Introduction to Literary Chinese

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Textbook on literary Chinese

Transcript of Introduction to Literary Chinese

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