It was a area, about here, all ruled by a group of people referred to as the “Zhou,”

這國家大概在這，由一群自稱「周」的人統治

and as such the name of this state was also “Zhou.” Now, this might seem pretty strange

這個國家的名字也叫「周」。現在看起來似乎挺怪的

to us, kind of like calling the United States “Obama” because that’s the last name

就像因為總統姓歐巴馬，就叫美國「歐巴馬國」一樣

of the guy in charge, but keep in mind this area might not have originally had any common

但你得先知道這個時候這群人並沒有共同族群認同

identity besides that they were all ruled by the Zhou dynasty. They probably spoke different

除了全在周朝統御下，他們可能說不同語言

languages and had different cultures, but we can’t really know that for sure because

有不同文化，但事實如何也無從得知

they didn’t write anything down. The only people who wrote stuff down were the rich,

因為他們沒有留下文本紀錄，只有有錢人、受教育的人

educated elites, which is to say the Zhou themselves, who definitely did share a common

可以留下歷史紀錄， 那也就是使用同一文字與文化的周人

language and culture. Somewhat annoyingly, they didn’t have a real name for their language

惱人的是，周人自己的語言並沒有名稱

besides just “the proper way to speak.” Now, there was a geographical term I should

僅用「雅言」稱之。 在這裡我想提一個地理名詞「中國」

probably mention, “zhongguo.” This term was sometimes used to describe this country,

中國一詞有時用以形容這個國家、

region, place, but all it ment was “central state.” Or possibly “central states,”

區域或地方， 但其義僅是「位在中央的國家」或是國家「們」

because this language doesn’t require you to specify whether things are singular or

因為這個語言的名詞並不特別強調單複數

plural, but the point is, “zhongguo” was never a precise word, it was always just a

但重點是「中國」並不是一個精確的名詞

kind of vague geographical description. It was a common assumption at the time that the

它僅模糊地描述地域。 那個時候人們時常認為

center of the world was maximally civilized and that the further away you got from it

世界中心是文明最開化的地方，離中心越遠

the less civilized the people were, so “zhongguo” literally ment “the middle realm,” but

則越多未開化之人， 所以中國僅指「這範圍的中央」

implied “the most civilized realm.” It’s kind of like how in the US we sometimes call

但意味著「最開化的地方」， 有點像是我們稱美國總統是

the president the “leader of the free world”. Do any of us actually have any idea what is

「自由世界的領導人」。 什麼地方是或不是「自由世界」

and isn’t part of the “free world”? Definitely the US, probably the rest of NATO,

究竟有沒有定義？ 美國顯然是，北約的其他地方也許是，

and maybe “allies of the US” in general? Is Mexico part of the free world? Turkey?

與美國交好的地區大概也是？ 那墨西哥是嗎？土耳其呢？印度呢？

India? No one knows, and no one really cares, it’s not supposed to mean anything, it’s

這沒人知道也沒人想管，畢竟那並不是字面上的意義

just a way of saying “our leader is super important and powerful, and also we’re better

僅僅意味著 「我們的領導人很重要、很強，也比你優秀」

than you.” Same goes for “Zhongguo.” Anyway, eventually the Zhou lost power to

同理，中國也是如此。 說到這裡，周最後被秦推翻

a new dynasty called the Qin, which itself was quickly replaced by the Han dynasty, and

秦也如曇花一現被漢取代

so people started calling the political territory itself “Han” just like with the Zhou.

此後，人們像稱呼周一樣，稱呼這個政治領土為「漢」

The Han dynasty adopted the culture of the Zhou, and over time this culture of the elite

漢繼承了周的文化，長久下來的菁英文化

trickled down to everyone else, and eventually everyone was speaking this language that didn’t

也轉變為庶民文化，最後這個沒有名字的國家內的人們

have a name in this country that didn’t have a name. The Han dynasty also expanded

就都在使用這個不知名的同種語言。漢朝往南擴張國土

the country to the south, spreading the language and culture there too. But after that, when

並往那些地方輸出語言與文化

the Han dynasty fell and the region broke up into a bunch of smaller states, something

但那之後漢朝分裂為許多小國家時 （三國至魏晉南北朝）

interesting happened. Even though they were politically divided they all still shared

有趣的事發生了。即便政治上彼此對立，這些國家

that common culture of the elites from the Zhou and Han periods. They looked back on

都還是使用著同種文化，即周漢而來的菁英文化

the time when the Han dynasty ruled as a sort of golden age, and they saw themselves as

他們將漢朝視為鼎盛時期，並認為自己是

the rightful descendants of that cultural legacy, so it seemed natural to call themselves

其政權合法繼任，所以稱自己「漢人」也是理所當然的

“the people of Han,” even long after the Han state ceased to exist. They still call

即便漢朝已不復在。時至今日

themselves “Han” to this day, although who exactly counts as Han has always been

這些人仍稱自己是「漢人」，但真正的界定卻滿模糊的

kind of vague. Like, originally it seems like the term just referred to the people of the

比方說，原本的漢人似乎單指

original territory of the Zhou to the north, but eventually the term was expanded to include

在北方周人領土的那一群人，但後來慢慢向外擴展

the people of the more mountainous south, sense they had also adopted Han culture after

包含了那些被漢人征服後適應了漢人文化

being conquered by the Han dynasty. So yeah, as the centuries went by the people

的南方區域。所以，隨時間遞嬗，這個地方的人

of this region continued to refer to political entities by the families of their rulers or

始終用統治者的姓氏或是統治者所出身的地方

whatever region the rules came from, and they continued to refer themselves Han. However,

當作國家的名稱，並稱自己為漢朝的正統延續

the language slowly diverged into a whole bunch of different languages.

但原本統一的語言隨著時間慢慢分支成許多語言

Now, as you might have noticed, I’ve been talking about what in the west we generally

講到這裡，你也許注意到了 我剛才所提的都是西方世界稱之為「China」的這個國家

call “China,” and yet, I’ve managed to do so without ever once actually using

我刻意不使用「China」或「Chinese」的字彙

the word “China” or “Chinese.” That’s because no one in this region actually uses

這是因為那時住在這些地方的人並不會這樣自稱

those words. The word “China” probably comes from a Persian word which probably comes

「China」一詞大概源自波斯語

from a Sanskrit word which might have come from the word “Qin,” the name of that

其又可能來自梵語，並或許源自「秦」

super-short dynasty that came between the Zhou and Han dynasties. But not only isn’t

即是周漢二代間那國祚極短的秦朝

“China” a word Chinese people use, but the entire idea of “China” might not have

但不僅是中國人不用中國一詞， 整個「中國」的現代概念

really existed in it’s modern form until Europeans introduced it. Like, in the US and

甚至在與西方文化交流前是不存在的。 在美國或其他西方文化中

the western world more generally we like to think in terms of nation states. Like, this

我們所熟悉的國家概念，比方說這裡是法國

country is France. French people live here, and they speak French. We have this instinct

法國人生活在這裡，他們講法語

that political regimes, cultural identity and language should all line up with each

我們認為政權、文化認同與語言三者並列

other geographically to create what we might call a “nation.” But that way of thinking

並存在於特定地理區域成為「國家」，但這樣的想法

used to be pretty foreign to China until contact with Europeans really got serious in the 1800s,

對18世紀之前的中國是很新鮮的概念

at which point the Han people started thinking much more in terms of this nation-state model.

直至與西方文化交流後，漢人才有此一國家形式的概念

Well, at least, I think? Ok look, talking about a single person’s sense of identity

唔，我想至少如此吧？ 畢竟談論一個人對團體的認同意識

and group membership can be really complicated. Talking about that but generalized for a large

是很複雜的，更何況是要談論一大群人的認同

population is extremely tricky. Talking about that but over the course of two thousand years

就更難了；如果再加上這2000年的歷史

is simply beyond the scope of this video. But from where I’m sitting it looks a awful

那就遠超過本片的範疇。但從我的觀點來看

lot like the European nation-state concept at the very least substantially influence

歐洲的國族概念至少相當地影響了

the way Chinese people think about themselves. Before they were Han people who lived in the

中國人的自我認同。 在之前，他們是清朝統御下的漢人

Qing state which happened to include Zhonguo and who spoke a whole bunch of different languages

清朝的領土恰巧包括中國，並有著從古中文所衍生出的

descended from Middle Chinese, but with more and more contact with Europeans they started

多種不同的語言。在與西方文化交手後

thinking in terms of “China” (Zhonguo) “Chinese people” (the Han) and the “Chinese

回過頭來思考「China」(中國)、「漢人」 和「中國人講的話」的意義

Language,” for which they coined a whole new term: Han-yu, literally just “Han Language,”

這「中國人講的話」他們發明了一個新詞：「漢語」， 字面上來看是漢人的語言

which doesn’t really make any sense, because the Han people haven’t spoken a single mutually-intelligible

這其實毫無邏輯， 因為漢人不使用同一種可互相溝通的語言

language in hundreds of years. As far as I can tell the phrase “Han-yu” basically

已經至少有幾百年了。就我所知，漢語一詞

refers to any of the languages the Han people speak, which is less of a language and more

基本泛指漢人所用的語言，或者稱之為語系

of a language family. Only one of these modern languages is officially used by the government

這諸多語言中，僅其中一種被官方採用

of China, and that’s the one that evolved in the capital, Beijing. A century ago this

即在首都北京附近所使用的語言

language was called “guanhua” or “the language of officials,” but, somewhat hilariously,

一個世紀以前，這被稱之為「官話」，即官方的語言

today the official name for it is “putonghua” or “common language.” Like, in the 1950s

有趣的是，現在則稱之為「普通話」，這是在1950年

after the Communist party took over there were calls to use a different official language

共產黨政權執政後，有人有意更改官方語言

because guanhua was too bourgeois or whatever, but they couldn’t agree on what exactly

因為「官話」這詞過於走資派，但卻達不成共識

to replace it with so they just slapped a new proletariat-y label on it and hoped no

所以他們就乾脆用一個比較無產階級的名字替換， 希望沒人發現

one would notice. In English we call it “Mandarin” because the Malay word for “government official”

而英文的 Mandarin， 則是源自於馬來話的「官方(mantri)」

was “mantri” and the Chinese were calling it “the language of government officials”

如同中國人稱官話一般

so we just started using that … by translating it into Malay first, I guess… I’m honestly

所以我們就開始使用這個…… 我猜先是翻譯成馬來文的詞彙

not really sure what happened here. But yeah, it’s not like the idea of the

坦白說我不太確定這裡究竟發生了什麼事。 （譯註：因葡萄牙人曾以馬來半島作為樞紐）

nation state was perfect to begin with, but it’s an especially awkward fit on China.

中國的國家概念可能與我們認知的不太一樣， 但卻弔詭地符合這個國家的風格

A big thing I didn’t mention was how there are currently two different countries claiming

這裡還得提及一件重要的事 目前有兩個不同的國家

the title of “Zhonguo,” and there’s also some city states which are kind-of-sort-of

稱自己為中國，而其中也有一些省份（自治區）

part of the country but not really, but plenty of other people have made videos about that

雖為中國一部分，卻又不完全是 關於這部份可以看看其他人的影片

so I’m gonna stop here.

所以我就講到這裡就好