The well-worn cover of my Mathews' Chinese English Dictionary after 45 years.
The well-worn cover of my Mathews' Chinese English Dictionary after 45 years.
Professor Boodberg once said that a serious student of Chinese should read at least the opening section of each Classic. Now, thirty-five years after hearing him say that, I have read the opening section of each of the Thirteen Classics. The Classical Chinese lessons you find here are an experiment in formalizing this approach to the Classical language for new students.
Reminiscent of Herrlee Glessner Creel (with Chang Tsung-ch'ien & Richard C. Rudolph), Literary Chinese By the Inductive Method, a title that somehow has always amused me, you learn by jumping in over your head. Through the format, explanations, and notes, I aim to keep you afloat as you venture out on the wide and bottomless sea of Chinese classical literature.
Except for the occassional iconoclast like me, most students will probably learn their classical Chinese within a professional, academic environment. These lessons should supplement that, as light doesn't interfere with other light. But I intend also, to give the student working alone enough information and analysis to begin to read classical Chinese. One who starts with these lessons will have, I believe, a firm foundation on which to build.
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