Knowing the Sound

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

4.6

Word count: 978 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

How difficult it is to find a true connoisseur! Sound is truly hard to know, and a true connoisseur is truly hard to meet; to meet one's true connoisseur happens perhaps once in a thousand years! From ancient times, connoisseurs have mostly despised their contemporaries and longed for antiquity—what is called "advancing before one's eyes yet not being employed, hearing a sound from afar and longing for it." Formerly, when the Chu Shuo first appeared and the Zixu was first completed, the First Emperor of Qin and Emperor Wu of Han regretted not being contemporaries of their authors. But once they were contemporaries, Han Fei was imprisoned and Sima Xiangru was slighted—is this not clear proof of the contempt for contemporaries! As for Ban Gu and Fu Yi, their writing was between equals, yet Ban Gu sneered at Fu Yi, saying he could not stop once he put pen to paper.

Editor's review

This book unfolds around the ancient proposition "true connoisseurs are hard to meet," beginning from the lament "how difficult it is to find a true connoisseur" and sorting out deviations in the ancients' appreciation and understanding: despising contemporaries and longing for antiquity, valuing the distant and slighting the near. It uses the historical examples of the Chu Shuo and Zixu when first published, when the First Emperor of Qin and Emperor Wu of Han regretted not being contemporaries of their authors, yet once they were contemporaries Han Fei was imprisoned and Sima Xiangru slighted, revealing the common psychology of "slighting contemporaries"; it also cites Ban Gu's sneer at Fu Yi for "being unable to stop once he put pen to paper," showing that even those of similar literary talent may not truly understand each other. The language is concise and the thought dense, both an analysis of the psychology of literary appreciation and a short essay on understanding and evaluation. Its strength lies in using history to prove principle and events to clarify principle, grounding the abstract question of "the true connoisseur" in concrete persons and affairs, so that it does not read as empty. It is suitable for close reading in quiet reading time, and also as an introduction to discussing literary criticism and interpersonal understanding.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in classical literary theory and the psychology of literary appreciation
Readers who wish to use short texts to think about understanding and evaluation
Students of Chinese or humanities courses who need material for classroom discussion
Readers who like short essays that use historical examples to argue

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting systematic textbook-style exposition of literary theory
Readers who prefer long narrative or plot-driven works
Beginners unwilling to engage with classical Chinese expression and allusions

Reading tips

First read through once, mark key phrases such as "despising contemporaries and longing for antiquity" and "contempt for contemporaries," then review the layers of argument.
Using the two sets of examples—the First Emperor of Qin and Emperor Wu of Han, and Ban Gu and Fu Yi—retell in your own words the author's explanation of "true connoisseurs are hard to meet."
After reading, write a short review of about a hundred words, connecting it to an experience of being misunderstood or misunderstanding others, to deepen understanding.

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
知音第四十八

FAQ

What is the core meaning of "how difficult it is to find a true connoisseur" in the text?

It points out the difficulty of understanding and appreciation: sound is truly hard to know, a true connoisseur is truly hard to meet, and a true connoisseur is rare once in a thousand years. The whole text unfolds from this, analyzing the psychology in ancient appreciation of valuing the distant and slighting the near, despising contemporaries and longing for antiquity, and showing that contemporaries are often slighted instead.

What do the examples of the First Emperor of Qin and Emperor Wu of Han intend to show?

They show that people often yearn for works they have not seen and people not of their own time, but once those people are contemporaries they may not value them. The First Emperor of Qin and Emperor Wu of Han regretted not being contemporaries of the authors of the Chu Shuo and Zixu, yet the contemporary Han Fei and Sima Xiangru were imprisoned or slighted—precisely confirming "contempt for contemporaries."

What role does Ban Gu's sneer at Fu Yi play in the text?

It is used to show that even those of similar literary talent may not truly understand each other. Ban Gu and Fu Yi were between equals in writing, yet Ban Gu mocked Fu Yi for "being unable to stop once he put pen to paper," showing that the difficulty of finding a true connoisseur lies not only in the gap between past and present, but also among similar people of the same generation.

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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.