Why did ancient Chinese emperors call themselves zhen (朕) or guaren (寡人)? Research shows that the word zhen used to be a first-person pronoun. Before the Qin Dynasty, it meant “I” or “me” and everyone from farmers to state rulers could use it. The word can be found in books like Li Sao and Shi Jing.
However, when the state of Qin defeated all the other six states and unified China, Qinshihuang, the first emperor in Chinese history, changed how this word could be used. He made it a rule that the word zhen could only be used by the emperor himself. Since then, it has been kept only for rulers.
Chinese emperors also called themselves guaren, In ancient China, emperors regarded themselves as the “Sons of Heaven”, and believed they had a “Mandate of Heaven” to rule. However, if the “Son of Heaven” was found to have poor morals (德行), they would lose the mandate, So, the rulers used the phrase guaren or guadezhiren, meaning “a person who doesn’t have morality”. In this way, they could show their modesty (谦虚). In Chinese culture, people should not talk proudly about their own abilities and beliefs. Modesty is seen as a virtue (美德). Ancient rulers hoped to win people’s hearts by calling themselves guaren.
However, historical records show that guaren lost its popularity after the Tang Dynasty. The emperors of the following dynasties used zhen more often.
【小题1】Why does the writer start the passage with a question?
| A．To attract (吸引) readers’ interest. | B．To describe a famous person. |
| C．To help readers understand an idea. | D．To tell the background of the writer. |
【小题2】What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
| A．The state of Qin. | B．Chinese history. | C．The word zhen. | D．The phrase guaren. |
【小题3】Why did Chinese emperors call themselves guaren?
| A．Because they were lonely. | B．Because they had poor morals. |
| C．Because they were sons of heaven. | D．Because they wanted to win people’s hearts. |
【小题4】Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．Before the Qin Dynasty, zhen meant “I” or “me” and only rulers could use it. |
| B．In ancient China, emperors regarded themselves as the “Sons of Heaven”. |
| C．In Chinese culture, people should talk proudly about their abilities and beliefs. |
| D．Historical records show that guaren was still popular after the Tang Dynasty. |
【小题5】In which part of a magazine can you read the text?
| A．Art. | B．History. | C．Sports. | D．Science. |
