Appreciation of the Records of the Grand Historian: Classical and Vernacular Edition (Essential Edition)

Author: Fu Demin, Wen Chengying
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: The Records of the Grand Historian is a vast and artistically exquisite masterpiece that has long been regarded as a treasure by the Chinese people. However, today's literary enthusiasts, young people, and students face difficulties in appreciating the full scope of The Records of the Grand Historian due to the fast-paced, high-frequency modern information society, leaving them with limited time. Additionally, their weak understanding of classical Chinese makes it challenging to grasp the essence of The Records of the Grand Historian. Popular readers like Selected Stories from The Records of the Grand Historian omit the original text, preventing readers from enjoying its profound rhythmic and aesthetic beauty or using it as a reference in writing. Moreover, the narrative in these readers is often inaccurate or incomplete. Out of love for The Records of the Grand Historian and the need to promote and popularize outstanding traditional culture, we have compiled this Appreciation of The Records of the Grand Historian to elevate the overall level of national cultural quality. This book selects ninety-five outstanding excerpts from important chapters of The Records of the Grand Historian. These excerpts are legendary and have long been influential among the general public, with some even being the origins of idioms and allusions, such as Returning the Jade to Zhao, The Harmony Between the General and the Prime Minister, The Hongmen Banquet, and Mao Suo Volunteering for Duty. To preserve the original flavor of The Records of the Grand Historian and facilitate reading, comprehension, and appreciation by a broad audience, we have retained the original text of these excerpts while providing detailed annotations, colloquial translations, and critiques of their ideological and artistic value. At the end of the book, we have included a "Quote Selection" of famous lines from the selected excerpts, making it convenient for readers to reference them in writing. Compared to other popular readers on The Records of the Grand Historian, this book is more concise, story-driven, readable, and practical, making it a must-read for those who love outstanding traditional culture.