How to Read Chinese Prose in Chinese: A Course in Classical Chinese

"This book serves as the Chinese language learner's version of our How to Read Chinese Prose: A Guided Anthology. Here, the editors present 40 prose texts (excerpts or full) in the original over thirty-four lessons, organized by genre into eight units. The sequence of these units reflects the successive emergence of eight major prose genres, while the lessons in each unit showcase that genre's prominent achievements through different historical periods. Readers of this book will gain exposure to the richlegacy of Chinese prose, with additional insight that comes from approaching texts in their original language. Comprehension and appreciation of selected texts is aided by notes on their historical and cultural contexts as well as by commentaries on their unique artistic features. These literary commentaries are provided by twelve contributors, all experts on individual prose genres. Famous, oft-quoted idioms and remarks are highlighted by shading and should be learned by heart"--
This book is at once a guided introduction to Chinese nonfictional prose and an innovative textbook for the study of classical Chinese. It is a companion volume to How to Read Chinese Prose: A Guided Anthology, designed for Chinese-language learners.How to Read Chinese Prose in Chinese presents more than forty prose works, either excerpts or in full, from antiquity through the Qing dynasty. While teaching readers how to appreciate the rich tradition of Chinese prose in its original form, the book uses these texts to introduce classical Chinese to advanced learners, helping them develop reading comprehension and vocabulary. It offers a systematic guide to classical Chinese grammar and abundant notes on vocabulary, and features an extensive network of notes, exercises, and cross-references. The book includes modern translations of the forty prose works in simplified Chinese, presented alongside the original texts in traditional Chinese. It also includes expert commentaries on each text’s distinctive aesthetic qualities as well as historical and cultural contexts.The book comprises thirty-eight lessons within eight units, organized chronologically to reflect the emergence of major prose genres. It is a major contribution to the teaching and study of classical Chinese language and literature.Audio recordings of all forty texts are available online free of charge.
This book is at once a guided introduction to Chinese nonfictional prose and an innovative textbook for the study of classical Chinese. It is a companion volume to How to Read Chinese Prose: A Guided Anthology, designed for Chinese-language learners.