纽约时报评选年度汉字 “管”字界定中国社会
<p><span word="Anyone">Anyone</span> <span word="who">who</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="studied">studied</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="months">months</span> <span word="becomes">becomes</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="folk">folk</span> <span word="etymologist">etymologist</span>. <span word="Look">Look</span>: <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="character">character</span> <span word="for">for</span> “<span word="good">good</span>” <span word="combines">combines</span> “<span word="woman">woman</span>” <span word="and">and</span> “<span word="child">child</span>”! <span word="China">China</span> <span word="must">must</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="society">society</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="patriarchal">patriarchal</span> <span word="homebodies">homebodies</span>!</p><p>任何学过几个月汉语的人都能成民俗词源专家，不信你看：汉字“好”由“女”和“子”组成，一双儿女凑成好，可以看出中国社会一定强调家族观念。</p><p><span word="Anyone">Anyone</span> <span word="who">who</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="studied">studied</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="tends">tends</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="give">give</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="up">up</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="history">history</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="evolution">evolution</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="characters">characters</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="messy">messy</span> <span word="accretion">accretion</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="historical">historical</span> <span word="sediment">sediment</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="false">false</span> <span word="cognates">cognates</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="scholars">scholars</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="etymology">etymology</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="grain">grain</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="salt">salt</span>.</p><p>任何学过几年汉语的人都会想要放弃。中国汉字的历史和变革掺杂了太多历史的沉淀和似是而非的同源词汇，就算是中国的学者对本国的词源学研究也还是有所保留。</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="telling">telling</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="translated">translated</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="novel">novel</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="official">official</span> <span word="corruption">corruption</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="past">past</span> <span word="year">year</span>, <span word="one">one</span> <span word="character">character</span> <span word="began">began</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="emerge">emerge</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="linchpin">linchpin</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="book">book</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="discussion">discussion</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="power">power</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="wield">wield</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="character">character</span> <span word="is">is</span> 管, <span word="pronounced">pronounced</span> <span word="gu">gu</span>ǎ<span word="n">n</span>, <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> “<span word="scooping">scooping</span>” <span word="tone">tone</span>.</p><p>不过语言都是在讲故事。我在去年翻译过一本关于官员腐败的小说。书中主要讨论权力和弄权者，有一个汉字作为文章的关键主题浮出了水面：汉字“管”，第三声，读起来有一种“挖东西”的语调。</p>
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