Modern Chinese Dictionary (Revised Edition)

Author: Business
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-06-02
Features: On February 6, 1956, the State Council issued an instruction on promoting Mandarin, entrusting the Institute of Linguistics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to compile a Mandarin Pronunciation Dictionary aimed at establishing phonetic norms and a Medium-sized Modern Chinese Dictionary aimed at establishing lexical norms. From then on, China's language and character workers embarked on the arduous task of compiling the Modern Chinese Dictionary. This dictionary was later led in compilation and revision by the renowned Chinese linguists Mr. Lü Shuxiang and Mr. Ding Shengshu. Over 90 people participated in the compilation and revision, as well as in the auxiliary work of collecting materials. Under the condition of having no existing books to refer to, they worked tirelessly to compile this standard dictionary that reflected the contemporary linguistic landscape. The preparatory work alone took two years to gather over one million reference cards. Subsequently, the compilation, revision, and specialized entries were submitted to experts for review and repeatedly revised until, by early 1961, it was printed as a "Trial Edition." After another five years of comprehensive reading and revision, it was published as a "Trial-Use Edition," widely soliciting opinions. In 1973, this medium-sized Modern Chinese Dictionary, containing over 53,000 entries and 2.5 million words, was finally published. The Modern Chinese Dictionary is widely recognized as a highly standardized dictionary, evident in its cautious word selection, accurate annotations, and appropriate examples. Its publication played a positive role in promoting Mandarin and advancing the standardization of Chinese at the time. Mr. Lü and Mr. Ding, while compiling this dictionary, avoided rigid adherence to tradition or established conventions, enhancing its practical value. For words that require special attention in usage, there is a "Note" section to provide supplementary explanations. The Modern Chinese Dictionary is suitable for readers with middle school or higher education. After its public release in 1978, it quickly gained widespread popularity. Today, the Modern Chinese Dictionary is not only widely used domestically but has also become a standard reference for foreigners learning Chinese. The publication of the Modern Chinese Dictionary also provided an authoritative blueprint for the compilation of various foreign-Chinese dictionaries, enabling numerous Chinese-foreign dictionaries to be successfully compiled and published, exerting a significant influence on the editing and publishing of both Chinese-foreign and foreign-Chinese dictionaries. With societal development, the vocabulary of Chinese continues to evolve. The compilers have appropriately arranged for the Modern Chinese Dictionary to be revised again in a timely manner, making this dictionary even more suitable for contemporary needs.