最近读吉登斯(Anthony Giddens)的著作《民族—国家与暴力》,凡是读到与中国有关的段落,总不免多看上几眼,当然也是因为自己关心的面向是中国思想文化的缘故,遇到西洋人的书中有讨论中国事情的,总是格外留意。吉登斯在这本书中多次提到中国,想来是讨论全球问题与普遍理论的西方学者视野中,已经有了“中国”的存在,尽管他们常常是带着西方人的居高临下,或者是把中国作为映射自身的“他者”,不过西洋那些顶级理论中,中国总算成了他们叙述中的世界的一部分,不再是可有可无。不过,当我读到下面一段文字的时候,却大吃一惊,突然让我想起了一个疑问:“他们说的是中国吗?”或者真的是本书译校者王铭铭先生所说的,中国只是他们理论书写时的一个“想象的异邦”? 这一段文字是这样的 Recently read Anthony Giddens’s book, “Nation - State and Violence”, read the passage related to China are always inevitably more than glances, of course, but also because of their concern for the sake of Chinese ideology and culture, When discussing things in China encountered by foreigners, always pay special attention to them. Giddens made several references to China in this book. In the view of Western scholars who are trying to discuss global issues and universal theories, there is already a “China.” Although they are often predominantly Westerners, or China is the “other” who maps itself. However, among the top theories in the West, China has finally become part of the world in which they are narrative. It is no longer an option. However, when I read the following passage, I was so surprised when I suddenly remembered a question: “Did they say China?” Or is it really what Wang Ming-ming, a translator of the book, said that China is just them A “imaginary alien” in theoretical writing? This passage reads like this