《种族、语言与文化》是博厄斯自1887年到1939年的63篇重要论文的合辑，内分“种族”“语言”“文化”三大主题，涉及当时学界充满争议的几大问题。如，体质人类学与社会人类学的关系问题，种族血统与民族特征问题，不同区域的语言形态与起源问题，文化相对论与文化进化论问题、文化传播、文化变迁与文化涵化问题等。本书较为全面地汇聚了博厄斯的人类学研究成果，呈现了博厄斯与众不同的研究方法，对相关领域研究人员具有重要的参考价值。
对于中外经典著作中的思想表述，仅读外文书的中译本或文言著作的白话释文是不够的，尤其是当误译、误释发生的时候，读者容易被误导，或望文生义，或以讹传讹，使原有的文化差异变成更深的文化隔阂。因此，在“世界学术经典（英文版）”的选目中，大部分作品为英文原著；原作是其他语种的经典，则选用相对可靠的英文译本；至于中国古代经典，则采用汉英对照的方式呈现，旨在向西方阐释中国的思想和文化。其中，精选的中国经典是整个系列的重要组成部分。有了这一部分的经典，才真正体现出“世界性”。
以原典和英文方式出版，是为了使读者通过研读，准确理解以英文表达的思想、理论和方法，力求避免舛误，进而通过批判和接受，化为智慧力量。这有利于思想的传播，裨益于新思想的产生，同时亦可提高英语修养。
经典名著的重要性是不言而喻的，但是以下几点意义值得一再重申。
弗朗茨·博厄斯（Franz Boas），德国裔美国人类学家，现代人类学的先驱之一，在哥伦比亚大学任教五十余载，开创了人类学的四大研究分支：体质人类学、语言人类学、考古学与文化人类学，其研究对人类学的发展具有深远的影响。
导读、注释者简介：余华博士，上海外国语大学语言研究院副研究员，哈佛大学人类学访问学者（2015-2016）。
PREFACE
Anthropology, the science of man, is often held to be a subject that may satisfy our curiosity regarding the early history of mankind, but of no immediate bearing upon problems that confront us. This view has always seemed to me erroneous. Growing up in our own civilization we know little how we ourselves are conditioned by it, how our bodies, our language, our modes of thinking and acting are determined by limits imposed upon us by our environment. Knowledge of the life processes and behavior of man under conditions of life fundamentally different from our own can help us to obtain a freer view of our own lives and of our life problems. The dynamics of life have always been of greater interest to me than the description of conditions, although I recognize that the latter must form the indispensable material on which to base our conclusions.
My endeavors have largely been directed by this point of view. In the following pages I have collected such of my writings as, I hope, will prove the validity of my point of view.
The material presented here is not intended to show a chronological development. The plan is rather to throw light on the problems treated. General discussions are followed by reports on special investigations on the results of which general viewpoints are based.
On the whole I have left the statements as they first appeared. Only in the discussion of the problems of stability of races and of growth which extend over many years, has scattered material been combined. In these the mathematical problems have been omitted and diagrams have been substituted for numerical tables. Here and there reviews and controversies have been included where they seemed relevant and of importance for the clearer statement of theories.
The terms “race” and “racial” are throughout used in the sense that they mean the assembly of genetic lines represented in a population.
It is natural that the earlier papers do not include data available at the present time. I have not made any changes by introducing new material because it seemed to me that the fundamental theoretical treatment of problems is still valid. In a few cases footnotes in regard to new investigations or criticisms of the subject matter have been added.
I have included two very early general papers at the end of the book because they indicate the general attitude underlying my later work.
I wish to express my sincere thanks to Dr. Alexander Lesser whose help and advice in the selection of material has been of greatest value.
FRANZ BOAS
Columbia University
November 29, 1939
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