Literature & Poetry

The Moon Is Always Beautiful and Other Essays

Laurel — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 14:12:11 +0000

The Moon Is Always Beautiful invites students to appreciate the rich textures of traditional and contemporary Chinese culture while sharpening their reading skills. The third in the five-volume Cheng & Tsui Readings in Chinese Culture series, this collection of ten original essays is ideal for intermediate students in the second semester of second-year Chinese, or at the “Intermediate High” level, as designated by ACTFL proficiency guidelines.

Used as a supplement to any intermediate Mandarin Chinese textbook, or as reading material for independent learners, The Moon Is Always Beautiful will refine students’ grasp of Chinese vocabulary and grammar while also strengthening their understanding of Chinese arts, culture, and society.

Given the cultural focus of the AP* and other standardized Chinese exams, teachers will welcome this resource that seamlessly combines language learning with an introduction to both classical and contemporary Chinese culture.

Features:

Each essay of approximately 500 characters is presented in both simplified and traditional characters on facing pages.

Essays cover a range of cultural topics, from the diverse traditions of Chinese architecture to the social impact of The True Story of Ah Q to a survey of regional dialects in China.

A vocabulary list, related words and expressions, and an optional exercise section accompany each lesson.

For students who prefer to read pinyin along with Chinese characters, an appendix of each essay in pinyin is included.

Answer keys at the back of the book help learners gauge their own progress.

Readings in Chinese Culture Series

The Moon Is Always Beautiful is the third in a five-volume series of supplemental reading material that corresponds to five different levels of Chinese proficiency, from beginning through advanced.

*AP is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.

Ferris Wheel

chengtsu — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 20:07:03 +0000

Winner of the 2007 Japan-US Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature, Ferris Wheel delivers the world of modern Japanese tanka to Western readers. Astonishingly complex imagery and emotions condensed into 31 syllables are the hallmarks of these evocative vignettes. Tanka have been an essential part of Japan's literary aesthetic for more than 1,300 years, and Ferris Wheel shows how modern masters have renewed tanka as a dynamic expression of the evolving way the Japanese see themselves, each other, and the world.

In this collection, Kozue Uzawa and Amelia Fielden translate 101 poems, many appearing for the first time in English, that combine classical form and an unmistakably modern sensibility. Each poem is presented in three forms on the same page: in English translation, in romanized transliteration, and in the original Japanese. This format makes Ferris Wheel as relevant to translators and students of Japanese as it is welcoming to everyone interested in Japanese poetry.

Professor, poet, and translator Kozue Uzawa has written an informative preface about tanka's history, structure, translation, and composition in English, and Ferris Wheel is rounded out with an appendix of short biographical notes about each poet. Accessible and rewarding, Ferris Wheel will be a delight to both newcomers and connoisseurs of poetry, who will want to visit it again and again.

A Golden Treasury of Chinese Poetry

chengtsu — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 20:07:03 +0000

A collection of 121 verse translations of Chinese classical poems.

Blue Sky, Green Sea and Other Stories

chengtsu — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 20:07:03 +0000

Author Liu Sola pushed her way into Chinese culture with multimedia installations, rock operas (that always seemed to get cancelled), and stories about, well, self-indulgent artists that raise the ire of some critics and draw praise from others, who find her seemingly throw-away style refreshing, rebellious, and eminently readable.

Peace Under Heaven

chengtsu — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 20:07:03 +0000

A satirical masterpiece from occupied Korea, this novel picks out a day in the life of a whiny, entitled landlord, Master Yun, and his family. It cannot be dismissed, however, as a blanket condemnation of the Japanese presence in Korea between 1910 and 1945, because the Korean characters are vilified almost as much.

Frog's Tears and Other Stories

Eve — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 20:46:02 +0000

From ungrateful young frogs to generous brothers, the captivating characters of Korea’s folktales have provided entertainment and insight for centuries. This new reader from the author of Generation Gap invites students of Korean at the high-beginning or low-intermediate levels to immerse themselves in Korea’s rich folkloric tradition as they develop their language skills and cultural knowledge. Frog’s Tears is a perfect supplementary reader for a first- or second-year Korean course, or for pleasure reading and independent study.

High school and college students who want to explore Korean culture as they learn the Korean language will love these authentic stories that reveal traditional Korean values and thought throughout the ages. Each story is followed by a variety of task-based and content-based exercises for practicing language skills, refining reading comprehension, and extending cultural knowledge through lively discussion.

Frog’s Tears is the second book to be released in the Cheng & Tsui Readings in Korean Culture Series, which offers supplemental reading material that corresponds to different levels of Korean language proficiency.

Features:

Traditional folktales adapted for high-beginning or low-intermediate level learners of Korean as a foreign or heritage language
Lists of new words, idioms, and expressions for each chapter
Cultural notes, activities, and thought-provoking discussion questions
Task-based language exercises for improving reading comprehension and practicing new vocabulary and idioms
Two review units to strengthen understanding of new vocabulary and expressions
English translations of stories
Vocabulary index

Chinese Storytellers VHS

Ginevra — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 19:09:21 +0000

Chinese Storytellers takes us to the teahouses and hidden corners of Yangzhou to explore the ancient art of Chinese storytelling (shuoshu). This video cassette includes interviews with contemporary masters allowing viewers a rare glimpse into the personal and professional lives of storytellers today.