The Tale of Green Pearl

乐史Jul 2024

3.9

Word count: 2.2K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought and culture has a long history, marked by a high degree of originality, inventiveness, and literary quality. Early forms of thought are especially distinctive: religious theology, medical classics, ancient military texts, Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist, and Hundred Schools thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and local customs and geography—all vast and profound in content. This "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series preserves the appearance of the original books, with the aim of conserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. Reading the literary essence left by ancient sages cultivates character and subtly introduces readers to the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

Green Pearl is a famous tale of the marvelous by Yue Shi of the Song dynasty, telling the tragic story of Green Pearl, the beloved concubine of Shi Chong of the Western Jin, who threw herself from a tower and died for love. This edition belongs to the "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series, which aims to preserve the appearance of the original book and to present the text as it stands rather than to offer extensive annotation or interpretation. For readers who wish to encounter ancient tales of the marvelous and to understand the images of women and the lives of the gentry in traditional narrative, this is a short but richly suggestive work. Yue Shi's style is concise and full of feeling, and the figure of Green Pearl recurs in later poetry and drama; reading the original tale allows one to trace this allusion to its source. It is suitable as a short text for beginners in classical literature or for specialized study, and convenient for comparative reading alongside later works on the same theme. Note that this series emphasizes fidelity to the original, so annotation and introductory guidance are relatively limited; first-time readers may need to consult reference works or background materials.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Lovers of classical literature interested in the tales of the marvelous of the Tang and Song and wanting to read the original texts
Researchers and writers who need to understand the source of the Green Pearl allusion
General readers who wish to enter the classics of Chinese learning through a short text
Teachers and students of ancient fiction or traditional culture courses as supplementary reading

Not a good fit for

Beginners in classical Chinese who expect detailed annotation, vernacular translation, and introductory guidance
Readers who prefer long, continuous narratives and have little interest in short tales of the marvelous

Reading tips

First read through once to grasp the outline of the story, then review the characters' situations in light of historical sources on Shi Chong of the Western Jin.
Read alongside later poems on Green Pearl to appreciate how the same allusion changes across different genres.
Those with weaker classical Chinese are advised to keep a dictionary of ancient Chinese at hand and to work through the wording paragraph by paragraph before grasping the whole.

版权信息
绿珠传

FAQ

Is this book a vernacular translation or the original classical Chinese text?

This edition belongs to the "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series, which emphasizes preserving the appearance of the original book; the main text is in classical Chinese, and annotation and supplementary reading material are relatively limited. Readers with weaker classical Chinese will need reference works or should familiarize themselves with the story's background before reading.

What story does Green Pearl tell?

Green Pearl is a tale of the marvelous by Yue Shi of the Song dynasty, narrating the tragedy of Green Pearl, beloved concubine of the Western Jin millionaire Shi Chong, who threw herself from a tower amid the clash of power. The story is not long, yet it concentrates the ancient narrative depiction of women's integrity and the fate of the gentry, and is an important source text for the Green Pearl allusion.

Can I read it without any foundation in classical Chinese?

You can try, but you should be prepared. It is advisable first to read a vernacular summary to understand the plot, then to read the original paragraph by paragraph, consulting a dictionary of ancient Chinese for difficult words. If you want detailed annotation and translation, you may use an annotated and translated edition alongside this one.

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About the author

乐史 Author

Le Shi was the author of classical Chinese tales and miscellaneous biographical notes, and his life is now difficult to trace, with limited publicly available information. Judging from the five works held in the collection, his writing drew largely on historical figures and anecdotes, combining accounts of the strange with miscellaneous records and touching on court gossip, legends of women, and compilations of marvels. His representative work, Yang Taizhen Waizhuan, elaborates the story of Yang Guifei in detailed language and intricate plot, and became an important source for later drama and fiction; Lü Zhu Zhuan, on the deeds of Lü Zhu, is likewise notable for its narrative skill. Guang Zhuo Yi Ji leans toward collecting strange and remarkable tales, reflecting his broad and eclectic approach. These works are generally classed under culture, classic works, and literary appreciation; they are short but strongly narrative and offer a useful reference for understanding the evolution of classical tale-telling.