Rhetoric of Chinese Language

Author: Wang Xijie
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-10-01
Features: Comrade Xijie's Rhetoric of Chinese Language is about to be published. I received a letter from afar, asking me to write a few words as the preface. I have reviewed the preliminary draft of Comrade Xijie's book, but now I only remember the general idea and cannot fully introduce its merits to the readers. I remember that when I first opened the book, I had a good impression because it did not, like some other books on rhetoric, briefly discuss the principles of rhetoric and then list dozens of rhetorical devices as the objects of study for readers. No, this book is not about rhetoric for the sake of rhetoric but rather uses the various purposes that rhetoric aims to achieve to govern the rhetorical devices: either for structural balance, or for the beauty of sound, or for linguistic variety, or for emphasis on meaning, or for originality in expression, or for appropriateness in wording. This approach prevents readers from developing blind reverence for rhetorical devices. Comrade Xijie's book also does a very good job of discussing the style of writing. Although dividing style into six categories and three groups—such as ornate vs. plain, vivid vs. subtle, rich vs. concise—has some inheritance, it surpasses previous works in its numerous and appropriate examples. I feel that the only slight shortcoming is that the author forgot to mention a principle that permeates all styles and can even be said to transcend all styles. This principle can be called "moderation," for only through moderation can ornate writing avoid becoming flashy, plain writing avoid becoming dull, vivid writing avoid becoming hasty, subtle writing avoid becoming obscure, rich writing avoid becoming verbose, and concise writing avoid becoming dry. This principle can also be called "appropriateness," meaning that ornate writing should be ornate where appropriate, and plain writing should be plain, so that an article does not become fixated on a single style. Combining these two aspects into a single word, it is "natural"—everything being just right. Using Su Dongpo's words, it is: "In general, like flowing clouds and water, there is no fixed form at first, but it moves where it should move and stops where it cannot stop. The logic and style of the writing are natural, and its posture is diverse." Perhaps some people will say, you advocate naturalness, are you not abolishing rhetoric? No, writing naturally does not mean writing at random. Su Dongpo, after saying "logic and style are natural," added "posture is diverse," which is certainly not something achieved by writing at random. To have logic and style that are natural yet diverse in posture—that level of achievement is not something that can be attained carelessly; it requires long-term practice to approach. Therefore, it is not to abolish rhetoric but to use double the effort in refining it. Since Comrade Xijie did not elaborate on this point in his book, I took the opportunity of writing the preface to add a supplement. This book comprehensively and systematically studies and explores the rhetoric of Chinese language, striving to create a new rhetorical system. The entire book starts from the perspective of Chinese communicative activities, aiming to address issues of expression and comprehension, helping readers improve their language skills, and promoting the development of national cultural quality.