Confucius's Analects : An Advanced Reader of Chinese Language and Culture

Confucius's Analects is an innovative textbook for teaching and learning Chinese language and culture at the advanced level. It combines classical and modern Chinese language skills, Chinese culture, and expository and narrative writing practice. Confucius's Analects (ca. 479 BC221 BC) is a central work of East Asian intellectual history that permeates Chinese and East Asian thought and values today. Students seeking to develop advanced language proficiency need to be familiar with the Analects in order to understand the wealth of literary allusions that appear in modern as well as classical Chinese writings. A selection of 82 passages, which are all educational and practical for present-day students, are grouped thematically into four parts-knowledge, morality, wisdom, and government-and covers Confucian teachings from personal cultivation to social contribution. Features: bull; A quadrupled text system includes quotations from the Analects, modern Chinese translations of these passages, short essays of exegesis that elaborate on the major points, and historical Chinese stories that illustrate the theme bull; Vocabulary expansion sections show how monosyllabic classical words have each expanded into ten selected modern bisyllabic words bull; Almost 300 idioms and corresponding exercises teach their rhetorical value and provide cultural exposure bull; Sections on function words help students to understand classical Chinese bull; Extensive writing practice in each chapter includes debate, composition, storytelling, and topical research-all requiring internet research bull; Audio files of recitation of the Analects passages by a native speaker are available online for free Designed for students who have studied Chinese for three years in college or an equivalent, this textbook is ideal for students of advanced Chinese, classical Chinese, and Chinese culture. Knowledge of classical Chinese is not a prerequisite.

Zu-Yan Chen is a professor of Chinese language and literature and director of the Confucius Institute at Binghamton University, SUNY. He is the coauthor of Li Bai and Du Fu: An Advanced Reader of Chinese Language and Literature and Chinese through Song.