Ancient Chinese (Corrected and Reprinted Edition) (Volume 1)

Author: Wang Li
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1999-05-01
Features: The course of Ancient Chinese has had various teaching contents in different higher learning institutions and periods. Some taught it as a collection of literary selections from different dynasties, some as classical Chinese grammar, some as textual criticism, phonology, and etymology, and others as the history of the Chinese language. The objectives and requirements were not consistent. After the educational revolution of 1958, it became widely recognized that teaching must be closely linked to practice. Many higher learning institutions reconsidered the teaching content of Ancient Chinese, believing that its objective should be to cultivate students' ability to read ancient books. To achieve this goal, both perceptual knowledge and rational knowledge are necessary. The reading of literary selections must be closely integrated with theoretical knowledge such as classical Chinese grammar, textual criticism, phonology, and etymology, so that teaching is not one-sided and the effectiveness of Ancient Chinese teaching is improved. As for the history of the Chinese language, it should be a separate course. The history of the Chinese language is a theoretical course, while Ancient Chinese is a tool course, with different objectives and requirements.
In 1959, Peking University implemented reforms in the teaching of Ancient Chinese by combining literary selections, common words, and an introduction to Ancient Chinese, achieving better teaching results. In addition, many higher learning institutions improved the teaching of Ancient Chinese with the objective of cultivating students' ability to read ancient books. The lecture notes on Ancient Chinese published by Peking University in 1959 only included the first and second volumes. In 1960, another reform was carried out, and the lecture notes were reprinted in three volumes (first, second, and third), which were not publicly distributed. The writing of the lecture notes was primarily the responsibility of Wang Li, with the participation of Lin Tao, Tang Zuofan, Guo Xiliang, Cao Xianzhuo, Ji Changhong, Zhao Keqin, and Chen Shaopeng. In addition, students from the 1957 class of the Language Department of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Peking University participated in the writing of the literary selections for the second and third volumes of the 1960 edition. Graduate student Chen Zhenhuan and visiting teacher Xu Chaohua also participated in the writing of the first volume.
In May 1961, after the conference on the compilation plan for teaching materials in liberal arts higher learning institutions, an Ancient Chinese writing group was established. It was decided to revise the Peking University lecture notes on Ancient Chinese as the basis, referencing teaching materials from other institutions, and to use them as textbooks for Chinese Language and Literature majors. The writing group gathered a portion of the teaching resources from Peking University, Beijing Normal University, Renmin University of China, Nankai University, and Lanzhou University to work together on the writing. In addition to the overall coordination by the chief editor Wang Li, the writing group was divided into a literary selection group and a common word and general theory group. The literary selection group was led by Xiao Zhang, and the common word and general theory group was led by Ma Hanlin. The specific assignments were as follows:
- Literary Selections Section: Written by Xiao Zhang (Beijing Normal University), Liu Yizhi (Renmin University of China), Xu Jialu (Beijing Normal University), and Zhao Keqin (Peking University).
- Common Words Section: Written by Wang Li (Peking University) and Ji Changhong (Peking University).
- General Theory Section (including introduction and appendices): Written by Ma Hanlin (Nankai University), Guo Xiliang (Peking University), and Zhu Minche (Lanzhou University).
The task of the writing group was arduous. The lecture notes from Peking University were only a draft and far from meeting the requirements for public publication. This time, colleagues from several institutions collaborated, reaffirming the general principle of combining literary selections, common words, and general theory while fully utilizing the existing achievements of Peking University while making necessary revisions and additions. Some selections were replaced in the literary selection section, and explanations and annotations were rewritten, with significant changes made to the annotations. The common words section revised some formats and explanations, and the order of words was adjusted according to the changes in the literary selections. The chapters and content of the general theory section were also greatly revised. Each manuscript was discussed within the group, reviewed by external experts with comments, and finally decided by the chief editor. Some important issues were also discussed by the entire group. We maintained this discussion approach throughout, believing that it could gather diverse ideas, better implement the spirit of free debate and collectivism, and further improve the quality of the book.
In January 1962, the discussion draft of the first volume was published. At this time, a symposium was held with attendees including Mr. Ding Shengshu, Mr. Zhu Wenshu, Mr. Lü Shuxiang, Mr. Hong Cheng, Mr. Yin Menglun, Mr. Lu Zongda, Mr. Zhang Qingchang, Mr. Feng Zhi, and Mr. Wei Jianong, as well as Mr. Jiang Liangfu, who provided detailed written comments. The symposium lasted a week, primarily discussing the content of the first volume, but later also exchanged views on the second and third volumes. After the discussion drafts of the first volume were sent to various higher learning institutions and relevant units, feedback was received gradually. Some were collective opinions, while others were individual opinions from experts. Starting in late January 1962, we began revising the first volume while considering the need to compress the three volumes (first, second, and third) into two to better suit teaching plans. The format was also revised, moving explanations for each literary selection into annotations or removing them entirely. In addition to fully incorporating the opinions of experts and institutions for necessary revisions, we took this opportunity to identify further issues and rewrite many parts. An additional unit was added to the first volume, and other units were partially rewritten. Therefore, it was not until the end of July of the same year that the revision of the first volume was completed.
The entire manuscript of this book was reviewed by Mr. Ye Shengtao. In summary, this first volume of Ancient Chinese has been revised four times. We know that there are still many shortcomings in it; any achievements are inseparable from the leadership of the Party, as well as the encouragement and assistance of experts and teachers nationwide who teach Ancient Chinese. Although our writing group consists of only nine people, the compilation of this book involved the labor of thousands. Here, we sincerely express our gratitude to the experts and colleagues who provided valuable comments.
Finally, we hope that readers, especially those engaged in teaching Ancient Chinese, will not hesitate to offer advice so that we can revise the book based on the opinions of the masses and gradually make it perfect.
Wang Li
July 1962