Classical Chinese/Lesson 6

Text： 夸父与日逐走，入日。渴，欲得饮，饮于河、渭；河、渭不足，北饮大泽。未至，道渴而死。弃其杖，化为邓林。 Pinyin: Kuāfù yǔ rì zhú zǒu, rù rì. kě, yù dé yǐn, yǐn yú Hé, Wèi; Hé, Wèi bù zú, běi yǐn dà zé. Wèi zhì, dào kě ér sǐ. Qì qí zhàng, huà wéi Dèng lín. Gloss: 夸父 (Kuāfù): Kuafu (name of a giant) / 与 (yǔ): with / 日 (rì): sun / 逐走 (zhú zǒu): race (chase, run). 入 (rù): approached (entered) / 日 (rì): the sun. 渴 (kě): thirsty / 欲 (yù): desired / 得 (dé): to get / 饮 (yǐn): drink. 饮 (yǐn): drank / 于 (yú): at / 河 (Hé): Yellow River / 渭 (Wèi): Wei River. 不足 (bù zú): [were] not enough. 北 (běi): north (to the north) / 饮 (yǐn): drink / 大泽 (dà zé): Great Lake. 未 (wèi): not yet / 至 (zhì): reached [it]. 道 (dào): [on the] road / 渴 (kě): thirst / 而 (ér): and then / 死 (sǐ): died. 弃 (qì): abandoned (threw down) / 其 (qí): his / 杖 (zhàng): staff. 化为 (huà wéi): transformed into / 邓林 (Dèng lín): Peach Forest (Deng Forest). Translation: Kuafu raced with the sun. He followed it until he reached the setting sun. Feeling thirsty and desiring a drink, he drank from the Yellow River and the Wei River. But the Yellow River and the Wei River were not enough, so he traveled north to drink from the Great Lake. Before he could reach it, he died of thirst on the way. He cast aside his staff, and it transformed into the Deng Forest. Analysis: 出处 (Source): This myth is found in the 《山海经·海外北经》 (Classic of Mountains and Seas). Background & Philosophy: Heroic Struggle: Kuafu represents the ancient human spirit’s desire to understand and conquer nature. Though the story ends in tragedy, Kuafu is often viewed as a tragic hero rather than a fool (unlike the "man from Song"). Sacrifice and Life: Even in death, Kuafu’s journey brings life. His staff becomes a "Peach Forest" (邓林), providing shade and food for future travelers. This reflects a cyclical view of life and the idea that a hero's legacy sustains the community. Nature's Magnitude: The text emphasizes the scale of the landscape. Kuafu drinks entire rivers (河、渭), yet they are "not enough" (不足) compared to the power of the sun. Key Grammar & Particles: 于 (yú) - Preposition of Location: 饮于河、渭 (Drank at the Yellow and Wei rivers). Rule: The structure is Verb + 于 + Place. 而 (ér) - Conjunction of Cause/Result: 道渴而死 (Thirsty on the road and so died). Rule: Here, 而 connects the condition (thirst) with the result (death).[see before] Noun as Adverb (Directional): 北饮大泽 (Drank northward at the Great Lake). Rule: In Classical Chinese, nouns for directions (North, South, etc.) are often placed before the verb to indicate the direction of movement without needing a preposition like "to the ... ."