The Old Edition of the Water Margin
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Summary
Traditional Chinese thought and culture have a long history and are highly original, inventive and literary. Early forms of thought are distinctive: religious theology, classical texts of Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist and Hundred Schools thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, customs and local gazetteers—all are profound and vast. This series, Classic Essence 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 cultivate character and quietly absorb the classics of Chinese learning.
Editor's review
Titled The Ancient Text of Water Margin, this book is included in the series Classic Essence of Chinese Culture: Original Texts. Its value lies not in offering a meticulously collated modern edition but in giving readers direct access to the original form of the traditional Water Margin story. For readers familiar with the 100-chapter or 70-chapter editions of Water Margin, the ancient text often shows different chapter structures, characterization and narrative pacing—ideal for comparative reading and for appreciating how the Water Margin story accumulated and changed as it was transmitted. Preserving the original appearance, the book suits version comparison and close reading rather than serving as a substitute for reading a standard edition cover to cover. Read it with an eye for differences within similarity: note variations in how characters are introduced, how episodes connect and how language is styled, and sense the complex texture of classical vernacular fiction in its composition and copying. For enthusiasts of traditional culture, it is also a window into how popular literature circulated in premodern times.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Lovers of classical fiction who have read a standard edition of Water Margin and want to know the ancient text
- University teachers and students working on editions and textual comparison of premodern fiction
- Readers of history and literature interested in how traditional vernacular fiction took shape
- Collectors of facsimiles or original-format typeset editions of Chinese classics
Not a good fit for
- First-time readers who have never read Water Margin and want the complete story first
- General readers who need modern punctuation, annotation and detailed collation notes
- Casual readers looking for popular retellings or new adaptations
Reading tips
- Read a standard edition of Water Margin first, then use this book for comparison, focusing on differences in chapter divisions and episode connections.
- Keep pen and paper to record character descriptions and linguistic details that differ from the standard edition, building your own edition notes.
- You need not read it cover to cover; choose familiar passages such as those about Wu Song or Lin Chong for local comparison.
- Read with some background knowledge of how premodern popular literature circulated, and avoid judging the ancient text's structure by the standards of the modern novel.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 古本序 卢俊义梁山惊恶梦 嵇叔夜草堂执长弓
- 古本水浒
- 一回 及时雨论功让马 青眼虎奉命筑亭
- 二回 丁九郎真诚款客 段孔目假话欺人
- 三回 燕青失陷大名城 史进气走玄通观
- 四回 九纹龙大闹黑风冈 玉麒麟亲下梁山泊
- 五回 高冲汉中枪殒命 栾廷玉奉召兴兵
- 六回 刘唐索超同被擒 李逵关胜双中箭
- 七回 黑旋风劫寨遇张清 宋公明诡言斩孙立
- 八回 布疑阵叫反出林龙 设奇谋大败栾廷玉
- 九回 郓州城刁奴陷主 梁山泊义仆鸣冤
- 十回 忠义堂点将分兵 郓州府反牢劫狱
- 十一回 碎剐衙内李应报仇 撞破头颅韩忠殉主
- 十二回 林教头病卧梁山泊 花和尚误走富安庄
- 十三回 富太公有意擒僧 鲁智深无心遇盗
- 十四回 除强暴火烧截云岭 报冤仇屠洗富安庄
- 十五回 朱笏山英雄设计 沂州府恶少亡身
- 十六回 闻统制大战朱笏山 高太守生还沂州府
- 十七回 宋公明梦入东京 公孙胜神游北岳
- 十八回 白虎神劫粮捉周通 黄龙道斗法败樊瑞
- 十九回 入云龙破阵收吴角 黑旋风避席斗阎光
- 二十回 混江龙重临旧地 分水犀追诉前情
- 二十一回 揭阳岭李俊祭亡灵 黄流村穆弘遘警变
- 二十二回 癞头鼋乡里逞豪强 油签子山村传密信
- 二十三回 没遮拦诛酆都黑煞 癞头鼋斗浪里白跳
- 二十四回 小孤山李俊报仇 定陶县刁椿遇害
- 二十五回 无毛蟹冤陷定陶城 活阎罗独下梁山泊
- 二十六回 七雄大破定陶城 二阮误走金乡县
- 二十七回 飞毛腿水泊请徐宁 金枪手阵前擒吕振
- 二十八回 说人情收降九头鸟 看榜文激恼黑旋风
- 二十九回 黄蜂岭病关索扬威 九里墩拚命三除害
- 三十回 天慧星夜半降妖 云庄主日中留客
- 三十一回 二英雄血溅云家庄 一都监败退黄蜂岭
- 三十二回 项充李衮双告急 宋江吴用各分兵
- 三十三回 闻统制威镇兖州府 小张良智败宋公明
- 三十四回 云峰谷三雄求药 纯阳宫一道逞强
- 三十五回 金眼彪火烧纯阳宫 武行者大闹曾家店
- 三十六回 宋公明疆场斗武 兖州府黑夜鏖兵
- 三十七回 徐宁怒斩九头鸟 宋江智斗小张良
- 三十八回 宋公明乘夜破兖州 贾居信遭擒死水泊
- 三十九回 朱军师计破鸡鸣山 武行者力斩赛存孝
- 四十回 李逵大闹天齐庙 戴宗失陷泰安州
- 四十一回 燕浪子奇谋劫牢狱 孙道人遁甲退追兵
- 四十二回 宋江智败铁方梁 关胜计取泰安府
- 四十三回 黑旋风偷割温太守 鲁智深大闹凤凰村
- 四十四回 青草坡巧逢张老实 红花峪遁走过天星
- 四十五回 众好汉火烧双龙寺 一将军大战灵鸡峰
- 四十六回 林冲怒打丰田镇 宋江兵袭寇州城
- 四十七回 公孙胜斗法斩邱玄 呼延灼赚城捉高让
- 四十八回 宋公明智伏周谨 豹子头力诛洪彦
- 四十九回 纪安邦拜将兴师 宋公明分兵破阵
- 五十回 玄女宫神摄天书 梁山泊雷轰石碣
- 四十二回 宋江智败铁方梁 关胜计取泰安府
- 四十三回 黑旋风偷割温太守 鲁智深大闹凤凰村
- 四十四回 青草坡巧逢张老实 红花峪遁走过天星
- 四十五回 众好汉火烧双龙寺 一将军大战灵鸡峰
- 四十六回 林冲怒打丰田镇 宋江兵袭寇州城
- 四十七回 公孙胜斗法斩邱玄 呼延灼赚城捉高让
- 四十八回 宋公明智伏周谨 豹子头力诛洪彦
- 四十九回 纪安邦拜将兴师 宋公明分兵破阵
- 五十回 玄女宫神摄天书 梁山泊雷轰石碣
FAQ
Can this book replace the standard Water Margin?
Not advisable. It preserves an ancient text rather than offering a complete story for first-time readers. To learn the whole Water Margin story, choose a standard edition; this book is better for edition comparison and close reading once you know the story.
Can I understand it without a background in textual scholarship?
You can read it, but you will get less out of it. It preserves the original appearance and lacks the detailed collation notes of modern editions. Gain some experience reading classical vernacular first, and focus on differences in plot and language rather than getting bogged down in technical terms about editions.
How should I read it to see the differences between the ancient text and the standard edition?
The most effective way is comparative reading: choose the same episode, such as Wu Song killing the tiger or Lin Chong at the mountain temple in the snow, read the corresponding parts of the standard edition and this book, and compare chapter arrangement, details and language style. Record the differences, and over time you will appreciate how the Water Margin story changed as it circulated.
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About the author
Shi Nai'an
Author · Chinese · 1296–1370
Shi Nai'an (c. 1296–1370), whose given name was Yanduan and who used the courtesy names Zhaorui and Zi'an, was a writer of the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. He was a native of Xinghua, Jiangsu, with ancestral roots in Suzhou. Tradition holds that he once served as magistrate of Qiantang County and later withdrew from office to devote himself to writing. Both his life and his authorship of Water Margin remain disputed among scholars, and reliable public information is limited. Water Margin, attributed to him, is one of China's Four Great Classical Novels. Set against the backdrop of Song Jiang's uprising in the late Northern Song, it portrays a vast company of 108 outlaws at Liangshan, distinguished by vivid language and memorable characters, and it has exerted a lasting influence on later fiction, drama and folk culture. His works fall under classical literature and martial-arts fiction, and this site offers a variety of related editions, including unabridged texts, annotated versions with pronunciation guides, and curriculum-oriented reading editions.
