What is a gift economy? - Alex Gendler

什麽是「禮物經濟」？—艾勒克斯·詹德勒 (Alex Gendler)

譯者: Qiqi Wang 審譯者: Regina Chu

This holiday season,

這個佳節

people around the world will give and receive presents.

世界各地的人都會送禮收禮

You might even get a knitted sweater from an aunt.

你甚至可能會從一位姨媽那裡 收到一件針織毛衣

But what if instead of saying "thanks" before consigning it to the closet,

但是想一下 如果你被期待的禮貌答覆

the polite response expected from you

不是說句「謝謝」 然後把毛衣放入衣櫃

was to show up to her house in a week with a better gift?

而是下個禮拜拿個 更好的禮物去她家回禮？

Or to vote for her in the town election?

或是在小鎮的選舉中投她一票？

Or let her adopt your firstborn child?

又或是讓她收養你的第一個小孩？

All of these things might not sound so strange

如果你置身於禮物經濟中 這些事情聽上去也不足為怪

if you are involved in a gift economy.

This phrase might seem contradictory.

這個詞句或許有些自相矛盾

After all, isn't a gift given for free?

畢竟，禮物不就是免費的贈與嗎？

But in a gift economy, gifts given without explicit conditions

但在禮物經濟中 無前提的禮物饋贈

are used to foster a system of social ties and obligations.

被用來支撐人類 社會聯繫與責任系統

While the market economies we know are formed by relationships

我們所知的市場經濟

由交換物品的關係形成

between the things being traded,

a gift economy consists of the relationships

禮物經濟所包含的

between the people doing the trading.

則是在做交換的人之間的關係

Gift economies have existed throughout human history.

禮物經濟在人類歷史中由來已久

The first studies of the concept

關於這一概念最初的研究

came from anthropologists Bronislaw Malinowski and Marcel Mauss

來自人類學家 馬林諾夫斯基和馬瑟莫斯

who describe the natives of the Trobriand islands

他們描述特洛布裡安群島的原著民

making dangerous canoe journeys across miles of ocean

不畏艱險撐著獨木舟穿越海洋

to exchange shell necklaces and arm bands.

只爲交易貝殼項鏈和臂帶

The items traded through this process, known as the kula ring,

在這過程中交易的貨品 一般稱為庫拉環

have no practical use,

並沒有實際用途

but derive importance from their original owners

但是原主人賦予它重要性

and carry an obligation to continue the exchange.

並帶有繼續交換的義務

Other gift economies may involve useful items,

其他的禮物經濟則用有用的物品

such as the potlatch feast of the Pacific Northwest,

例如在太平洋西北部的 冬季贈禮節盛宴上

where chiefs compete for prestige by giving away livestock and blankets.

印第安首領們以贈送牲口與毛毯 來較量各自的威望

We might say that instead of accumulating material wealth,

我們也許可以斷言 與其說這是物質財富的積累

participants in a gift economy use it to accumulate social wealth.

不如說禮物經濟的參與者 用這樣的方式來積累社會財富

Though some instances of gift economies may resemble barter,

雖然在某些情況下 禮物經濟可能類似物物交換

the difference is that the original gift is given without any preconditions

但不同處是禮物饋贈 沒有任何前提條件

or haggling.

或討價還價

Instead, the social norm of reciprocity

互惠的社會規範

obligates recipients to voluntarily return the favor.

反而使得收禮人自願回饋送禮人

But the rules for how and when to do so vary between cultures,

但是如何回饋和何時回饋 在不同的文化中又各不相同

and the return on a gift can take many forms.

同樣，回禮也有不同的方式

A powerful chief giving livestock to a poor man

一位強大的首領將牲口給與一個窮人

may not expect goods in return,

或許不期望收到貨物作為回報

but gains social prestige at the debtor's expense.

卻藉別人欠的人情債 獲得社會聲望

And among the Toraja people of Indonesia,

在印尼的托拿加人中

the status gained from gift ceremonies even determines land ownership.

從禮物儀式中獲取的社會地位 甚至可決定土地的所有權

The key is to keep the gift cycle going,

關鍵是保持贈禮的循環進行

with someone always indebted to someone else.

使得總有某個人受惠於另一個人

Repaying a gift immediately,

即刻回禮

or with something of exactly equal value,

或者回贈完全等價的禮物

may be read as ending the social relationship.

被認為是彼此間社會關係的終結

So, are gift economies exclusive to small-scale societies

那麼，禮物經濟專屬於

outside the industrialized world?

工業化世界以外的小型社會嗎？

Not quite.

不盡然

For one thing, even in these cultures,

首先，即使在這些文化中

gift economies function alongside a market system for other exchanges.

禮物經濟與交換其他物品的 市場體系並存

And when we think about it,

而且我們仔細想想

parts of our own societies work in similar ways.

我們的社會在某些方面 也遵循類似的機理

Communal spaces, such as Burning Man,

公共空間（的活動） 譬如火燒人狂歡節

operate as a mix of barter and a gift economy,

是一個糅雜了物物交換 和禮物經濟於一體的活動

where selling things for money is strictly taboo.

爲了錢而賣東西是被嚴格禁止的

In art and technology,

在藝術與技術界

gift economies are emerging as an alternative to intellectual property

禮物經濟是作為知識產權的 一種替代品而存在的

where artists,

藝術家

musicians,

音樂家

and open-source developers

以及開放原始碼開發者

distribute their creative works, not for financial profit,

分享他們的創作品 不圖經濟利益

but to raise their social profile or establish their community role.

只爲提升他們的社會知名度 以及建立他們在社區中的角色

And even potluck dinners and holiday gift traditions

甚至各出一菜的聚餐 和節日互送禮物的傳統

involve some degree of reciprocity and social norms.

也含有某種程度的 互惠主義和社會規範

We might wonder if a gift is truly a gift

我們有時候會懷疑 收到的禮物是否真的是「禮物」

if it comes with obligations or involves some social pay off.

是否欠下了義務或人情債

But this is missing the point.

然而，重點並不在此

Our idea of a free gift without social obligations

我們這個不摻雜社會義務的 免費禮物的概念

prevails only if we already think of everything in market terms.

能夠盛行的前提是因為 我們按市場關係來思考一切

And in a commericalized world,

並且，在商業化的世界裡

the idea of strengthening bonds through giving and reciprocity

通過贈予和互惠 來加強人際關係的想法

may not be such a bad thing, wherever you may live.

不論你身處何地 或許都不是一件壞事