How to Read Chinese Literature. How to Read Chinese Drama in Chinese : A Language Companion

This book is at once a guided primer on Chinese drama and an innovative textbook. It is a companion volume to How to Read Chinese Drama, designed for Chinese-language learners. How to Read Chinese Drama in Chinese provides a versatile introduction to iconic scenes from traditional Chinese plays for readers who want to experience Chinese drama in the original language. Each chapter features an excerpt from a well-known play, ranging across political intrigue, military adventure, heroic devotion, romantic passion, and raucous humor. A succinct and informative English-language introduction precedes each scene. Excerpts are accompanied by line-by-line modern Chinese translations; individual words and expressions are annotated in English with modern Chinese equivalent expressions supplied. Dramatic scenes are followed by exercises that deepen language proficiency and knowledge of traditional and modern Chinese culture. This book can be used as a textbook in the advanced modern Chinese or the classical Chinese classroom, as a companion in a Chinese literature course for advanced learners and native speakers, or as a springboard to deeper engagement with Chinese theater for specialists and interested general readers alike. "This book is at once a guided introduction to Chinese drama and an innovative textbook. It is a companion volume to How to Read Chinese Drama: A Guided Anthology, designed for Chinese-language learners. This volume contains excerpts from seven of the most iconic plays within the Chinese theatrical tradition, all of which are also covered in How to Read Chinese Drama: A Guided Anthology for the reader who wants more context, reception history, and interpretation. The current volume feature a brief introduction to each play (with each highlighting a different aspect of the theater tradition); the excerpt in traditional characters; a modern Chinese translation in simplified characters; tone-marked pinyin romanization in order to facilitate reading aloud, recitation, or performance; rhyming information for all the arias; and exercises and activities"-- Provided by publisher This book is at once a guided primer on Chinese drama and an innovative textbook. A companion to __How to Read Chinese Drama__ designed for Chinese-language learners, it provides a versatile introduction to traditional Chinese plays for readers who want to experience Chinese drama in the original language.