rezaf Posted October 22, 2011 at 05:45 PM Report Share Posted October 22, 2011 at 05:45 PM Is there a complete version of 莊子 with some 註釋 anywhere on the web that I can download? I searched for a long time but I could only find complete texts without 註釋。 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbradfor Posted November 7, 2011 at 08:40 PM Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 at 08:40 PM Are you looking for 註釋 in Chinese or English (or, umm, Persian IIRC?)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rezaf Posted November 7, 2011 at 10:00 PM Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 at 10:00 PM In Chinese. Actually I'm looking for something to download on my iPod. I found a book called 莊子今註今釋 but it is written vertically in pdf format which makes it difficult to read on my small screen. I couldn't find anything on iTunes store but if the text can be opened by word or pages I can probably modify it to fit into my screen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted November 7, 2011 at 11:50 PM Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 at 11:50 PM Nor sure if these are useful -> http://www.rain8.com/article/class10/2398.htm http://ctext.org/zhuangzi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rezaf Posted November 8, 2011 at 12:15 AM Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 at 12:15 AM Thanks, the first link is what I've been looking for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbradfor Posted November 9, 2011 at 01:47 AM Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 at 01:47 AM Respect to you for trying to read that. Reading 莊子 has been my ultimate goal for learning Chinese -- once I can read that comfortably, I will feel I've achieved my goal of being able to "read Chinese". I bought the 三民書局 (?) edition in Taiwan in 1989, intending to learn to read it, but it's been sitting on my shelf, mocking me for over 20 years now. Some day, I promise, I will be victorious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted November 9, 2011 at 07:08 AM Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 at 07:08 AM jbradfor, that is an ambitious goal. It won't be easy to attain a level that you can read it "comfortably" because for most people like rezaf and me we have to learn how to read it with the help of explanations and/or translation. But don't lose heart. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rezaf Posted November 9, 2011 at 08:06 AM Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 at 08:06 AM because for most people like rezaf and me we have Of course there is a big gap between "rezaf" and "me" but as sky lee says no matter what your level is, reading some of these books would never be very easy. I don't know much about classical Chinese but even at my level I think it's good to read these books because if I start now probably after 20 years I will start to understand them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daan Posted November 9, 2011 at 08:08 AM Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 at 08:08 AM I don't think anyone could read the Zhuangzi without consulting the commentaries at least every now and then. You can probably read and understand it without looking at the Mandarin translations, but you can't do without the commentaries. But then this is true for pretty much every educated speaker of Chinese - not only now, but also in the past dozen centuries, I'd guess. So I wouldn't say having to consult the commentaries means you can't read the Zhuangzi comfortably. It actually means your skills are in line with those of normal educated speakers of Chinese...so I'd say give it a shot, jbradfor! I have a 三民書局 edition here as well, and I'd be happy to read a few passages together with you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rezaf Posted November 9, 2011 at 12:15 PM Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 at 12:15 PM I just briefly read 逍遙游 with the help of the explanations in skylee's first link. The meaning is very deep but the language is not that difficult. In fact it is very direct and simple in comparison to other classical texts. I need to read it more times but at first glance the style of writing is pretty impressive and beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbradfor Posted November 9, 2011 at 02:40 PM Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 at 02:40 PM Thanks for the encouragement Although I should say that by "read that comfortably", I mean "read that comfortably with the help of the amount of commentary in the 三民書局 edition". It was clear to ME that I'd never be able to read that without commentary, you obviously have too high an opinion of me to interpret it otherwise I have a 三民書局 edition here as well, and I'd be happy to read a few passages together with you Give me 5 years to finish my current goal of reading 平凡的世界, and I'll join in you a Grand 莊子 Reading Challenge! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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