Read Tang Poetry to Learn Japanese Kanji - (Includes a Free MP3 CD with the Book)

Author: Ji Chengqiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: Tang poetry is a treasure of traditional Chinese literature and a carrier for Japanese literature and art to absorb Chinese civilization. This book, through a comparison of 80 Tang poems in both Chinese and Japanese, helps you better understand the two countries' writing systems, familiarize yourself with their languages, distinguish their characters, and master Japanese kanji. An experienced teacher once said that if a foreign language were compared to a human body, grammar would be the bones and meridians, and words would be the blood and muscles. I strongly agree with this statement. For beginners of Japanese, how can one memorize Japanese kanji? To achieve twice the result with half the effort and study effectively, I suggest not rote memorizing but learning them along with Tang poems. This way, Japanese kanji can "come alive" in living sentences that convey various pieces of information. Each section of this book is dedicated to one Tang poem. It first presents the on'yomi (sound reading) of the Japanese Tang poem's kanji, followed by the translation of the Japanese Tang poem and the original Chinese Tang poem. Then, in the order of Japanese kanji, it lists the on'yomi, kun'yomi (meaning reading), ateji (character reading), and a comparison of Japanese kanji, vocabulary, and meanings in both languages. This book aims to make it easier for beginners to learn Japanese kanji and can serve as a reference for readers with a foundation in Japanese who enjoy Tang poetry.