Доклады Международного конгресса ИИСАА. Т. 1

III. Far East, South and South-East Asia / Дальний Восток, Южная и Юго-Восточная Азия Доклады Международного конгресса по источниковедению и историографии стран Азии и Африки. Т. 1. 2020 583 人生四大，地水火風 1 。 In human life there are “four greats”: Earth, Water, Fire, Air. 茶不得水，作何相貌？ Tea without Water, what does it look like? 酒不得水，作甚形容？ Wine without Water, what form does it take? 米曲幹吃，損人腸胃，茶片幹吃，礪破喉嚨。 Eat wine’s raw materials dry — you will tear your stomach and intestines. Eat dry tea leaves — you will hurt your throat. 萬物 2 須水，五穀 3 之宗。 Ten thousand [things] need Water. [Water] is the basis of five cereals. 上應幹象，下順吉凶。 Above [I] am a heavenly sign, below I can bring happiness or misfortune. 江河淮濟 4 ，有我即通。 The Yangzi, Huanghe, Huaihe and Jishui rivers, it is I who causes them to flow. 亦能漂蕩天地，亦能涸殺魚龍。 I can flood Heaven and Earth, I can torment fish and dragons with thirst. 堯時 5 九年災跡，只緣我在其中。 In Yao’s time, nine years [people fought] a flood, and I [Water], am one of the causes [of disasters]. 1 In China, the expression 四大 si da (“the four greats”) has a very wide scope and applies to many areas of culture. In this context, Water indicates that it stands among the four primary elements that form the human world, thereby emphasizing its importance. 2 The wording 萬物 wanwu literally means “ten thousand items”, but in most cases it translates to “all things”. 3 See the above comment on the term 五穀 wugu (“five cereals”) . 4 The expression 江河淮濟 jiang he huai ji implies the notion of 四瀆 si du — the four main rivers of ancient China: Yangzi, Huanghe, Huaihe and Jishui which provided water resources and allowed full-fledged agricultural activities within the territory of the ancient states of the Zhanguo period (5th century BC — 221 BC). 5 One of the ancient mythical rulers of China, 大禹 Da Yu (Great Yu), showed his talents and energy under Emperor Yao when he managed to return the waters that flooded the Earth to their former borders.