提 要：“奚仲作车”是中国文化史上极富命义的一个课题，但由于直接史料甚少，迄今未引起研究者的充分注意。其实若从解析“奚仲作车”入手，可以解决先秦文化史上的一系列重要问题，如“圣人”创物利民的社会文化属性；车除作为交通工具之外，在先秦礼制中还具有哪些社会文化功能；文献记载中“乘龙”与骑马及作车之间有何隐喻性关联；车在中国古代的独立起源及其对世界文明发展的贡献；渊源于英雄时代的奚仲家族，如何积蓄起在贵族时代薛国发展所需要的历史创造潜能等等。所有这些都意味着“奚仲作车”在中国文化史上具有丰富的尚未被人充分理解的意义。

关键词：奚仲作车 车正 车制起源 乘龙 仲虺 奚

Title:A Textual Research and Exposition of the Ancient Records of Xizhong’s Invention of Cart

Author: Ge Zhiyi, Professor, Center of Ancient Chinese Culture Studies, Dalian University, Dalian, Liaoning, 116622, China

Abstract: Xizhong zuoche(奚仲作车，Xizhong invented Cart) is an important assertion of Chinese cultural history. Nevertheless, due to the lack of direct historical records, it has not aroused much scholarly attention. Based upon close analysis of various ancient materials of China which are related to Xizhong’s invention of cart, this article provides opinions on several important issues of Chinese cultural history, including the attribution of inventions to the so called sages, the role of the sages in the establishment of etiquette, the metaphorical association of people with dragons, the beginning of riding horses and invention of carts, the contribution of the cart invention to world civilization, the origin and later history of Xizhong’s family.

Key words: Xizhong Invention of Cart the Officials in Charge of Vehicles Descendants of Dragon