The Analects Translated

Author: Xu Zhigang (Translation and Annotation)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2008-01-08
Features: A series of books recommended by the New Curriculum Standard of Chinese Language. Designated by the Ministry of Education's "Full-time Compulsory Education Chinese Language Curriculum Standards." The Analects is a collection of-style prose, primarily recording speeches, written in colloquial language. It exhibits a concise, clear, elegant, and subtle style. Many of its sentences are rich in meaning and profound in intent, becoming well-known everyday expressions, such as "Only in the cold of winter can one know the resilience of pine and cypress," "To be diligent and eager to learn, to not feel ashamed to ask questions from the lower," "A small patience can lead to great plans," "Those who follow different paths cannot cooperate," and "The army can be deprived of its commander, but a man cannot be deprived of his will." These phrases are still frequently quoted today, full of vitality. Many chapters of The Analects possess a strong sense of immediacy. With just a few words, they vividly depict the emotions of characters and the scenes. Reading it, you may suddenly feel as if you are among Confucius's disciples, listening to his teachings, without much sense of temporal or linguistic distance. All of this has established The Analects in the history of Chinese prose and rhetoric.