# 租界



## kyotan

大家好！

I'm wondering if this word 租界 has any negative meaning to native Chinese speakers?
Could it mean a little different maybe to a Shanghainese than people in other regions?

If it has any negative meaning, what alternative word do you recommend me using?

If I were to use it, I could only think of using this word within sightseeing related context, such as this sentence below from Bidu.

淮海路源于约150年前属于上海法租界的霞飞路，笔直的街道、西式的风格和法国梧桐树等等造景充满了欧洲风情。 
淮海路（上海最繁华的商业街之一）_百度百科

谢谢


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## ovaltine888

In Chineses context, I think you will always find it used as "*原*法租界“ or "*150年前*属于法租界”. I don't see in any other senerios you will probably use the word "租界“ other than referring to the _*former * concession_ in the past tense.

So I think it is a neutral word as a historical term.


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## SimonTsai

Why do you think that the word '租界' may carry something negative, would you mind if I ask?

As a Taiwanese, I would say that it is simply about a historical fact and is politically neutral, and that very few people will get hot under the collar just because you mention it.


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## retrogradedwithwind

Well, A black man could call another black man the N-word, but obviously a white man couldn't...


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## lekal

租界这个词，没有贬义，也不会让人感到不悦。


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## Shazhudao945

通常情况下，这个词不会让人感到不悦，除非在某种特殊的语境下面。
租借 will not bring any negative feelings, except for some rare contexts, but they usually require high-level knowledge for Chinese language and Chinese history, which would be impossible for you. So feel free to use this word.
Oppositely，there is another word which is extremely unfriendly to us and you should not use it under any situation: 支那.


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## kyotan

谢谢大家！

Simon,  I think I've read or heard a native Chinese speaker getting mad about something involving the word 租界 so I though I should ask you guys.

Shazhudao945, thank you.


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## Skatinginbc

租： 出*代价*暂用别人的东西。收取一定的*代价*，把房屋、土地、器物等借给别人使用。
租界的租，所指的代價為何？ 不繳租金，不出代價，也能算租嗎？
我覺得「租界」一詞，隱含「租借國總有一天得付出代價」的意思，這樣說，可慰朝廷，可矇自己。


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## peter199083

kyotan said:


> I'm wondering if this word 租界 has any negative meaning to native Chinese speakers?


Of course I cannot speak for others. For me, the answer is yes. Without any specfic context I cannot help remembering a period where foreign powers divided Shanghai. Despite renowned for its internationalisation where East meets West, the unique inter-cultural style of Shanghai could be alternatively interpreted as colonialistic. To dispense with any possible discomfort, I would recommend a replacement of '原租界'.


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## tinang

I think " 租界 " is neutral word originally.
If it is talking about the part of Chinese History, it becomes more sensitive and negative especially the duration of poor relationship between china and other country. It is mentioned a lot in the China History between War I and II and came with unequal treaty by foreign powers.


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## SuperXW

kyotan said:


> Simon,  I think I've read or heard a native Chinese speaker getting mad about something involving the word 租界 so I though I should ask you guys.


From the linguistic perspective, it is a neutral word.
From the national historical perspective, of course some Chinese would have negative feelings.

Concessions in Wikipedia:
Concessions in China were a group of concessions that existed during the late Imperial China and the Republic of China, which were governed and *occupied by foreign powers*, and are *frequently associated with colonialism*.
租界，是19世纪中期至20世纪中期*欧美列强*在东亚国家的通商口岸开辟、经营的居留、贸易区域。其特点是外国人*侵夺*了当地的行政管理权及其他一些国家*主权*，并主要由外国领事或由侨民组织的工部局之类的市政机构来行使这些权力，从而使这些地区成为不受本国政府行政管理的“国中之国”。


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## Skatinginbc

SuperXW said:


> Concessions...租界


妙就妙在把丟臉的 concession (其涵義包括: (1) the act of admitting defeat; (2) something that is given up, often in order to end a disagreement; (3) a special right or official permission to own or do work on a particular piece of property or land, given by a government) 翻成維護自己顏面的 "租界".

依我看, The Shanghai French Concession 的字面意思是 "上海法國特權區" (法國人在上海享有特權的地區) --字面上, 沒提到 "租"。中文翻成 "租界" 是因一開始那塊地, 還真是租來的。1849到 1853 的短短四年之間,  法國人還付中國地主租金。之後就不承認中國地主的所有權, 說是要直接付給清廷, 最後就索性不給了。


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## Shazhudao945

Skatinginbc said:


> 翻成"租界".


还真不是 “翻成” 租界的，中文原版就用的租字(*不能啥事都往翻译身上推*）
1845年（道光二十五年），依据《虎门条约》中的第六条（“中华地方官应与英国管事官各就地方民情地势，议定界址，不许逾越，以期永久彼此相安。”），由第一任英国驻上海领事巴富尔和苏松道宫慕久达成协议*租*出一块地段，供外人长期居留。经反复交涉，双方议定此章程，并于同年11月29日由宫慕久以道台名义和告示形式公布[1]。共23款。章程规定，将洋泾浜（今延安东路）以北，李家庄（今北京东路）以南之地，*租*与英人使用。最初，东以黄浦江为自然界限，西界未曾明定。次年9月24日，又议定西以边路（今河南中路）为界。全部面积为830亩。(Source: Wikipedia)

另外 英租界 用的是 *Settlement*，到了法租界时期才用的法语的concession（ 被法国人欺负我们法语不行了估计）。


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## Skatinginbc

有理.  中國人稱之為 "上海法租界",  法國人稱之為 "_Concession française de Changhaï_" (the Shanghai French Concession), 前者並非後者的翻譯, 而是雙方認知上有差異.


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## mikewu0225

我是一个土生土长的上海人，我知道西方列强侵略中国，瓜分上海等地区时候做过些什么事情，所以租界是一个历史性的耻辱，他象征着一个民族的软弱，被压迫以及一系列历史遗留的问题。


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