国庆话说汉英词典中的“国”字

在汉语言中，“国”字已有三千多年的历史，具有深刻的表意视觉功能与哲理意趣。该字最早始见于甲骨文中，由一个“戈”和一个 “口”组成，意指拥有一定的地域，需要由武器来保卫。到了商朝晚期，铜鼎铭文中的“国”写成“或”，其中的“口”表示国土、疆域，“戈”表示以兵器而卫之，而“一”则表示领土之境界。《说文解字》中云：“或者，邦也，从口从戈，一以戈，一为守，其义尚不明。”到了周代晚期，“或”字外面加了个“囗（wéi）”，表示疆域的范围。《说文解字》又云：“國，邦也，从囗从或。”透过“國”字，我们可以感受到汉语言富有哲理的造字创意，领悟到国家必须具备的四个条件：一是人口，以小“口”代表;二是疆土范围，以大“囗”代表，表示国家周边应该有布防;三是土地，以“一”代表，表示国家与土地和农业之密切关联;四是军队，以“戈”来代表，表示军队肩负着保家卫国之重任。后汉时期，“國”字简化为“囯”字，“囗”里从“王”，盖“囗”为“普天之下，莫非王土”之意，含有浓厚的封建色彩。魏晋六朝时期，“囗”里从“民”，“囯”字写成“囻”字，盖“囗”为“国以民为本”之意，体现了春秋时代孟子的“民贵君轻”的思想。宋元时期，出现了我们今天通用的简化字“国”，“囗”里从“玉”，盖“囗”为“地大物博，宝藏丰富”之意。

据不完全统计，“国”的异体字有42种之多，比如“囗”中加“武”“众”“土”“主”“氏”等和三个秦（䆐）代表“国”字。由此可见，“国”字在汉语言中具有巨大的生命力与创造性。

1956年，我国颁布了简化字方案，将“國”简化为“国”，“囗”里从“玉”。一方面，该字反映了我国“玉”文化具有悠久历史;另一方面，该字体现了国家作为如玉之宝的无限价值，要让我们爱护宝物一样珍爱自己的国家，有道是国家啊国家，有国才有家。

今年是中华人民共和国成立70周年。在这国庆佳节之际，我们不妨检阅一下汉英词典中一些有关“国”字的表达法，希望借此提高对“国”字的认识，激发新的爱国情愫，同时对汉英词典的生命力有所感受。

本文选取了《中华汉英大词典》编纂者自以为迻译尚有特点的有关“国”字的表达法，其目的在于与广大读者共享并敦请广大读者质疑与指谬。

一、“国”字的界定

1. “国家”之意= nation; country; state：愛～者a patriot | 爱～主义patriotism | ～棉厂a state-owned cotton mill | 卖～贼a traitor to one’s country | 安邦治～ bring peace to the country and manage state affairs | 为～增光bring credit to one’s country | ～将不～ the country will go down the sink

2. “国都”之意= capital city：参～之一one-third as large as the nation’s capital

3. “建国;建都”之意= to found a country or capital ～于中原establish a capital in the Central Plains

4. “城邑”之意= city [in general]：～有～事a city has its own affairs

5. “古代王、候的封地”之意= fiefdom：开～ open up the fiefdom

6. “地域”之意= region （of country）：山～ a mountainous region | 水乡泽～a region of rivers and lakes

7. “家乡”之意= hometown; native place：逊位归～ abdicate and return to one’s hometown

8. “与帝王或皇室有关的”之意= imperial; royal see 国姓

9. “国中最好的或最美的”之意= best in the country see 国手、国色

10. “本朝的”之意= of the present dynasty see 国朝

11. “中国特有的”之意= Chinese; of China see 国画

12. “代表国家的”之意= national; representing the state：～定节日a national holiday

13. “部落”之意= tribe：七十八～ seventy-eight tribes

14. “地方”之意= place：有用武之～ have scope to display one’s abilities

15. “姓”之意= Guo [surname]

二、与“国”有关的两字表达法

1. 国宝national treasure （literally of an object， or figuratively of a person）：～级文物/演员a cultural artifact/actor widely considered a national asset

2. 国本 ①foundations of the state：民为～ the people form the basis of the state ②book or copy collected by the state ③[Hist] crown prince [during the Song Dynasty]

3. 国别 ①nationality [eg as an item to fill in on a form]：～史the history of individual countries ②〈lit〉 differences between nations：～政策individualized policy towards different countries

4. 国耻national humiliation：不忘/洗雪～ not forget/wipe out a national disgrace

5. 国仇wrongs done to a nation; national enmity：～家恨enmity borne by an entire nation and feud for/grudges of an individual family

6. 国粹quintessence or best of a nation’s culture：中医是三大～之一Chinese medicine is one of the three quintessential components of Chinese culture

7. 国法law of the land：触犯～ violate the state law

8. 国防national defence：加强～建设build up a country’s defences | 削减～开支cut defence spending

9. 国父founding father; father of a country [eg George Washington in the United States]

10. 国歌national anthem：奏响中华人民共和国～ play the National Anthem of the People’s Republic of China

11. 国格national honour or dignity [in foreign affairs]：维护～ defend national prestige

12. 国号title of a reigning dynasty：改～为唐change the dynasty name to Tang

13. 国华 （flower of the nation） national essence [eg， outstanding talent， national treasure]

14. 國徽national emblem

15. 国魂national spirit or essence：提振～ advocate the national spirit

16. 国计〈lit〉 ①national economy ②national policy

17. 国脚national footballer; soccer player on the national team

18. 国界national boundary：超越～的爱love beyond boundaries | 确定～ fix the borderline | 医生无～ doctors are without borders

19. 国脉〈lit〉 life of the nation

20. 国门①〈lit〉 gate to the capital ②〈fig〉 frontier：拒敌于～之外ward off enemy troops beyond the border ③ 〈fig〉 national policy or stipulation：打开～，走向世界open up to the outside world ④〈old〉 god protecting the city gates

21. 国旗national flag：升～ hoist the national flag

22. 国器〈lit〉 talent useful to the nation

23. 国情national conditions; state of the nation：符合～ conform to the actual situations of a nation

24. 国庆National Day [eg October 1 in the People’s Republic of China， July 4 in the United States]：～观礼review of the National Day parade

25. 国人〈lit〉 ①compatriot：这一发现震惊了～ the discovery shocked the whole country ②capital inhabitant

26. 国色〈lit〉 ①national beauty [woman famous nationwide for her beauty] ②〈fig〉 peony

27. 国士〈lit〉 ①outstanding person of the nation ②bravest and strongest person of the nation

28. 国势 ①national strength：～强盛/衰落the country is powerful/declining ②unfolding of state affairs ③〈lit〉 geographical features of a country; national geography

29. 国是〈lit〉 national policy：共商～ discuss the national policy together

30. 国手 ①player on a national team：乒乓球～ a table-tennis player from the national team ②national champion， grand master [in chess， etc]

31. 国书 ①credentials （of diplomat）：递交～ present one’s credentials ②state correspondence

32. 国威national prestige：振～ boost national prestige

33. 国文 ①national language ②national language and literature [as school subject] ③〈old〉 Chinese [as the national language of China]

34. 国学 ①Chinese cultural studies; sinology：～热the sinology boom ②national studies [study of ancient philosophy， history， literature， etc] ③[Hist] imperial college

35. 国优nation’s finest （product， achievement， etc）

36. 国运national destiny; fate of the nation：～昌隆the nation has a flourishing future

37. 国债 ①national debt ②national or government bond：发行～ issue national bonds

三、与“国”有关的三字表达法

1. 国标码GB code

2. 国产片domestically produced film

3. 国产化to localize （of foreign manufactures）：～率the localization rate

4. 国防生defence cadet [college student sponsored by the armed forces]

5. 国会山Capitol Hill [in Washington， DC]

6. 国际歌（the） Internationale：奏～ play the Internationale

7. 国际化to internationalize：～大都市an international metropolis

8. 国民性national character

9. 国内游domestic tourism：～线路a domestic tourist route

10. 国企股stock of a state-owned enterprise

11. 国事犯〈old〉 political offender or prisoner

12. 国务卿Secretary of State [US]

13. 国务院 ①State Council [China] ②State Department [US]

14. 國信使[Hist] diplomatic envoy [during the Song and Yuan dynasties]

15. 国有化 ①to nationalize：～企业a nationalized enterprise ②nationalization

16. 国资行state-owned bank

17. 国子监imperial academy [built in 1287 in Beijing and was the highest ranking academic body in China until its closing in the Qing Dynasty]

四、与“国”有关的四字表达法

1. 国步艰难〈idiom〉 the nation is beset with troubles; the country is in great difficulty

2. 国而忘家〈idiom〉 to forget family affairs for the sake of the nation

3. 国富民丰also 国富民康，国富民殷 〈idiom〉 the country is prosperous and the people are well off

4. 国富民强〈idiom〉 the country is prosperous and the people are powerful

5. 国会议员member of national assembly; congressman [US]; member of parliament [England]

6. 国计民生〈idiom〉 national economy and people’s livelihood

7. 国际玩笑 （international joke） big joke; absurd behaviour; ridiculous action：开～ tell a world-famous joke

8. 国际舞台international scene; world stage：在～上的地位a country’s status in the international arena

9. 国家元首head of state

10. 国破家亡〈idiom〉 country defeated and family ruined

11. 国情咨文State of the Union Message [delivered by the US president]

12. 国色天香〈idiom〉 （national beauty and heavenly fragrance） ①peony ②feminine beauty

13. 国色天姿〈idiom〉 （national beauty and natural endowments） exceptional beauty

14. 国士无双〈idiom〉 peerless or unique talent of the nation

15. 国事访问state visit：对法国进行～ pay a state visit to France

16. 国泰民安〈idiom〉 the country flourishes and the people live in peace

17. 国土安全homeland security

18. 国土无双〈idiom〉 unequalled nationwide

19. 国之干城〈idiom〉 （nation’s shields and city walls） heroic defenders of the nation

五、与“国”有关的五字以上的表达法

1. 国不可一日无君〈idiom〉 a nation cannot afford even one day without its ruler

2. 国际大家庭family of nations

3. 国家兴亡，匹夫有责〈idiom〉 every man alive has a duty to his country; all men share a common responsibility for the fate of their country

4. 国乱出忠臣〈idiom〉 when the country is in turmoil， loyal court officials will show up

5. 國民生产总值Gross National Product; GNP

6. 国内革命战争revolutionary civil war

7. 国内生产总值Gross Domestic Product; GDP

8. 国以民为本，民以食为天〈idiom〉 a country depends on its people as its base， just as the people depend on food for survival

9. 国有国法，家有家规〈familiar〉 a country has its laws， and a family its rules

10. 家有常业虽饥不饿，国有常法虽危不亡〈familiar〉  just as a family with an established profession won’t go hungry in time of famine， a country ruled constantly by law won’t be conquered in time of danger

11. 一国不容二主〈idiom〉 one country does not permit two rulers

的确，汉语中与“国”有关的表达法实在是数不胜数，诸如“秉国之均”“国有班事”“开国乘家”“山国用虎节”等表达法的英文翻译，更待我们共同探索。

1肖福寿，南京大学博士，哈佛大学访问学者，现为上海大学教授、博士生导师，主要从事英语语块学、英语写作学以及词典编纂研究。