也谈简体字

My View of Simplified Chinese Characters

在政治更迭、文化变迁的大叙事中,小小的文字变化最能体现大时代的风貌。古有始皇帝威权下的"书同文",今有上世纪五十年代初旨在"汉字拉丁化"的"文字简化运动"。简化字与繁体字争议的背后,是政治激进主义与文化保守主义的思想交锋,或者说是中华历史文化断裂与传承的别一选择。周清泉先生关于"汉字简化方案"实施中的管见,因于当时话语权被肆意剥夺而无处表达,本刊编发该文,一是提供关于汉字简化的反思与总结,二是彰显学人发表独立见解的历史进步。

Editor＇ s Note： In the grand narrative of political alternations and cultural changes, the literary changes can best embody the style of a great age, for instance, the campaign of ＂writing has the same forms＂ force - implemen- ted by First Emperor of Qin in the ancient times, and the ＂Evolution of Latin Characters＂ and the ＂Movement for the Simplification of Chinese Script＂ in the early fifties of the last century. In fact, behind the controversy between simplified and traditional Chinese characters is a ideological confrontation between the political radicalism and the cultural conservatism, or rather, a choice of either the rupture or the heritage of Chinese history and culture. Mr. Zhou Qingquan＇ s ideas on implementation of the ＂ Chinese Character Simplification Project＂ had to be hid in the abdomen because he himself was deprived of the right to speak at that time. This editorial office solicited and pub- lished his manuscrip here in order to provide a reflection on and summary of the issues concerning the simplification of Chinese script and to show the historical progress that allows scholars to express independent views.