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編者按：中國人民大學重陽金融研究院執行院長王文在《環球時報》英文版專欄「Wang Wen on Changing World」的第五篇專欄文章《中國知識的價格》於今日刊出，現將中英文內容轉發如下：
近年來，我常受邀到國外參加研討會並主旨發言，偶爾會收到課酬。起初，有一些驚喜，慢慢就習慣了。一二十年前，若能得到國際研討會邀請，通常學者們會忙著向學校申請各項資助。這些年，一些活躍的中國學者不僅頻繁得到國際邀請，對方負責差旅、食宿等所有費用，有時還會得到酬勞、享受頭等艙往返待遇等。
儘管酬勞不多，但這個小變化卻具有重大意義，折射的是中國學者的崛起，也是中國知識的升值，更是中國國家崛起而帶來國際知識體系的重構。
按伊曼紐爾·沃勒斯坦在《否思社會科學》一書邏輯，當代學術界對世界變化的分析，長期局限於19世紀的西方學科範式。所謂經濟學、政治學、歷史學、人類學、社會學的理論假設與敘事，是基於西方社會的實踐經驗與行為慣性，逐漸構建成了全球約10萬所大學的院系框架與學術譜系。
在兩百年的全球學術延承中，中國知識分子的地位，尤其是哲學與社會科學領域的學者，長期處在從屬、被啟蒙、學習者的地位。中國大學的院系劃分、教材標準、研究方法與理論概念多數都來源於西方。中國的學術書店裡，多數書籍是譯著；中國的大學必讀書目裡，多數是西方著作；中國學生的學術論文寫作中，文獻綜述離不開西方理論。
中國貨物貿易長期處在順差，但知識貿易，中國卻是絕對的逆差。沒有任何一位中國學者的著作能在國際圖書市場上暢銷，在全球各個大學的推薦書目中很少有中國學者的著作，通行於世界的社會科學理論鮮有記述中國的經驗。在這樣的背景下，怎麼會有國際機構願意為中國學者的演講出高酬勞呢？
不過，近些年，事情正在起變化。當「一帶一路」不能在西方任何書籍中找到溯源，當中國發展經驗超越西方理論的解釋力，當中國角色在全球治理的作用越來越大時，世界漸漸發現了過去被遺忘的中國知識的重要性。一些英文表達不錯的學者，自然在國際知識市場裡有了價值。
但目前中國知識的價格仍較低。據我所知，以名人經紀方式安排全球演講的機構「國際演講局」有份價目表，諾貝爾經濟學獎、國際暢銷書作家一場演講的價格通常在5萬-15萬美元。這份價格表名單中，僅有少數幾位中國學者。有一位全球知名的中國經濟學家曾私下告訴我，他的國際演講最高曾得過2萬美元的酬勞，但僅僅一次。
價格是市場價值的反映。當下中國知識的國際貿易，有點像20年前的「中國製造」，價格低、質量不一定高，甚至還有拷貝來的。但這已經不容易了。從無人問津到出口國際市場，中國知識已邁出了重大的一步，儘管來得晚了一些。
中國知識分子仍須努力。許多從中國成功實踐中得來的中國經驗，是西方理論所無法解釋的。比如，「要致富，先修路」，還有我曾列舉的「1-1-1-0-0-0」難題，即任何源於西方實踐的政治、經濟、文化與社會理論，都不能解釋過去40年中國發展的奇蹟現象：同一個政黨、一代人時間、10億人崛起、0場戰爭、0場經濟危機、沒有出現大規模貧民窟。可惜的是，中國人目前也不能很好地破解它。
這道猶如數學界「哥德巴赫猜想」式的題目等待著中國與世界思想界的貢獻，尤其是中國學者。越能解釋它，中國知識的價值就越高，價格就會越高。加油，中國學者！
以下為英文版：
China’s rise: Diamond doesn’t know its worth
I have often been invited to seminars abroad and give keynote speeches in recent years, and was occasionally remunerated, which surprised me at first but then I gradually got used to it. A decade or two ago, if invited to international seminars, Chinese scholars would usually be busy applying for financial aid from schools.But over recent years, some active Chinese scholars have been frequently invited by international organizations that will pay for their travel, accommodation and other expenses, and sometimes even offer them remuneration as well as a first-class round trip.
Although the amount of remuneration is not big, this small change is of great significance. It reflects the rise of Chinese scholars, the appreciation of Chinese knowledge, as well as the reconstitution of the international knowledge system brought about by the rise of China.
According to US sociologist Immanuel Wallerstein's book Unthinking Social Science, the analysis of world change in contemporary academia has long been confined to the Western paradigms of the 19th century. The so-called theoretical assumptions and narratives of economics, politics , history, anthropology and sociology are based on the experience and behavioral inertia of Western society, and gradually build up the faculty framework and academic pedigree of about 100,000 universities around the world.
In the 200 years of global academic development, Chinese intellectuals, especially those specialized in the field of philosophy and social sciences, have long been the learners in a subordinate position.Faculty division, standards of teaching materials,research methods and theoretical concepts of Chinese universities mostly come from the West. In academic bookstores in China, many books are translated from another language. Most of the books on the list of required readings in Chinese universities are Western works. Furthermore, while writing their academic papers, Chinese students can hardly work out the literature review without referring to Western theories.
China has had a trade surplus for a long time, but is in absolute deficit when it comes to knowledge trade. There had been no Chinese scholar with an international bestseller to his name. Few Chinese scholars' works were on the list of recommended bibliographies of universities all over the world, and theories in social sciences popular around the world seldom mentioned China.
In recent years, however, things have been changing. When the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative cannot be traced to any Western book, when China's development experience surpasses the explanatory power of Western theories, when the role of China in global governance is increasing, the world has gradually come to recognize the importance of Chinese knowledge which was forgotten in the past. Some Chinese scholars fluent in English naturally gain more value in the international knowledge market.
But the price of Chinese knowledge is still low. As far as I know,the Toastmasters International, which organizes global speeches, has a pricelist. The price of a speech delivered by a Nobel Prize winner in Economics or an international bestseller writer is usually between$50,000 and $150,000. Yet there are only a few Chinese scholars on this price list. A world-renowned Chinese economist told me,privately, that he was paid up to$20,000,but only once.
Price reflects market value. The present international trade of Chinese knowledge is somewhat like those "Made in China" products 20 years ago-low priced, poor quality and some were even knockoffs in other countries. But the present achievement hasn't been easily won. From the stage of being neglected by the world to the phase of being exported in the international market, Chinese knowledge has taken a significant step,albeit a bit late.
More efforts are needed to be made by Chinese intellectuals. Many of the experiences gained from China's successful practices are beyond the explanation of Western theories. For example,any political, economic,cultural and social theory originating from Western practices cannot explain the "1-1-1-0-0-0" puzzle I have once mentioned, that is, the miracle of China's rapid development over the past 40 years: one political party,one generation, the rise of 1 billion people,0 war, 0 economic crisis, 0 large-scale slum. The pity is, we Chinese ourselves can't well explain the puzzle either at present.
This puzzle, like the Goldbach Conjecture in mathematics, is still to be resolved by China and the world, especially by Chinese scholars. The better it can be explained, the more value Chinese knowledge will gain and the higher its prices will be. Fighting,Chinese scholars!