Reading List (2025)

READING Paul F. Rouzer, A New Practical Primer of Literary Chinese, Harvard East Asian Monographs 276 (Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Asia Center : Distributed by Harvard University Press, 2007).

1. Unit 4

   1. READ Lesson 22

      Mengzi had an audience with King Hui of Wang. The king said, "Old sir, you have treated a thousand li as not far and come here, will you indeed have the means to benefit my state?" Mengzi replied, "Why does the king speak of benefit? Indeed, have benevolence and righteousness and that's all. When the king says, 'How may I benefit my state?' the aristocrats say 'How may I benefit my house?' knights and commoners say 'How may I benefit myself?' superiors and inferiors struggle for benefit, and the state is endangered. In a state with ten thousand chariots, those who assassinate their lords must be a family of ten thousand chariots. In a state with a thousand chariots, those who assassinate their lords must be a family of a hundred chariots. From ten thousand, take a thousand, and from a thousand, a hundred, and it does not come to a small number. If you put righteousness last and benefit first, nothing short of usurpation will satisfy people. There has never been a benevolent person who abandoned his relatives; there has never been a righteous person who put his ruler last. Again, the king [should] speak of benevolence and righteousness alone. Why talk of benefit?"

   2. READING Lesson 23

      King Hui of Liang said, "My relationship with the state consists of exhausting my mind for it. If there is famine within the river [bend], I move [the area]'s people east of the river. When there is famine east of the river, I do the same. Investigating the government of neighboring states, there is none who resembles me in employing the mind. The population of neighboring states does not grow smaller, and my population does not grow larger, why?" Mengzi responded, "The king likes warfare, so I request to use warfare to explain analogically. "

2. Unit 1

   1. Lesson 1

      1. One who understands fate does not resent Heaven, and one who understands himself does not resent others.
      2. Disaster arises from the desire for success, while fortune arises from self-restraint. Holy men lead the senses with the heart, whereas petty ones lead the hard using the senses.
      3. Those who do good, Heaven rewards with charisma. Those who do what is not good, Heaven repays with misfortune.

      1. Practice 1.3

         1. 欲者
         2. 知心者
         3. 欲目者
         4. 報人者
         5. 導天者

      2. Practice 1.4

         1. 爲善者導心於禍。
         2. 心生於善。
         3. 人得耳於天。

      3. Practice 1.6

         1. 耳目報不知以禍。
         2. 德生於善人以心。
         3. 知己者命天以自禁。

   2. Lesson 2

      1. The gentleman has anxiety all his life, but not a day of disaster. In accordance with the Way he acts, and in accordance with sense he speaks. When delighted, he does not get easier, and when angry, he does not add difficulty.
      2. When the world loses the Way, humankindness and justice then arise in it. When state and family are not ordered, filial sons are then born in them. When people vie to not share, compassion arises in them. When the Way goes awry and becomes perverse, connivance arises from it.

      1. Practice 2.2.1

         1. when plotting compassion
         2. disasters that go against the Way
         3. the filial ruler who leads the people with humankindness and justice
         4. the good people who know how to accord with their lord
         5. the filial son does not lose the sense of the family with jutice / the sense of the filial son's family that does not lose justice
         6. the world accords with the ruler who practices virtue
         7. the world competes to accord with the ruler who practices virtue
         8. the world competes to accord with the ruler who practices virtue with humankindness and justice
         9. the angry son's speech that does not know how to accord with the gentleman / the angry son does not know how to accord with the gentleman's speech
         10. the people do not have plans that practice compassion

      2. Practice 2.2.1

         1. 言德之聖君
         2. 逆家之難理
         3. 順君子之時
         4. 失仁之怒子
         5. 以慈惠治之善人
         6. 民言治國之君
         7. 孝子得報於順道之天
         8. 不孝之君逆有義之聖人

      3. Practice 2.6

         1. 民爭得生不順君。
         2. 小人言仁義不行德。
         3. 天下不治，而後民爭得道。
         4. 子行孝治家。
         5. 怒不怨君。
         6. 君不言而後民謀逆得。

   3. Lesson 3

      1. Text

         Among the myriad things, those that attain their root are born, and among a hundred affairs, those that attain their way are completed. Where the way is, the whole world takes refuge. Where virtue is, the whole world esteems. Where humankindness is, the whole world cherishes. Where justice is, the whole world is awed by. Houses that leak, people abandon. Water that's shallow, fish flee. Trees that are tall, birds roost in. Virtue that is plentiful, knights hasten to. Whoever has etiquette, the people are awed by. Whoever is loyal and trusting, knights will die for.

      2. Practice 3.2.1

         1. people who don't stay in houses
         2. rulers who complain about fate
         3. knights who don't believe trust Heaven
         4. Regarding trees that are small, their roots are incomplete.
         5. Those knights that don't cherish themselves do not worry about their lifespans.
         6. The fish that do not flee shallow waters—people get them.
         7. As for those birds that form families in high trees, their houses leak.

      3. Practice 3.2.2

         1. 小人之不在家者／不在家之小人
         2. 魚之無君者／無君之魚
         3. 士之逃水者／逃水之士
         4. 君之成禮者，民歸之。／成禮之君，民歸之。
         5. 貴人之不愛魚者，心淺。／不愛魚之貴人，心淺。
         6. 士之死於水者，君爭愛之。／死於水之士，君爭愛之。
         7. 鳥之趨得道者，士貴其德。／趨得道之鳥，士貴其德。

      4. Practice 3.3

         1. what the people value
         2. what fish resent
         3. the place where the bird resides
         4. Knights don't cherish what the people cherish.
         5. Where the ruler departs from, petty people race to.

   4. Lesson 4

      p1

      1. I wish to forsake what is not good in order to govern the people. Is it possible?
      2. For your whole life, you practice unfiliality to go against the world.
      3. Good knights courteously prepare ale.
      4. Guan Zhong said, "Does the duke not know how to abandon bad ministers?"
      5. The duke replied, "Scheming to abandon bad ministers is not as good as cherishing the people of the state."
      6. The shallow waters are not as good as the high trees.
      7. The knights that arrive late are not afraid of the lord's anger.
      8. The duke seated the ministers and circulated the ale.
      9. Drinking ale and losing one's tongue can't compare to giving up ale and disciplining one's speech.
      10. Birds lodge in high trees for their own sake, and fish leave shallow waters for the sake of their children.

      p2

      1. 齊公爲民而歸善。
      2. 公聞：其子言孝而不愛其父。
      3. 管仲笑曰，「君終身棄酒觴乎？不如具酒」。
      4. 其仲不坐臣間。
      5. 鳥起舌笑。魚在水不聞。
      6. 其父欲去家而飲於高樹。
      7. 公日就其屋聞臣所計。
      8. 君期日以成禮。
      9. 子棄禮以得子所愛乎？
      10. 公信士所信。

      text Duke Huan of Qi prepared a banquet for the great ministers, and scheduled it for noon. Guan Zhong arrived late. Duke Huan lifted a goblet to drink it. Guan Zhong left half his ale unfinished. Duke Huan said, "Making an appointment but arriving late, drinking but leaving ale—is this permissible in the rites?" Guan Zhong replied, "Your servant has heard: ale enters, and the tongue comes out. When the tongue comes out, speech slips, and when speech slips, one's self is abandoned. Your servant figures abandoning the self is not as good as abandoning ale." Duke Huan laughed and said, "Uncle, get up and proceed to take your seat."

   5. Lesson 5

      1. Practice 5.1

         1. The duke made Guan Zhong repay the people with fish.
         2. For the sake of his lord, Zengzi made his sons go to Lu.
         3. Humankindness and justice cause me to preserve the people and gain fortune.
         4. Kongzi made me prepare a banquet.
         5. Kongzi's words made me relinquish myself in order to govern the state.

      2. Practice 5.3

         1. The duke said, "Are you treating Kongzi arrogantly?" Guan Zhong replied, "It's not that I'm treating him arrogantly, [but that] I don't like him."
         2. It's not that I don't love my state, but I can't commend the ruler's plans.
         3. It's not that I seek bad behavior, I [just] am not good enough to complete my restraint.
         4. I'ts not that I'm tossing out the lord's gift, but I can't drink ale.
         5. It's not that I don't love humankindness and justice, but [they] are not easy to practice.

      3. Practice 5.4

         1. Kongzi gave me big fish.
         2. Guan Zhong presented the duke with good plans.
         3. Zengzi spoke about filiality and loyalty to me.
         4. Fathers give their houses to sons.
         5. The ruler took a goblet and gave it to Guan Zhong.

      4. Practice 5.6

         1. I didn't get it.
         2. I didn't talk about it.
         3. The ruler doesn't love me.
         4. Does Kongzi not preserve sons?
         5. The duke does not mobilize them.

      5. Practice 5.7

         1. 求管仲於魯不如使孔子往齊。
         2. 我非使孔子往齊，我己往。
         3. 公奚為以邑賜之？公奚為賜之邑？公奚為賜邑焉？
         4. 臣非不君愛。
         5. 請賜此於士。請以此賜士。
         6. 人意足以全我民。
         7. 子使管仲就其坐乎？
         8. 勿畏！
         9. 棄邑不如以之賜其君。
         10. 我非能修德，而我貴孝忠之道。

      6. Text

         Zengzi wore tattered clothes to plow. The ruler of Lu sent someone to go and present a town to him, and they said, "Please mend your clothes with this." Zengzi did not accept it. They returned [to Lu], and then went again. The messenger said, "Sir, it's not that you have sought it from others, but they have rather bestowed it. Why do you not accept?" Zengzi said, "I have heard that those who receive [from] others are afraid of others, and those who give to others treat others with arrogance. Even if the ruler has gifts, and does not treat me arrogance, how can I but fear him?" In the end he did not accept. Kongzi heard of this and said, "Shen's words are sufficient for preserving self-restraint."

   6. Lesson 8

      1. Practice 8.3

         p1

         1. I return the horse — and with it make the people love me / in order to make the people love me.
         2. Good-doing rulers respect their own ministers — and thereby heed their remonstrance / in order to heed their remonstrance.
         3. Worthy gentlemen practice chastity till death — and thereby wait to die for their lords / in order to wait to die for their lords.
         4. Birds lodge in high trees — and thereby / in order to — capture the things they love to eat.

         p2

         1. 仲尼謂公曰，「馬相懼，則逃」。
         2. 兵卒終得攻魯以殺鼓琴之君。
         3. 勝師潰圍者，我所望也。
         4. 人雖共食馬，我方慚。
         5. 穆公令有食其逃馬者，以次殺之。
         6. 民奚由慚？無能還我君之宿恩也。
         7. 臣共謀，以解難。
         8. 居三年，晉即使人以馬賜孔子。孔子謂曰，「予嘗失馬，不能貴之。請還公。」

      2. Text

         Duke Mu of Qin once went out and lost his fast horse, and personally went to search for it. He saw that some people had already killed his horse, and just then were together eating its meat. Duke Mu addressed them, "That was my horse!" The people were all afraid, and rose. Duke Mu said, "I've heard that to eat the meat of a fast horse, but not drink ale, kills people." He thereupon had them drink ale in sequence. The horse-killers were all ashamed and departed. Three years past, and Jin attacked Duke Mu of Qin, besieging him. The sometime horse-eaters said to each other, "Now we can go out and die, and repay the favor of eating horse and getting ale!" They thereupon broke the siege. Duke Mu thereby finally succeeded in solving the problem and beating Jin, captured Duke Hui and went back. This is "good deeds going out, and fortune coming back."

         秦穆公嘗出而亡其駿馬,自往求之。見人已殺其馬,方共食其肉。穆 公謂曰:「是吾駿馬也!」諸人皆懼而起。穆公曰:「吾聞食駿馬肉 不飲酒者殺人。」即以次飲之酒。殺馬者皆慚而去。居三年,晉攻秦 穆公圍之。往時食馬肉者相謂曰:「可以出死報食馬得酒之恩矣!」 遂潰圍。穆公卒得以解難勝晉,獲惠公以歸。此德出而福反也。

READING Andreas Malm, Fossil Capital: The Rise of Steam-Power and the Roots of Global Warming (London ; New York: Verso, 2016).

READING Orlando Patterson, Slavery and Social Death (Harvard University Press, 1982).

READING Stephan Feuchtwang, Popular Religion in China: The Imperial Metaphor (Richmond: Curzon, 2001).

READING Pai Hsien-yung 白先勇, Taibei ren / Taipei people, ed. George Kao, trans. Patia Yasin, Chinese-English bilingual ed., 2. print (Xianggong: Zhongwen Daxue Chubanshe, 2000).

working thru bilingual edition

READING Can Xue, Frontier, trans. Karen Gernant and Zeping Chen, First edition (Rochester, NY: Open Letter, 2017).

READING Elif Batuman, The Idiot (New York: Penguin Press, 2017).

READING Helen DeWitt, The Last Samurai, First New Directions paperback edition (New York: New Directions, 2016).

READING Sade and John Phillips, Justine, or, the Misfortunes of Virtue, Oxford World’s Classics (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012).

READING Thomas Pynchon, Gravity’s Rainbow (Penguin Books, 1973).

READING Kim Stanley Robinson, The Years of Rice and Salt (Spectra, 2002).

TOREAD Celia Brickman, A Short Course in Reading French (Columbia University Press, 2012).

french textbook i used before, start over once in the swing of classical chinese

1. ch 1

   1. Translation Exercise A

      1. the family
      2. the owner
      3. the majority
      4. the projects
      5. the technician
      6. the circus
      7. the television
      8. the scene
      9. the public
      10. the permission
      11. the moment
      12. the history
      13. the condition
      14. the nation
      15. the theater
      16. the restaurant
      17. the cuisine
      18. the climate
      19. the summit
      20. the president
      21. the architecture
      22. the immigration
      23. the pollution
      24. the agreement
      25. the visit
      26. the importance
      27. the center
      28. the victory
      29. the occasion
      30. the village

   2. Translation Exercise B

      1. an animal M S
      2. animals M P
      3. the choice M S
      4. a solution F S
      5. a debate M S
      6. the crisis F S
      7. a member M S
      8. trains M P
      9. the consultations M P
      10. actions F P
      11. the interpretation F P
      12. the son M S
      13. the sociology F S
      14. the discussions F P
      15. a town F S
      16. an army F S
      17. the army F S
      18. armies F P
      19. an hour F S
      20. the dance F S
      21. a bookstore F S
      22. doctors M/F P
      23. cases M P
      24. borders F P
      25. a newspaper M P
      26. newspapers M P
      27. a forest F P
      28. the table F S
      29. hospitals M P

TOREAD John Kieschnick and Simon Wiles, A Primer in Chinese Buddhist Writings, 3 vols., accessed January 3, 2025, https://religiousstudies.stanford.edu/primer-chinese-buddhist-writings.

try after finishing Morgan's primer

TOREAD Maxim Korolkov, The Imperial Network in Ancient China: The Foundation of Sinitic Empire in Southern East Asia, Routledge Studies in the Early History of Asia 9 (London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2022).

Qin

TOREAD Andrew Chittick, The Jiankang Empire in Chinese and World History, Oxford Studies in Early Empires (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2020).

Northern dynasties

TOREAD Hugh R. Clark, The Sinitic Encounter in Southeast China Through the First Millennium CE (Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press, 2016).

up to Song

TOREAD Nicolas Tackett, The Origins of the Chinese Nation: Song China and the Forging of an East Asian World Order, n.d.

Song

TOREAD Mark R. E. Meulenbeld, Demonic Warfare: Daoism, Territorial Networks, and the History of a Ming Novel (Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press, 2015).

Ming

TOREAD jiangMandateHeavenGreat2011?

Ming

TOREAD John Robert Shepherd, Statecraft and Political Economy on the Taiwan Frontier, 1600-1800 (Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 1993).

Qing

TOREAD Yiching Wu, The Cultural Revolution at the Margins (Harvard University Press, 2014).

modern