Classics Stop

Author: Wu Chucai (Qing), Wu Diao Hou, Ran Wanli (Annotations)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-12-01
Features: No one among humans is not greedy for life and averse to death, remembering their parents, caring for their wives and children. Those who are deeply moved by righteousness are different, for they are driven by necessity. Now, I am, having lost my parents early and having no brothers, standing alone and isolated. How do you, Xiaoqing, view me in comparison to my wife and children? Moreover, the brave do not necessarily die for their principles, and the timid, if they admire righteousness, can be encouraged everywhere! Although I am timid and wish to, I have a fair understanding of the distinction between right and wrong. How could I sink into the humiliation of prison? Moreover, even the lowly slaves and maids can still take their own lives. How much more so am I in my? The reason I endure and, remaining in the filth and mire without complaint, is that I regret not having fulfilled my private desires, and that my rusticity and lack of literary talent will not be celebrated by future generations. In the past, the rich and noble often faded into oblivion, their names forgotten, countless in number. Only the extraordinary and unconventional ones are remembered. The Western King was imprisoned and thus expounded the 《I Ching》； Confucius was in dire straits and wrote the 《Spring and Autumn Annals》； Qu Yuan was exiled and composed the 《Li Sao》； Zuo Qiuming lost his sight and authored the 《Records of the States》； Sun Tzu lost his foot and compiled the 《Art of War》； Li Buwei was exiled to Shu and the 《Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals》 was passed down; Han Feizi was imprisoned in Qin and wrote the 《Sayings of Difficulties》 and 《Solitary Anguish》； the 《Three Hundred Poems》 were largely composed by the sages and scholars in their moments of frustration. These individuals all had grievances that could not be expressed, unable to realize their ideals, so they recounted the past and reflected on the future. As for Zuo Qiuming, being blind, and Sun Tzu, having his foot amputated, they were ultimately useless. They retired to write books and articles to vent their frustrations, hoping to leave behind enduring literary works to reveal themselves. 《Guwen Guanzhi》 primarily selects prose, interspersed with parallel prose and odes, all of which are renowned masterpieces passed down through the ages, possessing "eternal artistic charm." The compilers named it "Guanzhi," perhaps truly reflecting the heartfelt admiration that Wu Ji, the young master of Wu, expressed when he witnessed dance and music. From this perspective, 《Guwen Guanzhi》 is an image of the great prose of Chinese history, as well as a living and breathing journey of the development of prose. On the other hand, although 《Guwen Guanzhi》 was compiled for the young and ordinary lovers of classical Chinese at the time, it has no trace of catering to the masses. These immortal classics contain rich historical knowledge, mature life experiences, profound literary aesthetics, and even vast cosmological philosophy. In the vast ocean of Chinese prose, there are truly too many excellent works, and the selections in 《Guwen Guanzhi》 have truly achieved the goal of being neither too difficult for the young to read nor too shallow for scholars. It is much like the widely known 《Three Hundred Poems of Tang Poetry》—both collections are considered twin pillars of popular literary reading in traditional Chinese literature. 《Guwen Guanzhi》 is an outstanding collection of classical Chinese selected and compiled by Wu Chucai and Wu Diao Hou of the Qing Dynasty. The selections span from the Zhou Dynasty to the end of the Ming Dynasty, divided into 12 volumes with a total of 222 pieces. The prose covers a wide range of themes and rich content, with varying lengths and every word shining like pearls. It is suitable for both singing and nurturing, representing the finest of five thousand years of Chinese literary brilliance, and "Guanzhi" is indeed not an empty name!