High school students must learn classical Chinese poems

Author: Xu Yuanchong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-10-01
Features: As the saying goes, "Familiarity with a thousand poems will make one sing even without writing," and another saying goes, "Reading ten thousand volumes will make one write as if inspired by the gods." All of these emphasize the importance of accumulating language through reading and recitation. Given this, the New Chinese Language Teaching Syllabus issued by the Ministry of Education requires primary school students to recite 80 classical Chinese poems, while junior and senior high school students must recite 50 each. Although the recitation task may seem burdensome, it is also very meaningful. If primary and secondary school students recite earnestly and persistently, they will benefit greatly. Not only can their writing and oral expression skills be improved, but it also holds significant guidance for how to conduct oneself in life. This is one of the reasons for publishing this series.
The second reason is that with the acceleration of China's opening-up, the demand for foreign language proficiency among the Chinese people is becoming increasingly high. Some primary schools that have the conditions now already offer foreign language courses. Adolescence is the period of peak memory in life. Reciting and memorizing some poems and their translations during this time will be remembered for a long time and bring lifelong benefits. Therefore, we have invited the renowned translator Xu Yuanchong to translate the poems required by the Ministry of Education's Chinese Language Teaching Syllabus into English, so that primary and secondary school students can learn English while studying Chinese poems. At the same time, this series can also be used by adults to learn English through classical Chinese poems, as well as by foreign students to study Chinese classical poetry and understand Chinese culture.
Xu Yuanchong is a famous translator and a professor at Peking University. He studied abroad at the University of Paris and has published over 50 works and translations in Chinese, English, and French. The translations in this series respect the original texts, are accurate and fluent, and follow the rhyme scheme, effectively conveying the musical beauty, aesthetic form, and profound meaning of classical Chinese poetry. If readers can recite or even memorize these poems and their translations, it will greatly benefit their reading and comprehension of classical Chinese poetry. At the same time, it will also improve their English expression skills.