Selected Stories from the Zuo Zhuan (Colloquial Version)

Author: Qingcang Kuang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-01-01
Features: Zuo Zhuan is a shortened name for Chunqiu Zuo Shi, a monumental pre-Qin chronicle and one of the Thirteen Classics of Confucianism. It draws from Chunqiu and observes the near-contemporary era, following the order of the twelve rulers of Lu, recording over two hundred and seventy years of historical events and miscellaneous matters from the first year of King Yin of Lu to the twenty-seventh year of King Ai of Lu. It pioneered the development of historical narrative prose. Zuo Zhuan excels in storytelling, emphasizing twists and turns, and its literary style is "beautiful and rich." It has had an extremely profound influence on the development of narrative prose and historical writing in later generations.
One Zuo Zhuan is also a grand history of warfare. The major and minor battles of the late Spring and Autumn period, where states waged war against each other, were preserved in history and passed down through careful selection and observation, as they were meticulously chosen and vividlyed. For this alone, the historical narration in Zuo Zhuan is truly unparalleled! Zuo Zhuan is a monumental work in the study of history! It encompasses a vast wealth of content, involving numerous figures, historical allusions, and events. For this humble scholar to dare not consider my own limitations and follow the request to select and rewrite the original in colloquial language is out of a modest wish to popularize classical texts and contribute a small effort. If the selection is thorough, leaving no gem unturned; if the colloquial rewrite makes the text more accessible; and if the newly proposed titles highlight the "essence of literature" and the "heart of literature," then the months of hard work I have dedicated to this will be well rewarded, and my labor will not have been in vain!