[2009.04.23] Not as easy as it looks 简单表面之下的不简单的故事

Chinese script
简体字
簡體字

Not as easy as it looks
简单表面之下的不简单的故事
簡單表面之下的不簡單的故事

Apr 23rd 2009 | BEIJING
From The Economist print edition

A character-forming development

汉字之演变

漢字之演變

FOR better or worse, Mao Zedong usually came out on top, whether facing Japanese invaders, nationalist warlords or Communist Party rivals. But for all his success in overturning traditional values and institutions, the founder of modern China came up short in his desire to convert written Chinese from its character-based system to an alphabet. Intellectuals resisted fiercely, some out of the belief that China’s writing system was superior to any other, and unified a land of many dialects far better than a phonetic system, others on simple sentimental grounds.

不论好坏，毛泽东通常都是最后的胜利者——无论是面对日本侵略者，国民党军阀，还是共产党的对手。尽管这位新中国的创建者推倒了许多旧的价值观和体制，却未能达到自己一个愿望，就是将基于字符的汉字书写体系变成拼音体系。学者们极力反对这一想法，有些学者认为汉字书写体系优于其它文字体系，并且对于一个多方言国家统一所起的作用要优于拼音文字体系，其他人反对的理由仅仅是因为感情原因。

不論好壞，毛澤東通常都是最後的勝利者——無論是面對日本侵略者，國民黨軍閥，還是共產黨的對手。盡管這位新中國的創建者推倒了許多舊的價值觀和體制，卻未能達到自己一個願望，就是將基於字符的漢字書寫體系變成拼音體系。學者們極力反對這一想法，有些學者認為漢字書寫體系優於其它文字體系，並且對於一個多方言國家統一所起的作用要優於拼音文字體系，其他人反對的理由僅僅是因為感情原因。

Many claimed it could not be done, despite the examples of Korea, which managed the trick in the 15th century, and Vietnam which, like China, has a tonal language with many homonyms but switched successfully to an alphabetic system. In the end Mao settled on a halfway step: cutting the number of strokes in some Chinese characters (from 18 to four in the case of feng, which means “abundant”, and is shown above). This set China apart from Hong Kong, Taiwan and most overseas communities. Many purists thought simplifying characters as appalling as eliminating them.

尽管有朝鲜和越南的先例，许多人还是要求不要改。前者在15世纪成功地应用了这种方法；后者的语言中尽管有许多同音字（和中国文字很像），也成功地转换成拼音文字。最后毛泽东采取了折中之举：减少某些汉字的笔划（比方说上面这个“丰”字，从18笔变成4笔；“丰”的意思是“充裕”）。这使得中国大陆与香港，台湾和海外华人团体比起来独树一帜。许多传统汉字的捍卫者认为简化汉字和取消汉字一样可怕。

盡管有朝鮮和越南的先例，許多人還是要求不要改。前者在15世紀成功地應用了這種方法；後者的語言中盡管有許多同音字（和中國文字很像），也成功地轉換成拼音文字。最後毛澤東采取了折中之舉：減少某些漢字的筆劃（比方說上面這個“豐”字，從18筆變成4筆；“豐”的意思是“充裕”）。這使得中國大陸與香港，臺灣和海外華人團體比起來獨樹一幟。許多傳統漢字的捍衛者認為簡化漢字和取消漢字一樣可怕。

That fierce debate is now being rekindled with the government’s announcement of plans to issue later this year a new list of character modifications, aimed mainly at correcting certain “oversimplifications” undertaken in the past. Some characters will have more strokes added and thus be brought closer to their earlier, more complicated forms. But officials insist the move does not mark the start of a campaign to scrap simplified characters. China, they say, need not move back toward the traditional forms, nor further along the path of simplification. It simply needs to “standardise” things.

现在，争论之火重燃。政府宣布计划将在今年晚些时候发布汉字更改新表，主要是改正某些在过去被“过分简化”的汉字。有些汉字将会增添笔划，这样就会与更为复杂的传统汉字更接近。但是官方坚持说此举并不标志着一轮消灭简化字运动的开始。他们说，中国并不需要走回传统文字，也没必要继续简化下去，所需的只是“标准”汉字。

現在，爭論之火重燃。政府宣布計劃將在今年晚些時候發布漢字更改新表，主要是改正某些在過去被“過分簡化”的漢字。有些漢字將會增添筆劃，這樣就會與更為复雜的傳統漢字更接近。但是官方堅持說此舉並不標誌著一輪消滅簡化字運動的開始。他們說，中國並不需要走回傳統文字，也沒必要繼續簡化下去，所需的只是“標準”漢字。

This will disappoint Pan Qinglin, a member of the consultative committee that advises China’s government. In March he submitted a proposal to the government calling for a return within ten years to the greater expressiveness and “artistic quality” of the traditional script. Others, however, will be pleased, including the internet commentator who recently compared reviving traditional characters to “asking women to revive the practice of foot-binding”.

这样的说法在政协委员（政协委员的一项任务是向政府提建议）潘庆林听来一定不会高兴，他三月份时向政府提交了一份提案，要求在十年之内使汉字回归传统汉字的表现力和“艺术性”。而其它的人就会高兴了，这里包括一位网民，他在最近把恢复传统汉字比作“要女人重回裹脚习俗”。

這樣的說法在政協委員（政協委員的一項任務是向政府提建議）潘慶林聽來一定不會高興，他三月份時向政府提交了一份提案，要求在十年之內使漢字回歸傳統漢字的表現力和“藝術性”。而其它的人就會高興了，這裏包括一位網民，他在最近把恢復傳統漢字比作“要女人重回裹腳習俗”。

Other arguments focus less on deep issues of cultural identity than on practical concerns, such as how hard the new forms will be to learn, how much it will cost to convert signs, replace textbooks and adapt software, and whether the government will pay for the changes. Mao famously argued that “revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture”. It might, however, be reforming orthography.

另外一些声音并未触及文化属性这一较深的层面，而更多关注的是其实用性如何。比方说新汉字有多难学；更改标示，换教科书，修改软件的花费有多大；这些改动所需费用是否是政府承担。毛泽东有句名言：“革命不是请客吃饭，不是做文章，不是绘画绣花。” 但是革命可能会是改革文字。

另外一些聲音並未觸及文化屬性這一較深的層面，而更多關注的是其實用性如何。比方說新漢字有多難學；更改標示，換教科書，修改軟件的花費有多大；這些改動所需費用是否是政府承擔。毛澤東有句名言：“革命不是請客吃飯，不是做文章，不是繪畫繡花。” 但是革命可能會是改革文字。

 

译者/eastx: http://www.ecocn.org/bbs/viewthread.php?tid=18845&extra=page%3D1