Abstract

In the discussion of “historical China” in western academic circles, there is a phenomenon of “tropic” in the use of concepts. Based on their own academic contexts, historical and practical experiences, Western scholars have imported some heterogeneous elements into their understanding of the Chinese concepts that do not belong to them. Behind the importation, there is a holistic strategy of conceptual tropic, conceptual intertextuality, and narrative replacement. This paper uses the “王朝”and empire, “ 中华民族”and the Chinese nation,“边疆”and the frontier as examples to discuss the phenomenon of “mistranslation” in “Historical Chinese Identity” discourse and explore the hidden paradigm shift in Chinese historical academics.

Keyword:Historical China Identity; Concept; Tropic; Misuse; Mistranslation;

Published on Journal of Social Sciences, Issue 6, 2022.