先秦之“道”与旧约之“道”——一个从语义到观念的考察

A Comparison of the Road Metaphor in Pre-Qin Chinese Literature and the Hebrew Bible:From Semantics to Concepts

德国学者曾德尔对希伯来语圣经(即“旧约”)中的道隐喻(Wegmetaphorik)作了翔实的考察,其研究对重审中国文化的“道”也不无启发。模仿其研究方式,可以发现,汉语中的道隐喻也不仅体现在“道”这个词中,更体现在涉及“道”的整个语义场的各类表达中。语义学考察将揭示出,先秦文献中的道隐喻与希伯来语圣经中的道隐喻之间存在惊人的相似性。道隐喻的两种主要类型可以被命名为“做事是行路”和“生活是行路,命运是遭际”,二者又可以细分为各种类别,它们在先秦汉语文献和希伯来语圣经中都有广泛而丰富的呈现。语义学考察的最终目标是揭露背后的文化观念。先秦汉语文献与希伯来圣经中的道隐喻常常带有价值规范的意味,其两种主要类型还可以相结合,以传达“德福一致”的理想。在先秦汉语文献和希伯来圣经中,涉及道德评价/伦理规范的“做事是行路”的子隐喻都是核心类型。但中国文化很早就世俗化了,而犹太民族的文化是有神论的,这导致道隐喻上的一些分别,如希伯来圣经把以色列人这一民族的命运视为一场旅行,而这在先秦文献中找不到对应物。李炽昌曾倡导中国研究者可对圣经采取跨文本阅读。以语义学考察为基础的对先秦之“道”与旧约之“道”的跨文本比较研究将加深我们对文化的共通性与特殊性的理解。

German scholar Markus Philipp Zehnder conducted a thorough investigation of the Wegmetaphorik(road metaphor)of the Hebrew Bible(the so-called“Old Testament”),and his research is instructive for reexamining the“Tao”(道)of Chinese culture.By adopting a similar research method,it can be found that the road metaphor in Chinese not only manifests in the word“Tao,”but also in all kinds of expressions involving the whole semantic field.A semantic examination will reveal the striking similarity between the road metaphor in pre-Qin literature and the Wegmetaphorik in the Hebrew Bible.The two main types of road metaphor can be named“doing things is going along the way”and“life is a journey,fate is what you encounter,”both of which are widely and richly presented in pre-Qin Chinese literature and the Hebrew Bible.The ultimate goal of semantic investigation is to reveal the cultural concept behind it.The road metaphor in pre-Qin Chinese literature and the Hebrew Bible often carries the meaning of value norms,and its two main types can be combined to convey the ideal of“the unity of virtue and happiness.”In both pre-Qin Chinese literature and the Hebrew Bible,the sub-metaphor of“doing things is going along the way”involving moral evaluation/ethical norms is the core type.However,the early secularization of Chinese culture and the theistic culture of the Jewish people have led to some differences in the road metaphors,such as the Hebrew Bible’s view of the fate of the Israelites as a journey,which has no counterpart in pre-Qin literature.Li Chichang once advocated that Chinese researchers should use cross-text reading of the Bible to their advantage.A cross-text study of the road metaphor in pre-Qin literature and the Hebrew version of Old Testament based on semantic investigation will deepen our understanding of the commonalities and particularities of cultures.