Today, let's talk about a rather mysterious Chinese character - "竝". This character appears in "竝车四peony", which is pronounced neither lì nor bīng, so what is the correct pronunciation of it?
Before revealing the answer, let's explore the connotation of the word "竝". "竝" means "and", and it depicts a scene in which two things are compared or compared to each other.
Imagine that in the ancient land of Chu, the drums of war were rumbling and the soldiers were fighting bravely to kill the enemy. However, when the war was lost, the Chu soldiers fled one after another, "the Chu soldiers are all dead, don't dare to weep", in this sad picture, the word "Zhu" conveys the meaning of "together" or "side by side", vividly showing the tragic scene of the Chu soldiers fleeing in despair, but no one dares to stop and cry side by side.
Now, let's go back to the original question, what is the correct pronunciation of "竝" in "竝车四peony"? The answer is – bìng! Yes, you heard it right, it's this seemingly ordinary pronunciation.
This character is a variant of "and" in ancient Chinese, which means parallel, juxtaposed.
In ancient times, people drove a luxurious vehicle with four horses driving side by side, called a "chariot". When these four horses gallop side by side, the spectacle can be imagined. And the word "Zhu" just conveys this juxtaposition and parallel artistic conception.
Regarding the pronunciation of "竝", many people may be confused. After all, this character is not common in everyday life, and its pronunciation is different from the word "and" that we are familiar with. But it is this difference that shows the richness and diversity of Chinese characters.
The phenomenon of polyphonic characters in Chinese characters is actually a kind of cultural accumulation. In the long course of history, due to the influence of regional, cultural, and customary factors, the same character may have multiple pronunciations. Behind these pronunciations, there is often a deep historical and cultural connotation.
Although the character "竝" is not used frequently in modern Chinese, it is an important carrier of ancient culture. Whenever we read this word, we might as well imagine the luxury caravan of four horses in ancient times, and feel the freedom and heroism of galloping in the vast world.
In addition, the character "Zhu" also carries the ancient people's pursuit of harmony and balance. In "The Four Peons", "Zhu" conveys an artistic conception of going hand in hand and moving forward together, which is not only a physical juxtaposition, but also a deeper reflection of people's yearning for a harmonious society.
At the same time, the character "Zhu" is also like a time tunnel, taking us back to ancient times and feeling the elegance of that era. Whenever we read this word, it is as if we can see the dusty ancient road, the luxury caravan of four horses galloping by, leaving a cloud of dust and amazement.