The Language Characteristics of Zuo Zhuan

The language of Zuo Zhuan is a model that has been admired by literati and scholars throughout the ages. From the Tang and Song dynasties to the Ming and Qing dynasties, such as Liu Zhiqi, Chen Kui, Su Shi, Liu Xizai, Feng Lihua and so on, have made many excellent comments. The narrative language of Zuo Zhuan is characterized by accuracy and conciseness, vividness and colorfulness, and at the same time, conciseness and refinement are implicit. Su Shi said, "The world is full of words that stop at the end of the meaning, but the words stop at the end of the meaning. However, the words stop but the meaning is not exhausted, especially extreme, such as the Book of Rites, Zuo Zhuan can be seen." ("Su Wenzhong Gong Complete Works") Liu Zhiqi's comment is: "Words close and far-reaching purpose, rhetoric shallow and deep meaning, although the hair language has been exhausted, but the meaning has not been exhausted, so that readers look at the table and know the inside, look into the hair and recognize the bone, see a thing in the sentence, against three corners in the sentence outside." (Shi Tong - Narrative) These characteristics of the narrative language of Zuo Zhuan show that it has surpassed the achievements of many classic works at that time in terms of language, and has reached the realm of pure perfection. The language of characters in Zuo Zhuan is also rich in literary features. The "words" recorded in Zuo Zhuan are mainly dialogues of characters, diplomacy, admonitions and arguments. The dialogues of the characters have distinctive personality traits. The author often records one or two sentences of personalized language to highlight the image of the characters. For example, in the process of winning over Gong Shu Duan, Duke Zhuang of Zheng said three typical words: "Many acts of injustice will lead to death, the son of the nuns to wait for it"; "No need to be, will be and"; "can be carried out". In the author's writing, Zheng Zhuanggong's sophisticated, hypocritical and insidious personality traits jump off the page, and his complex psychological activities in the whole incident are also clearly recognizable. In the 23rd year of Emperor Xi's reign, a conversation between Chong Er and King Cheng of Chu, which was recorded in the book, shows the psychology of King Cheng of Chu, who expects to be rewarded for his kindness and takes advantage of the opportunity to extort money, and the attitude of Chong Er, who is self-respecting and confident, not overbearing and not inferior, to the fullest. Diplomatic rhetoric and the rhetoric of argument and admonition in Zuo Zhuan have always been praised by people. Record writing pedestrian rhetoric, especially for the "Zuo Zhuan" unique. For example, there are many popular chapters in the book: the fourth year of Duke Xi's Qu Wan to Qi Hou, the twenty-sixth year of Duke Xi's Zhan Xi to treat the Qin division, the thirtieth year of Duke Xi's Candle Wu to retreat from the Qin division, the third year of Duke Xuan's Wang Sun Man to discuss the tripod to the lightness of the weight of the second year of the Duke Cheng's Guo Zuo to Xi Ke, the third year of the Duke Cheng's Lv Xiang to end the Qin, the twenty-second year of the Duke Xiang's Zi Chuang to the Jin people to march towards the Duke Xiang's thirty-first year of the Duke's Zi Chuang to destroy the wall of the pavilion to answer the Shifeng Bo and so on. Some of them are euphemistic, stating the advantages and disadvantages, while some of them have a strong and passionate tone, and their words are full of wind and frost. The ability to grasp the focus of the conflict, starting from the analysis of the advantages and disadvantages, reasoning incisive, elegant and correct rhetoric, is the **** the same characteristics of these rhetoric. In particular, some small emissaries responded to the rhetoric of the big country, but also full of vigilance and wisdom. For example, Zi Chan offered to Jin, Jin three questions, Zi Chan three answers, "Shi Zhuangbo can not be cross-examined"; Zi Chan bad Jin Pavilion wall, but his justified answer to make Shi Wenbo speechless, had to "thank you for not being sensitive to"; Candle Ziwu to Duke of Qin Mu to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the words, and finally relieved the danger of Zheng. The words of Candle Zi Wu to Duke Mu of Qin, in which he explained the advantages and disadvantages, finally relieved the state of Zheng of its perilous situation. Liu Zhiqi said: "Looking for the Zuo's contained the words and orders of all the great doctors, the pedestrian response, its text is classic and beautiful, its language is broad and Austrian. The description of the ancient times is as complicated as the existence of the modern times is a cycle that can be repeated. We must anticipate the thickness of its utility and the depth of its meaning. I understand that it was not created in a moment of time, and that it was refined and embellished to become a unique hand." ("Shi Tong - Shen Zuo") "Zuo Zhuan" in the rich elegance of the pedestrian rhetoric, obviously after processing and embellishment, compared with the "Guoyu" recorded in a large part of the rhetoric, the logic of the reasoning is more rigorous, there has been cut and selective, refined words, more persuasive and infectious. The pedestrian rhetoric of Zuo Zhuan initiated the literary style of the Warring States period, which is a model for all generations of literati to recite and learn from. In Zuo Zhuan, both the language of narration and the language of characters, in terms of rhetoric, a lot of metaphorical techniques are used, and vivid sayings, proverbs and ballads are adopted. Many of these words have the nature of aphorisms, which later evolved into idioms. In the modern language, "the lips are dead, the teeth are cold", "greed for heaven's success", "forgetting one's ancestor by counting the classics", and "retreating from three places", "The government comes out of many doors", "the rest of the courage can be taken care of", "a drumbeat", "up and down their hands", "eat flesh and sleep on skin", "if you want to commit a crime, there is no excuse", "if the skin does not exist, the hair will be attached to it", "the wind, the horse, the cow and the ox are not related to each other", etc. are all originated from the book "The Government of the People". "and so on are derived from the" Zuo Zhuan ".