再论“大器曼成”的今译问题

A Discussion of the Modern Translation of " Daqi-mancheng"

从大量的帛书和竹简中学者发现《老子》"大器*成"共有"大器曼成""大器免成""大器晚成"三个不同版本,学术界至今未能有统一观点。本文从语言文字角度以及文化视角等方面加以讨论,认为此处最初的版本是"大器曼成"的可能性最大,且"曼"作"无"讲。此外,本文还尝试提出了前人未曾研究过的此句中的"成"到底为何物的问题。

Scholars have found that the phrase ＂Daqi-＊ eheng＂ in Lao-tzu has three different ver sions in a large amount of silk manuscripts and bamboo slips, for which the academic circles has failed to reach a consensus so far. This paper makes a discussion about it from the perspective of language and culture, and approves that the original version is probably ＂Daqi-maneheng＂ （大器曼成） and ＂ man＂（曼）here means ＂none＂. In addition, this paper attempts to talk about the meaning of ＂cheng＂, which has not been studied by the predecessors.