摘要
The word “chudu” comes from Qu Yuan’s Li Sao “huang lan kui yu chu du xi, zhao ci yu yi jia ming”. The original meaning was the day of birth. After the Song Dynasty, the literati began to use it to refer to birthdays. By the end of the Ming Dynasty, they had been calling their birthdays “chudu” once they celebrated it and they were so keen on birthday celebrations. Gu Yanwu pointed out that the word “chudu” only fits “the old ministers （or the exiled ministers） who lamented the crash of the Yingcapital of the country of “Chu” such as Qu Yuan. At the same time, its use in Huang Zongxi’s and Wang Fuzhi’s birthday poems is also consistent with this context. The unique situation and mood of the adherents led them to be close to Qu Yuan and Wen Tianxiang, which bestowed “chudu” the special meaning. It is very suitable for the ministers who suffered the crash of their Dynasties or those who were exiled distantly to express their feelings about the old dynasties and old friends. After these people, Chen Yinke consciously acknowledged this layer of interpreting “chudu” and used it, which has not only enriched the connotation of “chudu”, but also extended its cultural life. From Qu Yuan to Wen Tianxiang, until Gu Yanwu, Huang Zongxi, Wang Fuzhi, and then to Chen Yinke, we can take a glimpse of the spiritual world of the Chinese adherents of Dynasties.
