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The Blessings of Auspicious Treasures: Oracle Bone Calligraphy Exhibition of Xie Chunling

From the Collection of University Museum & Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong

Descriptive text supplied by Dr. Xie Chunling

  •  
    • 釋文(1)

      (中右起左行)

      乙亥卜,貞令多馬、亞廩至于侯,从水从垂侯。九月。

      譯文 (1)

      乙亥日占卜,卜問命令馬隊的武官名者與貴族會合,巡查檢視地之倉廩,一直到達侯之地,再沿水出發率領垂侯麼?這是九月卜問的。

      釋文(2)

      (右左起右行)
      貞勿省在南廩。

      譯文 (2)

      卜問,不必巡查檢視南地的倉廩了吧?

    • There are two groups of inscriptions on this piece of oracle bone, addressing the questions whether:
      (1) the King should issue an order for the officials to inspect the granaries along with
      the nobles; and
      (2) there was no need to inspect the granaries.
  •  
    • 釋文

      (左起右行)[追]……午……。壬午卜,[㱿]……臣羌,(幸)。

      譯文

      追捕……[壬]午……。壬午日占卜,貞人㱿[卜問],有多個僕隸逃往羌(方國/地名),(派人追逃)逮住了麼?
      注:,像施於手上的手銬之形。隸作㚔(今作「幸」。音niè)。

    • A divination on whether the escaped slaves were captured.
      The character resembles an image of a handcuff.
  •  
    • 釋文

      (左起右行)
      己巳……貞……亡(無)…………。
      方……

      (辭殘,未詳)

      : 被閹割的豬隻。

    • This is an incomplete inscription.
      means a pig being castrated.
  •  
    • 釋文 (1)

      (左上左起右行):乙未卜,貞于告秋爯。
      (右下左起右行):乙未卜,[賓],貞于上甲告秋爯

      譯文 (1)

      乙未日占卜,問,向先公報告秋蟲興害之事麼?
      乙未日占卜,問,向先公上甲報告秋蟲興害之事麼?

      釋文 (2)

      (中左起右行):貞丁巳雨。

      譯文 (2)

      卜問,丁巳日下雨麼?

    • A divination on whether to report to the ancestors on the fall infestation and also whether it would rain.
  •  
    • 釋文

      (下至上右起左行)
      貞[我]不[其]受黍[年]。
      貞勿令侯歸。
      貞我受黍年。
      貞令侯歸。
      貞我不其受稻年。
      侑于妣庚。
      貞我受稻年。
      侑于妣。
      貞勿令侯歸。

      此骨片有四組卜辭。

      譯文 (1)

      卜問,我商王國會得到黍子的好收成麼?
      卜問,我商王國不會得到黍子的好收成麼?

      譯文 (2)

      卜問,我商王國會得到稻子的好收成麼?
      卜問,我商王國不會得到稻子的好收成麼?

      譯文 (3)

      卜問,命令諸侯名者歸來麼?
      卜問,不命令諸侯名者歸來麼?

      譯文 (4)

      行侑求之祭于先妣名妣庚者麼?
      行侑求之祭于先妣[庚]?

    • There are four groups of inscriptions in this piece of oracle bone, addressing the questions whether
      (1) Shang territory would have good harvest;
      (2) to command the officer, named Chang, to return; and
      (3) it would be appropriate to hold rituals named “侑” to offer sacrifice to the deceased mother of Shang King.
  •  
    • 釋文

      (下至上左起右行)
      貞侑于唐。
      貞侑于父甲犬卯羊。
      貞不其雨。
      貞勿侑。
      雨。
      貞侑于大甲。
      ……卜,亙,貞……在牛。

      譯文 (1)

      卜問,行侑祭于先祖神唐麼?
      卜問,行侑祭于先祖神父甲,
      用犬及對剖的羊為犧牲麼?
      卜問,不行侑祭麽?
      卜問,行侑祭于先祖神大甲麼?

      譯文 (2)

      卜問下雨麽?(字考釋未有定論,一說為修飾「雨」的詞語 。)
      雨麼?

      譯文 (3)

      ……日占卜,貞人亙問卦,卜問在的牛。

    • There are three groups of inscriptions on this piece of oracle bone, addressing the questions
      (1) whether it would be appropriate to hold rituals named “侑”to offer dog and sheep sacrifice to the ancestors Tang, Fujia and Taijia;
      (2) whether it would rain; and
      (3) how’s the ox in “” (a place).