Translator's Note:This article is a Chinese translation of the article On Key Symbols published by Anthropologist Sherry Ortner in American Anthropologist(1973,75(5):1338-1346).Taking Sherry Ortner's theory of key symbols as a reference for comparison,it is of great practical,theoretical and academic significance to inherit and innovate the theory of symbols of excellent traditional Chinese culture and develop the symbols of Chinese culture with China characteristics shared by all ethnic groups and the symbol theory based on Chinese national symbols.It is conducive to establishing the Chinese symbol theory and Chinese symbol discourse system from the perspective of international comparison.Firstly,Sherry Ortner's contribution to symbol theory lies in clarifying the classification of symbols,and summarizing two corresponding functions,which is of fundamental significance to the cognition of symbols.She pointed out that the first major breakdown among the various types of symbols is along a continuum whose two ends called"summarizing"vs."elaborating".She stressed that this is a continuum,and we should work with the ideal types at the two ends.Secondly,Sherry Ortner's research provides us with a new research method to understand the types of symbols,which provides an academic vision and theoretical paths to learn from and understand the key symbols in the Chinese cultural system in the cross-cultural context.In her opinion,elaborating symbols are valued mainly because they refer to those clear and unmistakable action patterns that help to live correctly in cultural groups.Thirdly,Sherry Ortner clearly clarified the logical relationship between key symbol types,providing theoretical support for understanding key symbols at the concept and practice levels.She proposed that the symbol classification pattern has an unbalanced structure,in which the root metaphors may imply particular modes of,or at least a restricted set of possible modes of,action;and key scenarios presuppose certain orderly assumptions of thought.This helps us to grasp the"summarizing symbols"and"elaborating symbols"from the perspective of concepts and practices,and understand the key scenes of different cultures.(Lu Fangfang).
symbol theorykey symbolsroot metaphorSherry Ortneranthropology
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