The Polysemous Jiang ( 将 ) in the Book of Songs and Its English Translation Strategy

1. The Polysemous Jiang (将) in the Book of Songs and Its English Translation Strategy Zi-yu Lin Macao Polytechnic Institute November 24, 2007

2. Introduction • Data in The Book of Songs • Semantic Analysis of jiang • Observations

3. Introduction • Data in the Book of Songs evidently show that character jiang (将) is a typical polysemy , with its coded meanings and extended meanings include “to hold somebody with hands,” “to support,” “to accompany,” and “to be going to.” Hence, accurate English renderings of this character pose a challenge to contemporary translators. • A sound strategy in dealing with such a problem requires the practitioners to have both a solid understanding in the traditional Chinese philology and a good exposure in the contemporary theories in the regularity in semantic change. The training in these two aspects could facilitate a better handling of polysemous characters in Archaic Chinese in general and jiang in particular.

4. M1: 扶持, 扶助, 送 樂只君子，福履將之。(《詩．國風．樛木》) 10 To be rejoiced in is our princely lady : - May she repose in her happiness and dignity! 之子於歸，百兩將之。 (《詩．國風．鵲巢》) 20 This young lady is going to her future home; A hundred carriages are escorting her. 肅肅王命，仲山甫將之。(《詩．大雅．烝民》) 543 Most dignified was the king’s charge, And Chung Shan-foo carries it into execution. 之子于歸，遠於將之。 (《詩．國風．燕燕》) 43 The lady was returning [to her native state], And far did I accompany her.

5. M2:奉,献 吹笙鼓簧，承筐是將。 (《詩．小雅．鹿鳴》) 245, 246 The organ is blown till its tongues are all moving. The baskets of offerings [also] are presented to them. 顧予烝嘗，湯孫之將。 (《詩．頌．烈祖》) 635 May he regard our sacrifices in summer and winter, [Thus] offered by the descendant of T ‘ang! 我將我享，維羊維牛，維天其右之。 (《詩．頌．我將》)575, 576 I have brought my offerings, A ram and a bull. May Heaven accept them!

6. M3: 奉养 豈不懷歸？是用作歌，將母來諗。(《詩．小雅．四牡》) 249 [But] did I not wish to return? Therefore I make this song, Announcing my wish to nourish my mother. 王事靡盬,，不遑將父。 (《詩．小雅．四牡》) 248 But the king’s business was not to be slackly performed, And I had not leisure to nourish my father.

7. M4: 强壮, 长大,大 有娀方將，帝立子生商。 (《詩．頌．長發》) 639 And God raised up the son [of its daughter], and founded [the Family of] Shang. 嘉我未老，鮮我方將。 (《詩．小雅．北山》) 361 They praise me as not yet old; They think few like me in vigour. 以假以享，我受命溥將。 (《詩．頌．烈祖》) 635 [The princes] come and assist at the offerings. We have received the appointment in all its greatness, 哀我人斯，亦孔之將。 (《詩．國風．破斧》) 239 His compassion for us people Is very great.

8. M5: 将来, 将要 簡兮簡兮，方將萬舞。 (《詩．國風．簡兮》) 61 Easy and indifferent! Easy and indifferent! I am ready to perform in all dances, Presenting one another with small peonies. 逝將去女，適彼樂土。 (《詩．國風．碩鼠》) 171-172 We will leave you, And go to that happy land. 誰將西歸？懷之好音。 (《詩．小雅．匪風》) 218 Who will loyally go to the west? I will cheer him with good words.

9. M6: 请, 愿 (qiang) 將子無怒，秋以為期。 (《詩．國風．氓》) 97-98 I pray you be not angry, And let autumn be the time.’ 彼留子國，將其來食。 (《詩．國風．丘中有麻》) 122 Some one is there detaining Tsze-kwoh; - Would that he would come and eat with me! 將叔無狃，戒其傷女。 (《詩．國風．大叔于田》) 129 O Shuh, try not [such sport] again; Beware of getting hurt. 載輪爾載，將伯助予﹗ (《詩．小雅．正月》) 319 Your load will be overturned, And you will be crying, ‘O sir, help me !’

10. M7: 侧,旁 度其鮮原，居岐之陽，在渭之將。 (《詩．大雅．皇矣》) 453-454 He then determined the finest of the plains, And settled on the south of K ‘e, On the side of the Wei;

11. M8: 象声词 (锵锵) 佩玉将将,彼女孟姜, 德音不忘. (《詩．國風．有女 同车》) 137 The gems of her girdle-pendent tinkle. Of that beautiful eldest Keang The virtuous fame is not to be forgotten.

12. M9: 连词 (且, 又…又) 将恐将惧,维予与女. 将安将乐, 女转弃予. (《詩．國風．谷风》) 349 In the time of fear and dread, It was all I and you. In your time of rest and pleasure, You have turned and cast me off. Cf: (Jin Meng, 2006)

13. Traditional Semantic Analysis: Determination of the Meanings (小学) • 训诂：“诂”或作“故”，指以当代的语言解释古代的语言，或用共同语解释方言。如《三家诗》的《鲁故》。“训”指用通俗的此语解释难懂的词语。如《尔雅》的《释训》篇。“训”、“诂”常合言为“训诂”。传：汉初，儒家的六种著作诗、书、礼、易、乐、春秋被尊称为“六经”，把解释“经”著述成为“传”，如“毛传”就是姓毛的学者（毛亨、毛苌）解释《诗经》的。《左传》《谷梁传》《公羊传》是《春秋》的说解，合称为“春秋三传”。笺：东汉时郑玄在“毛传”的基础上，对《诗经》又作了进一步的解释。他的注解称为“笺”。“笺”的意思本来是对“毛传”的阐发和补充，但后来的“笺注”、“笺证”只是注解的意思，并不限于对别人注解的阐发和补充。注：大约从东汉开始，对古书注解一般不称为“传”，而称为“注”。“注”又是对古书注解的通称，如《十三经注疏》的“注”就包括毛（毛亨）传、郑（郑玄）笺。疏：是在“注”的基础上再进一步作注，它既解释古书的正文，又解释前人的注释，如《诗经》是毛亨传、郑玄笺、孔颖达疏。《庄子》是郭象注、成玄英疏。正义：“正义”的意思是解释经传而得义之正者。“正义”是官方修撰的，如孔颖达等人所撰的《五经正义》；“疏”则是私人自撰的，后来“正义”和“疏”逐渐混同起来，合称“义疏”。章句：“章句”是离章析句的意思，这种注解体式除训释字词之外，还串讲文章大义。如赵歧的《孟子章句》，王逸的《楚辞章句》。集解：汇集诸家注释于一书就是集解。如曹魏时何晏的《论语集解》。另有一种集解是把经传合在一起注释，如晋代杜预的《春秋经传集解》，和汇集诸家之注的集解是不同的。 Cf: http://bbs.guoxue.com/archiver/?tid-153580.html

14. Examples of Semantic Explanation 樂只君子，福履將之。(《詩．國風．樛木》) 10 To be rejoiced in is our princely lady : - May she repose in her happiness and dignity! (M1) 郑玄笺: “将, 犹扶助也.(M1) 度其鮮原，居岐之陽，在渭之將。 (《詩．大雅．皇矣》) 453-454 He then determined the finest of the plains, And settled on the south of K ‘e, On the side of the Wei; 毛传: “将, 側也.” 马瑞辰通释: “将,则二字双声,側从则声, 故将得训側; 将, 旁二字叠韵, 旁亦側也.

15. Semantic Analysis in Terms of Morphology: the study of the relationship between form and meaning Ideal(?) Scenario: One Form : One Meaning. Form: phonetic form, written form 通假现象: 商代甲骨问既有. 借用一个音同,音近的字来代替另一个字, 其中这个借用的音同,音近的字叫通假字, 而这个被代替的字一般习惯上称之为本字. (张世禄, 2005:52) 将 侧(本字)

16. Universal Rules in Semantic Change and the Chinese Character Borrowing (通假) • According to Traugott and Dasher 2005, given the form-meaning pair L (lexeme) and M (meaning), the change of M with regard to L usually should be schematically represented by the following patterns: L  Form> L  Form M1 M1 + M2 A A > (>B) B And the process is usually gradual. From this point of view, Chinese character borrowing is idiosyncratic, unpredictable, and sudden.

17. Semantic Features Analysis, Semantic Change Theory, and the relationships among M1 to M5, and M9 A semantic analysis of M1(扶持, 扶助, 送): M1 [+hold sth. in hands] + [move from A to B] Then it is reasonable to assume the following paths for semantic extension: P1: M1(扶持, 扶助,送) > M2 (奉,献) > M3 (奉养) > M4 (强壮, 长大,大) P2: M1 (+move from A to B) > M5 (+future, 将来, 将要) [spatial > temporal] P3: M5 (+future) > M9 (+two things to happen in a row, 又…又)

18. Metaphorization: using words for look-alikes of what you mean Metonymization: using words for the near neighbors of the things you mean (part-whole, cause-effect) IISTC: Semantic change is usage-based. Pragmatic meaning or inferences that arise in specific contexts come to be reanalyzed as part of the conventional meaning associate with a given construction. Inference of this kind are invited in the sense that they are suggested by context (Evans & Green 2006: 721). Mechanism and Rationale for Semantic Change: Metaphorization and Metonymization. Invited Inferencing Theory of Semantic Change (IITSC)

19. Utterance-type meaning Conventionalizing of IINs as GIINs SP/W-AD/R constraints on weighting of IINs (preferred uses, saliency, relevance, subjectivity, etc.) Utterance-token meaning SP/W exploits IINs innovatively In associative stream of speech Stage I Coded meaning > Stage II New coded meaning (semanticization) L  M1 Ca L  M1 + M2 Ca Cb Model of the Invited Inferencing Theory of Semantic Change (IITSC) (M=coded meaning; C=Conceptual structure) (Traugott & Dasher, 2005:38)

20. Therefore, the aforementioned three paths, reproduced below, are feasible: P1: M1(扶持, 扶助,送) > M2 (奉,献) > M3 (奉养) > M4 (强壮, 长大,大) P2: M1 (+move from A to B) > M5 (+future, 将来, 将要) [spatial > temporal] P3: M5 (+future) > M9 (+two things to happen in a row, 又…又)

21. Closing Observations • In English translation of Classical Chinese literature, determination of lexical meanings is often a serious challenge. • For a successful translator, adequate exposure and training in traditional Chinese philology and contemporary language universal theories are of great assistance. In particular, the latter can provide some useful clues for tracing back the original semantic meanings. • Linguistics, as the science of human languages, should become an important component of translation studies.