Decoding Chinese -- Jiaguwen 解码中文-甲骨文中国乐山汪岚: 二月 2015

如何解码学中文?

文字是人类语言的书写符号，是人类用来进行传递信息以便进行交流的可见符号系统。

一、中国的汉字是密码词符文字

中国有56个民族，建国前有文字的民族有18个，建国后新创文字的民族是8个。汉字是全国的通用文字，统称中文。

汉字的前身是结绳记事、契刻记事的密码符号。汉字的创立，传说是黄帝的史官仓颉所造。荀子说：“好书者众也，而仓颉独传者，一也。”这句话的意思是：中国参与造字的很多很多，岂止仓颉一人。而仓颉之所以传名后世，是因为他作了收集、整理、统一的工作。仓颉是怎样造字的？据《韩非子·五蠹篇》说：“仓颉之作书也，自环者谓之私，背私谓之公。”意思就是说仓颉是以一种密码符号来造字的，比如私字，就是将东西（禾苗）抱在怀里表示私有或表示自私。与私字相反，在“厶”字上标出两个相背的符号，表示与私相反，就叫作公。这种符号，既别于拼音文字，又别于单纯的音节文字，而是一种密码词符文字。一个字就是一个独立的单词，每个字由一个或多个密码符号组成。

1899年出土的殷墟甲骨文，是商代王室的原始档案。这非常重要的原始资料，没有经过后人的增删改动，更显得十分宝贵。出土的甲骨总计有16万多版，已发现的甲骨文单字约有5000余个，目前可以判识的接近1500个。殷墟甲骨文是迄今为止中国最早的系统文字。我们具体分析甲骨文，发现它们是由象形、指事、会意、形声四种密码符号所组成的。

甲骨文之后，汉字又经历了金文、篆书、隶书、楷书的演变。

中国汉字的密码符号具有多种性质，形态也多种多样。在2500年前的战国时期，儒家学者编纂的《周礼·地官·保氏》中说的”六书”，是最早提出的中国汉字的六种造字方法。汉代著明的文字学家许慎，对“六书”又做了具体详尽的解释。他还说：“仓颉之初作书，盖依类象形，故谓之文；其后形声相益，即谓之字。字者，言孳乳而浸多也。”许慎将“文”和“字”分开讲，很有意义，他从实质上点出了汉字是由密码构成的。“文”是指构成汉字密码的基本要素（象形、指事、会意、形声四种密码符号），“字”就是由多个密码构成或以单个密码确定的形、声、义完整的字。这六种造字方法，其中真正用以造字的，只有象形、指事、会意、形声四种密码符号。其余两种（假借、转注），只是密码符号的转用方法。

（中国华中科技大学外语教师李佼译）

How to decode Chinese?

The text is written symbols of human language. This visible symbol system is use to pass information in communication.

I. the Chinese characters are coding text

There are 56 ethnic groups in China, among which 18 had their own language texts before the founding of the new China, and 8 created their new texts thereafter. Chinese characters are seen as the national language.

The coding symbols with knots and the engraved symbols are the previous form of Chinese Characters. The Yellow Emperor's historiographer Changjei is said to have created Characters. Xunzi said: “Scholars were crowded, but only Changjei handed text down. Unmatched!” In what way did Changjei create Characters? “Han Fei – Wu Du article” said that ChangJei used cipher symbols to create Characters. For example, crops (‘禾’) held in arms (‘厶’)is ‘私’, which means privately-owned or selfishness. In contrast to‘私’is ‘公’ with a symbol (‘八’) above (‘厶’), which means against ‘私’, or publically- owned. This symbol, neither Alphabetic writing nor Syllabic language, is a coding text. One character is a separate word. Each character is consisted of one or more cypher symbols.

The Yinxu Oracle-bone inscriptions, unearthed in 1899, are the original archives of Shang’s royal family. Such important raw materials are of greatest value because there are no any additions, deletions and modifications by descendants. Over 160,000 bones and tortoise shells were excavated, on which there are about 5,000 Oracle characters. Approximately 1500 of them have been identified and decoded. Yinxu Oracle-bone inscriptions are by far the earliest systematic characters in China, which are mainly composed of four coding symbols: Pictographs, Ideographic, Ideographs and Phono-semantic compounds.

After Oracle-bone inscriptions, Chinese characters experienced their long evolution, i.e. Bronze Script, Seal Characters, Official Script and Regular Script.

The coding symbols of Chinese characters are of various characters and forms. Traditional Chinese lexicography divided characters into six categories (“Six Writings”), which first appeared in the “Rites of Zhou” in the Warring State Period period 2500 years ago. This classification has originally referred to methods of creating characters. Then, in Han dynasty, the famous scholar Xu Shen made a more detailed explanation on “Six Writings”. Xu Shen classified Chinese characters into “Texts” and “Words”. “Texts” refer to the basic elements that constitute the coding symbols (Pictographs, Ideographic, Ideographs and Phono-semantic compounds). “Words” refer to the individual and complete characters with shape, sound and meaning, constituted either by a single element or multiple elements mentioned above. Among the six methods of creating characters, Pictographs, Ideographic, Ideographs and Phono-semantic compounds are coding symbols, while Rebus (phonetic loan) characters and Derivative Cognates are just borrowing or transition of the coding symbols.

（translated by Jiao Li from Foreign languages Department, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, P.R.China）

二、汉字密码的构成

1、象形符号。象形就是把实物的外形轮廓作为符号，文字像实物的形状，以形表义。例如日、月、山、田、鱼、鸟、火、水、木、果等等。

不以实物整体为形，而是突出其某一特点，以此作为符号，是象形的另一种方法。例如牛、羊突出头部及双角，使名象符号更加鲜明突出。

有的象形是以抽象的形体符号来表达，例如草、木、禾、竹等等。

有的象形符号是采用附托的方式来完成。例如眉的象形将眉毛附托于目上，须的象形将胡须附托于人的面颊之下。

象形是汉字基础。但是用象形符号造字有一定的限度，没法满足记录语言传递信息的需要。

2、指事符号。在象形符号上加一象征性符号构成的字，称为指事字。所加的象征性符号，称为指事符号。例如刀是象形字，在刀锋上加一点，就表示刃。木是象形文字，在木的根部加一圆形符号，就表示本。木字在树梢上加一横，就表示末。在人的臀部加一半圆符号，就是臀。在动物臀部加一尾，就表示尾。

在象形符号上减去一象征性符号构成的字，也称为指事字。例如鸟字减去表示眼睛那一点，就成为乌鸦的乌，因为乌鸦全身黑羽，眼珠与黑色混为一体，减去表示眼睛的那一点，也是指事符号。

指事符号多有对称的形式，这是表示事物正反的两重性，例如上与下、乒与乓、孑与孓。

3、会意符号。会意符号是四种符号中内容最丰富、形象最生动的符号。

① 用作无法象形的会意符号，例如空气的气字，就是三个斜画来会意的。例如儿童的儿字，就以幼儿囟门未闭来表示的。

② 用作动词的符号，例如飞翔的飞字，就以一片或两片羽毛向上飞升的姿态来表示。走路的走字，就以甩手跨步的人形来表示；

③ 用作形容词的湿字，就用地下三层有水分子的符号来表示，美好的美字，就用人头顶插有羽毛饰物来表示。

④ 用作叹词的兮字，就以气从口出后分为两岔来表示。

会意字大多采用象形符号联组的方式构建。就是把两个或两个以上的象形符号组合起来，从它们的联系或配合上表示出一种新的常常是抽象的意义。例如：上与下拼在一起，叫做卡；日与月拼在一起，叫做明；口与鸟组合在一起，叫做鸣；屋子与里边的豕（猪）合在一起，叫做家；屋子中有女子叫做安。

会意字有三类：一类是单体会意字（如儿、飞、美等）；二类是异体会意字（如卡、鸣、安等）；三类是同体会意字，例如林、森、炎、焱、品、晶、轰、多、双、从、朋、比、赫、棘、众、磊等。

会意字的组合结构，是由若干密码符号完成的。它具有明显的优越性：①它可以表示很多抽象的意义；②它的造字功能强；③它可以组成许多字族文字，便于人们识别、联想、与记忆。

4、声音符号。汉字的声音符号不是拼音文字，而是利用象形字、指事字或会意字所标注的声音，与其它字形合组，构建形声字。来源于象形字的声符，如口、心、衣等；来源于指事字的声符，如刃、本、包等；来源于会意字的声符，如朋、旦、安等。

使用声符与其它三种符号合组构成形声字具有两大优点：一是它有表声成分；二是它的造字方法简单。

形声字的形符，在另一些字里也可用作声符。例如山字在峰、屿、岩、岖诸字中是这些字的形符。反之，在汕、疝、仙、氙、讪等字中，它又是作声符使用。而且原有的形声字，还可以再用作声符与别的字共组成新的形声字，例如“召”是由形符口字与声符刀字组成，召字又可与其它字结合组成诏、绍、苕、迢岧等形声字。同样的形符和声符，还可以通过部位的变换，产生新的形声字。例如吟与含；纹与紊；部与陪；架与枷等等。形声字的组合为汉字的发展开拓了一条广阔的道路，以至于近代科学发展创新上的许多字以及化学元素周期表，都可以轻而易举地创造出许多新的汉字来。本书中许新创字的篆书就是利用形声两种符号创写出来的。

（中国华中科技大学外语老师李佼译）

II. The Classifications

1. Pictograms.

Pictograms are the foundation of Chinese characters. Pictogram uses the physical shapes of objects as symbols, which also forms meanings. For example, 例如日 sun、月 moon、山 hill、田field、鱼 fish、鸟 bird、火 fire、水 water、木 wood、果 fruit and so on.

Instead of using the whole physical shape, to highlight its particular characteristics as a symbol is another way of pictograms, such as 牛 cow and 羊sheep.

Some use abstractly formed pictographic symbols, such as 草 grass,木 wood, 禾grain, 竹 bamboo and so on.

Some use pictographic symbols attached. For example 眉 eyebrow attached to 目eye, 须beard attached to 页 cheek.

2. Ideograms.

Ideograms express an abstract idea through an iconic form, including iconic modification of pictographic characters. For example a knife “刀” is a pictograph. Plus a dot on it marks the blade “刃”. Wood “木” plus a circular symbol at the foot is root “本”. Wood plus a cross on the top means the end “末”.

The pictograph minus an iconic form is also Ideograms. The character “鸟” (bird) without the point becomes “乌” (crow), as it is hard to identify the crow’s eyes because of its black feathers.

Some pairs of ideograms are in a symmetrical form, which indicates the positivity and negativity, such as 上（up） and 下 (down), 乒and乓、孑and孓.

3. Compound Ideographs.

Compound Ideographs are the richest and most vivid symbols.

3.1. Compound ideographs are used to indicate Characters that are unable to be represented by Pictograms. Such as气 (air), depicting three oblique strokes. 儿 (child), formed by children’s unclosed fontanels.

3.2. The symbols are also used as verbs. For example: 飞 ( to fly ) is represented by two feathers soaring upward. 走 ( to walk ) is represented by the shape of a marching person.

3.3. The adjective 湿 (wet) is represented by the water underground. 美 (beautiful) is represented by feather ornaments on head.

3.4. The interjection 兮 is represented by air out from both side.

Compound Ideographs are classified into three categories: monomers, such as 儿 (child), 飞 (fly), 美 (beautiful) etc.; variants, such as 卡（be stuck）, 鸣 (to tweet), 安（safe）etc.; identicals, such as 林 (wood), 森 (forest), 炎焱、品、晶、轰、多、双、从、朋、比、赫、棘、众、磊 etc..

Compound Ideographs have obvious advantages as followed: 1) a lot of abstract meanings can be suggested; 2) It is easy to create characters; 3) the characters are easy to be identified, associated and memorized.

4. Phono-semantic compound characters.

These are often called radical-phonetic characters. They form the majority of Chinese characters by far – over 90%. Character are formed with approximately the correct pronunciation (the phonetic) with one or a limited number of determinative characters which supplies an element of meaning (the semantic). Some phonetics come from pictographs, such as口、心、衣 etc.; some phonetics come from Ideograms, such as刃、本、包 etc.; and others come from compound Ideographs, such as 朋、旦、安 etc..

It is hard to categorize the phonetics and the semantics, as they are flexible and transferable. For example: 山 (hill) functions as a semantic to compound characters as 峰、屿、岩、岖 etc., but as a phonetic to compound characters as汕、疝、仙、氙、讪 etc.. A phono-semantic compound character itself can also be used as a phonetic in a further compound, which result in quite complex characters. For example: a phono-semantic compound character “召”used as a phonetic to form new characters as 诏、绍、苕、迢岧etc.. The changing position of the same phonetic and semantic can form different characters, such as 吟 and 含；纹 and 紊；部 and 陪；架 and 枷 etc.. The combination of phonetics and the semantics has opened up a broad way to create Chinese characters. Many new characters are created with the science development and innovation. Even those chemical elements have found their matching characters.

（translated by Jiao Li from Foreign languages Department, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, P.R.China）

三、解码汉字的基本方法

汉字密码符号的解读，是一件非常有趣的工作。汉字的每一个字仿佛就是一幅画，这幅画里暗藏着一个或几个密码，这些密码有的代表形态，有的代表声音，有的代表意义，有的代表所指的事物。而且密码的组合是千变万化的，真使人看之赏心悦目，思之回味无穷，用之灵感倍生。一个字又像一个谜，解开那些谜，就可以了解当时社会的构建和当时的生产力和生产方式，了解古人的心态、古人的习俗、古人的生活、古人的行为。中华民族之所以伟大，通过这些密码构建的文字体系，可以使我们更有深刻的体会。

怎样才能正确解读汉字的密码符号，重点有以下几种方法：

1、象形文字解码法：象形字的密码是由一个或多个形符组成的。解读象形文字，首先就要解读象形密码。密码解开了，文字的含义就清晰了，从而就可以了解古人创造那些象形文字的真正含义。例如：

美：甲骨文的“美”字象一个站立的男子，头上有三重羽饰，真像一个头冠华美的武士，或像一个古代主持祭祀的主持人。还有一个甲骨文的美字在头饰下面象有两只手在进行整理打扮。这些密码说明美的真正含义是美丽、美好，既指人的外在美，也指人的内在美。作动词用则指装饰、打扮、美化。假借指好事、好物、令人满意等。至于对女性的美，古人是在美字前再加一个女字来界定的，《说文解字》的注释是：“色好也。从女，从美，美亦声。”美与“丑”相对。美的含义是什么，普通老百姓是比较清楚的，可是现在在一些古汉字辞典或电视台的说文解字节目中，仍把美字解释为上是羊，下是大，羊子肥大就是美。他们的依据是许慎对美的另一注释：“美，甘也。从羊，从大。羊在六畜主给膳也。羊与善同义。”应当说甘美、甜美、美膳、美食只是美的引申义，而不是美的真正含义。美好、美丽、美善应当是美的正确解读。

2、会意解析法：会意字的解读确有一定难度，只有用会意解析法首先了解字的含义，再联系其它部分加以解析，才能最后弄清。例如:

爱：在甲骨文中还未发现有爱字出现。篆书的爱字是由一颗包着的心与两只分别置于心字上下的脚构成，表示两个人相爱，或人与人之间的爱，并且直接含有性爱之义。许慎说：“爱，惠爱也。从心，旡声。”心是形符，上下两只脚也是形符，而不应该是声符，也就是说“爱”不是形声字应当是会意字，这是我个人的看法，对不对？尚须切磋讨论。

敬：我们至今还没有找到甲骨文的“敬”字，甲骨文只有“苟”字。篆书中“敬”字是由苟与攴合成的，这种合成表示什么意思，确实令人费解。不久前我在成都一家宾馆墙上看到一幅以敬字为题的写意画，画一个女子跪在地上对人表示尊敬。我觉得这幅画非常形象，但仔细一看，发现还少了一半，缺了攴字的含义。直到后来我认真解读苟字的甲骨文，才理解到敬字象一只手拿着教鞭，对着一个跪在地上两眼斜视、态度随意的人，意思是用教鞭要求态度苟且的人对他人要敬重。许慎说：“敬，肃也。从攴，从苟。”他另一注是：“敬也，从心，从敬。”许慎这两个注释是完美的，他点明了“敬”的真正含义，我对“敬”的解码也是确切的。

3、形声解析法：三千多年前的甲骨文以象形字为主，形声字仅占20%，发展到二千年前的秦汉时期，形声字大量增加，《说文解字》中，形声字占82%，现代汉语中形声字已占90%。由此可知解析形声字该是多么重要。形声字有三个优点：一是它有表声部份，一读就能知晓七八分；二是组字方法简单，一形一声，解析比较容易；三是较复杂的形声字有主有次，有规律可循。解析的方法是：①声旁是生母，形旁是晚娘（声在形先的字）；②擒贼先擒王，认字先认娘（从形旁诠释字义）；③秀才生得尖，认字认半边（只对部份形声字而言）。当然，有的形声字解读比较困难，需要具体分析和研究。

4、字族部首解码法：象形文字的基本要素是“形”，形是可以分类的，例如：大自然有山、水、木、石、土、田、金、日、月、光、雨、火等；人体形态有头、手、足、耳、目、口、心、脑、鼻、皮、肉、骨等；动物有豕、牛、马、羊、犬、鹿、豸等等。这些分门别类的字词在外国语中相互很少关联，而在汉语中却呈现出许多互联的、有序的、有机的组合。例如一个木字，以它为形符的至少可以分出：

① 部位与形态：木、林、森、根、枝、梢、叶、杆、条等

② 乔木：松、柏、杉、杨、槐、柳、樟、檀、栎、桑、桂等；

③ 果木：桃、李、杏、橘、柑、桔、柿、梨、果等；

④ 木制器物：柜、橱、箱、栅、槛、栏、桌、椅、架、梯、桨等；

⑤ 与木字相关的动作：相、查、检、核、校、楷、横、榨、染等。

只要掌握了字族部首解码法，解读汉字，就可以举一反三，甚至举一反十，收到事半功倍之效。四川省井研县教育局上世纪八十年代在该县采用这种方法教习汉字，大多读小学三年级的学生就能考过六年级的课程，教育部曾派人去考察，表示赞赏，可惜这种教学汉语的方法未能推广。1994年3月29日我曾填了一首“鹧鸪天”词盛赞井研倡导字族部首组合教学法：“汉字形声源流长，组成字族乃良方。井研教育集成册，开启智慧价难量。百十字，组一章，同音同义觅偏旁，六年课程三年竣，育得神州满园香”。

（墨尔本大学博士李龙吟译）

III. decoding Chinese of the key

1. Decoding pictograph

Pictographs are mainly composed of codes. What is code? Simply speaking, a code is a sign. Character codes are character signs. Pictographic codes are made up of graphic signs, sound signs, meaning signs and indication signs. To read a pictograph needs to read the codes in it. Once a character is decoded, its meaning is clear, then we can understand why our predecessors used those pictographs.

For example, “美”the oracle bone inscription “美” looks like a standing man with three layers of feathers decorating his head, more like a warrior with beautiful head decorations, also like a compere governing a sacral ceremony. Another oracle bone inscription “美” seems to be a man preening himself using his two hands. These codes indicate that “美” has a meaning of “beauty” and “nicety”, which not only refers to one’s outside beauty but inner side as well. Used as a verb, “美” means “decorate”, “make up” and “prettify”. Our predecessors added “女” to the left side of “美” to describe a woman’s beauty. The book 《Word And Expression》 gave it a meaning of “good-looking”, specifically used for ladies, for beautiful ladies, and pronounced “Mei” which has an opposite meaning to “丑”.The meaning can be extended to “luck”, “good thing” and “satisfactory” etc. Ordinary people knows what “Mei” means, however, some dictionaries or TV programs explained that “美” is made up of two parts, the upper part is “羊”，meaning sheep, and the lower part is “大”, meaning big, so “美” is a big sheep. These dictionaries and TV programs made such explanations based on Shen Xu’s explanation: “美” means “sweet”, is related to “sheep” and “big”. Sheep is a major food source of the six meat animals. “羊” and “膳” shared the same meaning. It should be said that “sweet”, “good meal” and “good food” are the extending meaning of “Mei”, not real meaning of it. The above explanation is certainly not the best because it is quite unilateral and one swallow does make a summer.

2. Dicoding the ideographs

There is a portion of ideographs in pictographs, it is difficult indeed to read them. We can analyse and understand their meaning first using some indications, a full understanding can only be achieved through thorough examination combining other methods, which is quite true when we try to read

“爱” is not found in the oracle bone inscriptions. The seal style of “爱” is made up of a “心”, heart, and two feet respectively positioned above and under “心”, implicating love of two people or among people, and also indicating sexual love. Shen Xu said: “爱” is kindness. “心” is a form sign, the two feet are also the form or object signs, not the sound signs, which means “爱” is not a form-sound character, it is a Analysing the ideographs. Is that right? Further studies are needed.

“敬”. So far we have not found the oracle bone inscription that is equivalent to “敬”. The seal style “敬” is combined by “苟” and “攴”. What meaning does this combination have? It is inexplicable. Not long ago, I spotted a monochrome abbrivated ink work on a hotel wall in Chengdu which illustrated “敬” as a woman kneeling down to show her respect. The visualization of this work is vivid, but carefully examining the work, I found something is missing, there is nothing for “攴”. Later I studied the oracle bone insription “苟” in details and understand that “敬” is something like a hand holding a teaching rod and facing an ill-mannered pupil. The meaning is to let someone respect. Shen Xu expained that “敬” is solemn having something to do with respect. In another explanation, he refered “敬” as respect which has something to do with heart. Shen Xu’s above expanations are correct.

3 .Dicoding the phonograms

The oracle bone scriptions of three thousand years old are mainly pictographs, the phonograms account for only about 20 percent. Until Qin and Han Dynasties of 2000 years ago, the phonograms were dramatically increased. In 《Word And Expression》, the phonograms were about 82 percent. In modern Chinese, there are about 90 percent phonograms. It can be seen that it is important to analyse the phonograms. The phonograms have three advantages. Firstly, they have elements indicating pronounciation, one 70-80 percent knows how to read them simply by first look; secondly, the character structure is simple, there is an element for form and also an element for pronounciation, it is easy to analyse; thirdly, there are rules applied to more complicated phonograms. The following methods apply: a) the sound element is parent, the form element step mother ( the sound element is prior to the form element); b) to catch the bandits, first catch the ringleader, to know how to read, first know what is parent element (the form element contains real meaning); c) a scholar is shrewd enough to just read the half character (only for some phonograms).

4.Dicoding Characters Family

The basic element of pictographs is the form or shape. The shape can be categorized, for example, there are mountains, rivers, wood, stones, soil, fields, gold, the sun, the moon, light, rain and fires in the nature. The head, hands, feet, ears, eyes, mouth, heart, brain, nose, flesh and bones etc are related to human body. In the animal world, we can see pig, ox, horse, sheep, dog, and deer etc and etc. These words are less related in other languages, but in Chinese, they are related and orderly combined. For example, the character “木” is used as the form or shape sign in many character groups. 1) Plant part: wood（木）, woods (林), forest (森), root (根), branch (枝), treetop (梢), leave (叶), stem (杆) and twig (条) etc. 2）Arbor: pine (松), cypress (柏), cedar (杉), poplar (杨), pagoda tree (槐), willow (柳), camphor (樟), sandelbaum (檀)， oak (栎), mulberry (桑), laurel (桂). 3）Fruit tree: peach (桃), plum (李), apricot (杏), tangerine (橘), orange (柑), mandarin (桔), persimmon (柿), pear (梨), fruit (果). 4) Wooden things: cupboard (柜), cabinet (橱), trunk (箱), grid (栅), doorsill (槛),fence (栏), desk (桌), chair (椅), shelf (架), ladder (梯) and oar (桨) etc. 5) Actions related to “木”: look (相), check (查), examine (检), verify (核), proofread (校), regular script (楷), 、横、extract (榨), dye (染) etc. Once this analysing method is grasped , it can be repeatedly used for recognising and identifying pictographs with less time spending and better effectiveness. Jingyan County Education Bureau of Sichuan Province used this kind of method to teach students Chinese characters, most year three students were proved to be equivalent to the year six students of traditional teaching method. The Ministry of Education once dispatched an officer to exmanine the teaching method, unfortunately it was not widely adopted. On 29th of March 1994, I wrote a poem “ZHE GU TIAN” to appraise Jingyan County’s pioneer work on group character study.

(translated by Dr. Yinlong Li from the University of Melbourne)

汪岚

2012年4月20日

Decoding Chinese -- Jiaguwen 解码中文-甲骨文中国乐山汪岚

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