《三国演义》----《The Romance of the Three Kindoms》
《水浒传》----《The Story by the Water Margin》
《红楼梦》----《The Dream of the Red Chamber 》
《西游记》----《Journey to the West》
中国四大名著英文简介2009-06-07
Chinese Literature - Novels and fiction
Hongloumeng 红楼梦"The Dream of the Red Chamber"
Also called "The story of the Stone (Shitouji 石头记)", this novel written by Cao Xueqin 曹雪芹 (d. 1763) is said to be the greatest masterpiece of Chinese fiction. A wide branched scholarship does not consent about the main theme of this novel, should it be a novel of sentiment, of Daoist-Buddhist enlightenment, of social observation, of the decay of an aristocratic familiy, or even a veiled attack on Manchu rule. The frame of the novel is the contest of a Buddhist and a Daoist priest who make be born a young noble boy called Jia Baoyu 贾宝玉 and his girl cousin Lin Daiyu 林黛玉. With a loving detail describing the life of the two cousins in a huge noble mansion, between gardens and palaces, the red thread is the triangular love between Baoyu, Daiyu and a second girl cousin called Xue Baochai 薛宝钗 that is of more plumper character than the ever sick Daiyu. Switching between their life, the divine world and dreams, Baoyu becomes deranged after the disappearance of a stone (the origin of the second title) he had in his mouth when he was born. Not knowing, his love Daiyu died, he is tricked to marrying Baochai. Becoming aware of being tricked, Baoyu leaves the world of the "red dust" and becomes a monk. With hundreds of persons and their stories, paralleling the life and feelings of servants to the life of the main persons, the story is very complex and full of symbolisms, but very interesting and convincing for its encyclopedic character, depicting the life of a noble familiy in the 18th century Qing China 清.
三国演义Romance of The Three Kingdoms
Romance of The Three Kingdoms is one of the great chinese classics and is compiled into a semi-fictional literary masterpiece during the Ming Dynasty by Luo Guanzhong. The novel comprises around 70+% fact and 20+% fiction. Some issues such as Guan Yu's weapon weighing around 40+ kilograms, the capabilties of Lu Bu, Liu Bei's horses as well as the existence of the Hill of the Fallen Phoenix and some others are probably fictional.
That period in history can be said as the golden age of chivalry and although it happened more than 1700 years ago, characters such as Liu Bei, Cao Cao, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhuge Liang have become household names among the chinese. Tales of their exploits, courage, adventures and many more are told in the novel "Romance of The Three Kingdoms".
It is one of the most turbulent periods in China's history taking place toward the end of the Han Dynasty where corruption is rampant in the imperial court due to eunuches holding power. Coupled with natural disasters such as floods, plague and locust swarms devouring the crops grown by the peasants, hunger and disatisfaction among the peasants soon escalated rapidly until a major rebellion known as the "Yellow Scarves Rebellion" led by Zhang Jiao broke out. (It was dubbed "Yellow Scarves" because the rebels tied a yellow scarf on their head). Initially just a small band of rebels, due to widespread hunger and ill-sentiment among the populace, swarms of common folks joined in the rebellion across many parts of the country.
三国演义人物介绍
刘备
Liu Bei (161–223 AD), styled Xuándé (玄徳), was a general, warlord, and later the founding emperor of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of China. Although having a later start than his rivals, also lacking both the material resources and social status they commanded, Liu Bei overcame his many defeats to carve out his own realm, that at its peak spanned modern day Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan, part of Hubei, and part of Gansu.
Culturally, due to the tremendously popular novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong, Liu Bei is widely known as the ideal benevolent, humane ruler who cared for his people and picked good advisors. His character was to advocate the Confucian set of moral values, such as loyalty and compassion.
张飞
Zhang Fei (?-221 AD) was a military general of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of China.
Zhang Fei was shown to have been a masterful general rather than simply a warrior. He treated his superiors with respect, but had little respect for his underlings. He was often warned by Liu Bei that his habit of over-punishing his own soldiers by lashing and killing would eventually bring himself disaster.
Zhang Fei married Xiahou Yuan's daughter, who was captured by Zhang Fei's troops as she was out gathering firewood. They had a total of two daughters, and the older daughter became the empress of Shu Han after marrying Liu Shan, with Zhuge Liang as the matchmaker. After Zhang Fei's eldest daughter had passed away due to natural causes, Zhuge Liang once again played the role of matchmaker, and Liu Shan married Zhang Fei's younger daughter, who thus succeeded her older sister to become the empress of Shu Han.
Zhang Fei is best portrayed through his description and actions depicted in Records of Three Kingdoms biography by Chen Shou. Some claim that Zhang Fei was also an excellent painter.
Zhang Fei was killed by his own men Zhang Da and Fan Jiang, while preparing his troops to attack the rival Eastern Wu to avenge the death of Guan Yu. Zhang Da and Fan Jiang went on to defect to Wu.
水浒传Outlaws of the Marsh
The novel "Outlaws of the Marsh" is somewhat like the Iliad and Odyssey... An ancient epic tale... no one remembers the period it was composed and immortalized.
One knows this story is based on real facts and has inspired many storytellers.
One knows the North Song Dynasty (XIIIth Century) lived its apogee and declined, a victim of corruption and decadence.
One finds historical traces of these outlaws who challenged the imperial authority and died under the executioner's blade.
At last, as anyone knows today that a man called Homer wrote the Iliad and Odyssey, no one doubts anymore that a man called Shi Nai-an wrote down during the XIVth century the novel Outlaws of the Marsh that reached us.
Everyone recognizes that Jin Sheng-tan, during the XVIIth century, published what is now famous as the original version of a novel that obtained the interest and infatuation of successive generations.
Water Margin or Outlaws of the Marsh ("All men are brothers" in Pearl Buck's translation, "Shui hu zhuan" in Chinese, "Au Bord de l'Eau" in French ) is an immortal novel because its tale is universal : it speaks of beings (outlaws but also notables, strong muscled heroes but also intellectual, anarchists but also philosophers...) who cannot bear injustice nor abuse nor arbitrariness...
That is the reason they are immortal and their popularity has lasted for centuries .
Discover the 108 heroes, the episodes , the paper-cuts representing them, the Beijing operas their fighting exploits inspired...
人物
Gai Ping Health gave special love make the world anyway, famous arena. Like charges to stick, chicken, and did not take wives, all hit others physique. Village Creek Village haunted legends, villagers digging a river in the town engraved art, ghost was rushed to the East seven. Classical hell, then alone will be engraved Creek Village in places away from the East side down. Thus so-called "Tota kings".
晁盖平 生仗义疏财,专爱结交天下好汉,闻名江湖.喜欢刺枪使棒,身强力壮,不取妻室,终日打熬筋骨.传说邻村西溪村闹鬼,村人凿了一个青石宝塔镇在溪边,鬼就被赶到了东溪村.晁盖大怒,就去西溪村独自将青石宝塔夺了过来在东溪边放下.因此人称“托塔天王”.
西游记Pilgrimage to the West
Journey to the West is a mythological novel based on many centuries of popular tradition. It was probably put into its present form in the 15708 by Wu Cheng’en (1500-82).
This lively fantasy relates the amazing adventures of the priest San-zang as he travels west in search of Buddhist sutras with his three disciples, the irreverent and capable on-
key, greedy Pig, and Friar Sand. The opening chapters recount the earlier exploits of Monkey, culminating in his rebellion against Heaven. We then learn how Sanzang became a monk and was sent on his pilgrimage by the Tang emperor who had escaped death with the help of an Underworld official.
The main story, the journey, takes the priest through all kinds of entertaining trials and tribulations, mainly at the
hands of monsters and spirits who want to eat him. Only the courage and powers of his disciples, especially Monkey, save him from death. Monkey is the hero of the fantasy, and the reader will soon learn why he has long been so loved in China. Will the pilgrims reach the Vulture Peak and obtain the Scriptures? The answer will only be found at the end of the lOO-chapter novel.
The story is as full of imagination as Monkey is of magic, and packed with incident and down-to-earth humour. The illustrations are from 19th-century Chinese edition. This is the first of the three volumes of the novel.