Page 4 - 文字好好玩

Chinese Characters – Our Cultural Treasure

One of the main missions of the Overseas Community number of characters, created without solid origin, have
Affairs Council (OCAC) of the Republic of China lost the traditional picto-phono-semantic traits sine qua
(Taiwan) is to promote the continuing education of the non to Chinese characters.
Chinese language among our compatriot communities
abroad. To pass on this important cultural heritage, the Furthermore, another linguist, Professor Xian Li,
OCAC has long been publishing educational materials has pointed out the limit of the simplified characters:
printed in traditional characters, in lieu of simplified “simplified radicals cannot be deduced and applied to
characters, so as to facilitate the younger generation to all,” “symbols replacing radicals have no established
learn and appreciate the artistic beauty and innate values rules,” “independently simplified radicals cannot be
of the Chinese language. deduced,” “the use of homophonic characters in a
different contexts complicates the whole character
Traditional characters have evolved alongside system,” “exceptions always found whenever
Chinese long history, and as a result, the characters have simplification rules are applied,” and “arbitrary
developed into logograms through shapes, pronunciation simplifications destroy the logic of Chinese characters.”
and meaning, which closely conform to the traditional
Six Principles of Character (pictograph, ideograph, The intricate implications of learning simplified
compound ideograph, phono-semantic compound, Chinese characters result in an inevitable imbroglio
phonetic loan character and derivative cognate). of academic research and linguistic application,
Approximatively 80% of Chinese characters are phono- jeopardizing related sciences such as paleography,
semantic compounds, also known as radical-phonetic historical geography and historiography.
characters, created by combining radicals on one side
and phonetics on the other. Knowledge of these facts Due to current practical need and global trend,
makes the learning of Chinese characters much easier, the proportion of traditional characters users has
and is just half the battle! considerably declined compared to that of simplified
characters users. Yet learning traditional characters
Traditional Chinese characters have been in use for is nevertheless meaningful, important and necessary,
5,000 years. Ancient classics and historical documents if taken into account the following perspectives:
available nowadays are written or printed in traditional pedagogical efficiency, cultural creativity, better
characters. Therefore, learning traditional characters can understanding of Chinese traditional culture and history,
break through the limitations of time, travel through eras cultural links to East Asian civilizations, involvement in
without the boundaries of words, as well as comprehend a global cultural outlook, and an aesthetic appreciation
the treasure of civilization imbued with abundant of inherent beauty of Chinese characters.
human thoughts and wisdom. Additionally, a variety of
calligraphy styles, both symmetric and aesthetic, help It is our hope that by consolidating the learning of
shape traditional characters into a unique and scholarly traditional characters, while providing simultaneously a
art. comparison table scoping simplified characters, we can
pragmatically provide useful teaching methodology to
Dr. Chin-chuan Cheng, member of the Academia the overseas communities. By encouraging the study of
Sinica, has pointed out in his research that the maximum traditional characters as a vector, and then comparing
number of words an average person may acquaint in a them with simplified characters in textbooks, we are
given language is about eight thousand. The simplified convinced that this approach will create the ideal
characters promulgated in Mainland China cover merely environment for the transmission of Chinese culture
a total of 2,235 characters, including 482 independently abroad, where both types of characters are currently
simplified ones and 1,753 derived from simplified prevalent.
radicals and independently simplified ones. These limited

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