古漢語中的"社會"一詞,主要指民間迎神賽會,往往與官方或儒家精英居高臨下的輕蔑貶抑態度相連。來華傳教士最早將society概念引入中國,使這個外來術語與"會""社"等本土語匯之間建立聯系。19世紀末20世紀初,日語中的"社會"(Shakai)這一近代新概念傳入中國以后,又跟漢語中原有的舊式"社會"一詞及其關聯的經驗和體驗相混雜。由此生成的中國近代"社會"概念呈現了曖昧的特征,從理論上說指向時代變革的不二方向;但在經驗和實踐層面,又仍然帶有官方或者精英視角之下的令人不屑、不滿,甚至是不安的負面意涵。

In the traditional Chinese vocabulary,the word "shehui " mainly means folk associations for popular religious gatherings,and is often related to the contemptuous attitude of officials and Confucian elites towards such associations.Western missionaries first introduced the concept of "society"into China and linked this foreign term to the native words,"hui"and"she". In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century,the modern concept of "shakai"in Japanese was introduced to China and mingled with the experiences and connotations associated with the traditional term"shehui". Thus,the Chinese modern concept of"shehui"has intrinsic ambivalence. Theoretically,it points to the direction of social reform,but practically it is still associated with negative connotations of this term as being disdained by officials and elites and implying dissatisfaction and restlessness.