A Dictionary of Proverbs -- Cihai Edition (New Edition)

Author: Wen Duanzheng, Editor-in-Chief, Wen Shuyan, et al., Compilers
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-07-01
Features: A language reference book tailor-made for students' college entrance and high school entrance exams, which was once best-selling across the country with a total sales of 1,200,000 copies. In terms of content, the previous version has been optimized according to the new teaching requirements, emphasizing innovation, origin, cultivation, and practicality. In terms of format, the latest design with double-color printing is adopted to achieve solemnity, elegance, liveliness, and novelty. Entries. This book includes nearly 2,500 entries, including main entries and subentries. Main entries are annotated with explanations and usage examples; subentries are marked with "also as" after the main entries, generally without explanations, examples, or separate entries. Typography. The fonts used in this book are based on the "Total List of Simplified Characters" compiled by the National Language and Character Work Committee and the "List for the Rectification of Variant Characters" jointly issued by the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China and the China Character Reform Committee. Pronunciation. Obscure characters in the entries are annotated with Pinyin. Polyphonic characters and those prone to mispronunciation are highlighted with Pinyin for clarification. Definitions. First, the characters and words are explained. Then, the literal or original meaning of proverbs is elaborated, followed by the extended and metaphorical meanings. If there are allusions, they are briefly explained. Examples. Each entry is accompanied by usage examples. If there are two or more meanings, one example is provided for each meaning. The sources of examples are generally noted. Examples cited from newspapers or magazines are marked with "Newspaper" or "Magazine." Some excessively long examples are slightly abridged. Arrangement. Entries are arranged in the order of the Chinese phonetic alphabet. For entries with the same initial consonant and vowel, the order is determined by tone. For entries with the same initial character, the order is based on the number of strokes, starting from horizontal, vertical, dot, hook, and fold. If the initial character's pronunciation and form are identical, the order is determined by the second character's phonetic sequence, and so on. Index. An "Index of Initial Characters by Stroke Count" is appended at the end of the dictionary for reference.