The Scholars,authored by Wu Jingzi , creates a capacious and vivid portrayal of the community life of the feudal society and mirrors various filthy phenomena rampant during the last stage of feudalism. The book offers a vivid portrayal of the various abnormal personages in the vanity fair of position and wealth and delineates the ugly performances of the scholars. Meanwhile, it embodies the writer's social ideal of revitalizing ancient rites and music, rejuvenating the ways of the world and public morality and saving the nation from peril. It is recognized as one of the great masterpieces of Chinese satirical fiction.
This book is edited and translated by the famous translator Wang Guozhen, to introduce The Scholars to the foreign readers.
Table of Contents
Tale 1
Painter Wang Mian
Tale 2
Scholar Zhou Jin
Tale 3
Scholar Fan Jin
Tale 4
Family of Yan Dayu
Tale 5
A Lawsuit Between Yan Dayu’s Widow and Her Brother-in-law
Tale 6
Official Xun Mei
Tale 7
Prefect Wang Hui
Tale 8
The Lou Brothers
Tale 9
Qu Xianfu’s Marriage
Tale 10
Mr. Yang Zhizhong
Tale 11
Swordsman Iron-armed Zhang
Tale 12
Editor Ma Chunshang
Tale 13
Ma Chunshang and an Immortal
Tale 14
Gentleman Ma Chunshang
Tale 15
Filial Son Kuang Chaoren
Tale 16
Scholar Kuang Chaoren
Tale 17
Poetical Meeting
Tale 18
Pan Number Three
Tale 19
Poet Niu Buyi
Tale 20
Usurper Niu Pu
Tale 21
Niu Yupu and His Adopted Grandnephew
Tale 22
Niu Pu in Andong
Tale 23
Actor Bao Wenqing
Tale 24
Bao Wenqing’s Adopted Son Bao Tingxi
Tale 25
Ni Tingxi’s Second Marriage
Tale 26
Bao Tingxi’s Elder Brother
Tale 27
Mr. Ji Weixiao
Tale 28
Scholar Du Shenqing
Tale 29
Lover of Handsome Youths
Tale 30
Friends Drinking at Du Shaoqing’s Library
Tale 31
Mr. Du Shaoqing and Mr. Lou
Tale 32
Mr. & Ms Du Shaoqing and Chi Hengshan
Tale 33
Scholars Meet to Speak of Music and Ceremony
Tale 34
Zhuang Shaoguang Declines All Offers
Tale 35
A True Confucian in Changshu
Tale 36
Filial Son Goes to Search for His Father in Sichuan
Tale 37
Guo Tieshan Encounters Tigers in the Mountain
Tale 38
Xiao Yunxian Saves a Man on a Ridge
Tale 39
Xiao Yunxian Enjoys the Snow
Tale 40
Miss Shen Qiongzhi
Tale 41
The Tang Brothers
Tale 42
The Brigade General Tang
Tale 43
The Yu Brothers
Tale 44
Licentiate Yu Youzhong
Tale 45
The People in Wuhe
Tale 46
Licentiate Yoo Liang
Tale 47
Licentiate Wang Yun
Tale 48
An Imposter
Tale 49
The Fourth Mr. Feng
Tale 50
Secretary Wan
Tale 51
Tradesman Chen Zhenggong
Tale 52
Secretary Wan
Tale 53
The Fourth Mr. Chen
Tale 54
Some Outstanding Figures
Sample Pages Preview
In human life, riches, rank, success and fame are external things. Having said that, men will risk their lives in the search for them; yet once they have them, the taste is no better than chewed tallow. But from ancient times till now, how many have accepted this? However, at the end of the Yuan Dynasty a really remarkable man was born. His name was Wang Mian, and he lived in a village in Zhuji County in Zhejiang. When Wang Mian was seven, his father died. But his mother took in sewing so that he could study at the village school. One day, his mother told him that she could no longer pay for his schooling because of the hard life and asked him to work looking after their neighbour’s buffalo. The next morning his mother took him to the Qin family next door. Old Qin led out a water buffalo and made it over to Wang Mian.
The classic story of The Scholars as retold by Wang Guozhen is poorly translated with multiple sentences that either do not flow well or indeed do not even make sense. In addition there are spelling mistakes.
Having read many other Chinese classics such as Dream of Red Mansions, Journey to the West, The Water Margin etc I was disappointed in this particular translation. I am sure other versions of this classic tale would have read better. Other reviews elsewhere comment on the slightly disjointed story so I was expecting that but not the typos etc.
