Classical Chinese Texts Research Articles

Barbarians and identity in early China: Constructing the Huaxia through the other

ABSTRACT Through an investigation of representations of the Other and ancient Chinese collective identity in classical Chinese texts, this paper offers a new perspective to modern discourse surrounding the ‘distinctions between barbarians and Chinese’ (yixia zhi bian 夷夏之辨). Providing a historical analysis of terms and tropes related to the in-group Huaxia and out-group rongdi (barbarian Other) from the Shang to the Han dynasties, it is argued that increasingly abstracted representations of the Other functioned in promoting identification and solidarity with an increasingly unified Huaxia. Rather than reading depictions of the rongdi as merely a reflection of how the ancient Chinese perceived the out-group, terms that function as the ‘generalized barbarian’ are interpreted as recursive reflections of how the Huaxia in-group understood the Huaxia themselves, offering a glimpse into what was implicitly regarded as characteristic, distinctive, or even sacred to Huaxia collective identity.

Quercus dentata Thunb. leaves extract inhibits CaOx crystallization and ameliorates ethylene glycol-induced CaOx kidney stones via the OPN/CD44 and NLRP3 pathways

Ethnopharmacological relevanceThe leaves of Quercus dentata Thunb. (QD), a member of the Fagaceae family and genus Quercus, with distributions in China, Japan, Korea, and other regions. As recorded in the Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica) and other classical Chinese medical texts, QD has been traditionally employed in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for their hemostatic and diuretic effects and has been used to treat urinary stones (Lin Zheng). It is also the main ingredient of the Mishitong capsule (MST), a Chinese patent drug, used for kidney stones and ureteral stones. Nonetheless, the specific active ingredients and the mechanisms of QD in treating kidney stones remain to be elucidated, which is crucial for advancing the scientific understanding and clinical application of this traditional medicine. Aim of studyThis study aimed to identify the active constituents of QD water extract (QDWE), explore its inhibitory effects on kidney stones through in vitro and in vivo studies, and elucidate the underlying mechanisms of the OPN/CD44 axis and the NLRP3 signaling pathway to provide a full understanding of its potential as a novel treatment approach against kidney stones. Materials and methodsThe micromolecular components in the supernatant of QDWE (QDS) were analyzed by UPLC-Q-Exactive-Orbitrap-MS and the monosaccharide composition of the macromolecular polysaccharide components in the crude polysaccharide (QDP) was determined by pre-column derivatization in HPLC. The effects of QDWE, QDS and QDP on the shape, size, and structure of calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals in vitro were explored by XRD, FTIR and SEM. The effects of QDWE, QDS and QDP on CaOx kidney stones in SD rats induced by ethylene glycol and VD3 were compared in vivo. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms of OPN/CD44 and NLRP3 pathways were investigated by Western blot analysis. ResultsThere were 32 compounds identified in QDS. The monosaccharide composition ratio of QDP was Man: L-Rha: D-GlcA: D-GalA: D-Glc: D-Gal: L-Ara = 1.01: 22.52: 8.27: 38.61: 3.43: 17.80: 6.38, indicating a mixture of pectin-type acidic heteropolysaccharides. QDP had a more significant inhibitory effect on CaOx crystals in vitro than QDWE, which can inhibit the formation of CaOx monohydrate crystals (COM) and convert them into thermodynamically unstable CaOx dihydrate (COD) crystals. The high dose of QDWE exhibited significant in vivo efficacy (P < 0.05), including anti-calculus, diuretic effects, and kidney protection, marked by decreased calcification and stone formation, alongside improved kidney vitality. Furthermore, the protective effects of QDWE were demonstrated to be associated with the OPN/CD44 and NLRP3 pathways. ConclusionThe studies identified and analyzed the active constituents of QDWE. Among these, QDP significantly inhibited CaOx crystal generation in vitro and could be a potential component for the treatment of urinary stones in QDWE. Moreover, the results indicated that QDWE had a remarkable therapeutic effect on CaOx stones by modulating the OPN/CD44 axis to affect stone formation and the NLRP3 signaling pathway to mediate inflammation, providing an experimental basis for the mechanism of anti-urinary stone and deep development of QD.

Aesthetic Representation in Three English Versions of A Tale of the Fountain of the Peach Blossom Spring from the Perspective of Translation Aesthetics

How to make Chinese literature better accessible to the world and how to represent the beauty of the original text is one of the heated discussion in translation. The article takes the aesthetic features embodied in A Tale of the Fountain of the Peach Blossom Spring as an example, and on the basis of the theory of translation aesthetics proposed by Liu Miqing, it explores the aesthetic representation in the English translations of A Tale of the Fountain of the Peach Blossom Spring by Lin Yutang, Luo Jingguo, and Xie Baikui at the levels of the formal system and the non-formal system, so as to provide the reference and significance for the contemporary translation of the classical Chinese text.

Why Chinese “Society” is So Called: How Social and Managerial Discourse Caused the Choice of the Word at the Turn of the 19th and 20th Centuries

Introduction. The purpose of this article is to investigate the reasons for the choice of the term “shehui” to designate the concept of “society” in China at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The research novelty of the work is manifested in the complex analysis of social and managerial discourse of that time and in the identification of factors that influenced the terminological choice. The relevance of the study is conditioned by the necessity to understand the processes of formation of social sciences in China, which is important for the interpretation of modern socio-political processes in the country, including in the context of modern sociology of management. This is especially important for Russian sociology, since its area of interest includes the search for mutually beneficial strategies of interaction between Russian and Chinese societies. And this is impossible without studying China's approaches to managing the country's development processes, its internal and external social relations. Methodology and sources. The study applies a system-historical approach, as well as discursive, terminological, etymographic and factor analysis. The paper analyzes classical Chinese texts and works of Chinese enlighteners of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and also uses some materials collected by modern researchers, in particular, by N.M. Kalyuzhnaya. Results and discussion. The main results of the study were the identification and analysis of factors (including internal political, social, foreign policy and linguistic factors) that determined the social and managerial discourse of the period under study and the choice in favor of “shehui” among the main terms competing for the right to designate the concept of “society”. Author pointed out that the process of formation of social and managerial discourse was in line with the gradual decline in the influence of traditionalism and strengthening of the ideas of anti-monarchism, people's power and self-government. Conclusion. Author emphasized that the term “shehui” became one of the key terms in the social and managerial discourse of China at the turn of the century, reflecting global socio[1]political trends. The choice of this term is the result of a complex interaction of various factors in the formation of discursive practices, which themselves were further modified under the influence of the term and its derivatives.

Orthodoxy in China and the West: The Jesuit Interpretation of Analects 2.16

The Confucius Sinarum Philosophus (1687) resulted from Jesuit research into Chinese classical texts. Upon its publication, the work conformed to the Jesuits’ accommodationist policy, facing challenges over its orthodoxy from both China and the West. The Latin translation and commentary on Analects 2.16 mirror these challenges and the Jesuit rebuttal. Compared to earlier translations, this version adheres more closely to traditional Chinese exegesis and participates actively in historical debates over orthodoxy. The annotations also delineate the heterodox teachings of the Yang (楊), Mo (墨), Daoist, and Buddhist schools, juxtaposing them with Confucianism, which they portray as a natural law to be perfected. The inclusion of these four heterodoxies introduces a novel aspect to Christian heresiology, while the portrayal of Confucianism assimilates it into the Christian orthodox framework. This article contends that the translation and commentary exemplify the Jesuits’ efforts to establish orthodoxy within both Chinese and Western contexts.

Exploring on the Poetic Pragmatic Structure in Chinese Classical Philosophical Texts

In Chinese classical philosophical texts, the use of poetic explications to convey concepts is a unique and fascinating phenomenon. Unlike Western philosophy, where conceptions are often explained by definition of connotation and extension. Classical Chinese philosophy relies on direct experiential understanding through poetry and metaphorical language. This pragmatic structure in Classical Chinese allows for a deeper connection between the reader and the text, even opening up the possibility of personal interpretation. By recalling or forming certain experiences, even mystical ones, readers can gain a more profound understanding of the concepts being discussed. This article explores the ontology of the unity of heaven and man() that is preset in these texts and makes this process (what people called tiwu()) possible. Taking the Five Elements as an example, this article reveals unique concepts born on the basis of this pragmatic structure that is different from Western philosophy.

Directions for Improving the Vocabulary Matching Tool and Data of the Institute for Han-Character Education Research for Tokenizing Classical Chinese Texts

Directions for Improving the Vocabulary Matching Tool and Data of the Institute for Han-Character Education Research for Tokenizing Classical Chinese Texts

Modernization of the image of the Huli Jing and the transformational nature of Reality in V. O. Pelevin's novel «The Sacred Book of the Werewolf»

The article analyzes the image of the Chinese werewolf fox, or Huli jing (Chinese: &amp;#29392;&amp;#29432;&amp;#31934;), in Victor Pelevin's novel «The Sacred Book of the Werewolf». The comparison of the main character of Pelevin's work with the images of Huli jing in classical Chinese texts is made. In the center of consideration is the nomination of the heroine, her appearance, habitat, the ability to turn around and impose a hassle, the nature of sexuality, lifestyle. It is established that the image of the werewolf fox in Pelevin is a synthetic image created on the basis of mainly two cultures – Chinese and Russian. At the same time, she was influenced by mystical, religious, cultural and literary Chinese traditions. The writer relies on the components of the image of the Huli jing, borrowed from Chinese books, but offers an expanded and reinterpreted version of them. Pelevin is primarily interested in the desire of the werewolf fox not for bodily, but for spiritual transformation, on the way to which his heroine, relying on eastern philosophy, studies the principles of her mind. The Huli jing of the «Sacred Book of the Werewolf» and the confusion that it induces act as a metaphor for reality as a whole (man, time, space, language, the outside world, etc.). The nature of reality, according to Pelevin's novel, is transformational at its core, and this feature of it is due to its illusory nature. The relevance of the article is determined by the high interest of domestic and foreign literary criticism in the work of Viktor Pelevin and comparative studies (in this case, affecting Russian and Chinese cultures). The novelty of the work is due to the expansion of the concept of werewolf in Pelevin's novel – from the bodily inversivity of the main character to the characteristics of various aspects of reality.

Western medicine and Japanese Kampo medicine are in a complementary relationship — Stillness and movement are beautifully harmonized in Japanese Kampo medicine

AbstractObjectiveThis review is a general outline to have a proper understanding of Japanese Kampo medicine from my point of view.BackgroundWhat is the basis of medical care? The answer is how to capture the signals emitted by the living body. In western medicine, diagnosis with a disease name is required for medical therapy to acquire a medical insurance reimbursement. In contrast, in Japanese Kampo medicine pathophysiological diagnosis is required for choosing the proper medication. Western medicine is the science of disease, while Kampo medicine is the science of indication. In other words, western medicine has been searching to find a drug that works, while Kampo medicine has been pursuing how to make medicine work.Present Position of KampoJapanese Kampo medicine originally comes from traditional Chinese medicine as delineated in the Chinese classic medical texts Shokanron and Kinkiyoryaku. This framework was introduced to Japan around the 5th to 6th centuries; after that, while inheriting past experience, repeating verification anew, and progressing in search of new developments, Japanese Kampo medicine has been developing. Kampo medicine has succeeded in combining with the perspective of modern western medicine, and looks for what appropriate therapy is in accordance with the Kampo medical syndromes. Kampo medicine is a harmonious medical practice. To investigate Kampo prescription a little deeper, the medicine is usually broken down into its crude drugs.ConclusionCoexistence with Japanese Kampo medicine fills gaps in western medicine by its complementary approach. For understanding Kampo medicine, both western and Kampo medical understanding of Kampo medicine are required.

THE «ZHOU YI» («BOOK OF CHANGES») IN THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAR CONTEX

The article deals with the tradition of classical Chinese text «The Book of Changes». The relevance of the work lies in the fact that the value of "Zhou Yi" has been thoroughly studied by Chinese scientists, but for readers who do not speak Chinese, many aspects of the unique classic book are little known. It is shown that the text of «Zhou Yi» is much more meaningful than combinations of hectograms. The authors of the article point out that "Zhou Yi" was used to discuss many cultural and legal issues. The "Book of Changes" contains entries about the problems of ordering property issues. Such discussion contributed not only to the settlement of property management issues, but also consolidated the ancient tradition of following the morality and virtue. The article presents that the sphere of marriage and the family relations, based on the engagement ceremony, formed the basis of the entire future marriage system of China for many generations. The authors show that a separate chapter "Zhou Yi" is devoted to the rules of inheritance. In this section of the "Book of Changes" inheritance in the male line becomes the fundamental principle in China. This article emphasizes that much attention in the "Book of Changes" is paid to the forms, types and methods of execution and punishment, as well as the system of evidence. The article provides an analysis of the social, cultural and legal ideas of «Zhou Yi», which determined the specifics of the Chinese legal system.

Automatic sentence segmentation for classical Chinese: The Spring and Autumn Annals as an example

Abstract There exists no sentence boundary in most classical Chinese literature texts. Since it is difficult to read literature of this kind, experts in literature or linguistics would segment the sentence manually. This article explores the effectiveness of classical Chinese sentence segmentation method so as to provide a reference for classical Chinese punctuation. On the basis of the machine learning methods, we chose three components of machine learning, namely models, tagging schemes, and features, to compare the learning results. The models include conditional random field (CRF) models, long short term memory (LSTM) models, BiLSTM–CRF models, and three Bidirectional Encoder Representation from Transformers (BERT) models. There are five tagging schemes in this article and three features including the statistical feature, Guangyun, and Fanqie. Finally, the performance of the combined feature template is evaluated by ten-fold cross-validation on four classical Chinese texts in different genres. The SikuBERT model is proved to be the most effective model for sentence segmentation at present. Different tagging schemes and various features are introduced. The results show that 5-tag-J tagging schemes can improve performance. Statistical feature, as an important clue for classical Chinese sentence segmentation, is useful in related tasks, but Guangyun and Fanqie have little impact. Other important factors of sentence segmentation are genres and writing styles.

Chinese Studies in Poland: History and Current Perspectives

AbstractThe earliest pieces of knowledge and research on China in Poland reflected development of Sinological studies in Western Europe. Being located on the sidelines of trade routes through which Eastern ideas and goods reached Western Europe, Poles used to get their information about China mostly from intermediaries: medieval travelers, merchants, and envoys, and since the sixteenth century, letters, writings, and books by Jesuit missionaries. The Poles contributed the very first comprehensive description of Chinese flora, and were important in spreading mathematical knowledge among Chinese scientists. A Pole established Monumenta Serica, still published today, and another Pole applied formal logic to the research of Chinese classical texts for the very first time. Despite all that, regular Sinological research in Poland did not take off until the twentieth century, and even then it was interrupted by political upheaval in Poland and by researchers’ fight either for freedom or with ideology.

Laozi Through the Lens of the White Rose: Resonance or Dissonance?

A surprising feature of the White Rose anti-Nazi resistance pamphlets is their appeal to a foundational classical Chinese text, the Laozi (otherwise known as the Daodejing), to buttress their critique of fascism and authoritarianism. I argue that from the perspective of a 1942 educated readership, the act of quoting the Laozi functioned as a subtle and pointed nod to anti-fascist intellectuals in pre-war Germany, many of whom had interpreted the Laozi as an anti-authoritarian and pacifist text. To a sympathetic reader, the Laozi therefore constituted an apt reference point for critiquing National Socialism. I then introduce a complication for this wartime reading of the Laozi from the perspective of its ambiguous reception in ancient Chinese political thought. I more specifically discuss an ancient line of interpretation of the Laozi that points in the direction of authoritarianism — in stark tension with the White Rose message of passive resistance and popular revolt.

(Philosophical) Pilgrimage to the East with a Visit to the West. Evgeniy A. Torchinov

Introduction.The article is devoted to the consideration of the conditions and possibilities of a positive study of the philosophy of the East. The world and domestic experience in interpreting the texts of Eastern thinkers was based on those cognitive methodological strategies that were formed in the mainstream of classical Oriental studies and have a pronounced philological, historical or regional character. This formed only a distorted view of the philosophical heritage of the peoples of the East. Such an approach gave grounds to classify the analyzed texts either as philosophical prehistory, or as non–philosophy in general. Therefore, the objectives of the article are, firstly, to clarify the reasons why an adequate perception of the essential and constitutive parameters of the philosophy of the East is difficult. Secondly, the clarification of those epistemological a priori, within which the philosophical East will manifest itself in the fullness of its revelations.Methodology and sources. The obtained research results were based on 1) works on the history of Russian Oriental studies; 2) classical Chinese (Taoist and Buddhist) texts; 3) the works of E.A. Torchinov, which served as a methodological guide for the article. The author also paid attention to clarifying those necessary "conditions of possibility" that can serve as a kind of methodological basic preset. Based on it, a specific toolset would be formed, used in the philosophical analysis of specific texts or text arrays.Results and discussion. E.A. Torchinov's legacy is taken as an example of the successful experience of philosophical interpretation of the texts of Eastern (in particular Chinese) thinkers. The works of the St. Petersburg researcher can be divided into several groups, the unification of which made it possible to create a conditional “layout” of system integralities. These are analysts: 1) text; 2) theory and practice; 3) integral constructions; 4) doctrine, historically manifested in a variety of forms; and 5) results, i.e. the presentation of their own texts, “stylistically” authentic autochthonous material.Conclusion. Today, for us, the philosophy of the East is an almost completely closed "continent". The disregard for the study of the East, characteristic of Russian science, largely reproduces the situation that has developed in humanitarian knowledge as such. One of the reasons is an epistemological preset, a certain mood of our cognitive apparatus. The works of E.A. Torchinov can serve as a successful example of a study adequate to the object of Eastern philosophy.

Exploring the impact of mass migration in Jin Dynasty by psycholinguistic analysis on Classical Chinese legacy text.

The first mass migration in China took place at the end of the Western Jin, which resulted in the southward transfer of the Central Plains Culture and brought about huge social changes. Such social changes exerted significant impacts on the gentry of the Jin Dynasty. This paper used a huge volume of Classical Chinese legacy text of Jin gentry members. We used CC-LIWC to calculate frequencies of different word categories used in these text contents and conducted an analysis of variance to measure significant differences between the three groups. We found 16 categories of words with significant differences and calculated their effect sizes, such as tense markers (tensem), F = 3.588, P < 0.05, η2 = 0.034; modal particles (modal_pa), F = 3.468, P < 0.05, η2 = 0.053; words for affective processes (affect), F = 3.096, P < 0.05, η2 = 0.028; words for cognitive processes (cogproc), F = 3.308, P < 0.05, η2 = 0.031; words for perceptual processes (percept), F = 7.137, P < 0.05, η2 = 0.06. Combining the psycholinguistics of the 16 categories of words and researches of historians on the Jin Dynasty, we then analyzed the direct and indirect, immediate and long-lasting psycholinguistic impacts of this mass migration on the gentry themselves and their descendants.

Languages, Scripts, and Chinese Texts in East Asia

Languages, Scripts, and Chinese Texts in East Asia

The Effects of Text Type and Text Length on the Experience of Mandarin Voice Perception on Smart Mobile Devices

Voice interaction is a user-friendly interaction method for Mandarin Chinese. Voice perception has been widely implemented on smart devices for Mandarin voice interaction. However, previous studies gave little attention to how language features, such as the text type and text length affect the voice perception experience. Moreover, how the device type influences Mandarin voice perception is unclear, as the device type has been shown to have a significant effect on other interaction methods, such as interactions with keyboard entry and screen displays. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the text type, text length, and device type on the voice perception experience. This study invited seventy-two participants (36 females and 36 males) for an empirical experiment. Three text types, i.e., classical Chinese text, professional text, and daily text, three text lengths, namely, short (i.e., 10 characters), medium (i.e., 20 characters), and long (i.e., 30 characters), and two device types, i.e., mobile phones and smartwatches, were considered. Four measurements were used to evaluate the voice perception experience, namely, performance (i.e., self-reported performance and correct ratio), the satisfaction rating, mental workload, and skin conductance. The results indicate that the text type, text length, and device type had significant effects on the four measurements. Specifically, the voice perception experience was best for daily text and worst for classical Chinese text, shorter text led to a better voice perception experience, and users of smartwatches had a better voice perception experience than mobile phones. Furthermore, the design implications for improving the voice perception experience that consider the text type, text length, and device type were discussed.

Eye movement pattern of reading Chinese Classics

Abstract This article explores the use of eye movement technology in studying the reading pattern of Chinese classical text. Written in a character-based ancient language, Classical Chinese or wenyanwen, the Chinese classics are known to be difficult to apprehend for most contemporary readers. In this study, a new character-oriented eye movement technology, Region of Interest in Reading (ROIR), was invented to detect readers’ attention allocation in reading. Based on ROIRs, first fixation duration, gaze duration, and total fixation duration were formulated to discuss readers’ cognitive processes and reading patterns when reading Classical Chinese text. The empirical study was conducted using Tao Te Ching (道德经) as the reading material. The study provides foundational technology for the construction of Chinese-oriented eye movement control model, and the findings also shed light on the teaching of Chinese Classics.

The Gongfu Approach to Teaching and Doing Chinese Philosophy across Cultures

This paper introduces a method of doing and teaching East Asian philosophy transculturally. The method underlies a pedagogy that has proven successful with students from diverse international backgrounds studying primarily in English, which suggests its potential for the wider scholarly community. The method centres on the practice, or gongfu, of doing philosophy with classical Chinese texts. The gongfu approach emphasizes the skill of interpreting and analysing texts within the context of the traditional works themselves. We have found that this skills-based approach to analysis bears much philosophical fruit. It does so, moreover, without subordinating the texts, their ideas, and their arguments to other more academically predominant frameworks. Or in more positive terms, it allows and encourages students to critically philosophize with the early Confucian and Daoist texts on their own terms, and to then creatively bring those unique insights and perspectives to bear on contemporary life. This paper first introduces the gongfu approach to doing and teaching Chinese philosophy and its distinctive characteristics. It then contextualizes the value of this method through critically examining the nature of Chinese philosophy and how we can do Chinese philosophy in English. (How Chinese is it, and in what ways?) Throughout I offer short case studies from our program. I conclude by highlighting its promise as a mode (or valuable component) of transcultural philosophizing and briefly reflect on some reservations one might have.

Argument Distinctive Context Functioning of 被 bei (Based on the Material of the Late Classical Chinese Text – “Lunheng”).

The paper deals with some features of Late Classical Chinese based on material from «Lunheng» (1st century AD), specifically, the process of 被 bèi grammaticalization and its possibility to be a distinctive context for noun lexemes. In modern Chinese, 被 bèi is a passive marker in sentences such as O 被 bèi SV. There is also a short form like O 被 bèi V, which is the initial stage in the formation of a passive construction, while the full form appears in late medieval texts. However, it is necessary to understand when exactly the process of grammaticalization of 被 bèi began, and whether this process affected the language of Late Classical Chinese. The main questions this paper addresses are: (1) when did the process of 被 bèi grammaticalization begin; (2) is 被 bèi still a verb in the Late Classical Chinese language and can we syntactically distinguish an argument of a clause in the context of 被 bèi. Not only are verb functions of 被 bèi (which can be found in 5th century BC texts) analyzed, but also supposedly its original nominal functions in earlier texts. The study shows that the passive-like 被 bèi begins to appear even in BC texts, but the verbal lexeme functions remain a major. It can be assumed that in Late Classical Chinese, particularly in the language of the «Lunheng» text, the lexeme 被 bèi doesn’t have passive marker qualities and 被 bèi can and should be analyzed from the point of view of lexical categories, as a transitive verb specifically. Such conclusions make it possible to analyze 被 bèi in an argument distinctive context, that is, the position of 被 bèi in a sentence next to any lexeme can help to identify the syntactic function of this lexeme within the specified context. This means it is possible to determine the position of the argument of any clause, which can later be used for PoS parsing of Late Classical Chinese texts.