“中国本部”概念的起源与建构——1550年代至1795年

The Invention and Making of “China Proper”——In Europe: 1550-1795

"中国本部"是后世对西班牙文la propia China、拉丁文Sinae Propriae和英文China proper等的中文翻译。它们于16至18世纪在欧洲起源并逐步得以塑造、成型,其土壤是欧洲的血亲专属观和族性地理观,以族性本部国度和族性国度"自身"为概念先导。本部概念的实质是族性本部,以民族-国家为理想归宿。欧洲作者最先把它运用于理解文化、族性混杂的中国,以减域型的方式构造出"中国本部";随后以反向的增域型途径用于理解欧洲诸国。西方作者建构"中国本部"概念的方法包括初级比附、甄别原则挪用和概念倒栽等;其所指随时代的不同而发生变化。

The concept of ＂China proper＂ appeared in Europe in 1585 as ＂La propia China＂ in Spainish （and later on as ＂Sinae Propriae＂ in Latin）. The making of it since then has taken about two centuries. Advanced by similar concepts such as ＂proper country＂ and nation-based country ＂itself＂, it roots in European notions of blood-tied sense of ＂proper＂ kinship and of ethno-geography. Referring essentially to ethnic proper, sorting a nation-state as the eventual bay, the concept of ＂China proper＂ was first invented in a way to delimit the so-called culture-and-ethnicity-mixed Macao away from it; this way of invention was then reversed to make up similar concepts for European countries, such as Wittenberg Dukedomes proper and England proper. The invention of ＂China proper＂ through rough cultural comparisons, transplanting cultural facts, and misplanting its roots back into Chinese history, was a product of cultural contacts between Europe and China, which was and still is an ethnic mixed country.