日本地名文化的特点

Features of Japanese Geographic Names' Culture

作为表称地点的文化符号,地名中积淀、蕴藏着丰富的历史、地理、人文信息,构成了一个独特的识别、命名和用于交往的文化。不同民族区域内的地名一般是世居于此的民众以其语言命名,从一个侧面反映了一个民族的心理状态、风俗习惯等文化特质,地名的命名深深打上了其产生地的区域文化的胎记。但古代日本地名的表记是借用汉字或直接取汉语地名,表现出浓厚的汉字文化色彩。汉字创造了日本地名文化,没有汉字传入日本,丰富多彩的日本地名文化体系无法得以确立。

Geographic names are the cultural symbols marking certain places. They contain abundant historical, geographical and humane information, which form a unique culture used to identify, give name and com municate. In most cases, the places in a national region are named by its natives in their own language,which reflects the cultural traits of a nation,including its psychological state, manners and customs. Hence, geographic names usually bear the hallmark of the culture originated in a region. However, the signs of geo- graphic names in Japan are given with the borrowing of Chinese characters or Chinese geographical names, which are imbued with the flavor of the Chinese characters＇ culture. It is Chinese characters that contribu- ted to the Geographic names＇ culture of Japan. If Chinese characters had not been introduced into Japan, its rich and colorful geographic names＇ culture would not have been established.