游牧人的文化历史:草原绵延不息的口口相传

Cultural History of the Nomads:Legends Spread from Mouth to Mouth

农耕文化依靠文字进行"记忆",游牧文化坚持"口述"为传统,成为两种完全不同的历史"记忆"样式。口口相传是游牧文化所特有的文化载体形式,也是与以农耕文化为代表性的"文化大传统"相对应的"文化小传统"。所谓的这种文化大传统和小传统之分在某种意义上也标志着社会分工后,彼此开始了分野,各自形成了富有自身特点的文化生态,至此成为对立的彼此参照,共同组建了中华文明。

The history of farming culture is usually written down while the history of nomadic culture is memorized and spread from mouth to mouth. These two are totally different patterns of ＂memory＂. Compared with the ＂Major Cultural Tradition＂ of farming culture, oral history has formed its own ＂Minor Cultural Tra- dition＂. In a sense, it is a sign of separation of two cultures based on different modes of production, which can be used as reference for each other and combine to be Chinese culture .