從20世紀初期開始，以「睡獅」形容中國的文獻作品開始大量出現。本文針對睡獅這個國族符號相關意涵的課題，探索它在各種不同文本和歷史脈胳中的發展演變過程。我首先釐清並破除所謂拿破崙和此國族符號誕生之間的可能關係說法，再進一步確認曾紀澤的「中國先睡後醒論」，經過梁啟超的〈動物談〉中，以動物譬喻來論述國族的手法，藉由將「睡」與「獅」兩種負面意涵的結合（睡代表麻木不仁，獅則是老大腐朽的象徵），從而產生此項具有強烈負面意涵的國族符號。可是反諷的是，它的此種負面意涵卻在日後眾多引用的論述中高度淡化，它反而被詮釋成為漢族或中國國族之集體潛在力量的象徵符號；它甚至如同另一個國族符號「黃禍」一般，被視為是西方人（或是西方英雄人物）認為中國國族力量不容小覷而有感而發的恭維之詞。然而即使是如此，在近代中國的思想論述中，仍是有一些不同的「聲音」，例如胡適的睡美人說，對於此盛行的睡獅國族符號的意涵和正當性，提出種種質疑或是再詮釋。本文藉由這些「異議份子」的觀點和意見，進一步檢視「睡獅」譬喻所代表的意涵的多重面相和其曖昧性，並且反思近代中國國族論述的特色和其可能的限制性。我希望能因此超越本質論式(essentialist)的文化現象分析，來理解這種百年來錯綜複雜的東西跨文化和跨語境的互動過程，以便能令我們能更進一步理解分析中西文化百年來交會的過程中，近代中國知識份子在面對強勢的西方文化價值的愛憎交雜之心態。

The ”Sleeping Lion” image has figured prominently in the modern discourse of the Chinese national identity since the beginning of the 20(superscript th) century. This study aims to trace the birth of this image, and to explore the trajectory of its changing meaning in different textual and historical contexts. First, I try to clarify and dismiss the legend that this image was coined by Bonaparte Napoleon to praise China's potential power. Secondly, I argue that Marquis Tseng's idea that China should be awake after long sleep was further modified and appropriated by Liang Ch'i-ch'ao in his formulation of the ”Sleeping Lion” image. Initially, Liang intended to criticize China as a inactive and bulky nation in terms of the ”Sleeping Lion” symbol. However, this negative meaning of this symbol was soon to be downplayed in the numerous discourses of the modern Chinese national identity. Instead, ”Sleeping Lion” image was mainly interpreted as a positive symbol representing the great potential power of the Han people or the whole Chinese people. Like the ”Yellow Peril” image, it was even regarded by many Chinese elites as a compliment on China by the Western Powers. In spite of this development, however, there were still different ”voices,” which either challenged the appropriateness of this image in representing China, or proposed alternative images, such as ”Sleeping Beauty” coined by Hu Shih. By means of analyzing these ”counter-discourses,” I look into the multiple meanings, as well as ambiguities of the ”Sleeping Lion” metaphor, and therefore reflect upon the distinguished characteristics of the discourse of the modern Chinese national identity. Instead of adopting an essentialist approach, I try to historicize this complex cross-lingual/cultural phenomenon in order to illuminate more clearly the modern Chinese intellectuals' contradictory and complicated feeling toward the dominant western cultures.