Censuring Errors

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJul 2024

4.1

Word count: 7.8K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

In a skit, a single Go board is used, with five pieces placed on each side to race for speed; this is called cùróng. Having read Zuoyou Fang, I find it termed cùróng. I have also seen Wang Chong's Lunheng refer to Qin Mu as Mù (pronounced miù), and have often observed that when scholars see someone hastily packing, they invariably say, "The carriage and horses have a look of departure," while those on duty at the palace or the ministry say they are "lodging on duty." These are truly laughable, so I have recorded the most erroneous expressions and set them down here.

Editor's review

Although brief, "Bianwu" (Correcting Errors) is an engaging collection of classical Chinese philological notes. Starting from the alternative names of the board game "curong" and "curong," it also touches on the pronunciation of Duke Mu of Qin's posthumous title, and common scholar expressions such as "chariots and horses have a look of travel" and "yuzhi" (duty at court), examining common misuses and erroneous transmissions item by item. Its value lies not in grand narrative but in using specific words as entry points to show how ancients accumulated deviations in everyday speech, games, and official terminology, and then corrected them through note-taking. For today's readers, such entries serve as micro-samples of classical Chinese vocabulary and institutional nomenclature, while also conveying the pleasure of traditional note-writing—"recording as one goes, verifying as matters arise." It is best read as a small dictionary of language and culture to browse rather than for narrative continuity; for each entry, one may first judge where the error lies and then see how the original text analyzes it, which yields more direct gains. The 2024 Bashu Press edition makes this obscure text accessible to modern readers, suitable for browsing at one's desk and as introductory practice in reading classical Chinese notes.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in classical Chinese vocabulary and institutional nomenclature
Readers who enjoy ancient notes and miscellanies and prefer browsing at leisure
Language learners who need short classical Chinese texts for reading practice
Culture enthusiasts concerned with language misuse and textual criticism

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting complete narratives or long plotlines
Professional researchers requiring a systematic linguistic theoretical framework
Readers unaccustomed to short classical Chinese passages who seek easy entertainment

Reading tips

Read two or three entries at a time, first judging the misuse by linguistic intuition, then checking against the original text's analysis.
When encountering terms for games, official terminology, and the like, look up the background on the spot and make small cards.
Read alongside similar ancient notes to compare differences in recording perspectives and methods of textual criticism.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
续集卷四

FAQ

What kind of content does "Bianwu" mainly record?

According to available information, it mainly records errors and erroneous transmissions in objects and expressions that the author encountered, such as the alternative names of the board game "curong" and "curong," the pronunciation of Duke Mu of Qin's posthumous title, and scholar expressions such as "chariots and horses have a look of travel" and "yuzhi," belonging to the language criticism category of ancient notes.

Can I read it without a foundation in classical Chinese?

You can try, but you will need annotations or reference works. The original entries are short, with difficulties mostly in institutional nomenclature and literary allusions. It is advisable to start with an annotated edition, look up key terms entry by entry, and not insist on finishing the whole book at once.

Is this book suitable for reading from cover to cover?

It is better for browsing at leisure. The entries are not necessarily connected by plot, and reading straight through can be tiring; selecting entries by interest or theme and reading just one or two at a time actually better captures the pleasure of the note genre.

Comments

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.