Mu Tianzi Zhuan - Sino-Platonic Papers

YU Taishan, “The Communication Lines between East and West as Seen in the Mu Tianzi Zhuan”
Sino-Platonic Papers, 197 (January, 2010)
4.13.6 “Turning northeast to Mount Qunyu by the northern range of Mount Chong and
from Mount Qunyu to the state of the Queen Mother of the West [the distance] was 3,000 li.” It
is suggested that after the reference “截舂山以北” (by the northern range of Mount Chong), the
three characters “七百里” (700 li) were missed. 69
疑衍。
4.13.7 “□自西王母之邦北至于曠原之野,飛鳥之所解其羽,千有九百里”。此“□”
4.13.7 “From the state of the Queen Mother to the vast plain on the north, where the birds
scattered their feathers was 1,900 li.” The character “□” is possibly redundant.
4.13.8 “□宗周于西北大曠原,萬四千里”。“□”,可能是“自”字。
4.13.8 “From Zong Zhou to the big vast plain on the northwest was 14,000 li.” The
character “□” is possibly “自” (from).
4.13.9 “乃還,東南復至于陽紆,七千里”。“東南”云云,可能指自文山經焚畱之山
至陽紆的行程。
4.13.9 “Turning southeast back to Mount Yangyu was 7,000 li.” The reference
“southeast” and so on possibly describes the journey to Mount Yangyu from Mount Wen via
Mount Fenliu.
4.13.10 “還歸于周,三千里”。指自陽紆之山至宗周洛邑。
4.13.10 “Returning to the city of Zhou was 3,000 li.” This describes the journey to the
Luoyi of Zong Zhou from Mount Yangyu.
4.13.11 “各行兼數,二萬有五千里”。“二萬有五千里”,約而言之,上述里數之和實
爲二萬四千里。 70
4.13.11 “The total extent of the various routes was [about] 25,000 li.” The “25,000 li” is
an approximate value. In fact, the sum of the above distance is 24,000 li. 70
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