Montaigne's Essays (English-Chinese Parallel Translation Collection Edition)

Author: (French) Montaigne, Original, Jiang Min, Xu Fang, Translated
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-05-01
Features: The Essays consists of three volumes, 107 chapters, and approximately one million words. The original French title of the book is Les Essais. The word Essais has the meanings of "experiment," "attempt," and "trial." This indicates the author's approachable attitude. He is not preaching, nor does he pretend to be profound or show off his knowledge. Instead, he speaks in a conversational manner, as if chatting face-to-face with the readers. The writing style of the book is varied, but the arguments are insightful, holding an important position in both Western and world literary history. The content can be summarized into three aspects: ⑴ The self that the author perceives; ⑵ The ways of human existence and thoughts and emotions he experiences; ⑶ The real world as he understands it. Montaigne, with the eyes of a wise man, observes and examines the myriad beings in the vast world, contemplating the history and progress of humanity. From the era of ancient Greece to the 16th century, from France to ancient Egypt and Persia, his works cover everything. His arguments are grand and vast. He is erudite, cites extensively, reflects on the past and discusses the present, offering unique, insightful, and sometimes peculiar perspectives on many shared human thoughts and emotions. Reading it inspires reflection, encourages deep thought and self-examination, thereby enhancing people's understanding of themselves, life, and the world. Therefore, The Essays is a seemingly ordinary yet profoundly meaningful work.