1ChapterChapterChapterChapter 6 6 6 6 Writing and Written language Contents 1 1 1 1.Writing.Writing.Writing.Writing andandandand LanguageLanguageLanguageLanguage 1.1The1.1The1.1The1.1The rolerolerolerole ofofofof writingwritingwritingwritingn n n1 1 1 1. . . .1.1.1.1. 1 1 1 1. . . .1.1.1.1. 1 1 1 1. . . .1.1.1.1.1 1 1 1BreakBreakBreakBreak limitslimitslimitslimits ofofofof spacespacespacespace andandandand timetimetimetime 2 2 2 2RecordRecordRecordRecord thethethethe culturalculturalculturalcultural activitiesactivitiesactivitiesactivities ofofofof humanhumanhumanhuman beingsbeingsbeingsbeings preferablypreferablypreferablypreferably 3 3 3 3PromotePromotePromotePromote thethethethe developmentdevelopmentdevelopmentdevelopment ofofofof thinkingthinkingthinkingthinking 1 1 1 1. . . .1.1.1.1.1Break1Break1Break1Break limitslimitslimitslimits ofofofof spacespacespacespace andandandand timetimetimetimenIf If If If wewewewe wantwantwantwant totototoknowknowknowknow aboutaboutaboutabout thethethethe socialsocialsocialsocial liveslivesliveslives ofofofof ancientancientancientancient times,times,times,times, wewewewe cancancancan t t t t gogogogo backbackbackback tototototalktalktalktalk withwithwithwith thethethethe peoplepeoplepeoplepeople fromfromfromfrom thatthatthatthat times.times.times.times. nWeWeWeWe cancancancan onlyonlyonlyonly readreadreadread somesomesomesome writtenwrittenwrittenwritten textstextstextstexts thatthatthatthat introducedintroducedintroducedintroduced thethethethe oldenoldenoldenolden ages.ages.ages.ages. nIf If If If wewewewe wantwantwantwant totototohavehavehavehave a a a a talktalktalktalk withwithwithwith thethethethe peoplepeoplepeoplepeople fromfromfromfrom otherotherotherother regions,regions,regions,regions, andandandand theytheytheythey cancancancan t t t t speakspeakspeakspeak MandarinMandarinMandarinMandarin (common(common(common(common languagelanguagelanguagelanguage ofofofof a a a a nation),nation),nation),nation), butbutbutbut howhowhowhow wewewewe communicatecommunicatecommunicatecommunicate withwithwithwith them.them.them.them. nWeWeWeWe cancancancan writewritewritewrite downdowndowndown thethethethe utterancesutterancesutterancesutteranceswewewewe wantwantwantwant totototosay.say.say.say. 我国清代学者陈澧说得好：我国清代学者陈澧说得好： “ “ “ “声不能传于异地，留于异时，于是乎书之为文字。文字者，所以为意与声之迹也。声不能传于异地，留于异时，于是乎书之为文字。文字者，所以为意与声之迹也。“ “ “ “ （东塾读书记卷十一）（东塾读书记卷十一） 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 2 2 2 2RecordRecordRecordRecord thethethethe culturalculturalculturalcultural activitiesactivitiesactivitiesactivities ofofofof humanhumanhumanhuman beingsbeingsbeingsbeings preferablypreferablypreferablypreferably nHumanHumanHumanHuman culturalculturalculturalcultural activitiesactivitiesactivitiesactivitiesareareareare mainlymainlymainlymainly toldtoldtoldtold bybybyby legendslegendslegendslegends andandandand epicsepicsepicsepicsbeforebeforebeforebefore wewewewe havehavehavehave nononono writing.writing.writing.writing. nSo,So,So,So, it it it it providesprovidesprovidesprovidesa a a a betterbetterbetterbetter meansmeansmeansmeans forforforfor recordingrecordingrecordingrecording humanhumanhumanhuman culturalculturalculturalcultural activitiesactivitiesactivitiesactivitiesbecausebecausebecausebecause ofofofof adventadventadventadvent ofofofof writing.writing.writing.writing. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 3 3 3 3PromotePromotePromotePromote thethethethe developmentdevelopmentdevelopmentdevelopment ofofofof thinkingthinkingthinkingthinking nIf If If If a a a a nationnationnationnation hashashashas notnotnotnot herherherher writingwritingwritingwriting system,system,system,system, it it it it justjustjustjust likeslikeslikeslikes a a a a personpersonpersonperson illiterate.illiterate.illiterate.illiterate. nThereThereThereThere is is is is thethethethe greatgreatgreatgreat differencedifferencedifferencedifference betweenbetweenbetweenbetween literacyliteracyliteracyliteracypeoplepeoplepeoplepeople andandandand illiteracyilliteracyilliteracyilliteracyinininin intelligenceintelligenceintelligenceintelligence andandandand competence.competence.competence.competence. nTheTheTheThe thinkingthinkingthinkingthinking hashashashas presentationspresentationspresentationspresentations becausebecausebecausebecause ofofofof thethethethe writtenwrittenwrittenwritten words.words.words.words. nIt It It It is is is is difficultdifficultdifficultdifficult totototocompletecompletecompletecomplete a a a a simplesimplesimplesimple mathematicmathematicmathematicmathematic operationoperationoperationoperation withoutwithoutwithoutwithout thethethethe writtenwrittenwrittenwritten symbols.symbols.symbols.symbols. PythagoreanPythagoreanPythagoreanPythagorean propositionpropositionpropositionproposition 1.21.21.21.2 WritingWritingWritingWriting orders;orders;orders; nTheTheTheThe otherotherotherother is is is is totototo makemakemakemake thoroughthoroughthoroughthorough changechangechangechange inininin itsitsitsits wordingwordi