The Chinese essay =: [Ku chin san wen Ying i chi]

Few aspects of American military history have been as vigorously debated as Harry Truman's decision to use atomic bombs against Japan. In this carefully crafted volume, Michael Kort describes the wartime circumstances and thinking that form the context for the decision to use these weapons, surveys the major debates related to that decision, and provides a comprehensive collection of key primary source documents that illuminate the behavior of the United States and Japan during the closing days of World War II. Kort opens with a summary of the debate over Hiroshima as it has evolved since 1945. He then provides a historical overview of thye events in question, beginning with the decision and program to build the atomic bomb. Detailing the sequence of events leading to Japan's surrender, he revisits the decisive battles of the Pacific War and the motivations of American and Japanese leaders. Finally, Kort examines ten key issues in the discussion of Hiroshima and guides readers to relevant primary source documents, scholarly books, and articles. Though Collections Of Chinese Fiction, Poetry, And Drama Abound, There Have Been No English-language Anthologies Of Chinese Essays On The Market. Now, Veteran Sinologist David Pollard Has Selected And Translated The Best And Most Representative Examples Of Chinese Prose Writing From The Third Century To The Contemporary Period. Succinctly Tracing The History Of The Genre In China In His Introduction, Pollard Then Wittily And Informatively Introduces Each Writer Chosen. The Selections Themselves Include Ye Shengtao's Ruminations Of Making A Boat Trip To Visit His Ancestors' Graves, Fan Bao On Life In Prison, Gui Yougang's Reminiscence Of His Mother, Yuan Mei's Essay On Borrowing Books, And More. These Writings Not Only Give Us Marvelous Little Sketches Of Everyday Life, Lifting The Curtain To A Past World, They Reveal Still More About The Minds Of The Writers And How They Saw The World They Lived In. Though The Compositions Span The Past 1,800 Years, The Bulk Of The Selections Are From The Twentieth Century And Range From Early Masters Of The Form, Such As Lu Xun And Zhou Zuoren, To The Major Writers Of The Middle Generation, Such As Ye Chengtao, Zhu Ziqing, Feng Zikai, Liang Shiqiu, And Liang Yuchun, And Conclude With Living Writers Who Publish In Both Taiwan And The Mainland. Pollard's Aim Has Been To Translate Examples That Are Both Good In And Of Themselves And Also Contribute Something To The Essay Form. The Classical Selections Represent The Native Tradition That The Modern Essayists Either Imitated Or Reacted Against. Taken Together, These Writings Illuminate Chinese Attitudes And Reactions To The World They Inhabit And Provide A Vast Amount Of Information About The Details Of Everyday Life, Social Intercourse, And Man's Reaction To His Environment--publisher Description. To Lead Out The Army / Zhuge Liang -- Requiem For Myself / Tao Qian -- Address To The Crocodiles Of Chaozhou ; Goodbye To Penury / Han Yu -- The Whip Vendor ; My First Excursion To West Mountain ; The Small Rock Pool West Of The Hillock / Liu Zongyuan -- A Monument To Rustic Temples / Lu Guimeng -- The Old Toper's Pavilion / Ouyang Xiu -- The Terrace Over The Void ; Master Table Mountain ; Red Cliff : One ; Inscription For The Temple Of Han Yu At Chaozhou / Su Shi -- The Pavilion Of Elation / Su Che -- The Mosquito Dialogue / Fang Xiaoru -- My Mother : A Brief Life ; The Xiangji Studio / Gui Youguang -- Tiger Hill ; The Rewards Of Stupidity / Yuan Hongdao -- The Full Moon Festival At The West Lake ; Wang Yuesheng ; Liu Jingting : Storyteller ; The Jades Of Yangzhou / Zhang Dai -- Pleasant Diversions : Judging Beauty ; Pleasant Diversions : Accomplishments ; Pleasant Diversions : Literacy ; Pleasant Diversions : Clothes / Li Yu -- Life In Prison / Fang Bao -- Thoughts On Master Huang's Book Borrowing / Yuan Mei -- Three Summer Pests ; The Evolution Of The Male Sex ; Ah Jin ; Confucius In Modern China / Lu Xun -- Relentless Rain ; Reading In The Lavatory ; On 'passing The Itch' ; The Ageing Of Ghosts ; In Praise Of Mutes / Zhou Zuoren -- The Ornamental Iron Mountain ; Winter At White Horse Lake / Xia Mianzun -- Three Kinds Of Boat ; My Own Patch Of Green ; Intellectuals / Ye Shengtao -- Eating Melon Seeds ; Autumn ; Bombs In Yishan / Feng Zikai -- Village School And Academy ; The Winter Scene In Jiangnan / Yu Dafu -- The View From The Rear ; Traces Of Wenzhou ; The Lotus Pond By Moonlight / Zhu Ziqing -- Sickness ; Haircut ; Listening To Plays / Liang Shih-ch'iu -- On The Road ; Well-meant Words / Liang Yuchun -- A Temple Lodging / Lu Li -- The Art Of Listening ; Cloak Of Invisbility / Yang Jiang -- Elegy / He Qifang -- Chignon / Ch'i Chun -- The Religion Of The Chinese ; A Beating / Eileen Chang -- The Last Word In Beauty And Ugliness ; Footprints / Wang Ting-chün -- Thus Friends Absent Speak ; My Four Hypothetical Enemies / Yu Kwang-chung -- The Call Of The Ruins / Zongpu -- The Countryside Of The Past ; Today's Countryside / Koarnhak Tarn -- We Can't Bring Back The Past ; Waiting For A Flower's Name / Huang Chunming -- Shanghai People / Yu Qiuyu -- Goodwives / Zhang Xingjian. Translated, Edited And With An Introduction By David Pollard. Parallel Title In Chinese Characters. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 369-372).

Though collections of Chinese fiction, poetry, and drama abound, there have been no English-language anthologies of Chinese essays on the market. Now, veteran sinologist David Pollard has selected and translated the best and most representative examples of Chinese prose writing from the third century to the contemporary period.

Succinctly tracing the history of the genre in China in his introduction, Pollard then wittily and informatively introduces each writer chosen. The selections themselves include Ye Shengtao's ruminations of making a boat trip to visit his ancestors' graves, Fan Bao on life in prison, Gui Yougang's reminiscence of his mother, Yuan Mei's essay on borrowing books, and more. These writings not only give us marvelous little sketches of everyday life, lifting the curtain to a past world, they reveal still more about the minds of the writers and how they saw the world they lived in.

Though the compositions span the past 1,800 years, the bulk of the selections are from the twentieth century and range from early masters of the form, such as Lu Xun and Zhou Zuoren, to the major writers of the middle generation, such as Ye Chengtao, Zhu Ziqing, Feng Zikai, Liang Shiqiu, and Liang Yuchun, and conclude with living writers who publish in both Taiwan and the mainland.

Pollard's aim has been to translate examples that are both good in and of themselves and also contribute something to the essay form. The classical selections represent the native tradition that the modern essayists either imitated or reacted against. Taken together, these writings illuminate Chinese attitudes and reactions to the world they inhabit and provide a vast amount of information about the details of everyday life, social intercourse, and man's reaction to his environment.

Columbia University Press

A Choice Magazine Outstanding Academic Title of the Year

A translation of examples of Chinese prose writing from the third century to the contemporary period. Tracing the history of the genre in China in the introduction, this work introduces each writer chosen. These writings illuminate Chinese attitudes and reactions to the world they inhabit.