Abstract
From the publication of “Dizi Wen” in December, 2005 onward, the academic world has achieved a high-level of understanding of the style and meaning of this text due largely to the diligence of scholars in the field. However, debate still exists as to how to arrange the different bamboo slips in the text. For example, it is still unclear where slips number 3, 18, and 22 actually belong, and we do not know whether or not slips number 13 and 12 should be read together or if slip number 11 should be read with slip number 7 from Hong Kong Bamboo Slips. This article uses the locations of connecting points on bamboo slips, the lengths of slips, as well as the shapes/styles of characters on slips to rethink these debates. After this re-examination, the author then presents his own beliefs as to the order and meaning of the text of “Dizi Wen.”
This article also provides explanations of troublesome or hard to identify words found in “Dizi Wen.” More specifically, the author first analyzes the make-up/structure of the character “脠” from the phrase “脠（延）陵季子” on slip number 2, and also investigates the characters “毄” and “散” found on slip number 1. The author believes that these two characters should be pronounced “bi4tan3 (臂袒)” or (more likely) “ti4tan3 (裼袒).” The author also maintains that the character “僑” in the phrase “僑而弗受” on slip 1 should be read as “jiao3 (矯)” and means “to disobey.” Second, based on context clues, the author also believes that the character “ ” in the phrase “飲酒如 ” on slip number 8 should mean “to sip water.” The author employs research undertaken by other scholars to discuss why “ ” should be understood as this meaning. Third, the character “聖” in the phrase “聖（聽）余言” on slip number 5 has constantly been misinterpreted as meaning “取 (to take).” Based on the three ways in which writers of the Chu slips dealt with incorrect characters, this article analyzes how the writer of this slip may have emended and changed this word. Fourth, the article brings forth documentary evidence to explain the origins of the phrase “曹之 （喪）” on slip number 4. Fifth, the author discusses the meaning of the phrase “有地之謂也乎” (also from slip 4) based on the opinions of other scholars. Sixth, at the present time, the academic world adopts two completely different opinions as to how slip number 19 should be parsed, as well as to what the meaning of this slip should be. The author of this article believes that the main purpose of slip 19 is to describe Confucius’s view on becoming a government official. Based on this idea, the author parses the passage on slip 19 and raises new ideas as to individual words and phrases on the slip. Finally, the author also investigates the character “貞” as seen in the phrase “未見善事人而貞者” on slip 21, and points out that the way in which the character “者” is written on this slip is unique and different from other examples of “者” found in “Dizi Wen.” The author believes that this is an example of “different characters being used to represent the same word,” a phenomenon found in classical Chinese writings.
Keywords
Chu Bamboo Slips Collected by Shanghai Museum, “Dizi Wen,” bamboo slip order and arrangement, interpreting and explaining words and phrases
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