Zhuangzi: Modern Annotations and Translations (Complete 3 Volumes)

Author: Chen Guying
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-08-01
Features:
1. The "Annotations" section of this book took the most time. Frequently, I spent a lot of effort searching through ancient annotations to find an appropriate explanation for a single character, word, or sentence.
2. The "Modern Translation" of this book is based on the "Annotations" and references existing Chinese and English translations. To ensure clarity and fidelity to the original meaning, I have adopted phrases from others' translations where they were particularly effective. In many cases, my translation differs from others', which is due to my personal interpretation of Zhuangzi's text.
3. The Zhuangzi text used in this book is based on the annotated edition of Guo Qingfan's Collected Explanations (a photocopied edition from the World Publishing House), which was proofread by Zhuang Xiaokai. Guo Qingfan's Collected Explanations includes the full text of Guo Xiang's annotations, Cheng Xuanying's commentary, and Lu Deming's phonetic annotations, as well as excerpts from the etymological studies of Wang Niansi, Yu Yue, and others from the Qing Dynasty. It also includes Yuan Songtao's and Guo Qingfan's own opinions. The Collected Explanations was originally based on Li Shujing's collation of the "Bedside Book of the Four Books," while Zhuang Xiaokai further corrected it using the "Continuation of Ancient and Lost Classics" (a Song Dynasty edition), Yin Shi's "," the "Dao Zang" version of Xuan Ying's commentary, and Sun Yuxiu's annotations from the "Four Treasures of the Four Divisions" (which included Zhao Jianyi's collation). Additionally, it referenced Zhuang Shumin's annotations and interpretations, as well as Liu Wen's works. Any additions or deletions to the original text are explained in the "Annotations."
4. The Zhuangzi is extremely vast, and the miscellaneous chapters are particularly chaotic. For clarity, the entire book has been numbered to divide sections and paragraphs.
5. During the annotation and translation process, in addition to referencing ancient and modern annotations, I also consulted English, Japanese, and mainland scholars' specialized works on Zhuangzi. The references in this book are limited to etymological explanations, which are based on academic needs and do not involve political or ideological issues.
6. During the writing of this book, Mr. Yan Ling published the "Collected Edition of Zhuangzi" (Volume 1) and "Zhuangzi's Artistic and Literary Press," which greatly facilitated the annotation work of this book.