?Once in a class at a German university, the professor mentioned that there are 100,000 Chinese characters, but there are only more than 3,000 daily users. A German was so frightened by the number of one hundred thousand that he repeatedly asked: Did you say it wrong? Is it the "word" of one hundred thousand? The professor repeatedly emphasized that it was a "word", but the Germans were still skeptical and expressed that they could not accept it...
?
Unfortunately, we are not qualified to make fun of Waiguo Keren. Modern Chinese people can only recognize three to four thousand Chinese characters, and those who know six thousand characters are already at the level of literary giants. All other Chinese characters are dead and are displayed in "Shuowen Jiezi" and "Kangxi Dictionary", like a list of martyrs. Not only that, even the profound meanings behind the words that are still in use are mostly forgotten. On a whim, I randomly collected the words about bows and arrows in ancient books. They all contain power and beauty, as well as profound and subtle truths. You readers can also confirm this and see how much understanding of Chinese characters you have.
?
Let’s start with a few adjectives related to archery. For example, there is a word in "Shuowen", which means "the bow is convenient." Such uncommon words seem to It is of no help to modern people's lives, just like Kong Yiji's ability to write "Hui" in five ways, which is of no use.
?
Most people start to look down upon it here and have no interest in studying it further. The most profound and basic knowledge in Chinese culture: primary school, which can also be said to be the study of Chinese characters, has also been closed to the world. However, if you look at a few more pages of the dictionary with curiosity, the door to a new world will open to you:
?
For example, the word "strong" means "a strong bow" "Also." This rare word "strong" is the current word "strong". What is strong? "Book of Han. The Biography of King Wuqiu Shou" by Yan Shigu notes that "drawing fullness to be strong" refers to the tense and powerful feeling of an arrow on the string but not drawn. Chapter 33 of the "Tao Te Ching" further explains:
?
?
The entire chapter uses archery as a metaphor. Here is an analysis:
?
Zhi is like an arrow flying out of the mouth. Sharp and accurate. Those who can hit others with sharp arrows from their mouths are called "wisdom". However, only those who can know themselves can be called "bright", which means self-judgment. Therefore, Taoism has "self-knowledge" and Buddha has "reflecting emptiness". The subtle meaning of.
However, "strong" is completely different. Using force to draw the bow without drawing it is a kind of long-term self-control, so those who win by themselves are called "strong". What we talk about today as "inner strength" is that this kind of strength is not about defeating others with force, but rather self-control and self-improvement.
?
Immediately, Lao Tzu quoted the concept of "strong" again: those who are content will be rich, but those who are strong will have great ambitions. "Zhi" and "Knowledge" are originally the same word, which are the bull's-eyes that archers aim at. "Shang Shu. Pan Geng" says "if you shoot with ambition". A forceful person does not act reluctantly, but draws a long bow and steadily aims at the bull's-eye. This is why it is said that "a forceful person has ambition." "Knowledge" means knowing and having consciousness, which is the ability to fly arrows from the mouth. Consciousness is the bull's-eye, the result of being hit by "knowledge". Therefore, the word knowledge has the correspondence between "signifier" and "signified".
?
Finally, a person can live long without losing his true nature, but only those whose spirit is immortal after death can be called "longevity". Comparing the two concepts in this chapter of the "Tao Te Ching", the average person can understand others, be able to defeat others, be satisfied, and not lose, which is "wisdom, power, wealth, and longevity." Compared with the secular and ignorant people, it is already a life. winner. However, people at a higher level are able to know themselves, to overcome themselves, to achieve their will, and to be immortal. They are "intelligent, strong, determined, and long-lived." They compare themselves with themselves in everything, so they can break through their own life span and become spiritual. Beyond. The whole article is used as a metaphor for archery. This is because ancient "scholars" did not distinguish between scribes and warriors. Mental cultivation and physical exercise were never separated. While reading poetry and books, they also had to be proficient in bow and horse. Therefore, it is most appropriate for the "Tao Te Ching" to use the archery skills that scholars must practice to compare their self-cultivation and transcendence.
?
Corresponding to "strong", there is naturally "weak". Weakness also follows the bow, "Shuowen Jiezi Annotation": "The curve is weak...the curve is like a bow, so it is symbolized by a bow." However, the bow is the contradictory opposition between curve and straight. As long as the weak bow is fully drawn, it will change. "Strong" refers to the fine line between strength and weakness. Therefore, Chapter 36 of the "Tao Te Ching" states, "When the desire is weak, it must be strengthened." After the arrow is fully drawn, the arrow is on the string. If you cannot control yourself and have to release it, then the strength will be vented, and "strong" will suddenly become "weak". Therefore, the "strong" state is not easy to last, and the advantages will turn into shortcomings, while the "weak" state is in a lower position and is easy to control, and the shortcomings will turn into advantages. Therefore, Laozi believes that "the weak beats the strong."
This is one of the most famous arguments in Laozi's philosophy. If you simply regard "weak" and "strong" as general adjectives to describe strength, you will inevitably overlook some of the Taoist metaphors. Only by understanding the meaning behind the words can we delve into the meaning and ponder the classics.
?
?
The rare characters in ancient Chinese can be roughly divided into two situations. One is the name of an ancient object, which is not used by modern people, so the name is also dead. , the second is special verbs, some of them disappear, and some of their meanings change.
?
Special verbs about bows and arrows, such as bend, "Shuowen" says "holding a bow to pass the arrow", so Taizu had "bend the bow to shoot the big eagle", which was later used "Ban" describes all curved things, such as "bend"... and further derives from the word "wan". Another example is "Fu", "Shuowen Jiezi Annotation" says it is "jiaoye", which means to correct and adjust the bow and arrow, and later this meaning evolved into "fu". The word Bi also comes from the word Gong, and the word Fu agrees with each other. Therefore, there is a famous saying in Mencius. Ye." This "Fu Shi" is the same as "Bi Shi", which means the person who adjusts and assists Bi. In ancient times, there was no f sound, and "Fu (Fu, Buddha)" was also pronounced like "弼", so Buddha was translated as "Buddha". After many relationships, no one could tell that there was a big bow hidden in the Buddha's arms. Let's look at the synonymous word "correction", which means to adjust the arrow. In later generations, there is "overcorrection", which means over-adjustment. Constantly adjusting one's emotions to the point of wavering and pretending to cover up is a bitch's "hypocrisy". And "correcting the edict" means falsifying or forging the edict.
?
Others are like 弩 (chao1), which means to turn the bow over. Mi means to relax the bow and have the feeling of relaxation and collapse, so there are words such as diffuse and linger. 弶 (jiang4) means to draw a bow toward an animal, and later refers to a mousetrap, a bird catcher, etc. There is also the word (bei4), which means "attaching the bow with tendons" and "decorating the bow with silk".
?
Among these verbs related to bows, the most profound ones are Zhang, Chi, Yin and Fa, all of which are used by Confucians as metonyms to govern the body. The way of governing a country.
?
?
The word "Zhang" is often used in idioms today, such as "change one's strings and change one's attitude", "open one's eyes", "show teeth and claws" and "bluff". A very powerful word. What fascinates me even more is the power in "Leading But Not Shooting" -
?
?
?Houyi, the God of Shooting, will not be shot because of his roughness. The archer changes the degree to which he draws the bow. The "彀" here refers to the hook, the weapon used to draw the bow. A gentleman is like Hou Yi, who wants to draw his bow to full length, but never fire it lightly. Be eager to try and remain stable and positive at all times. This is the "middle way" that stands on both the shot and the unshot. It is the most powerful and the most difficult to grasp. Only those who are "able" can follow it. It can be seen that Mencius's "middle way" is not a word that can be divided into two sides, but one that is precise and unique, and allows to hold on to the middle.
?
From calligraphy, we can also experience the beauty of "leading but not sending": if you use too much force and write recklessly, you will show your teeth and claws; if your spirit is broken and you will be unable to write, your discipline will be weakened. The middle palace is tightened, and the strokes are like spears and halberds. Only when they are opened and closed properly can they gain their charm. This "leading but not releasing" style of writing is also the result of muscle control, similar to kyudo. The world praises Minangong's calligraphy as "Wind Qiang Zhenma, calm and joyful". They ponder its meaning carefully and are often lost in thought. The joy of the book lies in this sense of control.
?
?
Here we further clarify the connection between the way of benevolence and the way of archery. "The word is as sharp as the arrow", but we must strive to be "targeted". If you miss a hit, don't blame others, but seek benefits from yourself. It is similar to the reflection and self-reflection of "self-knowledge" in "Laozi". Therefore, "Book of Rites and Music" also has the phrase "anti-bow". The person who bows uses his body as a bow, which is a sign of humility. Reflecting on self-reflection means "seeking for yourself instead." Those who do not blame themselves for defeating themselves are those who want to "become stronger by winning over themselves."
?
The only difference between Confucianism and Taoism is that Laozi believes that "the weak is stronger than the strong." The possibility is the highest way. Confucianism, however, insists on "drawing but not shooting", that is, drawing the bow but not shooting it. Naturally, it is "trembling and walking on thin ice". This is a very difficult thing, so we must be careful and think twice about ourselves. We can even say that what we think in our dreams is the most important. Seeing Kung Fu, from the Taoist point of view, is a kind of self-torture. Therefore, Li Bai did not want to help the world, but he said: "When I was lying down on the east mountain, I got up before it was too late to help the common people." Du Fu worked hard all his life, but he could not "bring King Yao and Shun to the throne, and then make the customs pure."
?
Two choices, free personal choice. However, both Confucianism and Taoism regard archery as the essence of Taoism, which reflects the importance of archery to pre-Qin scholars. The six arts are etiquette, music, archery, imperial examination, calligraphy, and mathematics. Among them, etiquette and music are religion, archery and imperial examination are military affairs, and calligraphy and mathematics are culture (and there are branches of liberal arts and science...). Martial arts accounted for one-third, and reading only ranked second from the bottom. When I talk about Confucianism, I think of rotten Confucian scholars like Kong Yiji, which is just a "stereotype" in the minds of modern people.
?
?
Most of the words mentioned above are common words. Here are a group of rare words: Yi, 噙叏玦彽...these words are used well. Extremely high, showing the beauty of Chinese characters. If used incorrectly, it will become Martian characters. Just like studying Confucian and Taoist classics, only by successfully deciphering this group of Martian texts and seeing the meaning behind the symbols can we see the true splendor of ancient history.
?
Hou Yi was born in Dongyi. The word "Yi" is interpreted in "Shuowen" as "from the big and from the bow". It seems to be a race that is good at using bows and arrows. . "Lu's Spring and Autumn Period: Don't Bow" even says "Yi Yi made the bow", and "Shiben. Zuo Pian" "Yi Mou made the arrow". It can be seen that the invention of the bow and arrow has a close relationship with the Dongyi people. This invention was absolutely a revolutionary progress in primitive society. From then on, humans used long-range weapons to fight against ligers and kill sheep and deer, and they firmly stood at the top of the food chain.
?
Yi's name has no real meaning. It should be a sacred king's title and is closely related to his special skills. This character is also written as ?, with feathers on the bow. Why are the bows and arrows fluttering like wings again? There is a profound meaning in this:
?
The black horn is the bow used by Hou Yi, which is extremely sharp and agile. Once the bird steps on it, it is impossible for it to fly away, because just when it wants to push hard to take advantage of the momentum to fly away, the bird's horn bounces away slightly as if it is alive. The bird had nothing to borrow, so it fell back to the original place. It flew back and forth in the whirlwind, but in the end it could not fly away, so it could only howl in despair, hence the name "Crow's Horn". Hou Yi's skill is like the "Ting Jin" of Tai Chi master Yang Luchan's "making swallows in the palm of his hand", reaching the ultimate point in martial arts that "one feather cannot be added, and a fly cannot fall". So naturally he named himself after this image. If the feather on the bow wants to fly but cannot fly, it is called "Yi".
"Yi seems to be a hero who was exiled to the "down country" in heaven. He was gifted the Tong Bow (red bow, also known as Wuhao) and Su Rui (white arrows, Rui means Yishe) from Emperor Jun. Special short arrow), and then experienced hundreds of hardships in the field, so he descended to the barbarian tribe and arrived in a country called "Youqing". It is worth noting that the word "poor" also comes from Gong, which seems to also implicitly refer to the God of Gong.
?
I won’t say much about his adventure stories such as shooting for ten days, usurping the Central Plains, defeating the strong wind, killing Yaoyao, beheading Jiuying, and injuring Hebo. All in all, they are extremely exciting. , can be called the Chinese epic "Gilgamesh". Scholar Ye Shuxian has a book "Heroes and the Sun" dedicated to researching it, which is very powerful.
?
I will only say one sentence to prove that Hou Yi's archery skills are extremely amazing. "Han Feizi. Talking about Linxia": "Yi held the martingale and held the goblet, manipulated the bow and shut down the machine, and the Yue people fought to hold it." If you read this sentence carefully, the picture is so beautiful that you can't look directly at it. Martingale, "neck tack", is a harness or rein that is put on the horse's neck. 扜 (wu1) means "噯". "Shuowen" interprets it as "a full bow has a direction", that is, the bow is fully drawn and facing each other with concentration. It is a very dynamic and powerful character. From these four characters, we can see that Hou Yi was a mounted archer. The barbarians who abused the Central Plains in the past dynasties, such as the Huns and Mongols, were mostly famous for their fierce mounted archers. "Historical Records: Biography of the Xiongnu": "At that time, the Han soldiers were far away from Xiang Yu, and China stopped fighting. Therefore, Maodun strengthened itself, and there were more than 300,000 people who could control the strings." Strong is strong, and there are more than 300,000 people who can draw full bowstrings. , the momentum is ready to go, three points into the wood. Hou Yi was obviously equally talented. What's even more exaggerated is that "more people are fighting for each other"! "The Book of Songs. Bin Zhi Chu Banquet" "Send what you have to pray for your honor." , roughly a white dot that serves as the target for archery. When Hou Yi rode his horse, bent his bow, and hit moving targets at high speeds, people in Yue Dynasty were willing to fight for him. This shows how confident the world is in Hou Yi's shooting skills and how superior Hou Yi's charm is.
?
Sentences about archery in ancient Chinese texts are often very exciting. "Kangxi Dictionary" quotes "Zi Zi": "The swan is above, holding the bow and holding the crossbow to wait for it." That is the "full bow has a direction" mentioned above. 彏(jue2), from 犍. "銍, the bird is about to escape", which means the bird is trying to escape, so it also means panic. "彏" means "the bow is stretched in a hurry", which in turn means that the bird wants to escape and the bowman hurriedly stretches the bow to shoot it. The sentence "Corpse" describes the state of shooting swans. Some people are waiting for each other with full bows, while others are eager to launch their crossbows. The verbs used are very dynamic. If you don't read it deeply, it will be difficult to understand.
?
"Liezi. Tang Wen" also writes about shooting swans: "Pu Qiezi's bow is weak and slender, and it is blown by the wind, and the two swans are connected to the blue clouds. "Yi" refers to Yi shooting. The tail of the arrow is tied with a silk thread to facilitate finding the prey after shooting, and it can be recycled after shooting. Pay, that is, the silk thread used. The shooting of the swan written in Liezi has a Taoist lightness and elegance, as if it were a god born from the world.
?
But whoever holds the sword will die by the sword. Finally, Hou Yi, the god of archery, could not escape death, and this death was also related to the bow and arrow itself. "Chu Ci. Tian Wen" "Ping Jue Li Jue, Feng Xiu is a shooting", it is said that Hou Yi used "Li Jue" to open his bow and shot the big wild boar Feng Xiu to death. Chuan, Jue and Diao all refer to the jade pull finger. , I think Hou Yi must use a hard bow to shoot the wild boar monster, and he needs a good finger guard to draw the bow powerfully.
In ancient times, this kind of ring was not a simple ring like the Lord of the Rings, but could also be a ring with a hook. Therefore, the "彀" used by Hou Yi mentioned in "Mencius" was this kind of hook.
?
But "Sui Chao Zi" records: "God gave Yi a piece of jade, so he mutilated his body, which was a blessing and a disaster." Actually Hou Yi died because of this Jade pulls the fingers and suffers the consequences instead? Thinking of Hou Yi's death at the hands of his disciple Peng Meng, I thought that in order to kill his master, Peng Meng had tampered with Hou Yi's bow trigger to affect his battle, so that he could defeat the archery god. Is Hou Yi really dead? I prefer to believe that he is still alive. "The Classic of Mountains and Seas. The Classic of Western Mountains" "Looking to the north, there are locust ghosts living in Lilun, which is also the home of eagles and swans. Looking east to the 40% of Hengshan Mountain, there are poor ghosts living there, each fighting for it." Hou Yi is likely to end up fighting. Like "Sophora Ghost Lilun", he lost the qualification to return to the divine world and wandered around the world as a "poor ghost".
?
The life of this god of archery is closely related to bows and arrows. If you cannot understand the Chinese characters about bows and arrows, you will not be able to see Hou Yi's true identity. . And the more you look into the depth of the text, the clearer it becomes what the ancients tried to express, and the more people today are able to connect with them and truly understand the knowledge that has been passed down through the ages for thousands of years.
?
?
?
First, learn the names of each part of the bow. The main stem of the bow is the arc, and the line is the string. (So ??the ancients used the hypotenuse of a right triangle as the chord, and then there are sine and cosine sincos. I didn’t expect that I can do mathematics!) The middle section of the main trunk is called "弣", the place where the handshake is held is called "呝", and the bends at the upper and lower ends are called "弁". "Yuan", and further to the end is "彇", or "尰" and "小". The place where the bow string is installed is "彄". The end of the bow is "媭" (so it also means ending, eliminating, killing soldiers, etc.). "孼" also has an interesting design as "bie". "Kangxi Dictionary" "Bie" is made of elephant bone. "To help the charioteer untie the bridle." That is, the end of the bow is tilted and connected with an elephant bone. The driver uses it to help untie the horse's reins. It is a practical prop for chariot battles.
?
Let’s consider the types of bows again. The slingshot is the bow, and the bow is the crossbow. According to Xu Zhongshu's research, the "Liannu" recorded in "Mozi" was more like a large volley machine rather than a continuous fire machine. It was not until the Han Dynasty that the continuous crossbow appeared, named "Cardinal". Xu Zhongshu also made detailed research on the names of each part of the crossbow, which is not listed here. See his paper "The Origin of Yishe and Crossbow and the Research and Interpretation of Such Famous Objects".
?
The horn bow is "卼". Different people use different bows. "Xunzi" records: "The emperor's carved bow is a red bow, the princes' red bows, and the officials' black bows." The emperor's carved bow is a carved bow with exquisite patterns. Only after understanding this level can we realize how bold and domineering Su Dongpo's "can draw the eagle's bow like the full moon, look northwest, and shoot at the wolf" is. The special character for Black Bow is "?".
?
Then examine the accessories of the bow. The pull finger is Jue, or "彽", and the hook tooth of the crossbow is "彀" (Taizong of the Tang Dynasty opened a school to recruit scholars and see talents. They came one after another and said happily: "All the heroes in the world are within my range", which means that you are all within my shooting range! The platform on which the crossbow is placed is called "Qi"; the basket for holding arrows is called "Yi", from which a large number of words are derived from "Yi". For example, "殹" refers to the sound of a bow and arrow hitting; "medicine" is probably a medicine box or the like, which is extended to the medicine of today's "doctor"; "翳" ??refers to a kind of protective gear when shooting. "Fu" says: "The shade means that the hidden color is green." It is probably a kind of cover and camouflage, allowing hunters to hide in the forest without being detected by wild beasts. Therefore, "Yi" also means pale black, such as "Yin Yin". In "Chu Ci", the name of the rain god is "Pingyi", which also takes this meaning; Hu, the blue and black Zeng, is also related to Yi She. There are many more that cannot be listed one by one. On the relationship between ancient medical skills and archery, there is a wonderful article "What does opisthotonus mean - Let's talk to you about the vocabulary related to bows and crossbows in the Huangdi Neijing". The discussion is subtle and interesting. You can search for it yourself.
?
Finally, there are some derivative words: such as arrow. In ancient times, there were standard customizations, so a number of words with "arrow" indicating length appeared, generally speaking, they mean short. , such as "short and short"... At the same time, the right side of the word "shoot" was originally an arrow, but people use their hands to draw a bow, so the right side is also written as hand side. Over time, it became "shoot", which does not mean that the body is short. Some people joked that the words "shoot" and "short" were designed backwards, which is not true.
Similarly, "jiang" is actually next to the word "tu", which expresses a strong sound, and the meaning of the word has nothing to do with bows and arrows. Earthworm refers to the sound, but the earthworm is also curled like a bow.
?
"The Book of Songs. Bin Zhi Chu Feast": "Send those who are there to pray for your title." Those who perform outstandingly in the shooting ceremony can be knighted, so there is " Hou". If someone is called Hou Ben, and I mean if, then "Hou" means that he is a master of bow and arrow, and Ben means running like a galloping horse. Probably this person is good at riding and shooting... Then "Hou" becomes the sound side, and there is "Hou Hou" Words such as "houhou".
?
The formula, from Yi, was verified by Xu Zhongshu as the crossbow's sight. To kill, to shoot from the inside, is extended to killing the superior, regicide.
?
Disease comes from the arrow, and the arrow is fast, so the disease means pleasure; the arrow hurts people, so the disease also means pain. Therefore, the word "disease" means both pain and pleasure. Happiness in the world often ends quickly and turns into long-lasting pain; pain in the world can often bring happiness; it is indeed pleasure and pain, neither pain nor pleasure... I don't know who it is. Such dialectical words came up.
?
Hong, Hu, Xu Zhongshu verified that the triangle symbolizes the shape of the crossbow. Archery can train the biceps, but in fact the word "brachial" comes from the crossbow itself. "Shuowen Jiezi" believes that "Hong, the sound of the bow" is the sound of the bow string "stretching" when the bow and arrow are shot, which was later extended to mean "big". Nowadays, the word "Hong" is mostly replaced by "Hong", and its original meaning has been lost. This shape is used as the sound side, and the characters formed include Hong, Hong, etc.
?
The second brother, Xu Zhongshu, verified that the "bow" here is in the shape of S in the oracle bone inscriptions, symbolizing shooting. A crossbow machine is used for shooting, and the shot can be retracted, which is extended to mean orderly. Therefore, the order refers to the order, and the same goes for brothers' younger brothers. With this as a sound, there are also "shaving ladder tears" and so on. The S-type represents the meaning of organization, and can also be found in the words "ji (outline discipline), ji (record)", etc., but it is changed next to "ji".
The explanation of "Diaozhao" refers to people holding bows. It means that in ancient times, after their parents died, filial sons held bows beside their tombs to prevent wild beasts from approaching. Therefore, they later held bows to pay homage, hence the word "Diao". I will explain it temporarily.
?
The words porridge and vend come from double bows, but they have nothing to do with bows and arrows. The reason for the formation of the characters is unknown. The word "Shi Ku" has nothing to do with arrows. The word "夨" is quite interesting, it means tilting the head. Wu should be called "Wu", and the original meaning is to tilt the head and shout. There is a monster called "Tian Wu" in "The Classic of Mountains and Seas", which is such a man who looks up to the sky. Howling monster. The simplified Chinese characters were changed to "Kou Tian Wu", which lost its original meaning.
?
......
?
......
?
...
?
So many Chinese characters come from bows and arrows, and have been extended to all aspects of life. It can be seen that bows and arrows played an important role in human life at that time. importance. Some of the characters cannot be seen in their original form today. They must be restored to traditional Chinese characters, or even handwriting in calligraphy, in order to understand their origins. I have no intention of denouncing simplified Chinese characters, but in order to better understand Chinese characters in daily life, or to speak in plain language: In order to improve their language skills, Chinese people should also recognize traditional Chinese characters, and not simply regard them as outdated and backward things. . Regarding this point, a netizen (@Hope Suoren Joint Venture) wrote the most reasonable and thought-provoking joke:
?
I was puzzled, "◆冃.狌.交 .伖,Shi.鲲.press.妦,摑.solution.漃.瘼◆ Real Video||frequency█网.Website: wWw. αcFuN .tV . wWw. βiLibiLI .c o M.
We can all understand words like "啭.给0裑1笾.の↓ぬ→叐", not to mention traditional Chinese characters that are more formal and should be recognized more??