Classical Chinese Reading Examples

Author: Wu Xiaoru
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-07-01
Features: Wu Xiaoru, also known by his given name Wu Tongbao, was originally from Maolin, Jing County, Anhui Province. He was born on September 8, 1922, in Harbin. Scholar, Professor of the History Department at Peking University.
Wu Xiaoru moved with his father to Beijing in 1932 and attended Private Huwen Primary School from 1932 to 1934. He graduated from Private Yuying Primary School in 1935. From 1935 to 1936, he enrolled in Private Yuying Middle School and participated in the "December 9th Movement." As his father returned to his alma mater, Nankai University, to teach in 1935, Wu Xiaoru transferred to Tianjin Nankai Middle School (Grade 8) in the autumn of 1936. The following July, with the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan, his family moved to Tianjin's concession, and he was out of school for a year. In 1938, he entered Tianjin Private Industrial and Commercial High School with a comparable academic background and graduated in 1941, enrolling in the Accounting and Finance department of Private Industrial and Commercial College.
In 1943, he taught at several schools, including Private Dawen Middle School, Zhidu Middle School, and Shengong Girls' School in Tianjin. After the war ended in 1945, he reenrolled in university, entering the College of Liberal Arts at Private Yanjing University, though he left shortly thereafter. In the summer of 1946, he enrolled as a transfer student into the third year of Tsinghua University's Department of Chinese Language and Literature, having completed two years of commerce studies. In 1947, he transferred to the third year of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Peking University, graduating in 1949.
From 1949 to 1951, he served as a lecturer at the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Tianjin Jigu University. In the autumn of 1951, he joined the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Yanjing University as an assistant. In 1952, during the nationwide merger and adjustment of higher education institutions, he remained at Peking University as a lecturer, a position he held for nearly 30 years. His main teaching focus was the history of Chinese literature, and he also offered courses such as the history of Chinese fiction, the history of Chinese opera, the history of Chinese poetry, classical poetry and prose, and more. In 1980, he was promoted to professor. At the end of 1982, he joined the Center for the Study of Chinese Medieval History at Peking University and retired in 1991. In February 1992, he was appointed as a member of the Central Research Institute of Chinese Classics. He also served as a professor at the History Department of Peking University, a member of the Chinese Writers' Association, an advisor to the Chinese Calligraphy Association, and a standing editor of Yanjing Review.
In 1953, he joined the Jiu San Society at Peking University. In his spare time, he volunteered to edit Wen Shi (Literary and Historical Studies) for the Commercial Press for a year (1980–1981). His hobbies include Chinese opera (especially Peking opera) and calligraphy. Wu Xiaoru is a prolific author. His first book, A Talk on Chinese Fiction and Other Works, was published in 1955. Later, he published Sketches on Classical Fiction and Collected Essays on Chinese Fiction, co-authored with others. He has also written specialized essays on dialogue novels, martial arts novels, satirical novels, and legal novels. His works on Chinese opera include Words from the Audience, Comprehensive Discussion on the Schools of Peking Opera's Leading Male Roles, and Wu Xiaoru's Collected Writings on Chinese Opera (which won the Peking University Outstanding Cultural Works Award). His research on classical poetry and prose has been highly acclaimed, with works such as Notes on Poetry and Prose, Exercises and Appreciation of Classical Poetry, and An Outline of Classical Poetry and Prose. Other publications include Selected Readings in Classical Prose and Strolls in the Book Corridor.
Additionally, his comprehensive works include Notes on Reading, published in both Hong Kong and Beijing, which are highly regarded for their insightful perspectives. Another notable work is An Overview of Chinese Literary and Historical Reference Books, also published in both Hong Kong and Beijing and well-received. Recent publications include Contemporary Scholars' Self-Selected Works—Wu Xiaoru Volume, Notes from Sha Zhai, Reminiscences of Yesterday and Today, Claps on Reading, Traces of the Heart and Lotus, and A Collection of Common Discussions.