著者

小倉 芳彦

出版者

東洋史研究會

雑誌

東洋史研究 (ISSN:03869059)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.37, no.4, pp.p483-508, 1979-03

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This papar is a preliminary attempt to examine the use of proverbs in literature as a part of the investigation into the process whereby orally transmitted words came to be written down. Proverbs reflect the social condition and the ethical concept of the people of where they are born. The skillful use of them in literature, therefore, can enhance its persuasive power by arousing the audiences' sympathy. Proverbs are called yen 諺in Chinese classics. Although there must have been a great number of them, only few have come to be written down, and they are limited to those selected due to the authors' particular needs and preferences. Yens are used effectively to carry euphemistic admonitions advices in Tso-chuan. They are found alongside with quotations from Shih-ching 詩経 and Shu-ching 書経 and sayings of ancient sages, often to show the wisdom from everyday life lacked in them. It is evident, thus, that the author of Tso-chuan did not regard the yen as something vulgar. The yens quoted in Shih-chi, on the other hand, are chiefly those concerned with the fate of men. This is perhaps due to the Ssu-ma Ch'ien's 司馬遷 own interest. There are also yens quoted in memorials presented by the bureaucrats of the time ; they, however, lack the fine quality such as in those found in Tso-chuan, and are nothing but vulgar. In addition, the book Ku-yao-yen 古謡諺 contains many proverbs and folk songs used in the literature of later times. In the present study, however, I limited my examination only to those used in Tso-chuan and Shih-chi.