Words on Shame

徐祯稷Jun 2024

2.5

Word count: 13K words
Chapters: 4

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought has a long history and is highly original, inventive, and literary. Early intellectual forms have striking characteristics: religious theology, classical texts of Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and the Hundred Schools of Thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and local customs and geography are all vast and profound. This series, "Essential Classics of Chinese Traditional 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 quietly absorb the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

This book belongs to the same "Essential Classics of Chinese Traditional Culture: Original Texts" series and follows the editorial principle of preserving the original appearance of the text, making it suitable as a reader for approaching classic works of traditional thought. Its significance lies in allowing readers to encounter the original wording of ancient texts directly and to experience how traditional thought unfolds in specific contexts, rather than relying on secondhand summaries. Reading books of this kind requires patience and reference tools; only by understanding passage by passage and revisiting the text repeatedly can one appreciate the layers of the original. For readers interested in the intellectual forms of traditional Chinese culture and willing to begin with the original text, this book can serve as one volume in the series to be read as needed. It provides no modern annotation or popular paraphrase, so it is better suited to readers with some grounding in classical Chinese who can independently verify words and phrases. It is advisable to plan one's reading pace with reference to the table of contents and notes on the book's format, not to insist on finishing it in one sitting, and to read it alongside similar classic texts for comparison.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in classic works of traditional thought who are willing to read the original text directly
Readers with some grounding in classical Chinese who can use reference works to verify words and phrases independently
Researchers or writers who need to consult textual clues in traditional thought
Readers who like to read slowly passage by passage, take notes, and revisit the text

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping for vernacular translation or popular explanation and seeking an easy introduction
People who find classical Chinese difficult and are unwilling to verify words and phrases
Readers expecting modern scholarly analysis or a complete theoretical framework

Reading tips

First look at the table of contents and notes on the book's format to clarify this book's place in the series, then read selections according to interest; it is not necessary to read from beginning to end.
Prepare a dictionary of classical Chinese and a reliable annotated edition; mark difficult sentences first and verify them together after finishing a passage, so as to keep reading coherent.
After finishing each shorter piece, write a few sentences about your understanding, so that you can compare it with the original meaning when you revisit the text.
You may read this alongside other classic texts in the same series, noting differences in how different texts express similar issues, and forming a comparative reading.

版权信息
耻言一
耻言二
跋

FAQ

Do I need to read other books in the series first?

Not necessarily. This book is one volume in the series, and the materials do not indicate a strict order among the volumes. Readers can choose according to the table of contents and their own interests; which book to read first depends mainly on which kind of traditional thought interests you more, not on a required series order.

Can I understand it without annotations?

For most readers, reading entirely without assistance will be difficult. This book focuses on preserving the original appearance of the text and does not provide sentence-by-sentence vernacular translation. It is advisable to prepare a dictionary of classical Chinese and a reliable annotated edition; mark difficult words and phrases first and then verify them. Readers with a better grounding in classical Chinese can try reading a passage through first and then return to deal with the difficult points.

Is it suitable as the first book for beginning the study of Chinese classics?

It can serve as an attempt to approach original texts, but it is not necessarily the easiest first book. This book preserves the original appearance of the text and requires readers to have the patience to verify words and phrases. If you have no experience reading classical Chinese at all, it is advisable to start with editions that include annotations and vernacular comparison, and then return to original-text editions like this one; the difficulty of reading will be much reduced.

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About the author

徐祯稷 Author

Xu Zhenji's life is poorly documented in publicly available sources, and his native place, dates of birth and death, and specific experiences cannot be confirmed. Judging from the surviving work, he is the author of one title, Chiyan (Words of Shame), which is classified as literary appreciation and serves as the main basis for understanding his writing. The title itself suggests admonition and self-reflection, and the content likely concerns conduct in life, speech, and self-cultivation, showing features of traditional literati essays or aphoristic writing. Such texts are usually concise in language and draw on everyday examples, conveying warnings through short passages that read plainly yet linger in the mind. Because records are scarce, Xu Zhenji's overall creative output, circle of acquaintances, and literary standing are difficult to examine in detail, and his influence rests mainly on the circulation of Chiyan among readers. To present-day readers he is chiefly an author who passes on worldly wisdom in brief sayings, worth reading closely for the care behind the words.