Page 1 of 1

The Naming of Phantom River Stone | Translation Analysis

PostPosted: Sat Mar 18, 2017 10:53 am
by Switch
The mysterious mirrors that lie at the heart of the Shenmue mystery were crafted from a substance with an equally mysterious-sounding name: "Phantom River stone".

Now, although its name is Phantom River stone in the English Shenmue games, in fact this differs slightly from the Japanese name in the games.

Image

This post looks at what it is called in the Japanese version of Shenmue.

http://www.phantomriverstone.com/2017/0 ... stone.html

Re: The Naming of Phantom River Stone | Translation Analysis

PostPosted: Sun Mar 19, 2017 2:00 pm
by sand4fish
Looking at the Chinese characters, my girlfriend told me it's a real stone. It's commonly known as inkstones, but your analysis is spot on as it was known also known as "Tao River Greenstone". The stone was commonly used as a rubbing tool for calligraphy and paintings dyes, dating back to 7000 years ago!

I found an entire article about it here:
Tao Inkstone

  Tao Yan has a long history, is one of the four famous inkstone, Tao Yan all called "Tao River stone Yan" or "Tao River Greenstone." Due to Yan material produced by the Tao River, Tao River from the ancient Taozhou, named "Tao River stone Yan", is now China's Gansu Province, Lintan County Taohe Township, under the Gansu Province Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Zhuo Ni County, the township People are almost to Tao Yan for the survival of the living, and Guangdong's Duan Yan, Jiangxi She Yan par, there are "Taozhou Shi Gui Shuang Zhao wall", "Duanzhou state without this color" reputation. At the beginning of the Tang, flourishing in the Ming and Qing, has been 1,300 years of history.
  As early as the Song Dynasty before the fine texture, elegant color and famous. Become the ancient literati Mo Shi fight for things. The Northern Song Dynasty famous connoisseur Zhao Xi-ruo in the "Dongtian Qinglu set" said that China's Yan material "in addition to the end, She two stone, but Taohe Greenstone, the most expensive in the north. Green as blue, Run Ruyu, Creek rock ... ... was priceless. " Northern Song Dynasty poet, calligrapher Huang Tingjian also poem said: "Taozhou green stone with wind Yi, can be quenching pen sharp as a cone." According to legend, the ancient scholars have Tao Tao and Taizhou seekers. Tao Yan Song dynasty has been known throughout the country, according to legend, the early Song that some people from the Lintan, Lintao near the Tao River River quarry system Yan. Later, due to the proliferation of Tao River, river diversion, quarry can not find a place. Southern Song Zhao Xi Hu "ancient Yan discernment" wrote: "In addition to the end of She two stone, the only Taohe green stone north of the most valuable, green, such as blue, Run Ruyu, hair can not reduce the end of the river rock, rock in the Lintao River Deep water at the end of non - human, due to the priceless treasure, the old legend, although know Tao Yan, then unobtrusive.
  Ancient literati, scholars, painters and Taoists on Tao Yan Fu Ming poetry, amazed. Tang Dynasty big calligrapher Liu Gongquan "on Yan" recorded: "Yin Yan to Qingzhou as the first, Jiangzhou second, after the beginning, She, Lintao." Northern Song Dynasty famous connoisseur Zhao Xiwo in the "hole days Qinglu set" "China's Yan material in addition to the end, She two stone, but Taohe green stone, the most expensive in the north. Green as blue, Run Ruyu, hair can not reduce the end of the river rock ... ... was priceless." Su Dongpo exclaimed: "Painting the grind, hair iron and iron, cut and Hong, strong Ze." Calligrapher Huang Tingjian also poem said: "long heard Minshan duck head green, can be grinding Guixi Long Wen knives, "He used the male duck head green fine hair to describe the color of the magnificent Tao Yan, very appropriateness, duck green from the Tao as a synonym for this."

Tao Yan
  Taoist, scientific name "diabase", common name "water diagenesis", is a kind of sedimentary rock, is the crustal rock through biological changes, the earthquake lava after the impact of the formation of rock in the water. Tao Shiying Run Ruyu, buckle the silent, Oh can be out of the water, green as the representative color. Stone can be divided into God, very, Jane, wonderful, to five times. Green and blue, with clear black water ripples and with a yellow standard, is the best; color green display of the "green Yi stone" for the treasures; muddy green pure "fen green stone" and green see dark spots "湔 ink point "and the green point of cinnabar" willow green "for the wonderful goods; folder with copper stars flawed black stains of the water stone for the goods.
  The production of Tao Yan Tao Tao there are several, one is the duck head green, also known as "green Yi stone", color green, with water-like lines, stone compact, shiny jade, is Tao stone top grade. Such as in the green lines mixed with yellow traces, the more expensive. Second, the parrot green, dark green color, stone fine run, which with a dark "湔 ink point" of the favorite. Three is the willow green, green and with cinnabar point, stone hard. Four is light green Taoist, with the characteristics of water seepage slowly. Referred to as "Tao Yan". Tao Tao stone produced with Tao Yan, the quality of Kennedy and fine, shiny Ruoyu, buckle the silent, Oh out of the water. Used to make ink, water consumption is not consumption, the calendar is not cold, astringent does not leave the pen, slip does not refuse ink, with ink fast, research ink fine, no damage cents, swaying shades, handy and so on. Tao Yan in addition to the fine stone quality and the advantages of brilliant colors, but also because of numerous ink, carved fine.
  In recent years, Tao Yan's processing production in Lintao Risheng. Tao Yan, the traditional folk art in Lintao with the scale of production, inherited the tradition of bold innovation, greatly improving the ornamental and practical, become domestic and foreign calligraphy and painting enthusiasts and collectors of the treasure of things.



http://www.cflac.org.cn/gymssy/ctgyms/c ... 93666.html


Image

Image


Re: The Naming of Phantom River Stone | Translation Analysis

PostPosted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 3:00 am
by Switch
Fascinating that a stone with this name actually exists! I just learned about it from comment by yuc02 on the blog. It's appearance, high value and the long history behind it all seem to fit in with the Shenmue story (except for it being found in Gansu province rather than Guilin). If there's a chance sometime to ask Yu Suzuki it would be interesting to hear how he came up with this name for the stone.

Re: The Naming of Phantom River Stone | Translation Analysis

PostPosted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 2:03 pm
by yuc02
https://www.taobao.com/article/ASEREbEOE3GwEUDy.html

Some mirror designs using the stone - they're not cheap ($1 is roughly 7 Chinese RMB)!