Records after the Guests Have Left

赵与时Jul 2024

4.0

Word count: 76K words
Chapters: 12

Summary

Traditional Chinese culture and thought have a long history and are marked by a high degree of originality, inventiveness, and literary quality. Early forms of thought are highly distinctive: religious theology, classical texts of Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and the Hundred Schools of Thought, feng shui and metaphysical learning, the Twenty-Four Histories, customs and local gazetteers, and other such content are all profound and extensive. This series, "Essence of the Classics of Chinese Culture: Original Texts," preserves the appearance of the original books and focuses on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers can cultivate their temperament and imperceptibly come to appreciate the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

Bintui Lu is a notebook-style work by Zhao Yushi of the Southern Song dynasty. Its contents are mostly occasional reading notes, miscellaneous records of things seen and heard, and textual examination and analysis, touching on classical and historical allusions, anecdotes about people, institutions and regulations, and comments on poetry and prose; it belongs to the more scholarly, miscellany-oriented strand of Song dynasty biji. As one volume in the "Essence of the Classics of Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series, this book follows the principle of preserving the appearance of the original and is suited to readers who wish to encounter the original text of an ancient biji directly. Its value lies not in systematic theoretical construction but in presenting, through short entries, the reading world and intellectual interests of Song people; it can serve as primary material for understanding the structure of scholarly knowledge among Song literati. It need not be read straight through; it is better to browse and take notes as one goes, and when an entry involves historical events or names and objects, consulting reference works will make it easier to appreciate its combination of evidential research and casual conversation. For beginners accustomed to modern vernacular introductions, the book may present a slight barrier, but for readers with some grounding in classical Chinese who are interested in Song dynasty biji, it is a volume that can be kept on the desk for a long time and consulted as needed.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a foundation in classical Chinese who are interested in Song dynasty biji
Those studying or researching ancient Chinese history and literature who need access to primary sources
Readers who enjoy short-entry miscellanies and fragmented reading
Collectors of original classics of Chinese learning who value preserving the appearance of old books

Not a good fit for

Beginner readers with weak classical Chinese who need vernacular annotation and introductions
Readers expecting a systematic general history or organized knowledge overview
Casual readers who prefer novel-like plots and continuous narrative

Reading tips

Begin by reading the table of contents and prefaces to get a general sense of the range of entries, then jump among categories of interest.
Keep a reference work on ancient personal names, place names, and institutions on hand, and verify evidential entries as you go.
Reading three to five entries at a time is enough; annotate or excerpt as you please, without forcing yourself to keep to a reading schedule.
Read alongside other biji from the same period to compare different records and judgments of the same historical events.

版权信息
序
卷一
卷二
卷三
卷四
卷五
卷六
卷七
卷八
卷九
卷十

FAQ

Can I read this book without any foundation in classical Chinese?

This book preserves the appearance of the original and is not primarily a vernacular translation, so readers with weak classical Chinese will find it fairly demanding. It is advisable first to use reference works or choose an annotated edition to become familiar with the style, then return to the original, or to read it alongside similar biji that include introductions.

Is this book suitable for reading straight through from beginning to end?

Bintui Lu is a biji miscellany, and its entries are largely discontinuous; reading it straight through easily becomes tiring. A better approach is to jump among entries according to interest and take notes as you browse, treating the book as a desk volume for both reference and leisure; repeated browsing is in fact more rewarding.

What auxiliary tools should I prepare for reading this book?

It is advisable to have dictionaries of ancient personal and place names, reference works on institutions and regulations, and reliable comparative editions of historical works. When an entry involves comments on poetry and prose or examination of names and objects, checking relevant collected works or historical texts will better help you understand the author's analytical approach.

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About the author

赵与时 Author

Zhao Yushi was a Song-dynasty author of biji (miscellaneous notes), whose official career and dates of birth and death are now difficult to establish, as public information about him is limited. He is known to later generations chiefly through three extant works: Bin Tui Lu, Bin Tui Lu · Que Sao Bian, and The Biography of Lin Lingsu. Among these, Bin Tui Lu is a relatively representative Song notebook, dealing largely with observations, comments on poetry and prose, anecdotes about people of the time, and Buddhist and Daoist tales; its plain style shows a strong sense of documentary record. Its circulation together with Que Sao Bian also allows readers to compare different facets of Song notebook writing. The Biography of Lin Lingsu centers on the deeds of the Northern Song Daoist Lin Lingsu, reflecting the author's interest in Daoist figures and occult traditions. Modern readers often approach his works from the perspectives of literary appreciation and Eastern philosophy, valuing both their narrative interest and the intellectual and historical information preserved in the notes.