用英语写的中国传统文化经典故事,我们也应该读一读
在世界文明的阆苑里,中国传统文化是一块芬芳绚丽的园圃。她姹紫嫣红、千姿百态,其所蕴含的人生智慧、价值观念、道德理想、人生追求、境界情操以及对世界感知的方式,为我们提供了丰富的精神文化资源,成为中华文明长河中弥足珍贵的瑰宝。从我们记事时开始,诸如《论语》、《史记》、《世说新语》乃至唐诗宋词《红楼梦》,我们读了不少,又如秦俑、汉阙、唐三彩乃至故宫颐和园,我们也看了不少。但如今提起中国传统文化,成长于文化断层的现代人大多没有什么明晰的概念。或弃之为道德桎梏,或视其为洪水猛兽,不知其广,不晓其博,直至崇洋媚外、摧枯拉朽,空留一具崇洋媚俗的皮囊,里儿是空的。作为一个泱泱五千年文明古国,作为一个致力于重塑世界文化价值生态的大国,在“文化强国”、“提升文化软实力”、“向世界讲中国的故事”的口号下,国人自己尚且如此,更何谈用外国人熟悉的语言和方式告诉世界。
这里,介绍一套上海译文出版社新近出版的《中国传统文化经典》系列丛书英文版,或许是一剂良方。用英语写的中国传统文化经典故事,我们也应该读一读。
“中国传统文化经典”系列丛书(英文版)
先向大家介绍这套丛书的作者:张慈赟 先生
张慈贇先生是国内资深英文媒体人 ,高级编辑 ,享受国务院政府特殊津贴。自1980年起,参与《中国日报》创办 ,曾任中国日报社常务副总编辑。同时主持《北京周末报》、《上海英文星报》的创办,均为第一任总编辑。1996—2011年任上海市人民政府新闻办公室副主任,1999年创办《上海日报》 社,任总编辑至2013年。现为中国翻译协会常务理事、上海翻译家协会副会长 、《东方翻译》主编、上海外国语大学新闻传媒学院客座教授等。
“中国传统文化经典”系列丛书作者张慈赟先生
接下来回归正题,向大家介绍张慈赟先生的这套著作。《中国传统文化经典》系列丛书英文版 第一辑共分4册,包括《中国成语故事》 、《中国历史人物》 、《中国历史著述》 和《中国神话故事和三十六计》 。
《Chinese Idioms and Their Stories (中国成语故事)》
开本: 32开
定价: 55元
页数: 260千
装帧: 精装
本书讲述了一百条中国成语背后的故事,带你了解引人入胜的中国文化历史。黔驴技穷、螳臂当车、天衣无缝、高山流水……这些故事无一不反映出中国人传统的思维方式,同时也介绍了中国古代的诸多习俗。
《Ancient Chinese Who Left Their Marks on History (中国历史人物)》
开本: 32开
定价: 59元
字数: 352
装帧: 精装
了解一个国家,即是了解此国的人。在本书中,你将一览中国历史长河,认识曾在哲学、艺术、文学、宗教、科技和政治等领域留下深深烙印的88位重要人物。
《Gems of Chinese Classics (中国历史著述)》
开本: 32开
定价: 48元
页数: 181页
装帧: 精装
在中国的历史长河中,经典著述对国家的形成、人民日常生活的影响起到了至关重要的作用。本书每篇短文介绍一本经典著述,时间跨度3000余年,内容包含了医学、数学、军事谋略、宗教、文学以及艺术、游记等。
《Gems of Chinese Classics (中国神话故事与三十六计)》
开本: 32开
定价: 46元
页数: 184页
装帧: 精装
虚构或半虚构的故事和现实部分就像阴和阳——中国古代哲学的两大基本原则。本书就为大家呈现了这样两种风格的故事——“中国神话”和“三十六计”。这里的“神话故事”描述了人们对自身起源、祖先、历史以及神祗的古老信仰。而“三十六计”则集合了古人在战场上使用的谋略和计策。今天,许多中国人将这些计策运用到政治、商业、体育以及日常生活中去。
成语故事、历史人物、历史著述、神话故事、三十六计,是我们灿若星河的中国传统文化中选取的几颗最耀眼的星星。成语是汉语语言的精华 ,蕴含着宝贵的文化财富,从中我们可以体会到中国古代文明的辉煌,了解古代教育思想和传统中华美德。神话故事展示了中华民族瑰丽神奇的想象 ,是民族智慧的结晶。88位历史人物中有思想家、政治家、发明家、教育家……无一不对中国历史产生了不可磨灭的影响。52本历史著述可以说是智慧最密集的知识体系,是中国文化的重要组成部分。 “三十六计”根据中国古代卓越的军事思想和丰富的斗争经验总结而成,是军事谋略学的宝贵遗产。
在这4册书中,张慈赟先生将错综复杂的事件和人物概括成可读性很强的故事,内容通俗易懂,语言朴实流畅,用词准确地道,着重于对人物和故事的描述,文章一气呵成,篇幅也比较一致。值得注意的是,这套书以英语为写作语言,而非翻译作品。
为了更形象地展示人物和情节,出版社还特邀插画师为每一篇文章绘制了插画,既生动活泼、又不失传统特色的图画为本套丛书增辉添色。
百步穿杨
班门弄斧
中华优秀文化所蕴含的人生智慧、价值观念、道德理想、人生追求、情操境界以及对世界感知的方式,为我们提供了丰富的精神文化资源。随着中国的迅速崛起,越来越多的国家和民族希望了解博大精深的中国文化。“中国传统文化经典系列”所讲述的故事及其时代背景,在浩瀚的中国文化题材中具有代表性、典型性,易于在普通外国读者中引起兴趣。此套丛书以简洁凝练的笔触展示了中国文化的丰富多彩,对弘扬中国传统文化具有重要意义。“
她的表述方式也是有特色的,并非空中楼阁或避重就轻,而是精选浩瀚中国文化题材中最具代表性、典型性、趣味性的故事,以通俗易懂的语言凝练而成,阅后如抿酽浓的甘茗,越品越有味。书页中的插画与故事相匹,图文并茂、生动传神。这套图书,既可作青年人普及文化经典、用英语传播中国传统文化之用,亦可作外国人走进中国、了解中国的钥匙。
让我们先来感受一下,看看《中国历史人物》是如何介绍北宋大文豪苏轼的:
苏轼 (1037 – 1011) A rare, versatile scholar
Su Shi, also known by his pseudonym Dongpo, was a rare, versatile scholar of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). Today, his poems, paintings, calligraphy and essays are still widely admired by millions of his fans all over the world.
Su Shi was born in Meishan in today’s Sichuan Province in southwest China. Both his father Su Xun and his younger brother Su Zhe were famous writers. At the age of five, Su Shi began to learn reading and writing from his mother, who was a welleducated woman. Thanks to his diligence and exceptional talent, the boy became well versed in the Chinese classics when he was only seven.
Su Shi passed the imperial civil service examinations to obtain the prestigious title of jinshi (or “presented scholar”) when he was 19. As a result, he later served in many government offices.
However, this highly talented scholar seemed to be always at odds with a political faction headed by the then prime minister, Wang Anshi. Su frequently wrote poems and essays criticizing Wang’s reforms, particularly the government monopoly on the salt industry.
Therefore, Su was banished several times and lived in political exile for many years in various places around the country.
Su played a crucial role in the history of Chinese poetry. He founded a school of expressive poetry and he often combined vivid descriptions of natural phenomena with deep emotions and political ideas.
More than 2,300 of his poems and 800 letters have survived. Among them, “Battle of Red Cliff,” “Jiang Chengzi,” “The Immortal by the River” and a number of others are deemed the most notable.
The first two lines of the “Battle of Red Cliff” are so popularthat nearly every school student can recite them:
“The Great River flows to the east,
Washing away all great men known in history with its rolling waves.”
His career as a public servant and his life in exile took Su to many parts of the country, and he left behind a rich trove of cultural heritage. Even today, many places have built pavilions, bridges, statues and memorial halls to exhibit Su’s poems,
paintings, calligraphy and lyrics.
Among them, Hangzhou, the capital of today’s Zhejiang Province in east China, boasts a causeway across the famous West Lake, which is named after the scholar. During his four years in the city, Su was responsible for constructing the pedestrian causeway across the lake. Su also wrote many beautiful poems to praise the ethereal scenes of the city and its lake. In one poem he wrote:
“People tend to liken the West Lake to the Lady of the West, Plainly dressed or gorgeously adorned, She always looks best.”
He took his pen name from a rural place called Dongpo (Eastern Slope), where Su lived during his first exile. Later the name was given to a famous dish, Dongpo Pork. According to legend, Su created the dish of stewed pork totally by accident. He actually overcooked the stew as he concentrated on a chess game and forgot what he was preparing.
Su died at 64 in Changzhou in eastern China after a long period of political exile.
上海外国语大学新闻学院院长郭可教授 阅读此书后感概:
“非常欣悦能够看到这套丛书的面世,由衷感谢上海译文出版社在这套丛书的策划和出版上所做的努力。中国传统文化这块芬芳绚丽的园圃令人目迷,令人心醉,每一个徜徉其间的游客都会惊异于她的绚烂和多姿。我热切期望读者能够以通过这套书,以真、善、美的追求来认识她、欣赏她。毕竟,中国传统文化的未来,决定在我们。”
中央编译局副局长尹承东 阅读此书后表示:
“这部丛书所讲述的故事及其时代背景,在中国传统文化中极具代表性,最能展现中华民族自力更生、自强不息、勤劳勇敢的精神风貌和对于宇宙、社会、生活和人的本质的哲学、科学思考,易于在普通外国读者中引起兴趣。此套丛书以英语为写作语言,以简洁凝练的笔触展示了中国文化的丰富多彩,对弘扬中国传统文化具有重要意义。”
像我们这样一个伟大而有着特别悠久的文化历史的民族,绝不能对自己的文化财富一知半解;像我们这样一个对世界文明史做出重大贡献的卓越的民族,绝不能仅将自己的文化财富束之高阁。相信这套丛书的出版,将会提供让世界对中国传统文化有了更全面的认识的契机。
《中国传统文化经典》系列丛书(第二辑)今年7月即将面世,内容包括:
Stories of traditional Chinese painting(中国国画故事)
Stories of Ancient Chinese Architecture(中国古建筑及其故事)(彩色插图本)
敬请期待!
作为未来向世界传播中国先进文化的信使,这套书,我们真的应该好好读一读。
购买请点击“阅读原文”
99个关于春节的英文表达,教你用英文描述传统习俗
在这欢乐的时节,老师给你我最真的祝福和亲切的思念,愿你新的一年比往年更璀璨!In the season of joy I present my sincere wishes and kind thoughts. May the kind of New Year outshine all the rest.
新春佳节
1. 传统中国节日:traditional Chinese festival2. 农历:lunar calendar3. 腊八节:Laba Festival4. 小年:Little New Year5. 除夕:Lunar New Year's Eve6. 春节:the Spring Festival7. 正月初一:the lunar New Year's Day8. 元宵节:the Lantern Festival9. 正月:the first month of the lunar year10. 二月二:Dragon Heads-raising Day
传统习俗
11. 喝腊八粥:eat Laba porridge12. 扫尘:sweep the dust13. 扫房:spring cleaning14. 祭灶:offer sacrifices to the God of Kitchen15. 守岁:staying up16. 拜年:pay a New Year's call17. 祭祖:offer sacrifices to one's ancestors18. 祭财神:worship the God of Wealth19. 春联:Spring Festival couplets20. 贴倒福:paste the Chinese character "Fu" upside down21. 去晦气:get rid of the ill-fortune22. 辞旧岁:bid farewell to the old year23. 兆头:omen24. 禁忌:taboo25. 烧香:burn incense
阖家团圆
26. 吃团圆饭:have a family reunion dinner27. 年夜饭:New Year's Eve dinner28. 全家团圆:family reunion29. 办年货:do Spring Festival shopping30. 敬酒:propose a toast31. 穿新衣:wear new clothes32. 红包:red envelops33. 压岁钱:gift money;money given to children as a Lunar New Year gift
美食小吃
34. 年糕:rice cake;New Year cake35. 饺子:dumpling;Chinese meat ravioli36. 汤圆:dumplings made of sweet rice37. 八宝饭:eight-treasure rice pudding (steamed glutinous rice with bean paste, lotus seeds, preserved fruit, etc.)38. 什锦糖:assorted candies39. 糖莲子:candied lotus seed40. 花生糖:peanut candy41. 蜜冬瓜:candied winter melon42. 瓜子:red melon seeds43. 金桔:cumquat44. 红枣:red dates45. 春卷:spring roll46. 冰糖葫芦:candied haws on a stick47. 驴肉火烧:donkey burger48. 腊肠:Chinese sausage49. 米酒:rice wine50. 腊肉:preserved meat51. 糖板栗:sugar chestnut52. 四喜丸子:four-joy meatballs
民间艺术
53. 泥人:clay figure54. 皮影戏:shadow puppetry55. 木偶戏:puppet show56. 刺绣:embroidery57. 剪纸:paper-cut58. 中国结:Chinese knot59. 年画:New Year painting60. 吹糖人:sugar-figure blowing61. 舞龙:dragon dance62. 舞狮:lion dance63. 秧歌:Yongko dance;rural folk dance64. 灯笼:lantern
曲艺表演
65. 戏曲:traditional opera66. 折子戏:opera highlights67. 相声:comic dialogue;cross talk68. 小品:skits;sketch69. 口技:vocal imitations;ventriloquism70. 杂技:acrobatic performance71. 马戏:circus performance72. 京韵大鼓:drum song of Peking73. 踩高跷:walk on stilts74. 杂耍:variety show;vaudeville
娱乐活动
75. 打麻将:play mahjong76. 庙会:Temple Fair77. 春节联欢晚会:Spring Festival gala78. 灯会:exhibit of lanterns79. 送贺卡:sending New Year's greeting cards80. 理发:have a haircut81. 放烟花:set off fireworks82. 放鞭炮:set off firecrackers83. 灯谜:riddles written on lanterns
各路神仙
84. 门神:the God of Door85. 灶神:the God of Kitchen86. 财神:the God of Wealth87. 土地爷:the God of Land88. 火神:the God of Fire89. 喜神:the God of Happiness90. 福禄寿三星:the three gods of fortune, prosperity and longevity91. 八仙:the Eight Immortals
其他
92. 生肖、属相:Chinese zodiac93. 猴年:the Year of the Monkey94. 微信红包:WeChat red envelope95. 年:Nian;Year monster96. 立春:the Beginning of Spring97. 24节气:24 Solar Terms98. 本命年:the animal year in which one was born99. 春运:Spring Festival travel rush
新禁年忌
DosWish everyone you meet a happy New Year by saying “gong xi fa cai”, which translates to “Have a happy and prosperous New Year!” 对每一个你遇到的人道一声“恭喜发财”,翻译成英文就是“在新的一年里拥有幸福繁荣的生活”。Wear articles of red clothing because red symbolizes luck. 穿红色布料做成的饰品,因为红色昭示着幸运;Eat vegetarian food because it’s not good to see blood. 吃素食,因为见血是不吉利的。Buy new trousers because the Chinese word for trousers is “fu”, (Chinese homonym for wealth) 买新裤子(衣服),因为汉语里裤子就是“服”,(在汉语里与财富的“富”谐音)。Children should stay up as late as possible on New Year’s Eve for it is believed that the later they stay up, the longer their parents will live. 孩子应该在除夕之夜尽可能晚睡,因为据说他们睡的越晚,他们的父母越长寿。(熊孩子该高兴了~)Visit family (especially those older than yourself) and friends to pass on your wishes on good fortune for the New Year. (plus kids and single people will receive lai-see lucky red packets full of money. 拜访亲戚朋友(尤其是比你年长的),传递你对他们来年幸福的美好祝愿(另外孩子和单身的人将会得到装满钱的幸运红包,称为“来喜”。)Give two lai see to each child. Because happiness comes in two’s, do not just give one. This is your way of passing good luck to the next generation. Business owners also give lai see to employees and associates. 给每个孩子两份“来喜”(应该指钱是偶数的),因为好事成双,不要只给一份,这是你把祝愿传递给下一代的方法,企业主也要给员工和同事红包。Dont'sDon’t wear white or black clothing, since they are the traditional colours of mourning. 不要穿白色或黑色服装,因为这是传统意义上丧事的颜色。Don’t buy new shoes for the first month of the New Year, because the sound of shoe in Chinese is ‘hai’. “Hai” is similar to the sound of sighing, which Chinese believe is not a good way to start the year. 不要在新年的第一个月买新鞋,因为在汉语里鞋的发音是“孩”(好像是四川地区的发音), 它与叹息“唉”相近,中国人认为这不是新年伊始的好兆头。Don’t wash your hair for the first three days of the New Year, because the Chinese word for hair is a homonym for the Chinese word for wealth. Therefore, Chinese believe it isn’t a good thing to ‘wash away your wealth’ right at the start of the New Year. 在新年的前三天里不要洗头,因为汉语里“头发”的“发”和“发财”的“发”同音.因此,中国认为在新年伊始把财富给冲走可不是好兆头。Floors may not be swept and garbage may not be disposed of on the first day of the New Year for fear of casting riches out the door. 在新年第一天,不拖地,不扔垃圾,因为怕把’财’给送走了。Don’t swear or quarrel. 不要诅咒发誓,也不愿吵架。Don’t break any dishes, otherwise you may incur more misfortune for the New Year. In the event of breaking a dish, quickly say “Peace for all time”, and the bad luck will be warded away. 不要打破碗碟,否则在来年你可能会遭遇不幸,一旦打破了,要马上说“岁岁平安”,这样坏运气就会被赶走了。Don’t greet people who are in mourning. 不要向服丧期的人们问候(主要指不要说喜庆的话吧?)Don’t drop your chopsticks. 不要让筷子掉地上。Don’t say the number “four” (Chinese homonym for death) or mention death. 不要说数字“四”(汉语里和“死”谐音)或者提到死。Don’t borrow or lend money. 不要借钱也不要借给别人钱.
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中秋节的习俗 英文版 50词-ZOL问答这也是我国仅次于春节的第二大传统节日.相传古代齐国丑女无盐,幼年时曾虔诚拜月,长大后,以优良品德入宫,但未被宠幸.某年八月十五赏月,天子在月光下见到她,觉得...
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用英语表达中国 传统文化 ,你觉得怎么样?这样学生会不会压力太大?你好,很高兴回答您的问题!中国传统文化博大精深,历史悠久,享誉整个世界。随着社会和科技的发展,全球化不断深入发展,中国与国际社会越来越密切,我们对于...那么...
春节的来历和习俗( 英文版 ) - 145****1726 的回答 - 懂得1.春节的来历:春节,是农历正月初一,又叫阴历年,俗称“过年”。这是我国民间最隆重、最热闹的一个传统节日。春节的历史很悠久,它起源于殷商时期年头...
有哪些 英文版 的中国历史故事书?1、中国民俗故事(英文版)作者:毕艳丽由五洲传播出版社出版2、汉英版中华传统经典故事绘本--成语故事篇(套装全10册)作者:宋怀芝改编由五洲传播出版社...1、...
哈芝节介绍 英文版开斋节(阿拉伯语:عيدالفطر),也叫肉孜节(维吾尔语:Rozahéyt),是全球穆斯林庆祝斋月结束的节日,在伊斯兰历闪瓦鲁月的第一天。在伊斯兰教...
春节习俗( 英文版 )短一点(20字左右)?NewYeargreetingsisanimportantactivityduringtheSpringFestival.Itisawayforpeopletoex...