Publication details
Sex-related Expression or Vulgarism? On the Occurrences of the Word 㒲 in Two Main Editions of Jin Ping Mei.
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | This article focuses on the analysis of the term ? (cái) in the classic Chinese novel Jin Ping Mei, which is known for its explicit sex scenes. The author examines the differences in the use of this term between the two main versions of the text, the cihua (Wanli) and xiuxiang (Chongzhen) editions, noting that the term appears twice more in the former edition then in the latter. The term ? is primarily used in the novel as a verb that denotes the explicit sexual meaning, but it also appears in other contexts where it does not refer to sexual activity, thus fully utilizing its secondary vulgar attribute (being a vulgarism) in order to scold, swear or abuse. The article also includes a discussion of how and why some occurrences of this expression were removed from the xiuxiang version, and offers a small glossary of possible translation solutions. The author also opens a debate on the concept of "sexual being simultaneously vulgar," a phenomenon present in most languages of the world. |