Chinese Classics Research Articles

Clerks and the cession of Taiwan: dismantling of the undertaking system for tax collection in the process of the establishment of colonial power

ABSTRACT In traditional Chinese society, the clerks and runners – not the department magistrates, country magistrates, or secretaries from other provinces – were responsible for local administration. In particular, tax collection had a multi-layered structure of undertaking, with the chief tax clerks and the tax clerks having a monopoly. After the cession of Taiwan to Japan, regular Taiwanese officials ranked below the provincial administration commissioners and above the country magistrates and their assistants, crossed over from Taiwan to mainland China, but many clerks and runners of the yamen of various ranks stayed back in Taiwan, and some were even sent back to work for the colonial government. Many of the clerks became deputy interpreters as they could speak Mandarin and write Classical Chinese. However, as young Taiwanese graduated from Japanese language institutes and public schools (elementary schools for the Taiwanese), they began to replace the clerks. Moreover, the chief tax clerks and the tax clerks, who had previously been involved with tax collection, provided tax collection books and helped the colonial government prepare the original books that would serve as the basis for tax collection; however, they were excluded from the actual tax collection work. The Governor-General’s office used the military police and the police force to force people to pay taxes, achieving a much higher collection of tax than before. Thus, the mechanism for undertaking tax collection as intermediary groups was dismantled, and other clerks left the government offices at the end of the 1900s.

The Analysis of the Characters of Wording for High School Classical Chinese

Classical Chinese carries the splendid culture of China. It is the important learning content for Chinese in high school. At the same time, the scoring rate is not good in the corresponding examination. Reading and comprehending classical Chinese in high school is the hardest part, especially for students who are not good at language learning. It is meaningful to analyze the characters of wording for classical Chinese. In this paper, NLP (Natural Language Processing) technology is applied to analyze the word usage for classical Chinese in high school. Firstly, ancient poems and literature in teaching materials in high school and classical Chinese exam questions of the past 15 years are collected. Secondly, raw data is preprocessed, cut words, and calculated word frequencies. Finally, top N words are generated and the experimental data is analyzed. According to the experimental results, the methods proposed in this paper can be used to analyze words for classical Chinese in high school. The Top N words are calculated and analyzed. It provides a good reference for high school students to learn classical Chinese.

Translating and performing China for the English-speaking stage: Royal Shakespeare Company’s re-staging of The Injustice to Dou E

Contemporary China is increasingly open in its interaction with the global cultural community, generating one of the most prestigious projects—the Royal Shakespeare Company’s “Chinese Classics Translation Projects” (2015–2023). This article examines this project’s first production Snow in Midsummer, a performance based on a new translation of the Chinese classic Dou E Yuan (窦娥冤, The Injustice to Dou E That Moved Heaven and Earth). Through exploring the multiple agents involved in the RSC’s re-staging of the play, this article traces the processes of translation and performance characterised by an oft-hidden collaborative agency. It uncovers the collaborative agency at work and argues that the agency in this theatre production aims to set the conditions to make the original Chinese classic new, so as to enable its rejuvenation and transformation. Key finding of this article is that the collaborative agency of the translator, playwright, director, stage designer, and actors/actresses in re-staging has enlivened the 13th-century Chinese classic with enriched narratives and produced a performance that is nuanced and relevant to the contemporary world. This article makes a case for the paradigmatic shift from a product-based approach to theatre translation to a process-based one. It opens new avenues to future research into the question of complexity of collaborative agency in restaging the foreign classic to the contemporary English-speaking audiences for both areas of theatre translation for performance and transnational theatre production.

Intralingual and Interlingual Translation of Chinese Classics—Taking the English Translation of the Tao Te Ching as an Example

Intralingual and Interlingual Translation of Chinese Classics—Taking the English Translation of the Tao Te Ching as an Example

A contrastive study on the semantic extension patterns of Chinese and Korean body part classifiers

In the study of linguistics, body terms are words that denote parts of the human body and, grammatically, they are used as nouns. However, upon examining numerous linguistic materials, it has been observed that body terms do not merely signify body parts but function as classifiers, distinguishing the ‘type’ of the nouns that follow. Although Chinese and Korean belong to different language families, the use of body terms as classifiers can be found in both languages. Notably, in Korean, body part classifiers can be represented by Chinese characters. This can be inferred as a universal phenomenon within the ‘Chinese character cultural sphere’. However, the usage of body term classifiers is not identical in both countries, reflecting language-specific phenomena based on the unique characteristics of each language. This study has conducted a comparative analysis of the usage of body term classifiers in Chinese and Korean and interpreted the mechanisms by which body terms have expanded to function as classifiers from a cognitive perspective.

Ding-Zhi-Xiao-Wan decoction alleviates mitochondrial autophagy in vascular dementia mice via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway

BackgroundVascular dementia (VD) is a common and diverse group of neurological disorders. The cause of cognitive impairment symptoms in VD is mainly cerebrovascular lesions caused by various factors. Ding-Zhi-Xiao-Wan decoction (DZXW) is a classical Chinese medicine compound for treating clinical manifestations of dementia-like conditions. Our preliminary study determined that the volatile oil component (β-asarone) of Acorus tatarinowii Schott in DZXW has a significant neuroprotective effect. However, there is limited documentation on the effects of DZXW in treating VD. MethodsThe analysis of medicinal chemistry, potential targets, and mechanisms of DZXW for treating VD started with network pharmacology. To create the VD model, bilateral carotid artery ligation was performed. Normal saline or DZXW was administered to Institute of Cancer Research mice via gavage daily for 28 days. The Morris water maze test was used to evaluate the learning and memory abilities of the mice post-treatment. To validate potential targets and efficacy mechanisms identified through network pharmacology, qualitative real-time PCR and western blotting were employed. Further examination of histopathological and ultrastructural changes in the hippocampal region was conducted using hematoxylin-eosin and Nissl staining, immunofluorescence, and transmission electron microscopy. ResultsThe analysis using network pharmacology showed that there was a connection between the key targets associated with the components of DZXW, there were 836 targets of ginseng, 305 targets of Acorus tatarinowii Schott, 394 targets of Poria cocos, and 228 targets of Polygala tenuifolia; and 4671 targets related to VD. In particular, 53 targets are at the intersection of DZXW and VD. The results of this experiment confirmed that DZXW not only attenuated brain damage and its induced learning memory deficits in the VD model but also had some antioxidant effects. Furthermore, DZXW down-regulated VD-induced CASP3, EGFR, PTGS2, ESR1, and HSP90AA1 mRNA expression. It was confirmed that DZXW enhanced the phosphorylation of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR. Additionally, DZXW was demonstrated to elevate the protein levels of p62 and TOM20 while reducing the protein expression of mitochondrial autophagy markers such as PINK1, PARKIN, Beclin-1, and LC3. ConclusionsDZXW impedes mitochondrial autophagy through the activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. This leads to the reduction of mitochondrial injury in nerve cells triggered by VD-induced tissue hypoglycemia and hypoxia, ultimately enhancing cognitive function and memory retention.

Writing Confucian History in an Indian Language

Abstract This article uses a case study of an Urdu translation of the classical Chinese Shujing (Book of Documents) to bring to light a process of multiperson, mediated, and ultimately transimperial translation in which European source texts played crucial roles in transmitting detailed knowledge of China to the Indian public sphere. After outlining the theoretical approach of transimperial history and its value for Asian intellectual history, the article positions the Urdu Shujing in relation to earlier Indian and Middle Eastern accounts of China whose triangulated transmission—from East Asia to Europe and thence to South or West Asia—set various precedents for the translation of the Shujing from a prior English translation. The article then focuses on the Urdu version to reveal the transimperial mechanisms it used to not only translate and transliterate classical Chinese, but also to “transcalculate” dates and render Chinese history comparable to both Europe's and India's past. The conclusions argue that, from Ming China via the early modern Catholic empires to the occult subcurrents of British colonial culture, the transimperial pathways along which Confucian history reached India were ultimately Eurasian rather than narrowly inter-Asian in scope. This reliance on earlier European translations would later recur with the spread of “world literature” in the postcolonial era.

A Study on the Translation of Culture-Specific Items in Character Depiction in the English Version of Pu Songling’s Liaozhai Zhiyi

The characterization through literary translation is crucial to the international dissemination and reception of literary works. Nevertheless, the research on the translation of character depiction in Liaozhai Zhiyi greatly falls behind other translation themes of Liaozhai Zhiyi. This study is intended to explore the translation of culture-specific items (CSIs) in character depiction in Liaozhai Zhiyi from Chinese to English, within the framework of character’s three dimensions: physiological, sociological and psychological. This study reveals the shifts in the characterization by investigating translator’s strategies, and the significant integration of CSIs and character depiction. The findings demonstrates that the translator’s choice of strategies influences the rendering of character depiction. It is found that the character depiction in the original text of Liaozhai Zhiyi is more mysterious, whereas in the translated text, it seems to possess a stronger sense of intimacy. This study suggests that translators thoroughly consider the culture-specific elements in character depiction, and take into account the combination of multi-strategies. It is hoped that this study contributes to the research field of character depiction translation in Liaozhai Zhiyi, and sheds light on the translation of ancient Chinese classics.

A Comparative Analysis of the Combinatorial Properties of Chinese Measure Words and Arabic Classifiers

This comparative analysis investigates the combinatorial properties of Chinese noun measure words and Arabic classifiers exploring their semantic syntactic and cultural aspects. Chinese measure words are integral to quantifying nouns exhibiting diverse semantic alignments and syntactic patterns. In contrast, Arabic classifiers fulfill a similar role but with distinct structural variations influenced by grammatical gender and number agreement. By juxtaposing these linguistic elements, this study unveils both commonalities and disparities, offering insights into the intricate ways languages encode quantification. Through this comparative examination, we gain a nuanced understanding of linguistic diversity and cultural nuances inherent in Chinese and Arabic, enriching our comprehension of language structure and cross-linguistic communication.

The Philosophy of Chinese Moral Cultivation: Justification and Educational Implications

Abstract This article discusses the theme of moral cultivation in ancient China and proposes to consider the relevant philosophical discussions a subfield of traditional Chinese philosophy. We argue that Chinese classics throughout history were freighted with frameworks and concepts concerning moral cultivation, contributing to a philosophical system about people’s daily moral development. The metaphysical justification, the interpenetration of what is beyond form and what is within form, ideas about the heart-mind and human nature further substantiate the claim from academic and cultural perspectives. This philosophy echoes Pierre Hadot’s idea of “philosophy as a way of life”, or an art of living, a pragmatic discipline that is both a meta-philosophy and a methodological approach in addressing pedagogical and psychological concerns (Hadot & Davidson, 1995). The justifications warrant the needs of perceiving traditional moral cultivation philosophically and discussing its educational implications for today.

Metafiction, intertextuality, and consumerism in transmedia resemiotization: a postmodern analysis of a comic book adaptation of the Chinese classic Journey to the West

Abstract Classic Chinese novels have frequently been adapted into other media formats. Such transmedia adaptations involve shifts in meaning, which are often shaped by contemporary postmodern culture. This article explores the textual transformations in a comic book adaptation of the classic Chinese novel, Journey to the West, and the postmodern culture behind these transformations. Viewing transmedia adaptation as resemiotization, we analyse the metafictional strategies, intertextuality, and representation of consumerism in the comic book. These three aspects, which subvert the narrative of the original novel, define the postmodern nature of the comic book adaptation. We conclude that the comic book adaptation is not only a nostalgic representation but also a critical rewriting of the Chinese classic, which is shaped by postmodern norms and values. This study enriches our understanding of the adaptation and reception of the classical novel Journey to the West in contemporary popular culture, thus shedding light on the postmodern rewriting of Chinese classics in general.

Transliteration in the Translation of The Classic of Tea: Problems and Solutions

The Classic of Tea, authored by the Tea Sage Lu Yu, encompasses over 400 entries related to tea names, names of tea utensils, personal names, place names, dynastic titles, titles of literary works, Chinese units of measurement, and other uniquely Chinese terms such as the Five Elements and the Bagua. During translation, it is often challenging to find exact lexical equivalents for these names in the target language, necessitating the use of phonetic transliteration. Phonetic transliteration is a common method in the translation of Chinese classics. However, improper use of phonetic transliteration can present reading difficulties for readers, impede subsequent cultural exchange, and is particularly problematic in works like The Classic of Tea, which require extensive use of this method. This paper examines the application of phonetic transliteration in the English translation of The Classic of Tea from the perspective of reader comprehension. It identifies issues such as excessive use of transliteration, difficulties for Western readers in pronunciation, and ambiguity in reference. To address these issues, strategies such as reducing transliteration, adjusting information layout, re-annotating phonetically, adding Chinese characters, and inserting hyperlinked audio files are proposed. These strategies aim to alleviate the reading burden and enhance the effectiveness of phonetic transliteration.

Southern Wind Algorist: Merging Nine Algorithms with Nine Gay Stories Written in Classical Chinese

Southern Wind Algorist: Merging Nine Algorithms with Nine Gay Stories Written in Classical Chinese

SikuGPT: A Generative Pre-trained Model for Intelligent Information Processing of Ancient Texts from the Perspective of Digital Humanities

The rapid development of generative artificial intelligence has brought significant opportunities for the advancement of digital humanities research. Intelligent processing of ancient texts, as an essential part of digital humanities, is also undergoing a transformation in research methodologies in the wave of AIGC. The integration of generative pre-trained models with Chinese ancient texts, a vital carrier of Chinese culture, allows for deep mining of the content of these texts and provides services that make ancient texts more understandable and accessible to the general public. In this research, we propose a method that combines the most renowned Chinese anthology, the “Siku Quanshu,” with generative pre-trained models. We developed the SikuGPT model, a generative model for ancient text processing tasks, based on GPT-type language models by continued pretraining. This model was tested on two typical tasks of ancient text processing: translation between classical and modern Chinese, and classification of ancient texts. The findings reveal that our model achieves advantages in understanding and generating scenarios of ancient texts. The capability of SikuGPT in processing traditional Chinese texts helps to promote the organization of ancient information and knowledge services, and advances the international dissemination of traditional Chinese culture.

Exploring the inflammation-related mechanisms of Lingguizhugan decoction on right ventricular remodeling secondary to pulmonary arterial hypertension based on integrated strategy using UPLC-HRMS, systems biology approach, and experimental validation

BackgroundPulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and the consequent right heart dysfunction persist with high morbidity and mortality, and the mechanisms and pharmacologic interventions for chronic right-sided heart failure (RHF) have not been adequately investigated. Research has shown that prolonged inflammation is critical in precipitating the progression of PAH-associated right heart pathology. Some research demonstrated that Lingguizhugan decoction (LGZGD), as a classical Chinese medicine formula, had beneficial effects in alleviating PAH and RHF, while its underlying mechanisms involved are not fully elucidated. PurposeBased on that, this study aims to investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of LGZGD on PAH-induced RHF. Study DesignIn this study, we identified the serum constituents and deciphered the potential anti-inflammatory mechanism and crucial components of LGZGD using combined approaches of UPLC-HRMS, transcriptomic analysis, and molecular docking techniques. Finally, we used in vivo experiments to verify the expression of key targets in the monocrotaline (MCT)-induced RHF model and the intervene effect of LGZGD. ResultsIntegrated strategies based on UPLC-HRMS and systems biology approach combined with in vivo experimental validation showed that LGZGD could improve right heart fibrosis and dysfunction via regulating diverse inflammatory signaling pathways and the activity of immune cells, including chemokine family CCL2, CXCR4, leukocyte integrins family ITGAL, ITGB2, and M2 macrophage infiltration, as well as lipid peroxidation-associated HMOX1, NOX4, and 4-HNE. ConclusionThe present research demonstrated for the first time that LGZGD might improve PAH-induced RHF through multiple anti-inflammatory signaling and inhibition of ferroptosis, which could provide certain directions for future research in related fields.

A Comparative Study on the English Translation of The Travel Dairies of Xu Xiake from the Perspective of Eco-translatology

Chinese classics are one of the representatives of traditional Chinese culture, and translating excellent classics is a way to inherit and spread brilliant Chinese culture. The Travel Dairies of Xu Xiake is of great value, and its two latest English translations, namely The Travels of Xu Xiake translated by Lu Changhuai and Jia Xiuhai and The Travel Dairies of Xu Xiake by Li Weirong et al. (i.e. the version of “Library of Chinese Classics”), are selected. The two translations of its first diary entitled “A Visit to the Tiantai Mountain” and “Tiantai SHAN” respectively are selected as main research objects. Based on the three-dimensional transformations of eco-translatology, the two translations are compared and analyzed in linguistic, cultural and communicative dimensions, and the reasons why the latter is superior to the former are concluded in hopes of providing certain references for the translation of similar Chinese classics, helping more Chinese classics enter the world, and further promoting the improvement of Chinese cultural soft power.

Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Validation to Explore the Pharmacological Mechanism of Zhuling Decoction against Nephrotic Syndrome.

In recent years, the incidence and prevalence of Nephrotic Syndrome (NS) have been increasing. Zhuling Decoction (ZLD), a classical Chinese medicine, has been clinically proven to be effective for the treatment of NS. However, its underlying mechanism and pharmacodynamic substances remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the mechanism of action and chemical components of ZLD against NS using network pharmacology and molecular docking. Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP), Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicines (BATMAN-TCM), and SwissTargetPrediction databases were used to screen the principal ingredients and the associated targets of ZLD. NS-related targets were obtained from the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), GeneCards, Therapeutic Target Database (TTD), and Drugbank databases. Shared targets were derived by the intersection of ZLD- and NS-associated targets. Protein-interaction relationships were analyzed using the STRING database and Cytoscape. A visualized drug-active compound-target network of ZLD was established using Cytoscape. Analyses of gene enrichment were performed using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) methods by the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) database. Molecular docking was performed to assess the binding activity between active components and hub targets. Polyporusterone E, cerevisterol, alisol B, and alisol B 23-acetate were the primary potential ingredients of ZLD. HMGCR, HSD11B1, NOS2, NR3C1, and NR3C2 were the hub targets of ZLD against NS. Molecular docking showed that polyporusterone E, cerevisterol, and alisol B had high binding activities with targets HMGCR, HSD11B1, and NOS2. In summary, this study suggests that the main active compounds (polyporusterone E, cerevisterol, alisol B) may have important roles for ZLD acting against NS by binding to hub targets (HMGCR, HSD11B1, and NOS2) and modulating PI3K-Akt, Ras, MAPK, and HIF-1 signaling pathways.

DICTIONARY-BASED COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE CHINESE “个 (GÈ)” AND THE MALAY “BUAH” NUMERAL CLASSIFIERS

Classifiers are used for categorising nouns according to animacy, form, shape, and size. As one of the Austronesian languages, Malay is said to have an extensive numeral classifier system. Past studies have classified these two classifiers as general classifiers; however, an extensive study comparing the use of these two classifiers have not been attempted. This study aims to highlight the similarities and differences by comparing the Chinese classifier “个 (gè)” and the Malay “buah” using evidence from reference classifier dictionaries of the two languages. The findings show that while some similarities exist and both classifiers can be used interchangeably with some nouns, these classifiers are unique and have distinctive semantic usage. Both个 (gè) and buah are used for organisation, products of nature, buildings and places, and artifacts (things created by humans). However, only个 (gè) can be used for organs or body parts, humans, fruits and food, time, directions, and thought and intellectual products. In contrast, only buah is used for transportation, accessories, home furniture and appliances, publications, musical instruments, and performances.

Explicitation of Conjunctions in Two English Translations of Luoyang Jialan Ji

The translation of Chinese classics is vital to promoting Chinese culture, gaining increasing attention from the academic community in recent years. This study selected Luoyang Jialan Ji, a representative of Chinese classics, as the research data. The study examines conjunctions in different texts by constructing comparable and parallel corpora of the source text and two English translations. The findings indicate that the frequency of conjunctions in the two English versions is higher than that in the Chinese version, which proves a tendency of explicitation in the translation process from Chinese to English. Notably, there are some differences between the two English versions in the use of conjunctions, especially conditional and causal conjunctions, which reveals the different styles of translators. Furthermore, the paper summarizes translation methods of conjunctions, offering insights into the translation practice of Chinese classics.

Developing a Methodology for Identifying and Mapping User Tasks and Elements for Chinese Classics Metadata through Qualitative Analysis

This study develops a methodology to identify user tasks and metadata elements and to establish correspondences between them, in special collections of Chinese classics, based on interviews with 13 distinct researchers. A total of 36 unique user tasks were identified, with 30 being associated with specific elements. The methodology also encompassed analyzing how metadata in two databases supports these user tasks, leveraging the identified correspondences. The introduced methodology demonstrates its potential for data-creation organizations by providing a mechanism to select elements for metadata using the identified correspondences.