中国四大古典名著
hóng lóu mèng
红楼梦
The Dream of the Red Chamber
The Dream of the Red Chamber is also called “The story of the Stone (Shitouji )”, this novel written by Cao Xueqin (d. 1763) is said to be the greatest masterpiece of Chinese fiction. The frame of the novel is the contest of a Buddhist and a Daoist priest who make be born a young noble boy called Jia Baoyu and his girl cousin Lin Daiyu. With a loving detail describing the life of the two cousins in a huge noble mansion, between gardens and palaces, the red thread is the triangular love between Baoyu, Daiyu and a second girl cousin called Xue Baochai that is of plumper character than the ever sick Daiyu.
Switching between their life, the divine world and dreams, Baoyu becomes deranged after the disappearance of a stone(the origin of the second title) he had in his mouth when he was born. Not knowing, his love Daiyu died, he is tricked to marrying Baochai. Becoming aware of being tricked, Baoyu leaves the world of the “red dust” and becomes a monk. With hundreds of persons and their stories, paralleling the life and feelings of servants to the life of the main persons, the story is very complex and full of symbolisms, but very interesting and convincing for its encyclopedic character, depicting the life of a noble family in the 18th century in Qing Dynastry
shuǐ hǔ zhuàn
水浒传
Outlaws of the Marsh
Outlaws of the Marsh has drawn material from a real peasant uprising in the 12th century, at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty. Like a scalpel or purifier, the peasant uprising can infuse new life into a society whose superstructure is deteriorating. A merit of Outlaws of the Marsh is that it praises a peasant uprising and vividly represents a grandiose social upheaval.
One knows the North Song Dynasty (XIIIth Century) lived its apogee and declined, a victim of corruption and decadence. One finds historical traces of these outlaws who challenged the imperial authority and died under the executioner’s blade.
Everyone recognizes that Jin Sheng-tan, during the XVIIth century, published what is now famous as the original version of a novel that obtained the interest and infatuation of successive generations.
Water Margin or Outlaws of the Marsh (“All men are brothers”in Pearl Buck’s translation) is an immortal novel because its tale is universal : It speaks of beings (outlaws but also notables, strong muscled heroes but also intellectual, anarchists but also philosophers...) who cannot bear injustice or abuse or arbitrariness.
sān guó yǎn yì
三国演义
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of The three Kingdoms is one of the great Chinese classics and is compiled into a semi-fictional literary masterpiece during the Ming Dynasty by Luo Guanzhong. The novel comprises around seventy percent fact and twenty percent fiction. That period in history can be said as the golden age of chivalry and although it happened more than 1700 years ago, characters such as Liu Bei, Cao Cao, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhuge Liang have become household names among the chinese. Tales of their exploits, courage, adventures and many more are told in the novel “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”.
It is one of the most turbulent periods in China’s history taking place toward the end of the Han Dynasty where corruption is rampant in the imperial court due to eunuchs holding power. Coupled with natural disasters such as floods, plague and locust swarms devouring the crops grown by the peasants, hunger and dissatisfaction among the peasants soon escalated rapidly until a major rebellion known as the “Yellow Scarves Rebellion” led by Zhang Jiao broke out. (It was dubbed “Yellow Scarves”because the rebels tied a yellow scarf on their head). Initially just a small band of rebels, due to widespread hunger and ill-sentiment among the populace, swarms of common folks joined in the rebellion across many parts of the country.
xī yóu jì
西游记
Pilgrimage to the West
Pilgrimage to the West is a mythological novel based on many centuries of popular tradition. Originally published anonymously in the 1590s during the Ming Dynasty, its authorship has been ascribed to the scholar Wu Cheng’en since the 20th century.
This lively fantasy relates the amazing adventures of the priest San-zang as he travels west in search of Buddhist sutras with his three disciples, the irreverent and capable Monkey, greedy Pig, and Friar Sand. The opening chapters recount the earlier exploits of Monkey, culminating in his rebellion against Heaven. We then learn how Sanzang became a monk and was sent on his pilgrimage by the Tang emperor who had escaped death with the help of an Underworld official.
The main story, the journey, takes the priest through all kinds of entertaining trials and tribulations, mainly at the hands of monsters and spirits who want to eat him. Only the courage and powers of his disciples, especially Monkey, save him from death.
Monkey is the hero of the fantasy, and the reader will soon learn why he has long been so loved in China. Will the pilgrims reach the Vulture Peak and obtain the Scriptures? The answer will only be found at the end of the lOO-chapter novel.