This is the first English translation of the Handan Dream, one of the literary masterpieces written by Chinese dramatist Tang Xianzu in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), is adapted from Shen Jiji's romance story A Tale Within the Pillow.
Library of Chinese Classics: The Handan Dream
Written by Tang Xianzu (the Ming Dynasty)
Translated into English by Wang Rongpei
Annotated by Xu Shuofangi
Publisher: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press
Publication Date: 2003-12
Language: Chinese and English
ISBN: 7560038786 / 9787560038780
Library Binding: hardcover, 550 pages
It was about a scholar who went to the capital for the civil exam and was enlightened by an Immortal. Lu Sheng, the protagonist, is a down-and-out scholar who meets with Lu Dongbin, an immortal on a mission to convert a man into the world of the ever living, at a small inn in the city of Handan. Upon hearing Lu Sheng's complaint about his wretched life, Lu Dongbin lends him a porcelain pillow to sleep on. In his dream, Lu Sheng experience 50 years of vicissitudes of life as a high official, only to wake up to the stark reality that the yellow millet the innkeeper has been cooking for him is not yet done. The drama captures the seamy side of officialdom in the feudal society.
Professor Wang Rongpei is a prolific and accomplished translator of classical Chinese literary works, His translations of Zhuangzi and the Peony Pavilion have already been included in the Library of Chinese Classics. Professor Wang aims for both faithful rendition and linguistic beauty in the translation of the Handan Dream, based on an extensive and in-depth study of the original work.
Tang Xianzu (1550 - 1616) was a Chinese playwright of the Ming Dynasty. Tang was a native of Linchuan, Jiangxi and his career as an official consisted principally of low-level positions. He retired in 1598 and focused on writing. His major plays are collectively called "the Four Dreams", because of the decisive role dreams play in the plot of each one. All of them are still performed (in scenes, or in adapted full versions) on the Chinese Kun opera (kunqu) stage. Generally considered his masterpiece, Mudan Ting [The Peony Pavilion] is also his only work available in print in English.
Works:
Zixiao ji [The Purple Flute]
Zichai ji [The Purple Hairpin]
Mudan Ting [The Peony Pavilion]
Handan ji [Record of Handen]
Nanke ji [Record of Southern Bough]
书名: 《邯郸记》
作者: 汤显祖 译者: 汪榕培英
出版者: 外语教学与研究出版社
出版时间: 2003-12
页数: 550
13位ISBN编号: 9787560038780
10位ISBN编号: 7560038786
内容概要
《邯郸记》是16世纪中国明代杰出的戏剧家汤显祖的“临川四梦”之一，取材于唐代作家沈既济的传奇《枕中记》。穷途潦倒的书生卢生在邯郸赵州桥北的一个小客店遇到来世间超度凡人的仙人吕洞宾，卢生抱怨自己命运不济，吕仙则给他一个磁枕入睡。卢生在梦中经历了一连串宦海风波，五十余年人我是非，一梦醒来，店小二为他们煮的黄小米饭尚未熟。
作品通过卢生的命运，深刻揭露了封建社会官场的丑恶现实。
本书是《邯郸记》的第一个英译本。英文译著汪榕培教授译著众多，尤其擅长古典作品的英译，其中包括“大中华文库”中的《庄子》和《牡丹亭》。
