“异”字在古汉语中多有贬意，如“怪异”、“妖异”。在“求同存异”之说中，“存异”实为无可奈可的妥协，“求同”才是人们所追求的目标。当然，人们在将乡镇企业称作“异军”时，与其说是贬，于说是褒。我对“异军”之异议，不在于其褒贬，而在于它对乡镇企业的性质及其与 The word “different” has many derogatory meanings in ancient Chinese, such as “bizarre” and “monkey”. In the theory of “seeking common ground while reserving differences”, “reservation of differences” is an indispensable compromise. “Seek for common ground” is what people are seeking. Of course, when people refer to township and village enterprises as “alien troops,” people are more likely to say that they are derogatory. My disagreement with “alien” is not because of its merits and demerits, but because of its nature and its relationship with township enterprises.