Abstract:
Although punctuation is a very important aspect of a language that helps us avoid misunderstandings, it is usually neglected and up to now little has been written on this topic. If this is true in Western linguistic studies, it is even more so of Chinese punctuation. Scholars usually agree on its usage after the introduction of Western punctuation in China in 1920, but the analysis of Chinese punctuation before that period is still a largely unexplored territory; for this reason I decided to focus on the pre-modern era.
My thesis is divided into three parts. By way of introduction, the first chapter discusses the importance of punctuation both in Western languages and in Chinese before summarizing the history of punctuation in China. The second chapter presents my translation of two different essays on the topic of punctuation in Chinese: the first one is the introduction of a book entitled “中国古代标点符号发展史” (History of punctuation marks in ancient China) and deals with the development of punctuation in China from the Pre-Qin period up to 1920; the second one is the essay “小议郭店楚简中的标点符号” (Brief discussion on punctuation marks in Guodian manuscripts), which concentrates on the analysis of punctuation on bamboo strips dating back to 300 BC found near the village of Guodian in Hubei province. The third chapter, most significantly, explores the problems encountered while translating these essays, particularly technical, stylistic and lexical issues.
