汉字演变(英文版)
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Let’s look back on the development of Chinese characters.
Undoubtedly, the oldest Chinese inscriptions are the Oracle bone script(BC.14-11). Perhaps only about half of known Oracle Bone logographs can be identified with later Chinese characters and therefo re easily read. However, it sho uld be noted that these 1,400 logographs include most of the commonly used ones.
According to legend, a man called Cang Jie had four eyes and he used his own eyes, observed all directions. And he invented a symbolic system called Zi —Chinese characters.
There are also some logographs fo und on po tteries and cast in bronzes in Zhou times, known as the Bronze script.
The Script can also be called as “Script of Qin”, which derived from “Dazhuan”. At the beginning of the Qin Dynasty, The First Emperor contended the idea that the written script sho uld be standardized in form because the character forms were different from area to area in Zhou times. It was said that Li Si compiled and The Script emerged finally.
There is a legend of the formation of the Official script. When a slave called Cheng Miao was at prison, he felt that writing of The Script cost a lot of time. In order to make writing more time-saving, he invented a new form which was appreciated by The First Emperor. The Official script emerged and was used by slaves in the prison at first. So it’s not difficult to understand that it is called “Lishu” in Chinese because the character “Li” means slaves.
The formation of the Official script is an important turning-point in histo ry because it lays a foundation for the squatter shape of Chinese characters. Since then Chinese characters remain the basic structure and d on’t make an immense change.
It’s said that the Regular script emerged in the Later Han period. It is a kind of more beautiful and simpler fo rm and could set an good example for writing. So it is called “Kaishu” in Chinese because “Kai” means good examples.In addition, famous calligraphers such as Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan left quantities of masterpieces for us. The development of Chinese characters grew into a higher level.
The Running script formed on the basis of the Official script and made writing simpler and easier. It’s no t easy to say when it emerged. It became popular in the Jin Dynasty as we know the famous calligraphers such as Wang Xizhi, Wang Xianzhi and the like.
Maybe the Cursive script emerged at the end of the Later Han period. The strokes are vivid and continuous. For writing of the Regular script was no t time-saving enough and the Running script was hard to recognize, people invented this new form.
The number of Chinese characters became more and more with its development, so scholars compiled and finished "Shuo Wen Jie Zi", "Kangxi Dictionary" and other tools to facilitate people in finding and using Chinese characters.
After 1949, with the founding of New China, Chinese characters were simplified in order to assure that everyone can read and write Chinese.
Chinese characters impro ve themselves constantly to adapt to the changing times. At the same time, it has made tremendous contributions to Chinese culture.。