11、《文心雕龙》是一本什么样的书？ What is Wen Xin Diao Long?  
       Wen Xin Diao Long is a rhetorical (修辞学的) treatise on writing by Liu Xie (刘勰), a fifth-century Chinese scholar. Literally the title means The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons. It consists of 50 sections arranged in two parts. The first part consists of 25 chapters. The first five chapters function as the preface (序言); and the other 20 chapters discuss varied types of literature, their characteristics, evolution (发展) and influence on literary history. The second part consists of 24 chapters .These chapters are research papers related to the principles and method of literary creation, appreciation, and criticism (评论). They also deal with the relationship between words of literature and the period when they were written.   
       Wen Xin Diao Long discusses the origins of literature and its special characteristics, notes the experience of earlier writers, and proposes methods and standards for literary criticism. It is the first systematic work on literary theory in Chinese literary history. As modern Chinese scholars re-interpret this treatise (论文), they argue for the existence of a rhetorical treatise in ancient China, challenging the currently predominant notion that rhetoric has been an entirely Western phenomenon. The treatise thus has contributed to the cross-cultural study of comparative (对比的) rhetoric.    
      12、你对明清章回体小说了解多少？ How much do you know about episodic novels in the Ming and Qing dynasties?  
       The traditional Chinese novel developed as a literary form during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is episodic (情节不连贯的) in nature, relating the adventures (冒险活动) of a large number of characters in a string of loosely (松驰地) connected events. Its thematic range is broad, including historical romances (浪漫情调), chivalric (侠义的) tales, ghost stories, social satires (讽刺的) and love stories. Most of the novels depend heavily on the ancient tradition of popular storytellers in the marketplaces and teahouses. This dependence (依靠) carries two consequences (结果). The first is that the long, episodic novels are strong in fascinating (极好的) detail but weak in unified plot. The second is that the authors tend to be collectors, editors, and adapters of earlier materials. There follows a few of the best-known novels that still remain popular among current Chinese readers.    
      13、《三国演义》讲的是什么？ What does Romance of the Three Kingdoms talk about?  
       This novel is thought to have been compiled by Luo Guanzhong (罗贯中) between the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty. It is based on existing written ad oral accounts (记述) of the last years of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms Period of Wei (魏), Shu (蜀) and Wu (吴). The novel traces the rise and fall of the three kingdoms and shows the different approach (接近) of the three political groups in their aspirations (志向) to unite China and live in peace. It contains 400 characters, of which Cao Cao (曹操), Liu Bei (刘备), Zhuge Liang (诸葛亮), Guan Yu (关羽) and Zhang Fei (张飞) have captured the imaginations (创造力) of generations of readers. The language in the novel is a mixture of the literary and the vernacular. It sounds easy and fluent (流利的). The novel has given rise to many other novels and plays about Romance of The Three Kingdoms.    
      14、《水浒传》讲的是什么？  What does Outlaws (反叛者) of the Marsh (沼泽) talk about?  
       Outlaws of the Marsh is also known as The Water Margin or All Men Are Brothers. This is the first novel that gives a detailed account of Chinese peasant uprisings (起义) in feudal (封建的) society. Its authorship (著作者的身份) is uncertain, but the current edition has been attributed to Shi Nai’an (施耐庵) and Luo Guanzhong (罗贯中). The author or authors collected materials from oral legends, storytellers scripts and various-dramas, providing continuity (继续不断) between unconnected (不连接的) episodes and improving the literary quality of the original material. The book relates the stories of 108 men and women who gathered at Liangshan (梁山), in present Shandong Province, under the leadership of Song Jiang (宋江) during the Northern Song Dynasty. Day by day, this uprising becomes more powerful, and the government is unable to put them down. Eventually the emperor has to offer them amnesty (大赦) and official positions. The book is divided into many chapters, describing 108 men and women one by one. Most of the chapters can be thought of as independent biographies, and they have been told and retold by generations of Chinese people.    
      15、《西游记》讲的是什么？  What does Journey to the West talk about?  
       Journey to the West is also known as Record of a Journey to the West. It was written by Wu Cheng-en (吴承恩, 1510-1582) and contains 100 chapters. The story is based on the actual pilgrimage about a Chinese monk of 7th century A.C., Xuan Zang (玄奘), to the source of Buddhism in India. The first part relates the adventures of the Monkey King (孙悟空), who by virtue of his enlightenment has acquired (养成的) magic (魔法) powers, such as the ability to jump 108,000 li (a li is one third of kilometer) in one bound and the capacity (能量) to summon aid when in a tight spot. As he plucks (摘) out one of his own hairs and spits (吐) it out, it immediately turns into an army of monkeys. By these and other means, the Monkey King defeats all the forces the Jade Emperor sends against him. However, he is finally curbed (控制)by Buddha, who gives him the task to accompanying Xuan Zang to fetch scriptures from India and bring them to China. Zhu Bajie (猪八戒) and Sha Seng (沙僧) also join the journey to guard Xuan Zang. The description of numerous adventures on their journey occupies the remainder of the book.   
       In the last 500 years, this novel has had a profound influence on Chinese literature. Its romantic style, imaginative content and humorous (幽默的) expression have captured readers of past generations; and its stories have been adapted into dramas and cartoons (动画) that have won worldwide appreciation.    
      16、《红楼梦》讲的是什么？What does A Dream of Red Mansions talk about?  
       A Dream of Red Mansions (大宅) contains 120 chapters in all. Most scholars believe that the first 80 chapters were written by Cao Xueqin (曹雪芹, 1715-1764). This text first circulated (传播) under the title of Story of a Stone. The novel’s present title was the contribution of a later writer, Gao E (高鹗) who added a final 40 chapters along the lines of the original author’s intention.   
       The novel focuses on the tragic love stories of Jia Baoyu (贾宝玉) and his beautiful cousins (林黛玉) and Xue Baochai (薛宝钗). It also depicts the gradual decline of the aristocratic (贵族的) Jia family. The author brings to life a host of young women, including young ladies and lowly maidservants (女仆). There is also an extensive cast (演员阵容) of male and female characters from all levels of society both inside and outside the Jia family. In language, the novel lifts the vernacular of the traditional Chinese novel to its highest point, skillfully combining colloquial (口语的) and vulgar (通俗的) speech with highly refined (优美的) poetry and prose in the literary language. It represents the peak of the development in the traditional Chinese realistic novel, and it is a masterpiece of world literature.     
      17、为什么唐诗三百首受人欢迎？ Why do people enjoy reading 300 Tang Poems?  
       In Chinese literature, the Tang Dynasty is considered the golden age of Chinese poetry. The collection of 300 Tang Poems was compiled by Sun Zhu (孙洙) around 1763. Sun compiled this collection due to his dissatisfaction (不满) with the then popular textbook called Poems by a Thousand Poets (《千家诗》). Sun made his own selection (选择) from a large number of Tang poems, most of them are the poets’ best works. Moreover, most that he selected are written in relatively simply language and are easy to understand. Sun’s collection became a “best seller” soon after its publication (出版). Nearly every Chinese household owns a copy of the collection, and parents often encourage their children to memorize the poems. There is a popular saying that says, “If you learn the 300 Tang poems by heart, you can chant poetry though you are not a poet”.