Divination and Astronomy:A New Historical Interpretation of Ancient Divination

[Russia]S.V.Zinin, Translated by Hu Shixiong

Abstract: This article describes the current status of Western scholars'studies on ancient Chinese divination.The article argues that divination is an activity that was held in ancient times when important events occurred, but its importance in ideological culture has not received enough attention by researchers.Meanwhile in recent years there has been boom of relevant research in the west.The article explicated that although both natural and social phenomena were listed as portents, they received different preference when recorded by ancient Chinese official history. There are many types of specific divination methods, and there are official and folk differences. New archaeological discoveries continue to enrich people's understanding of ancient divination.

Keywords: divination; portents; Book of Changes; correlative thinking

[C.B．濟寧，俄羅斯科學院東方學研究所研究員。參考文獻編撰者C.B．濟寧、A.И．科布傑夫，俄羅斯科學院東方學研究所研究員。譯者胡世雄，四川外國語大學重慶南方翻譯學院教授]