Chapter 5 Chinese Classical Literary Works

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1 Chapter 5 Chinese Classical Literary Works

2 Strange Tales of the Make-Do Studio Author: Pu Songling

3 Pu Songling , a writer of the Qing Dynasty --styled: Liu Xian(留仙) --literary name: Hermit of the Willow Spring （流泉居士）

4 a famous collection of over 490 stories
These stories cover a wide range of subjects, such as werefoxes and fish spirits and ghosts and monsters that are personified. Like human beings, they have feelings of good and evil, beauty and ugliness, love and hatred as well as happiness and discontent and they often have very human goals ,such as getting married and raising a family.

5 It is the writer’s “book of solitude and indignation”(孤愤之书) expressing his dissatisfaction with reality . The book touches upon nearly every aspect of the social life of the time. The book exposes the sociopolitical darkness and malpratice of the imperial court examination and in describes the sensation of love.

6 — Candidate for the Post of City God （考城隍） — The Mural（画壁） — The Theft of Peach（偷桃）
— Fox-Girl Qingfeng（青凤） — Painted Skin （画皮） — Yingning（婴宁） — Nie Xiaoqian（聂小倩） — The Raksasas and the Ocean Bazaar （罗刹海市） — A Chivalrous Woman（侠女） — Precious（阿宝） — Ventriloquism （口技） — Liancheng（连城） — The Criket （促织） — Sequel to the Yellow Millet Dream（续黄粱 ） Famous tales

7 — Miss Yan彦氏 — Ghost-Girl Xiaoxie小谢 — The Inspectorate of Misdeeds考弊司 — The City of the Mountain 山市 — Fairy Qing-E 青娥 — Ghost-Maiden Huanniang 宦娘 — Ghost-Scholar Yu Qu-E 于去恶 — Phoenix Sprite 凤仙 — Fox-Girl Changting 长亭 — Rouge Courtesan Rui Yun 瑞云 — Yellow-Bloom黄英 — A Fool for Books书痴 — Ghost-Girl Wanxia晚霞

8 Border Town By Shen Congwen

9 The Author Shen Congwen ( ) is one of the great writers in modern China. He is also one of the finest Chinese prose novelists of all time. He shows great power as a literary stylist. He could make the Chinese language beautiful.

10 Border Town In the book, the writer narrates, by portraying a plain and gorgeous picture, a beautiful but heartbroken love story that took place in western Hunan Province.

11 The Story Tianbao and Nuosong, sons of Shunshun, the boat owner, both fell in love with Cuicui, granddaughter of the old boatman. Knowing that Cuicui had given her heart to Nuosong, Tianbao quit voluntarily. Shortly after that, he was killed in a boat accident on his way to Chen Zhou. Saddened by the grievous news, Nuosong left home and went to Tao Yuan. After her grandfather’s gloomy death, Cuicui kept waiting at the ferry for the return of Nuosong. “He might never return, or he may return tomorrow!”

12 Cuicui and her grandfather

13 The Author Some critics have praised Shen Congwen for creating characters with beautiful souls. Readers credit him with having described beautiful and fulfilling styles of life in his hometown, even in materially primitive surroundings. Shen conjured up the “health and dignity” of his country folk. His regional novels even made Southwest Hunan well-known in the world.

14 “He might never return, or he may return tomorrow!”

15 With thick ink and rich color, the writer draws a beautiful landscape of western Hunan Province and creates a vivid portrayal of the pure and honest local customs.

16 With poetic language and elegant description, the writer depicts the “Border Town” as a novel and unique place: an extremely purified and idealized world which differs completely from the civilized modern society in which human nature has been sadly distorted.

17 The Song of Mulan

18 Background Information
The Anthology of Yuefu Poetry compiled by Guo Maoqian of the Song Dynasty includes one hundred volumes. It is the most complete collection of Yuefu poetry that includes abundant materials. The collected works can be divided into two parts, i.e., the southern songs and the northern songs.

19 Together with The Book of Songs, the Yuefu poems laid the realistic foundation for the Chinese poems. Song of Mulan is selected from the collection. Mulan Verse and Peacokes Flying Southeastward are highly regarded as “ a pair of jade ” in the history of Chinese poetry.

20 The Story Song of Mulan is a long narrative folk song of northern China in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. The song narrates the story of a girl named Mulan who disguised as a man and joined the army in place of her father.

21 She feared no hardships and fought for ten years and made outstanding military feats. After return triumphal, she was unwilling to be granted the title of an official but only desired to recover her former status of a common woman.

22 Comment The song depicts the immortal character of Mulan, who is vivid and moving, and of legendary color as well. Mulan is a woman of outstanding ability, and a common person at the same time. She is not only a  heroine but also a common girl. She is the combination of a brave warrior and a beautiful girl.

23 She embodies not only the outstanding nobal morality of the working class woman, but also their extraordinary wisdom, legendary experience and heroic character.

24 For over a thousand years, the story that Mulan went to the army in place of her father has become a household story in China and the image of Mulan has always been loved by people.

25

26 木兰诗 唧唧复唧唧 木兰当户织 不闻机杼声 唯闻女叹息 问女何所思 问女何所忆 女亦无所思 女亦无所忆
Song Of Mulan Alack, alas! alack, alas! She weaves and sees the shuttle pass. You cannot hear the shuttle, why? Its whir is drowned in her deep sigh. "Oh, what are you thinking about? Will you tell us? Will you speak out?" "I have no worry on my mind, Nor have I grief of any kind. 木兰诗 唧唧复唧唧 木兰当户织 不闻机杼声 唯闻女叹息 问女何所思 问女何所忆 女亦无所思 女亦无所忆

27 昨夜见军帖 可汗大点兵 军书十二卷 卷卷有爷名 阿爷无大儿 木兰无长兄 愿为市鞍马 从此替爷征
I read the battle roll last night; Than Khan has ordered men to fight. The roll was written in twelves books; My father's name was in twelve nooks. My father has no grown-up son, For elder brother I have none. I'll get a horse of hardy race And serve in my old father's place."

28 东市买骏马 西市买鞍鞯 南市买辔头 北市买长鞭
东市买骏马 西市买鞍鞯 南市买辔头 北市买长鞭 She buys a steed at eastern fair, A whip and saddle here or there. She buys a bridle at the south And metal bit for horse's mouth.

29 旦辞爷娘去 暮宿黄河边 不闻爷娘唤女声 但闻黄河流水鸣溅溅 旦辞黄河去 暮至黑山头 不闻爷娘唤女声 但闻燕山胡骑鸣啾啾
At dawn she leaves her parents by the city wall; At dusk she reaches Yellow River shore. All night she listens for old folks' familiar call, But hears only the Yellow River's roar. At dawn she leaves the Yellow River shore; To Mountains Black she goes her way. At night she hears old folks' familiar voice no more, But only on north mountains Tatar horses neigh. 旦辞爷娘去 暮宿黄河边 不闻爷娘唤女声 但闻黄河流水鸣溅溅 旦辞黄河去 暮至黑山头 不闻爷娘唤女声 但闻燕山胡骑鸣啾啾

30 万里赴戎机 关山度若飞 朔气传金柝 寒光照铁衣 将军百战死 壮士十年归
万里赴戎机 关山度若飞 朔气传金柝 寒光照铁衣 将军百战死 壮士十年归 For miles and miles the army march along And cross the mountain barriers as in flight. The northern wind has chilled the watchman's gong, Their coat of mail glistens in wintry light. In ten years they've lost many captains strong, But battle-hardened warriors come back in delight.

31 归来见天子, 天子坐明堂 策勋十二转, 赏赐百千强 可汗问所欲 木兰不用尚书郎, 愿借明驼千里足, 送儿还故乡
归来见天子, 天子坐明堂 策勋十二转, 赏赐百千强 可汗问所欲 木兰不用尚书郎, 愿借明驼千里足, 送儿还故乡 Back, they have their audience with the Khan in the hall, Honours and gifts are lavished on warriors all. The Khan asks her what she wants as a grace. "A camel fleet to carry me to my native place."

32 爷娘闻女来 出郭相扶将 阿姊闻妹来 当户理红妆 小弟闻姊来 磨刀霍霍向猪羊
爷娘闻女来 出郭相扶将 阿姊闻妹来 当户理红妆 小弟闻姊来 磨刀霍霍向猪羊 Hearing that she has come, Her parents hurry to meet her at city gate, Her sister rouges her face at home, Her younger brother kills pig and sheep to celebrate.

33 开我东阁门 坐我东阁床 脱我战时袍 着我旧时裳 当窗理云鬓 对镜帖花黄
She opens the doors east and west, And sits on her bed for a rest. She doffs her garb worn under fire, And wears again female attire. Before the window she arranges her hair, And in the mirror sees her image fair.

34 出门看伙伴 伙伴皆惊惶 同行十二年 不知木兰是女郎
出门看伙伴 伙伴皆惊惶 同行十二年 不知木兰是女郎 Then she comes out to see her former mate, Who stares at her in amazement great: "We have marched together for twelve years, We did not know there was a lass 'mid our compeers!"

35 雄兔脚扑朔 雌兔眼迷离 双兔傍地走 安能辨我是雌雄?
"Both buck and doe have a little gait And both their eyelids palpitate. When side by side two rabbits go, Who can tell the buck from the doe?"

36 The True Story of Ah Q

37 synopsis story reference to modern culture

38 Synopsis The story traces the "adventures" of Ah Q, who is famous for "spiritual victories" even when faced with extreme defeat or humiliation. He persuades himself mentally that he is spiritually "superior" to his oppressors even as he succumbs to their tyranny and suppression. Lu Xun exposes Ah Q's extreme faults as symptomatic of the Chinese national character of his time.

39 Story character portrayal
Ah Q is known for deceiving himself into believing he is the victor every time he loses a fight. He also is a bully of the less fortunate but fearful of those who are above him in rank, strength, or power.

40 story When Ah Q is asked to sign a confession, he worries that he cannot write his name. Then the officers tell him to sign a circle instead, he is so worried about drawing a perfect circle to save face that he is unaware he would be executed until it is too late.

41 Before his death he persuades himself he will be reborn again as a brave man, and tries to entertain the crowds watching his execution, but fails to remember the correct lines of the Chinese opera he is imitating.

42 References to modern culture
In modern Chinese language, the "spirit of Ah Q" (阿Q精神)(A Q jingshen) is now commonly used as a term of mockery to describe anybody who chooses not to face up to reality and deceives himself into believing he is successful.

43 When will the Moon Be Clear and Bright? 水调歌头（苏轼）

44 Su Shi Eight Famous Scholars in the Tang and Song Dynasties.
Unwavering yet positive attitude toward the misfortunes in his life. Literary works : the reflection of the objective world, natural and diverse. shi, or poems, care free and well-crafted, and critical of the social ills and reflective to life.

45 水调歌头 明月几时有，把酒问青天。不知天上宫阙，今夕是何年。 我欲乘风归去, 又恐琼楼玉宇，高处不胜寒，起舞弄清影，何似在人间。 转朱阁，低绮户，照无眠。不应有恨，何事长向别时圆。 人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全。但愿人长久，千里共婵娟。 --苏轼

46 When will the moon be clear and bright
When will the moon be clear and bright? With a cup of wine in my hand, I ask the blue sky. I don't know what season it would be in the heavens on this night. I'd like to ride the wind to fly home. Yet I fear the crystal and jade mansions are much too high and cold for me. Dancing with my moon-lit shadow, It does not seem like the human world.

47 The moon rounds the red mansion Stoops to silk-pad doors, Shines upon the sleepless Bearing no grudge, Why does the moon tend to be full when people are apart? People may have sorrow or joy, be near or far apart, The moon may be dim or bright, wax or wane, This has been going on since the beginning of time. May we all be blessed with longevity Though far part, we are still able to share the beauty of the moon together.

48

49 Analysis The first stanza: the poet’s longing for the fairyland on the moon, his yearning for life. The second stanza: sentimental sigh for the separation and reunion one experiences in life.

50 The contradiction: the heavenly and the worldly, the persistent and the detached go into the society and retire from the world the poem: novel, elegant and unrestrained in style the poem “ dwarfs all others” immediately after its birth.