民国时期的造“国民”与造“民族”——由王明珂《民族与国民在边疆:以历史语言研究所早期民族考察为例的探讨》一文说起

王明珂《民族与国民在边疆:以历史语言研究所早期民族考察为例的探讨》一文触及一个重要议题,即民国时期中国学者最重要、最紧迫的工作是"造民族"还是"造国民"。其所涉1929年黎光明"造国民"与1933年芮逸夫等人"造民族"活动的历史,值得再作深入探讨。两相对照,不难发现,运用西方民族学知识在中国边疆地区识别不同群体的"造民族"是一条便捷的道路,但"民族"意识被催生后所带来的离心力无法忽视;在各族民众中构建国家认同,"造国民"是一条艰辛、漫长、曲折,却仍然必行的道路。

“Making Nationals/Citizens” and “Making Nationalities” in the Republic of China Period:Some Remarks on Wang Ming-ke’s “Nationalities and Nationals/Citizens in the Border Areas”

Wang Ming-ke’s essay,"Nationalities and Nationals/Citizens in the Border Areas,"touches on an important issue,that is,what was more pressing to the Chinese scholars during the Republic of China period,to"make nationalities"or to"make nationals/citizens"?This is related to that part of history in which there were Li Guangming’s work on"making nationals/citizens"in 1929 and Rui Yifu et al.’s work on"making nationalities"in 1933,both worthy of further discussion. By comparing the two,it is not difficult to find that"making nationalities",in which Western ethnological knowledge is employed to identify different ethnic groups in China’s border areas,is easier work,but the centrifugal force brought about by the"nationality/ethnic"consciousness thus aroused cannot be ignored. To build national identity among the ethnic groups,"making nationals/citi-zens"is an arduous,prolonged and tortuous road,but a road that must be taken nonetheless.