罗振玉“由金文以窥书契”的考释方法

Luo Zhenyu's Verification of Inscriptions on Bones or Tortoise Shells and Bronze Inscriptions

罗振玉的《增订殷虚书契考释》是甲骨文研究史上里程碑式的杰作。该书立有560个字头,利用金文的字头有187个,一共引述金文293条次,其中仅言古金文或器物未摹字形者就有69条次,涉及到760个甲骨文形体的考释。罗振玉利用金文考释甲骨文的方法主要有:以金文偏旁或单字证甲骨文、利用金文通律证甲骨文、金文篆文比较以证甲骨文等。罗振玉在考释的同时,还通过甲金文的相互比照,探讨了文字发展演变中的分化、简化、繁化、讹变等现象,追溯了文字的初形初义,纠正了前人的一些错误。

Yinxu Shuqi Kaoshi, written by Luo Zhenyu, is the famous book verifying the inscriptions on bones or tortoises shells. In the book, Luo has discussed about 760 oracle-bone inscriptions through compared with bronze inscriptions. By making a comprehensive investigation on the book, we found that Luo applied such methods as confirming character components with individual character, confirming individual character with character components and researching the shell-and-bone inscriptions through the laws of the bronze inscriptions. It is noteworthy that Luo has also summarized some rules of ancient Chinese characters＇evolution at the same time. He discussed differentiation, simplification, complication and erroneous transformation in the development of Chinese characters. He also traced back to the original word form and meaning. Thus, he corrected the mistakes of the previous.