Exemplarious translation of Explaining Simple and Analyzing Compound Characters

１上．【 [一]】惟初太始道立于一。造分天地，化成万物。凡一之属皆从一。于悉切。【 [弌]】古文一。

1A. Unity : It is, that the start of the Great Begin of the Way is based upon Unity. It divides Heaven and Earth and forms the ten thousand creations. All things related to "one" have the 一 as part of the character (元、天、丕、吏). Pronounced like Y- and -I (yi). 弌 is an old character for 一.

【 [天]】颠也。至高无上。从一、大。他前切。

Heaven (tian): is the summit (dian). The highest point where nothing can mount above. The character is compounded of "one" and "great". Prounounced like T- and -IAN (tian).

【 [上]】高也。此古文上。指事也。凡上之属皆从上。时掌切。【 】篆文上。

Above: is high. It is the old character for 上, character type "pointing to situation". All things related to "above" have the 上 as part of their character (帝、旁、下). Pronounced like SH- and -ANG (shang). is the Small Seal script character for 上.

【 [帝]】谛也。王天下之号也。从上、朿声。都计切。【 】古文帝。古文诸上字皆从一，篆文皆从二。【二】古文上字。辛、示、辰、龙、童、音、章，皆从古文上。

Emperor (di): is careful (di). Denomination for the true ruler of the earth. Deriving from "above" and the sound of 朿 ce or qi. Pronounced like D- and I (di). is an old character for 帝. All old style characters with the radical 上 are written with a simple stroke 一, the Small Seal style characters with a double stroke 二. 二 is an old character for 上. The following characters are written with the old style 上: xin (a celestial stem), shi (showing), chen (an earthly branch), long (dragon), tong (young), yin (sound) and zhang (stanza).

８上．【 [人]】天地之性最贵者也。此籀文象臂胫之形。凡人之属皆从人。如邻切。

8A. Man: the worthiest of all the beings between Heaven and Earth. This is the Large Seal character depicting of a man with arms and legs. All things related to man have the 人 as part of their character. Pronounced like R- and -IN (ren).

【 [老]】考也。七十曰老。从人、毛、匕，言须发变白也。凡老之属皆从老。卢皓切。

Old: aged. Seventy years is old. Compounded of the characters for man, hair and change, saying that beard and hair becoming white. All things related to old age have the 老 as part of their character (like 耆、壽、孝). Pronounced like L- and -AO (lao).

【 [考]】老也。从老省、ㄎ声。苦浩切。