Yanzi chunqiu
Author | (trad.) Yan Ying |
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Original title | 晏子春秋 |
Country | Qi, Zhou dynasty China |
Language | Classical Chinese |
Subject | Narrative stories of Yan Ying |
Published | c. 3rd century BC |
Yanzi Chunqiu | |
---|---|
Tâi-lô | Àn-tsú tshun-tshiu |
Old Chinese | |
Baxter–Sagart (2014) | *ʔˤe[n]-s tsəʔ tʰun tsʰiw |
The Yanzi chunqiu ("
The Yanzi chunqiu incorporates themes from both Confucianism and Mohism, and it does not fit easily into any single philosophical tradition.
History
The first mention of the Yanzi chunqiu in a received work appears in the 62nd chapter of the ancient historian
In 1972, a large cache of
Content
The Yanzi chunqiu comprises 215 stories arranged into eight chapters. The first six "inner"
Themes
The Yanzi chunqiu has proven difficult to classify into one single philosophical tradition, and much of the traditional Chinese scholarship on it has focused on its classification.[7] The bibliographical catalogs of the early dynastic histories list it as a Confucian ("Ruist") work, but in the early 8th century the poet and scholar Liu Zongyuan strongly argued that the Yanzi was actually a Mohist work, given its numerous references to such hallmark Mohist terms as "universal/impartial caring" (jiān'ài 兼愛), "opposition to music" (fēi yuè 非樂), and "frugality" (jié yòng 節用).[7] Liu recognized that Yan Ying could not have been a follower of Mozi, which would be anachronistic, but believed that the Yanzi was written later by one of Mozi's followers who was familiar with the traditions of the State of Qi.[7] Liu's view that the Yanzi was a Mohist work was echoed by many subsequent Chinese scholars. Zhang Chunyi (張純一; 1871–1955), one of the leading Mohism experts of the modern era, described the Yanzi as "60 to 70% Mohist and 30 to 40% Confucian."[7]
Commentaries
In the late
Translations
The first complete Western-language translation of the Yanzi chunqiu was published in 2016, and only a few English translations exist.
- Milburn, Olivia, trans. (2016), The Spring and Autumn Annals of Master Yan, Leiden: Brill.
- Ariel, Yoav (2018), The Spring and Autumn Annals of Master Yan, A bilingual edition in 2 vols, Beijing: Renmin University Press.
The following contain partial translations:
- Kao, George (1946), Chinese Wit and Humor, pp. 37–46; reprinted in 1974 by Sterling Publishing Company.
- (in German) Lippe, Aschwin (1961), "Drei Geschichte aus dem 'Frühling und Herbst des Yen Ying'" ("Three Stories from the 'Spring and Autumn of Yan Ying'"), in Studia Sino-Altaica, Festschrift für Erich Haenisch.
- Watson, Burton (1962), Early Chinese Literature, New York: Columbia University Press, p. 186.
- (in German) Holzer, Rainer (1983), Yen-tzu und das Yen-tzu ch’un-ch’iu, Frankfurt: Peter Lang, 1983.
In contrast to the dearth of Western translations, at least five Japanese translations have been published. The two most commonly used Japanese translations are:
- Yamada, Taku 山田琢, trans. (1969), Anshi shunjū 晏子春秋 ("Yanzi chunqiu"), Tokyo: Meitoku shuppansha.
- Yanaka, Shin'ichi 谷中信一, trans. (2000–01), Anshi shunjū 晏子春秋 ("Yanzi chunqiu"), 2 vols., Tokyo: Meiji shoin.
References
Citations
- ^ a b c Durrant (1993), p. 483.
- ^ a b Shih (2014), p. 1868.
- ^ a b Shih (2014), pp. 1868–69.
- ^ a b c Shih (2014), p. 1869.
- ^ Durrant (1993), p. 484.
- ^ a b Theobald, Ulrich. "Yanzi chunqiu 晏子春秋". Retrieved 2020-06-04.
- ^ a b c d Durrant (1993), p. 487.
Bibliography
- Durrant, Stephen W. (1993). "Yen tzu ch'un ch'iu 晏子春秋". In Loewe, Michael (ed.). Early Chinese Texts: A Bibliographical Guide. Berkeley: Society for the Study of Early China; Institute for East Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley. pp. 483–89. ISBN 1-55729-043-1.
- Shih, Hsiang-lin (2014). "Yanzi chunqiu 晏子春秋 (Annals of Master Yan)". In Knechtges, David R.; Chang, Taiping (eds.). Ancient and Early Medieval Chinese Literature: A Reference Guide, Part Three. Leiden: Brill. pp. 1868–73. ISBN 978-90-04-27216-3.