Through the Ages: People and Traditions in Chinese Tales

Students of Chinese - if they want to understand the Chinese people - not only have to learn the language, but also traditional Chinese thinking and habits. Ancient Chinese culture has deeply influenced modern Chinese society, and if for instance, we want to do business with China, then we have to learn some aspects of traditional Chinese culture to avoid any misunderstandings in trade negotiations. Through the Ages is a text containing 40 traditional Chinese stories and like the students of famous teachers (Kong Zi, Meng Zi, Mao Zedong etc) in Chinese history who gained knowledge through listening to stories, students of Chinese will find these tales an effective way of gleaning an essential understanding of Chinese thought and expression. All these stories are well-known and often quoted in China, and without prior knowledge of them, visitors to China will have no idea of what the Chinese are talking about! The 40 stories collected here follow themes, and each story is followed by an explanation and an English translation. Exercises and special references are also included.