Preface to Model Sayings

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

3.5

Word count: 422 words
Chapters: 3

Summary

The Preface to Model Sayings begins: Heaven gave birth to the people, blank and unenlightened, giving free rein to their feelings and dispositions, their intelligence not yet opened; they were instructed in principle, and so the "Learning and Practice" chapter was composed.

Editor's review

The Preface to Model Sayings is an annotated translation of Yang Xiong's own preface to Model Sayings, briefly explaining the reasons for writing chapters such as "Learning and Practice." Opening with "Heaven gave birth to the people, blank and unenlightened," it sets out the claim that human nature is unopened and must be guided by ritual and righteousness, making it a key to entering Yang Xiong's thought. This Bashu Press edition includes annotations and a plain-language running commentary, lowering the barrier to reading Classical Chinese from the pre-Qin and Han periods, and is suitable as introductory material for studying Model Sayings. The preface is short yet distills Yang Xiong's overall judgment on the relationship between education, learning, and human nature; it can be read alongside the "Learning and Practice" chapter to appreciate his line of thought that "learning makes one human." Readers need not rush; it is best to savor it sentence by sentence and note the echoes between preface and main text. For readers interested in Han-dynasty Confucianism, Sichuan scholarship, or Classical Chinese composition, this small volume offers a solid and accessible entry point.

Who it's for

A good fit for

History and literature students studying Han-dynasty Confucianism and Yang Xiong's thought
Classical Chinese enthusiasts who wish to read the original Model Sayings with the help of annotations and translation
Readers interested in Sichuan scholarly texts and Bashu Press's collation of ancient works
Middle-school Chinese teachers needing short Classical Chinese materials for close-reading practice

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a complete annotated translation of the whole Model Sayings
Readers without basic Classical Chinese ability who want only narrative or story-driven books
Scholars researching the textual history of Model Sayings who need in-depth collation materials

Reading tips

First read the plain-language commentary on the preface, then return to the original and compare sentence by sentence, marking unfamiliar words.
Immediately afterward, turn to the "Learning and Practice" chapter to appreciate how the preface connects with the main text.
Keep a pen handy and copy key terms about human nature and education from the preface onto cards.
Read alongside the relevant passage of the Book of Han's "Biography of Yang Xiong" to understand the writing background.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
正文一
正文二

FAQ

What is the relationship between the Preface to Model Sayings and the main text of Model Sayings?

The Preface to Model Sayings is Yang Xiong's own preface to the chapters of Model Sayings, mainly explaining his purpose in writing and the arrangement of chapters, much like a general introduction to the whole book. It is not the main text itself, but reading it helps grasp the problematic addressed in chapters such as "Learning and Practice"; it is best read alongside the main text.

Can someone without a Classical Chinese background read this book?

You can try, but you will need the annotations and plain-language commentary. The preface is very short, and comparing it sentence by sentence with the translation makes the general meaning easy to grasp; to understand Yang Xiong's thought deeply, however, you will still need some basic knowledge of Han-dynasty Confucianism and should slow down and read repeatedly.

Is this book suitable as classroom teaching material?

Yes. The preface is short and focused on a concentrated set of issues—human nature, education, and learning—making it convenient for close reading and discussion. Teachers can select key sentences for students to translate, then extend the lesson with the "Learning and Practice" chapter, but should prepare annotations in advance to help students clear away textual obstacles.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.