A Mencius Reader: For Beginning and Advanced Students of Classical Chinese

by Donald B. Wagner, Mencius

This book contains material for students of Classical Chinese at three different levels.
1) The first chapter of Mencius, reproduced from a modern punctuated edition, with very detailed notes and glosses intended for students in their second semester of Classical Chinese.
2) The same chapter, reproduced from a Song wood-block edition, which beginning students who are more ambitious may wish to use instead of the punctuated edition.
3) Notes and glosses on the Eastern Han commentary of Zhao Qi (included in the Song edition), intended for more advanced students

Genres: China

160 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2003

Reviews

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

This textbook provides the first chapter of the [Mencius], reproduced from a punctuated and annotated Chinese edition, with extensive vocabulary and grammatical notes to aid the beginner student in Classical Chinese with comprehension of the text. For the ambitious student, a Song Dynasty unpunctuated woodblock-print edition is provided without notes. The advanced student has notes and glosses from the Eastern Han commentary of Zhao Qi provided along with the Song Dynasty edition.

This reader gives the student a decent introduction to Mencius, and its vocabulary and grammar while rewarding advanced students with a more challenging text. Yet, as the author mentions, to gain a better understanding of Classical Chinese grammar, Edwin Pulleyblank's Outline of Classical Chinese Grammar is essential and without which, complete understanding of this text is difficult.