Pictorial Chinese Sayings (8) - A Tale to Tell (Part III) [Mass Market Paperback]

Andre Loo (Author), Adrienne Lam (Editor), Yuk Sung Fung (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1997

A Tale to Tell is divided into three volumes each containing 35 sayings of a narrative nature. They are selected for their popularity as well as their symbolism and vividness. Most of these sayings originated from the pre-Qin era (770-221 BC). This era of about five and half centuries is divided into two periods: Chunqiu (770-476 BC) and Warring State (475-221 BC). These two periods saw the flourishing of Chinese learning at a level unsurpassed in later times, in which practical experience combined with wisdom produced many profound works. These Chinese sayings from these two periods are the crystallization of such thoughts and ideas. From the Qin Dynasty to the present is a period of over two thousand years which enriched the language with many sayings. However, sayings from the pre-Qin era remain the most popular and influential and are still taught to every schoolchild. The order of the sayings is arranged according to the number of stroke in the first character. The meaning of each word in a saying is provided along with the literal English translation. The idiomatic meaning and English equivalents are provided where applicable. To help the readers to pronounce the sayings accurately, two sets of transcription are provided: Hanyu Pinyin for modern standard Chinese and the Yale systems for Cantonese. The "Note" section includes remarks, nuances of the saying's usage in different situations and additional information. For the reader's advantage, simplified Chinese characters and Pinyin are used throughout the book. When it comes to a saying with several meanings, the widely used definition will be pointed out. For words that are look alike or have similar pronunciation, they would be listed out for clarification. In the "Related Vocabulary" section, Pinyin and English definition is included on the sayings for words and phrases that are commonly use and closely related to words.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Pictorial Chinese Saying" is a series with 8 volumes: 1 to 10,000, The Animal World, The Plant World, The Physical Self, Towards Nature, and A Tale to Tell (Part 1), (Part 2) and (Part 3). Each volume categorizes the nature of the sayings itself; convenient to learn related words and phrases. There are over 1,000 sayings, including synonyms and antonyms, and 2,500 related vocabulary words in the whole series. Illustrations, photos of cultural relics and a brief Chinese chronology chart are inserted to deepen the understanding of the saying itself.

From the Author

The focus of this series is, to provide interesting supplementary materials for those: who are learning the Chinese language, business professionals who are doing business with the Chinese, and general readers who are interested in the Chinese culture. The sayings, which are commonly used in Chinese language in writing and daily conversation, reflect parts of the Chinese philosophies, history, myths and customs. For over two thousand years, literary gems, historical events, heroic exploits, and philosophical sayings have been condensed into succinct phrases, often no more than four words long. They are familiar not only to the educated class, but also to the common folks. In learning Chinese, acquiring a good knowledge of these sayings is a vital part not to be overlooked by any serious learner. Simplified character is used in text because it is an official form in China, while traditional or complex characters with Cantonese pronunciation are provided in the appendix for reference. Many people learn Chinese in simplified characters because it is easier to master and more widely used. However, people in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and some Chinese communities in other countries are still using the traditional characters and it is helpful for those who would go into further study of Chinese classic and literatures. Cantonese, the regional dialect of the southern province of Guangdong, is widely used in Hong Kong and among numerous Chinese overseas. This series is not only useful to people who are studying Chinese and those who are interested in Chinese culture, but it is also serve as a handy reference. I hope you will enjoy it.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 95 pages
• Publisher: Silk Road Pr; 1 Ed edition (December 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890807079
• ISBN-13: 978-1890807078
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,977,364 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)