Nan Ke Ji - Greater China Collection (Chinese-English Parallel)

Author: (Ming) Tang Xianzu, translated by Zhang Guangqian
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The "Greater China Classics Collection" selects over a hundred representative classical ancient Chinese works from various fields such as literature, history, philosophy, politics, economics, military, and science and technology in China. Each topic and version undergo rigorous argumentation and meticulous proofreading, collation, and organization. Experts are engaged to translate the classical Chinese into vernacular Chinese, and then into English. The Southern Dream Palace is one of the representative works of the famous Ming Dynasty playwright Tang Xianzu. The story tells of a man who, in a dream, enters an ant kingdom and experiences wealth and glory. In terms of writing style, it is very similar to Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis, which later deeply influenced the West. The story is delicate, the plot twists and turns, and it is highly moving. This English translation is the first complete translation of the work. The translator, Zhang Guangqian, has published English translations of Tang Xianzu's other plays, such as The Peony Pavilion and Selected Stories from the Taiping Guangji and Selected Yuan Dynasty Drama.
The Southern Dream Palace was written in 1600 and is one of the representative works of the famous Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) playwright Tang Xianzu. The story tells of the protagonist Chunyu Fen losing his official position and returning to his hometown. One day, he falls into a drunken sleep under an ancient locust tree in his courtyard and enters a dream. In the dream, he enters the ant kingdom "Hui'an Kingdom" and is appointed as a prince by the king of Hui'an. He is given important responsibilities and first serves as the governor of Nanke County. Due to his outstanding achievements, he is later promoted to the position of Vice Prime Minister. Over the twenty years in the ant kingdom, Chunyu Fen experiences wealth, beauty, and power. However, after his beloved wife dies and he faces political intrigue and slander from his rivals, he gradually loses his influence and is eventually exiled by the king of Hui'an. Upon waking from the dream, he realizes that the twenty years of joy, sorrow, wealth, and glory were all just a dream in the southern pine.
The Southern Dream Palace is one of Tang Xianzu's "Four Dreams of Linchuan." The play features a delicate and intricate story, rich imagination, unique imagery, profound meaning, and a language that is both ornate and pure. The story itself is widely known in China. This English translation is the first complete translation of the work, translated by Zhang Guangqian, who has also published English translations of Tang Xianzu's other plays, such as The Peony Pavilion and Selected Stories from the Taiping Guangji and Selected Yuan Dynasty Drama.