Page:Elementary Chinese - San Tzu Ching (1900).djvu/141

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277. These men had no books,
Pi3 wu2 shu1
They not book


Pi see line 273.

Wu was originally composed of 亡 wang to perish as radical, with 橆 wu abundant (now a synonym of 無) as phonetic. It is the negation of 有 yu (line 14), and is classed under radical 火 huo fire, as seen in combination at the bottom of a character.

Shu see line 114.


278. they knew how to make an effort.
Ch'ieh3 chih1 mien3
Yet know effort


Ch'ieh see line 274.

Chih see line 28.

Mien is composed of 力 li strength as radical, and 免 mien to avoid as phonetic. It originally meant strong, stiff, hard, etc.


279. One tied his head to the beam above him;
T'ou2 hsüan2 liang2
Head hang beam


T'ou is composed of 頁 yeh head, leaf, as radical, and 豆 tou a sacrificial vessel, beans, as phonetic.

Hsüan is composed of 心 hsin heart as radical, and 縣 hsien, which was the original form of this character but is now reserved for the sense of magistracy, magistrate, as phonetic, the radical heart being a late addition, to prevent confusion.

Liang see line 228. [This line refers to 孫敬 Sun Ching, a scholar of the 2nd cent. A.D. He thus prevented himself from nodding over his books.]