“中国形象”的历史与变更探析

The History and Changes of "China's Image"

"中国形象"是一种想象性的建构物,是一整套内含话语机制的隐喻符号系统。西方对于中国的构想从想象的误读性描述转化成实质的构造性描述,在中国闭关锁国的很长一段时间内,"中国形象"并没有成为国人关注的对象。直到中国被卷入西方现代进程之后,它才真正成为话语霸权"规训"弱势文化的中介。经济全球化和后殖民状态大大促进了各种旧有"中心论"的解体,同时构造了新的文化霸权格局,呈现为隐微的态势,即不通过强制手段执行,而是与"弱势文化"达成某种"积极的赞成"①来完成"中心/边缘"

＂China＇s image＂ is an imaginary construct and a complete metaphorical system of signals with its internal discourse mechanism. The Westerners＂ understanding of China has experienced the shift from an imaginary misunderstanding to a constructive descriptiorL In the long period when China was closed to the outside world, it was not a focus of attention by the Chinese. Only after China has been involved in the modernization of the West can it become the medium of ＂instructing＂ the weak culture by the discourse hegemony. The economic globalization and the post-colonial status have quickened the disintegration of various kinds of ＂centralism＂ and produced a new pattern of cultural hegemony which is implicit, that is, it aims to realize the discourse strategy of ＂centre/marginaliza- tion＂ through a negotiation of ＂agreement＂ with the ＂weak culture＂ rather than use compulsory means.