彼且惡依待哉？

[mauxdivers]

Dear All, 

 

So I seem to have a problem with rhetorical questions in ancient Chinese. Now I am wondering about this passage from Zhuangzi 1:7: 彼且惡依待哉？

 

Is there anyone who can unpack it grammatically me for me? 彼 means 'that one', so in this context 'he'. I guess 且 means 'even' or perhaps 'still. Then follows 惡依待哉, which according to the commentary means 有什麼依待的. So I take it that 惡 must in this context be something like a question word. Am I right? 

 

 

[Publius]

https://www.zybang.com/question/a1ba2caa2b1701ad0ad2faf47f8be913.html

https://www.zybang.com/question/e6023878484b401eb76e036847cf8cc5.html

[mauxdivers]

Thank you so much! I take it I should use baidu more often...

 

But how about 乎? It is not included in the link. Is like 惡 also just a 语气词, so that the sentence has two of those? 

[Publius]

《漢語大辭典》：

惡

III
wū

1.疑問代詞。相當於“何”、“安”、“怎麼”。
《左傳‧桓公十六年》：“棄父之命，惡用子矣？”杜預注：“惡，安也。”
《史記‧滑稽列傳》：“先生飲一斗而醉，惡能飲一石哉？”

唐張九齡《大唐金紫光祿大夫忠憲公裴公碑銘》：“物惡有滿而不溢、高而不危者哉？”

宋趙與時《賓退錄》卷二：“唐虞事業誰能繼，湯武功夫世莫傳，時既不同人又易，仲尼惡得不潸然！”

明方孝孺《鄭君妻洪氏墓銘》：“君泣曰：吾先妻洪媛之塚也，吾惡能無悲乎？”

田北湖《與某生論韓文書》：“譾陋如僕，惡足知文？”

 

乎  

hū

7.緩和語氣或表示語氣的停頓。
《論語‧子路》：“子曰：‘苟正其身矣，於從政乎何有？不能正其身，如正人何？’”

漢東方朔《七諫‧哀命》：“從水蛟而為徒兮，與神龍乎休息。”
宋蘇軾《前赤壁賦》：“知不可乎驟得，託遺響於悲風。”

 

This 乎 has no meaning. It's just there for a better rhythm.

 

P.S. I don't know where the 依 in your text came from. All the versions I've seen read 彼且惡乎待哉. Perhaps the author of your textbook wanted to make it easier for learners (to forestall a question like yours, for example)?

[mauxdivers]

Thank you so much, this is so helpful.

 

I will continue posting my Zhuangzi questions in this thread so as not to bombard this forum with new threads. Now I wonder about the grammar of this sentence: 其发若机栝,其司是非之谓也. I have a little problem with the grammar of the second clause here. 

 

其发若机栝: No problem, I understand. 

其司是非之谓也: This is how one calls their managing of right and wrong? 

 

So: They release [sc. words] like arrows, that is how now calls their managing of right and wrong? 

 

PS. I I erroneously added the yi myself, so the author of the textbook is not be blamed. 

 

 

[Publius]

其 I think means fear (小恐惴惴，大恐縵縵).

 

[其司是非]之謂也 => 也就是說，是非皆由恐懼而生 => that is to say, fear is the origin of (dispute over) right or wrong.

 

司 = 主宰

or 司 = 伺 = 窺伺

 

Pre-Qin philosophy isn't my favorite subject. Different interpretations abound.

Here are some reference links you may find useful:

https://books.google.com/books?id=2GWfCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT318&lpg=PT318&dq=其司是非之谓也&source=bl&ots=PZAtel0GRd&sig=U8Qjgu5YvpkmVYK75xvqyKju30c&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiFl9WV6pvTAhUIeCYKHR5RAa0Q6AEILDAC#v=onepage&q=其司是非之谓也&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?id=qb7rCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA122&lpg=PA122&dq=其司是非之谓也&source=bl&ots=87Zd-S85v4&sig=gPHHflW9C1aHucUz2u0k5WfYE34&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiFl9WV6pvTAhUIeCYKHR5RAa0Q6AEIPjAF#v=onepage&q=其司是非之谓也&f=false

http://www.my285.com/gdwx/bj/zz2/02.htm