New Chinese-English Dictionary

Author: Wu Guanghua
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-07-01
Features: As a foreign language learning tool book, at the beginning of the new century, China successfully joined the WTO and secured the right to host the 2008 Olympics. The 2010 World Expo will also be held in Shanghai. It can be foreseen that in the next decade, cultural, sports, and commercial exchanges between China and the world will become even more active, and a wave of learning and using English will undoubtedly rise domestically. The enthusiasm for learning Chinese across the world is also growing daily, with over 400,000 international students already in China, and their numbers continue to increase. They all need to learn Chinese and understand China. To adapt to this new environment, we have organized professors, experts, and scholars from over 20 universities in Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Nanjing, Shenyang, Dalian, Suzhou, Yangzhou, and Lianyungang, as well as nearly 100 experts from Xinhua News Agency and the Foreign Languages Press, to work together. After four years of effort, we have meticulously compiled the New Chinese-English Dictionary to facilitate learning, reference, and use for a broad readership.
Before the publication of this dictionary, the compilers had already published the Chinese-English Great Dictionary with 15.5 million words, the Chinese-English Dictionary and the New Century Chinese-English Dictionary with 8.2 million words, and the Chinese-English Dictionary of Chinese Characters with 29,000 single-character entries. These dictionaries have become highlights in the Chinese book market for medium and large-scale Chinese-English reference books, favored by readers, with sales exceeding 160,000 sets and enduring popularity over more than a decade. They have also been widely welcomed by publishers and information companies worldwide. Taiwan-based Jianhong Book Publishing Company purchased the rights to the traditional character edition and published it in Taiwan, distributing it globally. Companies such as Motorola and Microsoft have purchased the Chinese-English Great Dictionary for the expansion of their databases, bringing it to the world. The recognition these dictionaries have achieved should first be credited to the encouragement, support, and guidance of in the fields of English and science and technology in China.
The New Chinese-English Dictionary is a carefully revised and expanded version of the aforementioned dictionaries, with rigorous selection of entries, updates, expanded definitions, and the addition of Chinese-English usage comparisons. The entries in the New Chinese-English Dictionary are determined based on Chinese usage while fully considering the unique expressions of English, thereby reflecting the inherent rationality of Chinese-English dictionaries.
The New Chinese-English Dictionary is extensive in scope and comprehensive in function. It includes over 9,000 single-character entries, 80,000 multi-character entries, and an additional 40,000 compound word entries, totaling over 4.5 million words. The dictionary pays special attention to collecting new words and meanings to reflect the characteristics of the times. It also emphasizes the differentiation of synonyms between Chinese and English, identifying subtle differences in usage and listing 4,000 sets of comparisons, along with "See Also" entries. The dictionary is arranged in Pinyin order, with entries annotated in Pinyin. Characters with multiple pronunciations and meanings are placed in their respective positions, and "See Also" entries are provided. The dictionary features both syllable and radical indexes at the beginning. The definitions of single-character entries are categorized by part of speech and presented in Chinese-English bilinguality. It adopts a 32-page format, making it convenient for both Chinese and foreign readers to use.
The New Chinese-English Dictionary offers broad and precise definitions. Each entry is elaborately described in the order of basic meaning, extended meaning, and scientific terminology, striving to reflect the linguistic characteristics of Chinese and English while capturing the pulse of the modern era. The examples are selected for their relevance, applicability, stability, informativeness, typicality, and learnability, and they address different expressions of polysemy. Idioms and proverbs are included based on a broad standard. Compound words cover over 200 disciplines, with standardized and commonly used naming conventions.
The New Chinese-English Dictionary has Chinese characteristics, extensively and reliably incorporating the essence of Chinese history, culture, and science. It adheres to an independent compilation approach, building its own corpus of sign language, gathering the strengths of various dictionaries, and refining its entries through rigorous deliberation and argumentation. This ensures the completeness of Chinese lexical content, the comprehensiveness of literature, science, and technology, and the rationality and integrity of its organization. It is not bound by any single dictionary as a blueprint.