Not long after the official publication of the Guodian Chumu zhujian郭店楚墓竹簡, bamboo texts excavated from the burial grounds of the Chu capital dating back to the Warring States period戰國時代 have been and will continue to be published in the form of a series of books entitled Shanghai bowuguan cang Zhanguo Chu zhushu (vol.1- vol.6)上海博物館藏戰國楚竹書（冊一至冊六）(Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe, 2001- ). According to Ma Chengyuan馬承源, Editor of the series, these slips totaled 1,200 pieces and featured over 35,000 characters, and most of the ancient texts inscribed thereon are rare and of great value.
My study focuses on the second volume of the series, which was published at the end of 2002 and consists of six chapters: Min zhi fu mu民之父母, Zi gao子羔, Lu bang da han魯邦大旱, Cong zheng從政, Xi zhe jun lao昔者君老, and Rong cheng shi容成氏. Although it includes a complete transcription of the bamboo texts and provides full explanatory notes, the work is still far from satisfactory. The present dissertation attempts to rectify the errors in the official decipherments, readings and interpretations of the bamboo texts, and to settle some lingening and entangling disputes amongst scholars, so that the original meanings of the texts can be brought to light. It is also hoped that the profound cultural and historical significance of these unearthed documents can be revealed and recognized.
My study focuses on the second volume of the series, which was published at the end of 2002 and consists of six chapters: Min zhi fu mu民之父母, Zi gao子羔, Lu bang da han魯邦大旱, Cong zheng從政, Xi zhe jun lao昔者君老, and Rong cheng shi容成氏. Although it includes a complete transcription of the bamboo texts and provides full explanatory notes, the work is still far from satisfactory. The present dissertation attempts to rectify the errors in the official decipherments, readings and interpretations of the bamboo texts, and to settle some lingening and entangling disputes amongst scholars, so that the original meanings of the texts can be brought to light. It is also hoped that the profound cultural and historical significance of these unearthed documents can be revealed and recognized.
