浅议玉门关的海关属性及输入商品玉石的文化意义

On the Customs Attributes of Yumen Pass and the Cultural Significance of Entering Jade Commodity

英语"Customs"一词最早指商人在贩运商品途中缴纳的一种地方捐税,具有"买路钱"或港口、市场"通过费"、"使用费"的性质。后来,"Customs"专指政府征收的进出口税,"the Customs"是征收进出口税的政府机构,即海关。玉门关是西汉在西部边地正式设立、兼具军事与海关性质的重要关城,在丝绸之路文化交流中起到重要作用。与其他许多历史名关不同,汉朝最初设立的玉门关因为战争废弃,关城内迁,地址在历代都有变化,但名称始终沿用"玉门关",形成特殊的文化现象与文化景观。究其因,乃是与通过这个"海关"输入的重要商品和田玉石有关。玉帛文化是中国传统文化的重要组成部分,它关联着华夏文明的起源、发展与传承。文章利用文学人类学四重证据法来探讨玉文化起源、形成及其对玉门关文化的巨大影响。

The term ＂customs＂ in English at the earliest referred to a kind of local taxes and levies paidby the merchants on ways of transporting goods. It has the natures of ＂money paid to bandits for passage＂ or of ＂fees paid for passing or using＂ the port, or market. Later, ＂customs＂ specifically referred to the import or ex-port taxes or duties imposed by the government. And the ＂Customs＂ was therefore the governmental organizationresponsible for imposing the import and export duties and taxes. The Yumen Pass with both military and cus-toms attributes was a key pass formally established by the Western Han Dynasty in the western border, andplayed an important role in the cultural exchanges of the Silk Road. Different from many other famous historicalpasses, although it had been abandoned because of war, and been moved to the interior because of closing theborder, and the address had been changed in the past dynasties, its name-the Yumen Pass was maintained allthe time, forming a special cultural phenomena and cultural landscape. The reason for this lies in the importantgoods-Hetian Jade which was imported through ＂the Customs＂. The culture of jade and silk, which is related tothe origin, development and inheritance of Chinese civilization, is an important part of traditional Chinese cul-ture. By using the ＂Quadruple Evidence Law＂ of literary anthropology, this article explores the origin and forma-tion of the jade culture and its great influence on the culture of the Yumen Pass.