introduction to literary chinese
DESCRIPTION
Textbook on literary ChineseTRANSCRIPT
HANDBOUND AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS
INTRODUCTION TOLITERARY CHINESE
BYJ.
BRANDT
nFREDERICK UNGAR PUBLISHING COMPANYNEW YORKWHVERSITY OF TDRORI9
bet
Asiatic
1076432
PREFACE.Hardly does there exist another language in which the spoken style differs so much from the written style as in the Chinese language. And it would not be an exaggeration to say the spoken and that in reality there are two Chinese languages,the written.It is quite natural that every foreigner coming to China who wishes to study Chinese begins with the spoken language. Many fundamental manuals existing on this subject make the student's
But as soon as he has mastered work very easy and interesting. to some extent the spoken Chinese and tries to read the texts ofthe written style he at once encounters difficulties very hard to His knowledge of the spoken language is of little use overcome. to him because he meets new expressions and unfamiliar forms It is true that explanations given by his of sentence structure. Chinese teacher assist him in getting the meaning of an expression
Seldom however is his teacher able or particle in a given case. to explain to him how a particle is used or a sentence formed.Furthermoresystematichisfor this analysis of the written style there is no work which may solve his perplexities and answer The result is that many people who numerous questions.
earnestly wish to study the written Chinese very soon lose their
enthusiasm and stop mid-way.
The aim of the present book is to help the students of the Chinese written style in their difficult task by guiding their first The book is composed of 40 lessons. The steps in its mastery. texts which comprise various styles of literary writing are, inthe beginning, very simple. For every new character used, exare given so that a person who does not know Chinese planations at all can start studying this book. For those who know the
spoken Chinese
it may be of no little value in the analysis of the written constructions to have the spoken versions which accompany the written tex.ts in the first ten lessons. The particles of
the
written style are
grouped
in
separate classes according to
their
grammatical
use.
very far from the thought that this book wi satisfy completely the acute need of a systemati manual on the Chinese written style. On the contrary, bein quite aware of the hard task which he has assumed, he forese(
The author
is
be
able to
serious defects and oversights in his work and only consoles hin self with the thought that he is on the right path, that the studj
ing of the written Chinese according to his method will not be waste of time and that in the future some other sinologues wi
develop and complete his work in those points in which he not had sufficient ability or time.
h;
The works which have been consulted and made usepreparation of this manual and to which the author indebted are enumerated in the Bibliography.It isis
of in tr great)
recommended before beginning the study
of this boclist
^o^?c
T
^IHA
HK
ASB
r=i
Vocabulary.fo 1
many; much; mostly;not; out.5
mo-'
4
ink: black; obscure.
often.a1
//
nothing;
with-
(chai-)t\\Q pheasant.
tartar
t
2
to increase; to benefit;
-
'"
H^
with; to give; 3fc?
Jtai 3
sea).is
i^f-
the disease-d
not mortal.
ing
4
-disease;-
wei 4 - -not;asfl&if
tt
ssu 3
to die).
empty
there
was nothing.
hsa'
empty; unreal;
wti*-
-matter; thing).
i^' ierethereupon"
'
s
aconse(l ucn tial particle, -"then",
(vid. lesson
XVII).
Similar examples.-
and
I
o^Jg
MoWr*7
S
ft $f
^
To&iSL6*J
IN
fN ImoW fe ft
- B A |Tts-fft
*M^J
S ^
& #J
^
^ A
g? ^
AI
;
&k:
Jo
IJi
n>u. ny ^f>
A^I
r
nn
i'i
An
Vocabulary.3
pit
to
divine;
to
fore-
?
tell.
to pass penetrate;
piP-cheteller;
a fortunea diviner.doicn;
fare.i'u-
To
through; to thoroughapprehend./>otw/
(^)i)
tsn*to'
sit
to
rest;
roads meet; a thoroughfare.
t" remain.
ur
:/-
v/
talk:
words;
Ian-
HIl
guage.
23hsiu 1torest;
to
cease.
Prosperity. chin* fault; crime.
ts'ang -huang- -flurried; excited.
s
Calarun;
shih 1fail.
to lose; to miss; to to arrange; to place; to lose one's
mity.
pen
1
to
rush;
to
ts'o'
urgent. the cJiia1
to raise; to publish.i
family; home; house. People. A class; a school.
shih-ts'o*
head; to lose sence of mind.t'iao-
pre-
A particle so 3 -a place. of many uses (vid. lesson
XXIX).chieh*4
to mix; to harmonize; to stir up; to
excite; to tease.
to
rob;
tochiin
1
plunder.c///V
-sovereign;
ruler; a perfect
man;
prince; a
to
range.chin*
All
prepare; to arevery. Im-
chao*
plements', utensils. exhausted; finished.all;
gentleman. Sir, you. an omen; a pro-
wholly; superlative par fide (vid lesson V). 1 to mourn. Read sang sang* to lose; to deentirely;
The utmost;a
gnostic. ku' -hereparticle,less;
A
million.
an adversativeyet; neverthe(vid.
but-'to
lessonto
VIII}.hsingi
examine;
stroy. 1 * granary. ts'ang3'
perceive.
Read
Read shcns? a province. To spare.to to be opposite; to with; correspond make a pair. To reply.
/s'tfHtf
huang
1
lurried; hasty. (74)- --to be afraid;
tui*
nervous.
Notes.herecase:./ti,I.
-^
jndicates the possessive
"the cross-way of foui roads"...
,_
/fS
means here "for".
Similar examples,
r
F3S;?ywPv $y 35C wpa
to die for one's country.-state;
(gg/5Molife).
country;
$
chih*
to give;
wing*
24
AAQr
to act-
on behalf
of others.
Jsaff
/v-^H-f'(/&*.
a plan for the present juncture.
chin 1
-now; the present; 54. chi*
"1
nl
scheme).or
c
joined wilh
iorms a passive construction: "our house robbed bysomeboby".Similar examples
has
been!
known by
others.fire.
destroyed by
huo 3
-fire;
JHjyi
hui 3
to burn;
to.
destroy),
robbed by brigands.(;M*
pd3
4
by; a sign of passive;to rob),
$fe tao 4
brigand; i|-
ch'iangdjtff
Ii *&"!
-------
"the household effects are
all
gone".
Similar examples.
worn out withts'ui*
service.to hold office).is
to be
worn out /JUhis
shih*
^te(K|e.
jiit
patrimonyttf*
all
squandered.
ch'an 3
patrimony;here
saw 4 - -scatter; disperse),force
XH
i&
'^^lesson
-^ gives a participialis
to^
^rtt Compare
.... hereI, 3.
77r|c.
an adversative
particle.
note
W&M^Z^ceding objectr\/i
" cre
|^
25Similar examples
^T
IS
I/*
^ff J^l 'I''!*
^use;
'
~5?
ordinary paper
is
madebam-
of(
bamboo.-tol
/IJ
B3 yung*
chili*
^3\
paper; frfr[J
chip
boo; the
first
-^
is
a sign of the participle; the secondifC).
indicates the preceding object-
about
ancient
and
modern*
threat
events (they) have heard nothing.*fSS)
four roads the
'Our house has b^en ribbed by.71 1C
passers-by. Suddenly his son ran up in haste and cried (lit. said), soin^bo:lv, (a-ul) the household effects are all (^fe) gone!"
was quite taken aback (by the news). There was (someone) who wished to tease him (lit. teasing him -V) and said, "Kverv dav vou tell fortunes tor others (fortune-teller
The
and yethouse.
(Kfi)
you could not perceive an'
ill
omen
in (your
own)
HowThe
is
that(/fj|f -ffj
)
fortune-teller could not reply.
26
LESSON1.
III.
m
-h
m s
ft
fn
"4(ej
A
-ta.ffll
Vocabulary.3
five.
,(./*
to speak; (617) To be called. say.
to
I'*
ti'~
moral excellence;tile.
vir-
!n s
-vulgar; simple.
The
fields;
arable land.at
name of a1
feudal state.
to grieve; to
mourn.
(391)t'icH- iiii*
abundance;
in-
Here:
dukeof
the of the
name of a Lu state.
fc
tlm iKime a niini>ttT to dul.of tinI.u .state.
-public; just; equit-
able.
/)7/Av.Sir;
A
gentle-
man.
Mr.
27
/w
1
a
man;
a
Read.4
/'
husband. initial an
to contest.
particle; a final particle.
demonstrative pronoun. t'ou* (j$i)the head; the top; the chief; the best.tai*
yung*brave.shitf
(594)to
courage;to
eat;
drink;recipro-
(334)1
to
wear on the
food. 1 hsiangcal.
mutual;1
head. To sustain.a conical cap. The kuan comb or crest of bird. wen 1 elegant. The writ-
t
4
to call; to hsiang-hu convoke. duty; loyal; faithful;heroic.to
ten language;civil.
literary;
ssu 1age.
control;
to
man-
gch'ti^
ch'eng(641)
l
to a
prop
up;
to stretch out.
ch'eri* (355)
dawn; morntruth;
ing,bird's spur;
distant.
wu*
8
hsin 4 to belie-ve; confidence.shih*real;
military; war-like.to
genuine; true;to
truly.
(59o)
oppose;
kou 4 (601)to see.
meet with;
enemy.
Notes.beingJ
oinedin
to
a
nounis
an emphasis
to
it,
and therefore
such cases
ex-
plained as a demonstrative pronoun.Similar examples.
pfnTiLSi^^.xvH*I
'
my
children,
-J
J
,/ N-
why do youto
not study (that)
Book
(/K%lshih 1
hsiao*
small; 131 hsueh^
f
of Poetry? to learn;of Poetry).
study; J^tt
:
poetry; the
Book
that
man seldomto
speaks;
when he(jMiPi*center).
does, heto
is
sure to hit the point.
be certain; surely; |-H
chung*
hit
the
-
-
-
if
I
amI
not
to
mourn
for that
man,1
for
whomto
then shouldis
mourn?wei 4>0j1 erh"
(Jtfor;
feiJfglj uJpy
not;
-*?
here
anHie
expletive;
t'ung
4
mourn;
^ffr shui*
who?
i"J
rfr*
here: "then").
b
'
XRf^CTCiL'HRil J*"* IfEl:
tK M^SJ-^jX"
-
-
-
-
In
these three cases
-=3
^H
is
used to
2
form gerunds:i.
2
ffifr
^j ;^
"Wearing the comb uponto fight."
his
head."feet.''
2.
"Stretching out spurs on his
3.
"Daring
Similar examples.:
mtf3j'^
lS^-Jt* I/'ltC'ffj
ploughing and sowing are
the business of farmers.
(jt
keng*
to plough;t}U -4^.
j^
chung
1
to sow;
|gj
nung*shih*
agriculture;affair).
nung^-fu
farmer;
"^^
~M* ^flr^fii
4
,-rfl
-
this is the first difficult point
in the matter.
(JH
nan*
difficult;
AMt pan*to
transact).
benefit
the
state
by
(PI) satisfying the people.Jsy/4if*
4
to benefit;
CI.'*.*
tsu*
enough; to satisfy;miri*helre
F^fii'-2y
a country; a state;
FS
the people).is1
7?r|
a consequential.
particle,
"and then", "and therefore'
Similar examples.
----will
if
the
ruler
(
)
treats
_fc
the aged folk as he ought to treat them, the people then
becomeJ
filial.
(the first
is
used as a verb:
"to treat as old;filial).
j
hsing
1
4 here: to become; ^%& hsiao
F ff[i"^~K^^!/^upright, therefore'
as
^* s
cnaracter|
is
the whole empire turns to himcorrect).
^7T*
C
^ w5
r4
~'"? nt
AV ~5?~fl
/c-xx
h
here -*? forms an adjective from/
chu -shihscholar.3
a
retired
VL
^''""*
possible;
may.to
icang
a king; a prince; a-to
ruler.
yang* (151)how*th.ck;
nourish; to
ch'cng- (347) .contain,
to hold;
Read
sheng*
rear; to support.
flourishing.tse-
generous.lu 4 (525)tse-
substantial; To caie.
then; and so; in that case. A pattern; a rule.
prosperity; salary; official pay.to reprove.
A1
consequential particle.split;
Duty;
to
to p'ou two.
to
cut in
be respon-ible. a charge on.sltih*
To
lay(233)
matter;
sub-
anstill;
affair; a
matter.
stance; thing.
Toan1
serve.
JH
to use; to
useful.
at case.
peace: quiet; To place; to lay
employ; With; by.
down. An interrogative fliparticle.
yangr1
9 here: to rely upon; to depend.
M
also; and; even; indeed.
ch'u 1/3
to bend; crouch.
kuo*--grain; cereals.tai 4
a nation; (333) state; a country.(718)
a
& ch'ii-ku* ^ name.p'ao(225)
athe
properbottle-
&
to endanger. merely; nearly. Only;4
lei
a
class;
a
kind;
a
gourd.
sort.
32
Notes.is
often joined to the individual wordfl
in
a
sentence,
even
to
proper names, in order
to]
emphasize them.Similar examples.-
-
-
tfPn^^ilrP^ilearn.
there was
Yen-hui,
he loved
toj
(j^ajljj yen-hui
9
a.
proper name).the heartl
-
is
the source of-*r
life.
hsin 1(*{*
heart;
j^
sheng
\ite;
chih l
here
is
a
3 sign of the possessive case; -fc pen
root; origin).
-K^;^people are the water.(fit,
'
'
'
the king
is
a
boat;
the
chou 1
a boat).
,/^-
........
the beginning was not like the
present.shih*
a beginning).
B3dhploughed.(-
-
-
-
-
in
antiquity the emperor himself
ku*
ancient; tiT t'ien*5}jj\
heaven; txTjjl tien-tzu*
emperor;
ch'in
1
personal).
VIpi9
that lovely girl!1 1 that; /tit shu (ch'u )
a pretty woman).
33-
-
-
-
I/I JfF^if^
here
PI means: "by" "with": "support-
ed (him) with a liberal salary". Compare lesson I, 3. note a.-
I?
here
JKZ
is
an adversative(
"but did not charge (him) with
PI
)
any
affair".
Compare~5RJ
lesson
I, 3,-
note
c.
-V
-
-
here
7?Ft
is
a
co
(vid. lesson XII):
"came
to see (him)
and said
(to
him)"
Similar examples.^HIs
Tfrf^Hr^C
Hk
"
* "
"
to ra ' se tue v i r t uou s
and to teach
the incapable. 3 to (JoBl cA//chiao*to
raise;
4 ^|^ shan
good;here,
virtuous.
Hft|>
teach; ^?b
neng-
an
adjective:
"capable").'
'
from now on aftcr 'filial.
wards one may know that he
is
not
(^M
14:
ts'ung*filial).
from;
^fcfe
^'
hoii 4
after;
Jl5^P
fci y
1
not;
hsiao*
^'
ere
s
an ass imilative particle,
'as",
"as
if",
"like" (vid. lesson XI).Similar examples.^^
ove
^e P e
P^ e as
ne
'
s
children.
ai 4
to love).
jiM
S^
----
to
'k u P"
n death as returning home.
shih*to
look).""
^^ ^(hr) is liket
"
one
day
without
seein
3
tlirecMnonths. a final particle).
34-
f
[Ft*
rfr4nt?M?
77j|
here
is
an adversative
particle: "thick
but has no cavity"
'I/^'ffjol|S
the combination
rjrl:
and
-^
forms here a verbal noun from the verb(
"the valuein their
dlf -rlj*
>)
f
gourds
consists
aptitude to contain (things)''.
From
this structureFjTjL
one where
must be distinguished a similar forms an adjective joined with j4"; "those
"That which
who ----":I
am
anxious only aboutI
this question (lit. that this question).
about whichwci-
am anxious"Efcrh^
is
onlyfinal
.
(rEr
I/;
4
anxious;
"
LZi
love
(lit.
that which
love are only books).'
can d0
'
!
CCTtilinl
will do.
whogreat ministers servevirtue.ch'en-
arc called
their prince in accordance with
minister;
~tf -^*
shih*
to serve.
-M
tao*
y^ilesson,I,
righteousness; virtue; a way).-
Compare the present-
note au.
.
IM J75rtjfe ---
Compare lesson--:
II, i,
note
^
'
nerc
Jiff
w
'
tn tne ver k
JB
forms an
adjective clause
"Thereneed of
is
nothing needful to
me
in
it",
"I have no
it".
35Similar G>:anp!o3.' '
" loush
'
""
is
a MSC> he
-
fife
too, n.is that
which he cannot do.Jftt klicHg4
WfjlX
s///
2
though;" ""
-3>
sage; holy).is
/? ]iff yf\^lT!"F-*
"
tncre
sure ly
something of which
you are not aware.-/
N
a " tbat
hehas
-
L-
k
/^jri-jO] A TTfffj"expense".
-
-
-
-
"V u
live
nou
'
at
otll7*/
i
5 it
impossible?is
here
a consc( i uential p article
-
Compare
lesson
I, 2,
note
c.
TRANSLATION.The Ssa-monster.Chins;
Kuo-chun was (/$) a minister>frto the fief of H>ii.'h.
of the Ch'i state.
Hetohis)
was appointedbuild walls and
There he intended
(4}f)of
(7fc|)
to live in tnat place (~^).
(One
advisers said, admonishing him.
"Have you
not heard aboutit,
theit
sea-monsteris
(lit.
sea huge fish), sir?it
A
net cannot stop
and
impossible to haulit
with a hook.(lit
(But
if)
unfortunately
is
out of the water
loses wat^r), mole-crickets(it).
and ants would then (Qil)M'Jpresence (~tc} in Ch'iis
-(easily)
master
Your (3J--V)A=\>
^yj.
T-*
f\o*M $&Siffi
A
XV
AyXO ^^^
A
H
*T
^
44
Vocabulary.gchcng*test.8j>'/7
to wrangle; to con-
Jb,
/
;
-/w
the donkey-boy.
to
4^.f3&
II
hsing-jen?lin*
-a
traveller.
give1
to.
To be
with.
And; with. By an interrogaReadjyjJtive particle.
to rent; to lease,
ch'ien 2 (332)gjji
copper coin;
/M 3 (207)
a donkey.
money.shu 3 (788) to belong to; connected with; subordinate to.a'o 3I;
^-t.||L
fang
square. A place; a A recipe. Still; region. then; just.1
me; my.to.
shtt 1
the heat of summer;
hot.
>T*J
wt
4
to seek; to
hunt
for.
jang* (369)give way.
yield;
to
^ jg^ ^|&fr,/Jfc.
yin* (435) shade; shelter; to protect.j^Vj
1 ching (228) to be frightened; to cause alarm.
i
1
to
mo
{
not;
there
%--
run away;Ease.all;
to go to
is
not;
excess.
nothing.fall prostrate; to fit? lie in ambush. To suftofer.3
altogether;
collectively.ft
v^
chui l
A summer
to follow; to pursue.
decade.huo* (/m 4 ) (58)to seize. to catch;
RgCHft**-
/w (544)pi* (158)
the belly.to
avoid; to flee
ao
l
(5 19)
-vexed;1
angry;
from.5 to be right; thus; ;wn However; but.
to regiet.
&J^ *JKK
so.
P^
ao-sang
vexed;to
low-
spirited.
chin 9 (106)scarcely.
only; hardly;
kuci l to back.
return;
go
Toto.
restore.
Tova-
belongto
fo "**
Pi*
(561)
conceal;
to
//s/7
shade.
empty; vacant; gue; abstract.
1
45
Notes.
"'
"
Compare
lesson ni>l>
2>
notc
d>
Coni P are lessoni
2
>
notec.
c.
ff|
HJi "/'ceft
~T
'
"
~/^
'
ierc
s
a
si S
n
f
the possessive case.lesson II,i,
dc.
PI
rt
CompareCompare
note
a.
IM ^dlt^y iSJIii
lesson
I, 3.
note2.
a.
Compare
lesson III, lessonI, i,
Compare Compare
notch.
lesson
I, r,
noted.
TRANSLATION.Quarrel about a Shadow
A
traveller hired a
donkey and went onhot.
day just happened donkey-boy) looked for shade,( "77:.)
to be (very)
long journey. The (The traveller and the Then (but) could not find (it).a
(they) crept un