结论
把中国大陆译为 mainland China 不会有歧义。
论证
- 中国大陆是一个地理概念，不是政治概念。政治上的概念是中华人民共和国。
- 无论是中国大陆还是内地，指的都是不包括港澳台的地理区域。国际上通常用 mainland China 来翻译中国大陆/内地这个地理概念。
中国翻译协议曾发文称必须禁用 mainland China，但是没有给出什么科学、合理的解释。
要解释 mainland China 用来翻译中国大陆是否存在歧义，首先是用英文解释英文。根据 The US-Taiwan Business Council (USTBC) 的解释，mainland 的定义本身隐含有离岸岛屿也属于大陆的含义。换句话说，mainland China 的说法意味着台湾作为岛屿，属于中国大陆的一部分。引用如下：
The term “Mainland China” tacitly implies that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory.
Analysts and journalists frequently use the term “mainland” to refer to the PRC. The term appears in most writings about Taiwan, China, and cross-Strait relations. A search yields the following definition:
Mainland: A large continuous extent of land that includes the greater part of a country or territory, as opposed to offshore islands and detached territories.
This definition suggests that offshore islands serve as integral parts of the same territory as the “mainland.” Therefore, using the term when discussing Taiwan implies that the relationship between China and Taiwan involves the same territory. It suggests that the island of Taiwan is an extension of the Chinese mainland.
In fact, the PRC government mandates that journalists use “Taiwan” and “the Mainland” as corresponding concepts. By continuing to use this terminology, writers reinforce the PRC’s view of Taiwan as an integral part of its territory.
既然 mainland China 的说法符合中国大陆的既定政策，同时 mainland China 也是通行的说法，那就没有必要多此一举，“发明”其他说法。
如无必要，勿增实体。
其他故事
插个题外话，关于这个话题，有一个很有意思的故事，引用如下：
about the use of the term 中國大陸/中国大陆...
Let me first relate an interesting experience.
Many decades ago I was visiting the US via Hawaii. At the Hawaiian airport Immigration counter the officer asked where I was headed, (meaning my ultimate port of call), I answered "the United States" Whoa!, she gave a semi-angry stare and said, "This is the United States"
Being blessedly born with a nimble mind, I casually answered, "I meant the mainland" This seemed to avoid an unpleasant march to the "briefing room" She stamped my passport and I was on my way to the United States.
Now if this had happened in say, British Hong Kong before "unification", and I said I was on my way to "中國", I don't think the Hong Kong immigration officer would have bated an eyelid. But what if it happens now after unification when, politically, (using this term loosely), Hong Kong is part of 中國 just as Hawaii is part of the United States?
I tell this incident to highlight the fact that such questions and answers could potentially cause misunderstandings.
Having said that, and as for myself, being a member of the Worldwide Chinese diaspora, I couldn't refer to China as 大陸, which simply means "mainland", just as Continental United States is the Mainland for Hawaii, simply because I am not a citizen of the People's Republic of China living on any number of Chinese territorial islands, like Hong Kong for which mainland China is 大陸, "the Mainland"
So, for people like me, of Chinese descend whose ancestors left China for Nanyang, (the Southern Seas), generations ago, would simply refer to China as 中国, just like someone from any other country would.
Of course anyone, including non-Chinese citizens, could refer to the People's Republic of China as 中國大陸/中国大陆 and no one would bate an eyelid, perhaps not even Chinese immigration officers; but I could be wrong of course, depending on the level of "political" understanding of such officers.
关于作者
Joey Zhang，译者/法学学士，持有中国法律职业资格，长期从事法律翻译及商业翻译，个人最新简历可点击此处查阅。也可以通过以下平台联系我：LinkedIn、豆瓣、知乎、小红书
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