Bend oneself to courtship and spread rumors about the school: New Century Universal Library · Foreign Culture Series

Author: (English) Gao Simi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-03-01
Features: "The Universal Library of the New Century" is a key book launched by Liaoning Education Publishing House. The entire series focuses on the popularization and dissemination of culture, adhering to the principles of being essential, practical, durable, and easy to preserve. Under the guidance of experts from various disciplines at home and abroad, the rare and valuable editions of Chinese and foreign classics have been carefully selected for inclusion. From 1996 to 2005, the plan was to publish 100 books each year, accumulating to 1,000 volumes over the decade. The intention was to provide a basic bibliography for modern readers in the 21st century, reflecting the general outline of human cultural development.
Traditional Culture Series: This series collects classic works of traditional Chinese culture, which have been authenticated and corrected by version experts and arranged in simplified-character horizontal format.
Modern Culture Series: This series focuses on the works of academic giants from the Republican era, highlighting modern and humanities achievements. It collects, organizes, and arranges rare, well-known but hard-to-find, or long-lost works, presenting them in simplified-character format.
Foreign Culture Series: This series selects the finest works from the humanities treasure troves outside China, with a focus on cultural research and introduction. The writing style is light and witty, with a fresh and lively tone, making it highly readable—classified as "small works by great writers."
The overarching purpose of the entire series is to provide readers seeking knowledge with long-lasting, accessible books, demonstrating the necessity of reading activities in modern society and promoting the formation of a reading culture in society at large, creating a realm where book lovers can feel like they own a library.
This book consists of two translations: one is "Humiliate Oneself for Love," which aims to satirize the excessive sentimentality and superficial trends of the time. The play unfolds across five acts and eight scenes, set in three locations, focusing on two main plots. The main plot centers on Miss Hargrave's "humiliation for love," while the sub-plot revolves around Mr. Hensley and Miss Neville's elopement.
"The School for Scandal" is set against the backdrop of 18th-century London's upper society, depicting some phenomena and adjusting the habits of sentimentality and scandal-mongering. The term "School for Scandal" does not refer to a school dedicated to scandal but rather to a group of shallow and ignorant men and women who take gossiping as a pastime. The play spans fourteen scenes and four different locations, focusing on two main plots. The main plot centers on Sophy, while the sub-plot revolves around Sir Peter and Lady Disraeli.