吉凶 Lucky and Bad Omens auspicious[:^lucky] [and] unlucky[:^bad_^omens]
有鴉{a:集庭樹}。{b:引頸而鳴}。
There were (some) crows (who) flocked together (in a) court-yard (upon a) tree and cawed (lit. sang) stretching (their) necks.
be[:^there_were] [some] crow[s] [who] flock[ed]_together [in a] courtyard [upon a] tree [and] 2stretch 4[their] neck[s] 3and[:~ing] 1sing (caw[ed]).
{c:兒叱之}。
(A) boy hooted at them.
[A] boy hoot[ed]_at them.
父曰。是何害。
(His) father asked (lit. said), "What (is) the harm (in) this?"
[His] father speak[:asked], "2[in] this ^what 1[is the] harm?"
兒曰。常聞人言。鵲鳴吉。鴉鳴凶。
(The) boy said, "(I) have often heard people say (that when a) magpie chatters, (it brings) good luck, (and when a) crow caws, (it brings) bad luck.
[The] boy speak[:said], "[I have] frequent[:often] hear[d] person[:people] say [that when a] magpie sing[:chatters], [it is] auspicious[:good_luck], [and when a] crow sing[:caws], [it is] unlucky[:bad_luck].
今{d:鳴者}{e:鴉也}。故叱之。
Today the crows have been cawing, therefore I have hooted at them."
now[:Today] 4[are] sing[ing] 3that_which[:that] 2[the] crow[s] 1final_particle[:it_is], therefore [I have] hoot[ed]_at them."
父曰。{f:人之智識}。{g:遠勝於鳥}。
The father said, "Man's knowledge and experience (are) much higher than (those of) birds,
[The] father speak[:said], "^man of[:~'s] wisdom-know (knowledge_and_experience) [are] distant[:much] excel[:higher] than [those of] bird[s].
尚不能預知吉凶。
Yet he cannot foresee good luck and ill luck.
still[:Yet] [he] 2[~]not 1be_able[:can] beforehand-know (foresee) auspicious[:good_luck] [and] unlucky[:ill_luck].
而況鳥乎。
Still more the birds are not able to do it."
and-still_more (^still_more) [the] bird[s] [are not able to do it] exclamatory_particle (~\!) [\"]
"Flocked together (upon a) tree (in a) courtyard".
The use of the prepositions "upon" and "in" can be easily deduced from the connection; while in the spoken version of the story the prepositions are clearly indicated:
聚在院內樹上
This simple example demonstrates to what extent the written style differs from the spoken language. The latter created for hearing and having comparatively poor phonetic reserve, must inevitably have recourse to more complicated combinations. The written style, which takes into account the eyesight of the reader, can express any conception in a much shorter and laconical way leaving, the reader to deduce the meaning from the connection or by the aid of various particles which play a very important part in the written language.
The characters 引頸 with the aid of 而 (whose literary meaning here is "and") form a complement to the verb 鳴, answering to the question: "how?" "in what way?"
In what way did the crows caw? "Stretching their necks," or — "with stretched necks".
Similar examples.
背理而行to act contrary to right.不思而得to get without thinking (of it).不嚴而治to govern without severity.
Here 之 is a pronoun; "them".
In this case 者 gives a participial force to the preceding verb: "singing", or, "those who sing".
Similar examples.
知者不言。言者不知也。Those who know do not speak; those who speak do not know.知之者。不如好之者。Those who know it (之) (the virtue) are not equal to those who love it.有德者。必有言。有言者。不必有德。Those who have virtue are certain to be able to speak; those who can speak are not certain to have virtue.
"(Those who sing) are the crows."
In this case the final particle 也 marks the end of the sentence as it usually does.
Similar examples.
不知其仁也I do not know that he is benevolent我不信也I do not believe (it).
Sometimes 也 makes a pause in a sentence, and so gives emphasis to the preceding words, like:
學也祿在其中矣As to learning, (one's) salary may be found therein.耕也餒在其中矣As to ploughing, hunger is to be found therein.
Here 之 is used to express the possessive case: "man's knowledge and experience".
"much higher than (those of) birds."
Similar examples.
莫大於天there is nothing greater than God.水高於岸the water is higher than the bank.貴於銀more valuable than silver.