Discriminating Words

员兴宗Jun 2024

2.8

Word count: 7.2K words
Chapters: 8

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought has a long history and is highly original, inventive and literary. Early thought forms are distinctive, and the content of religious theology, classical Chinese medical texts, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and the Hundred Schools, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and local customs and geography is profound and extensive. This series, "Essence of Chinese Classics: Original Texts," preserves the original appearance of the 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 subtly come to understand the classics.

Editor's review

Bianyan is included in the series "Essence of Chinese Classics: Original Texts," which aims to preserve the original appearance of the books and transmit traditional Chinese thought and culture, covering a broad range of content including religious theology, classical Chinese medical texts, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and the Hundred Schools, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and local customs and geography. As one volume in this series, its value lies in presenting the originality and literary quality of early thought forms and giving readers direct access to the literary essence left by ancient sages, so that they may cultivate character through reading and subtly come to understand the classics. It is better suited as a desk reference or source text for enthusiasts of traditional culture than as light reading that seeks storytelling or popular interpretation. Readers should keep the series' overall positioning in mind, understand it within the context of intellectual and cultural history, note the distance between the original language and present-day expression, and approach it with a questioning awareness in order to examine its ideas and modes of argument. For readers who wish to start from the original texts and preserve their original appearance, this book offers a plain and reliable entry point.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a systematic interest in traditional Chinese thought and culture who are willing to read original texts
University teachers and students who need to collect basic classical Chinese texts for teaching or research
Readers who prefer the original appearance of books and do not rely on modern vernacular translations
Enthusiasts who hope to broaden their horizons through diverse content such as religion, military strategy and the Hundred Schools

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting light stories or popular interpretation and lacking patience for reading original texts
Beginners who need modern annotation and sentence-by-sentence translation to understand classical Chinese
Pragmatic readers who only want quick conclusions and are unwilling to spend time examining the text

Reading tips

First read the series' general preface or publication notes to understand the editorial principle of "preserving the original appearance of the books" before entering the main text.
Keep a notebook and make excerpts by school of thought or theme so as to compare them with other texts in the series.
When encountering unfamiliar concepts, first consult reference books or related background materials; do not insist on fully understanding everything in one reading.
Limit each reading session to a fixed number of pages, and afterward restate the main points in your own words to test your comprehension.

版权信息
提要
辩言
放勲
太史公言汤曰吾甚武故号武王
掦雄曰子胥死于吴门卒眼之
王通曰使杜如晦而得其君于万民其犹天乎
析理

FAQ

Is this book a vernacular translation or the original text?

Judging from the series' positioning of "preserving the original appearance of the books and focusing on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture," this book mainly presents the original text rather than a modern vernacular rewriting. Readers should be prepared to face classical Chinese expression directly and, when necessary, use reference books or related background materials to aid comprehension.

Can someone without a foundation in classical Chinese read this book?

You can try, but there will be a certain threshold. It is advisable first to have basic classical Chinese reading ability, or to use annotated editions and reference books alongside it. If you can understand only with complete reliance on vernacular translation, the reading experience will be rather laborious; you may first move on from more accessible introductory works on Chinese classics.

Is this book suitable as the first book for an introduction to Chinese classics?

It is not really recommended as the first book. The series covers a broad range of content and focuses on preserving the original appearance of the books, lacking step-by-step guidance. Beginners should first read selected editions with modern annotation and introductions, and after building basic concepts and reading habits, move on to original texts of this kind.

How should I grasp the diverse intellectual content in the book while reading?

You may first divide the content into major categories such as religious theology, classical Chinese medical texts, military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism, the Hundred Schools, feng shui and metaphysics, and historical and geographical records and customs. As you read each part, assign it to the corresponding category, then consider the connections and differences among the categories, so as not to lump the complex content together.

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About the author

员兴宗 Author

Yuan Xingzong's dates, birthplace, and native place are not clearly recorded, and publicly available information is limited, so he can currently be understood only through his surviving work and bibliographic records. One work by him is held in the collection, Bian Yan (Discriminating Words), commonly classified under Eastern philosophy. Judging from the title and classification, the book appears to be a work of analyzing discourses and examining argumentative principles, bearing the character of traditional speculative and expository writing, and may involve the differentiation and evaluation of existing statements or views. Because details of the original text and the circumstances of its composition remain to be verified, it is not appropriate to infer much about his life, intellectual lineage, or system of thought; it can only be confirmed that he is known in bibliographic records for Bian Yan, and that his work leans toward argumentation and philosophical reflection, making it a noteworthy item for the study of such literature.