饮食的社会功能与文化意义——关于海原县“东乡人”吃平伙习俗的人类学观察

The Social Function and Cultural Significance of Diet——Anthropological Observation of Chipinghuo among Dongxiang Group in Haiyuan Region

吃平伙是我国各地普遍存在的一个传统习俗,而西北地区农村的吃平伙尤为典型。吃平伙作为一种群体习俗,在宁夏海原县“东乡人”中不同程度地延续并传承。以人类学的视角将吃平伙习俗视为一种文化现象,其社会功能和存在意义有着文化解释的空间。以羊为其饮食结构中的肉类选择,其“好吃之谜”可以在生态和文化视域中来深度理解。吃平伙中始终贯穿的均等原则,这是活动得以发生和维持的基本规则。吃平伙在我国各地尽管形式各异,却承载着共有的文化意义,集中诠释着中国传统文化“和合”的基本精神。

Chipinghuo,a common traditional custom all around China,is very typical in the rural areas of northwest China.As a group custom,Chi-ping-huo has been kept and inherited to varying degrees among the D group in the H region.From an anthropological perspective,Chi-ping-huo is considered as a cultural phenomenon,and its social function and meaning of existence are open to cultural interpretation.With lambs as the choice in its diet,the"mystery of good taste"could be understood deeply in an ecological and cultural context.The principle of equivalence,which runs through Chi-ping-huo all the time,is the basic rule for its occurrence and maintenance.In spite of the different forms of existence in different parts of China,Chi-ping-huo still carries a shared cultural significance and concentrates on the basic spirit of harmony in Chinese traditional culture.