛称全中国则为"汉"(源于该时期以前的统一王朝),在个别情况下为"中国"。在第三种情况下并不使用"秦"的概念。由此可见,在汉语典籍中,当时并没有以"秦"来称"中国"的用法。《辞海》等的观点是没有仔细研读原著造成的。

nations ha Some scholars think that the northern and western d called Chinese ＂Qin People＂ up to Jin Dynasty. neighboring ethnic groups and This point of view is typically expressed by entry of ＂Qin People＂ in Cihai, and the evidence for this point of view comes from The Biography of Faccian. However, through an intensive reading of The Biography of Faaian, it is found that the term was used very rigorously when Faxian mentioned China （or part of China, because there were several political powers in China at that time）. In The Biography of Fa.ria^l, northern China was called Qin, namely, the Early and Late Qins of sixteen nations while southern China was called Jin, namely, the East Jin. As for the whole China, it was generally called Han, a term that derived from the Han dynasty prior to the period, but occasionally called the Middle Kingdom （Zhongguo）. Oin was never used to refer to the whole China at that time in ancient Chinese books and records. The point of view expressed in Cihai may have resulted from some carelessness in interpreting the original The Biography of Faxian.