Guanzi: Political, Economic, and Philosophical Essays from Early China, vol. 1: Chapters I, 1--XI, 34, and XX, 64-XXI, 65--66.

• Author: Kroll, Paul W.
• Position: Book Review

Guanzi: Political, Economic, and Philosophical Essays from Early China, vol. 1: chapters I, 1--XI, 34, and XX, 64-XXI, 65--66. Revised edition. By W. ALLYN RICKETT. C & T Asian Translation Series. Boston: CHENG AND TSUI COMPANY, 2001. Pp. xii + 491. $35 (paper).

The plentiful grab-bag of seventy-six essays--authored by numerous anonymous writers from perhaps the late fifth to the late first century B.C.--that makes up the Guanzi has in recent years been attracting increased attention from scholars. With this attention has come increased understanding of many passages and chapters, as well as a heightened awareness of where remaining problems lie. Invaluable aid has been rendered in this endeavor by having to hand a complete English translation, that of W. Allyn Rickett, published in two volumes (1985, 1998). Owing to the reviews that were penned of his first volume, Rickett altered some matters of format in his second volume when it appeared, thirteen years later. Thanks to the Cheng and Tsui Company's welcome commitment to publish new editions of important but out-of-print Sinological works, the author has now had the opportunity to bring the format of his first volume into accord with that of the second, to correct typos, and to revise where necessary.

The entire text has been re-set for this edition. The most notable change made by Rickett is the setting off of rhymed passages from the surrounding prose and the inclusion of the Chinese graph of each rhyme-word along with its reconstructed pronunciation (for which he has relied on Chou Fa-kao's Pronouncing Dictionary of Chinese Characters in Archaic and Ancient Chinese, Mandarin and Cantonese). This is sometimes a purely technical or superficial change. For instance, where in 1985 we had:

When the granaries are full, they will know propriety and moderation; when their clothing and food is adequate, they will know [the distinction between] honor and shame. If the sovereign complies with the rules [regarding proper dress and expenditure], the six relationships will be secure. (p.52)

we now have in the revised edition:

When the granaries are full ([CHINESE CHARACTERS NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] dzjiet)

They will know propriety and moderation. (([CHINESE CHARACTERS NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] tset)

When their clothing and food is adequate. (sic) ([CHINESE CHARACTERS NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] tsjew)

They will know the distinction between honor and shame. ([CHINESE CHARACTERS NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN...