中华之美丛书 中国汉字 韩鉴堂 著 文化

中华优秀传统文化传承发展工程支持项目
“中华之美”丛书围绕中华优秀传统文化这一主题，择取其中15个专题分别加以介绍。这15个专题，包括以思想、智慧、艺术为主的“无形遗产”，以工艺、器物为主的“有形遗产”，以衣食住行乐为主的“民俗生活”，它们精心构架，有机结合，勾勒出中国文化的一个总体面貌，并反映出“中华文化的理念、智慧、气度、神韵”。
汉字是方块形的表意体系的文字，也是世界上活着的古文字。汉字的存在，是人类文明史上的一个奇迹。今天，汉字仍在不断发展中。这种世界上使用人口多的古老文字，正朝气蓬勃地走向未来。
本书以通俗的文字和精美的图片，简要介绍了中国博大精深的汉字文化的基础知识。它将带领读者朋友在“汉字王国”中做一次轻松而有趣的漫游。
Chinese characters are square-shaped ideograms and the only ancient language alive in the world. The existence of Chinese characters is a miracle in the human civilization history. Today, Chinese characters are still developing. This ancient language used by most people in the world is embracing the future vigorously.
This book briefly introduces basic knowledge about China’s profound culture of Chinese characters with easily understandable words and exquisite pictures. It will take readers on a relaxing and interesting journey in the “kingdom of Chinese characters”.
Foreword
The Dawn of Civilization
Graphic Characters of the River Civilization
Different Fates of Graphic Characters of the River Civilization
Common Choice of Graphic Ideograph
Origin of Han Characters
Legends in Ancient Time
Exploration of the Origination of Han Characters
Evolvement of Forms of Han Characters
Ancient Drawing-like Characters
Modern Characters Dissimilar to Drawings
Mainstream in the Develop-ment of Han Characters
Formation of Han Characters
Ancient Formation of “Six Categories”
Formation Methods of Han Characters
Form and Structure of Modern Han Characters
Causes of the Square Form of Han Characters
Mystery of Modern Han Characters
Pictographic Elements in the Form of Modern Han Characters
The Use of Pictographic Elements in the Form of Han Characters
Han Characters and Chinese Language
Han Characters Adapt Themselves to Actual Chinese Language
Han Characters Are the Basic Structural Units in Chinese Language
Han Characters Have Strong Word-formation Ability
Han Characters Have the Property beyond Dialects and Times
“Sinosphere”
Chinese History Narrated in Han Characters
Social Life in Ancient Time
Show of Ancient Civilization Sights
The Art of Han Characters
Calligraphic Art of Han Characters
Appreciation on Famous Calligraphy Treasures
Commercial-art Han Characters
Seal Art of Han Characters
Stepping into Information Age
Computer Processing of Han Character Information
Cheers and Worries in the Information Age for Han Characters
韩鉴堂，天津市人。天津师范大学对外汉语教师。1985年起从事对外汉语言文化教学和研究工作，1994年受国家委委派赴蒙古国乌兰巴托国立大学讲学3年。出版著作：《中国文化》（1994）、《走近中国传统艺术》（2001）、《汉字文化图说》（2005）、《中国汉字》（2009）、《图说殷墟甲骨文》（2009）、《汉字文化》（2010）。在书籍报刊上发表插图数百幅；版画作品三次入选天津市美术作品展览；画像砖版画作品在中国美术馆展出。
Han Jiantang, a native of Tianjin and a TCSL (Teaching Chinese as Second Language) teacher at Tianjin Normal University, began to engage in TCSL education and research in 1985, and was dispatched by the State Education Commission in 1994 to give lectures at Mongolian National University, Ulaanbaatar for three years. Publications: China’s Cultural Heritage (1994), Approaching Traditional Chinese Art (2001), The Culture of Chinese Characters – With Illustrations by Pictures (2005), Inscriptions on Bones and Tortoise Shells from the Yin Ruins – With Illustrations by Pictures (2009) and The Culture of Chinese Characters (2010). Hundreds of his illustrations were published in books, newspapers and periodicals; his prints were displayed at three artwork exhibitions in Tianjin; his brick-relief prints were exhibited at the National Art Museum of China.
The Chinese Culture: Chinese Characters is written at invitation of China Intercontinental Press.
This book is written in simple words and plentiful pictures, and makes a brief introduction to the basic knowledge of great and profound Han character culture, which is designed to enable foreign friends to set foot on a relaxed and beneficial journey to the “Kingdom of Han Characters”. I sincerely hope it can help its readers to get a general knowledge of and become interested in the Han character culture, thus improve their ability to recognize and use the Han characters, and play a role in Sino-foreign cultural exchanges.
Han characters are square graphic characters and the only ancient characters have being used up to now and called the “living fossils”, which is regarded as a miracle in the history of human civiliza tion.
Han characters originated from drawings. The forms of the Han characters evolved through Jiaguwen (inscriptions on animal bones or tortoise shells), Jinwen (inscriptions on ancient bronze ware), Xiaozhuan (the lesser seal style Chinese characters of the Qin Dynasty (221BC–206 BC)), Lishu (official script in the Han Dynasty (206BC–220 AD), and Kaishu (regular script). Gradually drawings evolved into strokes, pictographic characters became symbols, and complex characters changed into simple ones. Simplification has always been the mainstream in the development of the Han characters. All these are covered in this book with plenty of statements and pictures.