Double Inkstone Notes

Author: (Qing) Deng Tingzhen, edited by Feng Huimin
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Notes from Shuang Yan Zhai by Deng Tingzhen (1775–1846), styled Xueyun, was a native of Jiangning, Jiangsu. He passed the imperial examination in the sixth year of the Jiaqing reign (1801) and served in Zhejiang, Shaanxi, Hubei, and other regions. In the sixth year of the Daoguang reign (1826), he was promoted to Governor of Anhui. During his ten-year tenure, he worked on water conservancy projects, reinforced dikes and sluices, and achieved notable achievements. In the fifteenth year of the Daoguang reign (1835), he became Governor of Liangguang. At that time, opium smoking was rampant, leading to the outflow of silver. Deng Tingzhen strictly enforced anti-opium laws, arrested opium smugglers, prohibited opium-laden ships from entering, and strengthened coastal defenses, successfully intercepting and capturing British ships. In the nineteenth year of the Daoguang reign (1839), Lin Zexu was ordered to Guangdong to suppress opium. Deng Tingzhen worked in unison with him, destroying all confiscated opium stored on captured ships and using military force to repeatedly achieve victories. Later, due to urgent defense needs in Fujian, he was transferred to become Governor of Min-Zhe. He purchased foreign cannons, recruited naval troops, and repeatedly repelled invading British forces. In September of the twentieth year of the Daoguang reign (1840), he and Lin Zexu were dismissed from office. The following year, he was exiled to Ili. Two years later, he was released and later appointed as Governor of Gansu, before being promoted to Governor of Shaanxi. In the twenty-sixth year of the Daoguang reign (1846), he died in office. Historians described Deng Tingzhen as "a scholar who valued learning and scholars, with many renowned figures in his entourage, and who never ceased to engage in scholarly pursuits. He was particularly skilled in phonology and authored notes, poems, and ci poetry that were widely recognized." In addition to this book, he also wrote works such as the Yousheng Dieyun Pu and Shuang Yan Zhai Cihua.
Notes from Shuang Yan Zhai consists of six volumes, prefaced by a preface by Tan Xian of Renhe. Tan Xian's original name was Tan Tingxian, styled Zhongxiu, and was known as Fuchang. He was renowned for his literary talent and expertise in philology, with a collected works titled Fuchang Lij. According to the postscript by Deng Tingzhen's grandson, Jia Chun, the book was compiled by Tan Xian, with additional annotations by Chen Zhuoda, a scholar of letters. Tan Xian and Chen Zhuoda's comments often supplemented or corrected the text, making it valuable for reference. As Tan Xian stated in his preface, Notes from Shuang Yan Zhai "begins with the Six Arts, followed by philology, then various books. Within these, it first discusses phonology before moving to characters, with discussions on poetry and ci appended." The book focuses on analyzing the text, phonology, and etymology of classical texts, particularly emphasizing phonology. Deng Tingzhen believed that "those who interpret classics without considering phonology but rely on form to explain meanings often end up with convoluted interpretations"; "ancient scholars interpreted texts by linking sound to meaning," and "where meanings are the same, their sounds must be the same, regardless of differences in characters"; and "etymology cannot be pursued without considering sound." These views are evident throughout the first to fifth volumes. The sixth volume is dedicated to poetry and ci, offering many original insights.