Examples of rhetoric in ancient books

Author: Zhang Wenzhi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-22
Features: In the autumn of twenty-two years, I once discussed the art of rhetoric with a friend and mentioned that although there are few specialized works on this topic in ancient Chinese books, their profound insights and arguments are scattered throughout various texts, making them worth exploring. As for anecdotes and interesting stories, many are related to examples, such as the well-known "one-character teacher" or the tale of three people each remembering a horse and a dog dying, which are often pointed out in context or compared in relation to events. The reasoning is not empty, and every statement is grounded in fact. Such cases are particularly numerous. The only regret is that the collection and organization have not yet been compiled into a book, making it difficult for those who study this field to find materials and broaden their arguments. My friend encouraged me to take on this task, and I have always enjoyed delving into ancient texts and organizing knowledge. Thus, I reluctantly agreed. During my spare time as a bookseller, I devoted two years to reviewing books on classics, history, and textual criticism, as well as literary critiques, poetry discussions, and miscellaneous collections, totaling over two hundred works. I recorded over seven hundred passages related to rhetoric, amounting to about one hundred thousand words, with occasional annotations, and categorized them into six sections:
1. General Discussion on Rhetoric, which explains its meaning and application.
2. Examples of Alteration,
3. Examples of Addition,
4. Examples of Deletion,
5. Examples of Imitation,
6. Examples of Conciseness and Excessiveness. All these sections primarily rely on examples, slightly distinguishing their merits and demerits for easy reference. Among these five sections, they can be further divided into two parts: the first three focus on applying standards to the original texts, emphasizing original insights, with alteration as the foundation and addition and deletion as branches. The last two draw comparisons with other texts, resembling dependence, where imitation and alteration are contrasted, discussing only the overall structure without word count; conciseness and excessiveness are paired with addition and deletion, focusing strictly on word count. In summary, whether written or compiled, they complement each other; each person may interpret it differently, offering unique benefits. Although the collected examples may seem numerous, some may reflect the insights of ancient scholars at the time or include statements that may not be without debate, yet they still serve as resources for exploration and argumentation, which is also the task of organizing ancient books and studying rhetoric. After completing the organization, I named it "Examples of Rhetoric in Ancient Books." If there are any limitations in my knowledge or improper categorization, I welcome corrections from the knowledgeable among you. March 25, 1926, Changde Zhang Wenzhi, written during my stay in Shanghai.