A Study On The Diplomats And Their Parlance In Zuo Zhuan

As the classical example of historical literature, Zuo Zhuan fully demonstrated the diplomatic activities and parlance of the diplomats in the Spring and Autumn Period. This paper focuses on this phenomenon, and it includes four chapters.In the first chapter, we analyzed the background and the main creative body of the appearance of the diplomats'diplomatic parlance in the Spring and Autumn Period, namely, the fundamental condition of the diplomats in that time. In the Spring and Autumn Period, the royal power declined, warlords fought with each other, the weak ones were the prey of the strong. For his own benefits, the king of each vassal state sent the diplomats to negotiate with other states usually, and this made the diplomats the most active group.The second chapter discussed the qualities which the Spring and Autumn'diplomats should posses. Understanding the rituals and politeness, knowing and writing poetry, being impartial and eloquently were the basic qualities that the Spring and Autumn'diplomats should possess.The third chapter disserted the beauty of the diplomatic parlance of Spring and Autumn's diplomats. In this chapter, not only we analyzed the rhetoric such as antithesis, quotation, rhetorical question, parallelism, climax, simile and catchword repetition etc; but also pointed out kinds of negotiation skills the diplomats possessed.The last chapter discussed the thought and parlance of the representative of the Spring and Autumn'diplomats----Zi Chan (who lived in Zheng vassal state). It elaborated the legendary and hard-working life of Zi Chan as thinker, politician and diplomats.