“躬履清蹈”考

Research on “Gonglv Qingdao(躬履清蹈)”

《三國志·魏書·卷十一》陳壽(公元233年—297年)原文出現了“躬履清蹈”一詞，裴松之(公元372年—451年)對此詞以案語的形式做注，認爲“蹈猶履也”，但是關於“躬履清蹈”的解釋仍存在多種不同的觀點，該詞意義並不明確。本文以字源爲切入點，針對“躬履清蹈”中每個漢字的意義進行深入分析，從而探討其詞彙結構、語義及修辭手法，以更合乎字源和邏輯的方式闡釋“躬履清蹈”的結構意義與文化內涵。研究發現“躬履清蹈”由詞語“躬履”和“清蹈”並列構成。“履”與“蹈”皆與足相關，爲動詞，表示行走，二字互訓；“躬”字爲彎曲身體，表示親身、親自義，“清”意爲清正、清廉，兩者都作副詞，修飾“履”和“蹈”，所以“躬履清蹈”以互文的修辭手法表達身體力行、清正廉潔地履行道義之意。類似的用法和結構還有“躬蹈”“蹈履”等二字詞，“蹈仁履義”“履湯蹈火”等四字詞，體現了詞彙構成的多樣性和靈活性。本文進一步分析了“躬履清蹈”作爲儒家思想中道德理想的語用層面及其表達效果，指出其具備崇高的品德節操與積極的社會價值觀，體現出儒家對清正高尚的人格修養和親身履行社會責任的重視。本文通過剖析字源，揭示“躬履清蹈”的準確結構和意義，糾正謬誤，推動訓詁學的發展，對古籍整理和辭書編纂起到相應的促進作用。並且和與之相關的詞語系聯起來，構成詞彙網絡，然後藉此拓展古代漢語詞彙背後的文化內涵，深化對儒家道德思想在語言層面的影響和認識。

In The History of the Three Kingdoms, Book of Wei, Volume 11, the phrase “Gonglv Qingdao(躬履清蹈)” appears in the original text by Chen Shou (AD 233-297). Pei Songzhi (AD 372-451) provided an annotation in the form of a commentary, stating that “'Dao(蹈)' is synonymous with 'Lv(履)'.” However, the exact interpretation of “Gonglv Qingdao(躬履清蹈)” remains ambiguous, with multiple scholarly perspectives offering different explanations. This paper approaches the phrase from an etymological perspective, conducting an in-depth analysis of the meaning of each character within “Gonglv Qingdao(躬履清蹈)” to explore its lexical structure, semantics, and rhetorical function. The findings indicate that “Gonglv Qingdao(躬履清蹈)” is a parallel construction consisting of two phrases: “Gonglv(躬履)” and “Qingdao(清蹈)”. The characters “Lv(履)” and “Dao(蹈)”, both verbs associated with movements of the feet, are mutually explanatory. “Gong(躬)” signifies bending the body, metaphorically indicating personal involvement or practice, while “Qing(清)” conveys the meaning of purity and integrity; both functions adverbially to modify “Lv(履)” and “Dao(蹈)”. Through the rhetorical device of intertextual parallelism, the phrase expresses the idea of personally upholding moral principles with integrity. Similar lexical structures include two-character compounds such as “Gonglv(躬蹈)” and “Daolv(蹈履)”, as well as four-character idioms such as “蹈仁履義(Acting with kindness and righteousness)” and “履湯蹈火(Braving hardships and dangers)”. These examples reflect the diversity and flexibility of word formation in Chinese language. Furthermore, this paper examines the pragmatic dimension of “Gonglv Qingdao(躬履清蹈)” as a representation of Confucian moral ideals and its expressive function, arguing that the phrase embodies noble virtues and positive social values. It highlights Confucian emphasis on personal integrity and the active fulfillment of social responsibilities. By investigating the etymology and structure of “Gonglv Qingdao(躬履清蹈)” as well as its lexical associations, this paper rectifies misconceptions and contributes to the development of Chinese exegetics. Additionally, the paper also facilitates the collation of ancient texts and the compilation of dictionaries, and then it deepens the understanding of Confucian moral thought as manifested in linguistic expressions, shedding light on the cultural significance embedded in classical Chinese vocabulary.