英文摘要 |
There are various accounts in transmitted texts recording the relationship between Duke Shao, an influential figure in the early Western Zhou, and the family of King Wen of Zhou. However, since these accounts contradict each other, scholars have proposed explanations, such as ''having the same surname as the Zhou kings,'' ''the son of King Wen,'' and ''the brother of Duke Zhou.'' While the unearthed bronze inscriptions provide us with new leads, they instead complicate the debate of Duke Shao's origin. Any careless application of inscriptions to solve problems derived from transmitted texts would only cause more difficulties because the circulation, compilation and interpretation of the related texts are complex. Hence, it requires a detailed analysis of the transmitted texts before any attempt to incorporate bronze inscriptions into research. This article is intended to investigate the formation of the various narratives related to the origin of Duke Shao and point out that some narratives are questionable, thereby to lay a new foundation for any further discussions. By analyzing the familial ties of Duke Shao recorded in the texts dated from the pre-Qin to the Eastern Han period, this article suggests that the relationship between Duke Shao and King Wen's family was not clearly stated in the pre-Qin texts. The narratives remained ''having the same surname as Zhou kings'' even in the middle Western Han. Stories like ''the son of King Wen'' and ''the brother of Duke Zhou'' only appeared as late as in the Eastern Han, probably resulting from a misunderstanding of the Confucian scholars in their misreading of the transmitted texts. |