大陆考古学家最近在河南省的出土文物中，有了重要的发现，证实距今六千年以前，中华民族就有了「龙」的图形，那是用石块排成的，龙身有几公尺长，龙头龙尾俱全。由此推论，「龙」进入中国人的心中、占有地位，应该比黄帝还早一千年。有关龙的起源，至今各学派还是

　　近年考古学家在广西桂林及其它地方陆续发现距今九千年以上的陶器，据此推算中国人的文明起自九千年前，应可算是有据的。八、九千年前，中国已经进入到农业社会，也还是「人与天争」的时期。这个时期的人，生生死死都受到大自然极大的影响，像风、雨、旱、雷、电，使人既期待、又畏惧，因此产生对自然力的敬畏，是合乎情理的。自然力之大，祖先无以名状，却可用「长」来替代，这可能是「龙」是长形的起因。有一派学者举出，史前人看见天边彩虹，心生赞羡，信为祥兆，也可能启动了「飞龙在天」的灵感。历来，人们相信龙能腾云驾雾、呼风唤雨、兴风作浪，其实，这些无一不是大自然力的展现。直到民国初年，无知的老人家还告诫小孩不可用手指指着天虹、指向打雷闪电的天空，因为那是对龙的不敬，证明古来的人一直把自然现象和龙划了等号。由是看来，金龙可能象征金霞满天、青龙可能象征青天、乌龙可能象征阴天…，不管怎么说，在中国人心中，「有龙则灵」。

　　世界各民族有用所谓「图腾」或动物来代表自己的精神、信仰或特色，有的用鹰、有的用雄狮。中国人自己创造了象征全能的大自然力（Almighty natural power）的龙来代表自己，自认是「龙的传人」；龙是中国人心中的「灵物」，不是一般的动物。从这里也可看出，选择「灵物」，与选择禽、兽来代表自己，正是民族之间不同之处。在东方，除了中国人，还有越南人也自认是「仙龙」的后代。日本人、韩国（朝鲜）人，也是尊龙为灵物的民族。

　　中西海通迄今，少说也有了四、五百年，可惜在互相认识上，还存有很多误解和错误的印象。像中文的「龙」字，英文翻译成（dragon），便是一项荒谬的大错。

　　首先，正如前述，龙是灵物，是中华民族所独创独有的，外国根外没有此一灵物，它如何能等于 dragon？

　　其次，一提到 dragon 这字，在西方人的印象里，它是神话中凶恶的妖怪（monster），长翅膀、吐火焰，常常为害良民；dragon 的另一个定义是大蜥蜴，像印度尼西亚的巨蜥「科摩多」（komodo），英文也把它叫做 dragon。试想，蜥蜴是冷血、肮脏的低等动物，牠如果代表某个人，我们会对此人有好印象吗？就像中国人一般对癞蛤蟆没有好感，如果某个人或民族叫做癞蛤蟆的传人，我们会对这些人产生好印象吗？

　　今天我们不必追究这字的荒唐翻译到底是中国人或者是洋人干的，但是，不让西洋人继续误会我们中国人是 dragon，应该是有自尊、有自我认知的中国人希望看到的。当然，纠正这项积谬几世纪的错误，不是短期能够做得到的。笔者只是在此提出这一问题，希望有同感而热心的学者方家，在全世界为正「龙」视听，提出高见来解决，这也算是为我们同胞的子孙后代做的一件好事。笔者抛砖引玉的浅见，今后学术界可否将中文的「龙」字翻成"loong"，先在字典、学术文章、英文著作、电影、电视中使用。同时，希望我们大家再看到英文 dragon 时，不要把它译成「龙」字，以避免它继续以讹传讹。粗浅的建议，dragon 似可译成「西洋蛟」。这样行之数十年，可能在端正视听上稍见效果吧。

　　（注：本文受美国加州大学华语教授王锦堂博士亟力向外国学术界推荐；复承台北周玉山教授高度推介）。

The “Loong” Is Not A Dragon
Meng Tian-shyang
Though contact and cultural exchanges between the East and the West started 4 or 5 centuries ago, yet there are still a number of things and conceptions being misinterpreted that may couse certain prejudice. For example, the Chinese word “Loong” being translated as “dragon”, has long been a great mistake, but so far it has not been put forward for clarification.
The Loong known to the world as it has snakeshape long body, buffalo head, tiger teeth, deer horn, cock claws, fish tail, always appears amid the cloud, is the sole creation of ancient Chinese people, and there have never been any creations of the same kind in other parts of the world, so it is wrong for the word Loong to have a foreign equivalent word.
In this sense, “dragon” certainly is not “Loong”, because both are totally different from all viewpoints. Loong is almighty, solemn in the mind of oriental people, however, in western peoples’ mind, dragon is an evil monster in myth stories, with wings, blowing flame, always does harm. In actual matter, dragon is the synonym of big lizard, dirty, cold blood, eating decayed meat. Like the big lizard, called Komodo, living in some small islands of Indonesia, its name is “dragon”.
When western people hear or think of a dragon, naturally, it is hard for them to associate with any good impression. The same case among the Chinese people is that, can a Chinese creates good impression toward a man who calls himself “toad people” since a toad is an ugly little thing in the eyes of the Chinese people?
Archaeologists’ recent discovery in Henan province of Chinese mainland proved the oldest picture of Loong was drawn some 6 thousand years ago.
As we know. At that time, the Chinese people already had quite mature agriculture, but people then were also at the stage of “struggling with the nature” (weather, drought, flood, earthquake…etc.). Wind, rain, thunder, lightning which could decide men’s life or death, all were vital to the people, this would cause the people without modern knowledge to fear, admire and respect the natural power. In all ancient Chinese books, legends and stories, almost all things about Loong had elations with the above-stated natural power, so it is reasonable to infer that Loong was the token of the “Almighty Natural Power” in ancient Chinese people’s mind. According to scholars, in the very old days, the rainbow might inspire the imagination of Loong, the colors of the sky might also inspire one’s imagination of Loong, therefore, golden Loong might imply sunny sky, black Loong might imply cloudy sky and green (blue) Loong might imply clear sky, and storm might be explained to be Loong’s fury. No matter what natural phenomenon was, the ancient Chinese people believed it was the Loong’s power release.
In the Orient, besides the Chinese people think Loong is noble and solemn, only the royal farnily could use Loong’s logo, the Vietnamese people also believed they themselves are the ancestors of the fairy Loong. In Korea and Japan. Loong is divine and respectable as well.
Since the word “Loong” has been wrongly and unfairly translated to be “dragon”, it is the language users, translators and teachers’ responsibility to prevent the mistake being made in the future. Our suggestion is: from now on, the correct definition and translation of the word “Loong” be printed and used in dictionaries, all kinds of books and mass media. On the other hand, when the word “dragon” needs to be translated into Chinese word, we should never translated it to be “龙” again.