Scenes for Mandarins


Book Description

Ming drama represents the classical Chinese theatre at its most mature. Between 1368 and 1644, more than 400 playwrights produced over 1500 plays, ranging from one-act skits to works with 50 scenes or more. As a performing art, Ming theatre includes polished singing, enchanting music, fantastic plotting, and intricate choreography.




Mandarins


Book Description

Prefiguring the vital modernist voices of the Western literary canon, Akutagawa writes with a trenchant psychological precision that exposes the shifting traditions and ironies of early twentieth-century Japan and reveals his own strained connection to it. These stories are moving glimpses into a cast of characters at odds with the society around them, singular portraits that soar effortlessly toward the universal. "What good is intelligence if you cannot discover a useful melancholy?" Akutagawa once mused. Both piercing intelligence and "useful melancholy" buoy this remarkable collection. Mandarins contains three stories published in English for the first time: "An Evening Conversation," "An Enlightened Husband," and "Winter."




中國社會文化寫實


Book Description

The China Scene textbook explores modern Chinese through a range of contemporary social and cultural topics, such as the market economy and private enterprise




David Gets in Trouble


Book Description

Caldecott Honor artist and bestseller David Shannon make readers laugh aloud in this next story about the troublemaking David! "When David gets in trouble, he always says . . . 'NO! It's not my fault! I didn't mean to! It was an accident!'" Whatever the situation, David's got a good excuse. And no matter what he's done "wrong," it's never really his fault. Soon, though, David realizes that making excuses makes him feel bad, and saying he's sorry makes him feel better. Once again, David Shannon entertains us with young David's mischievous antics and a lighthearted story that's sure to leave kids (and parents) laughing.




The Speaker Of Mandarin


Book Description

Readers of PD James, Ann Cleeves and Donna Leon will love this gripping crime thriller full of twists and turns from multi-million copy and SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author Ruth Rendell. 'The most brilliant mystery writer' -- Patricia Cornwell 'Probably the greatest crime writer in the world' -- Ian Rankin 'Totally gripping with superb twist at the end!' -- ***** Reader review 'Fascinating' -- ***** Reader review 'Superb on all counts' -- ***** Reader review 'Keeps the reader rooted to the spot and in the dark till the very end' -- ***** Reader review ************************************************************************************************ Wherever Reggie Wexford goes, death and intrigue are close on his heels. Having just returned from a once-in-a-lifetime holiday in China, Wexford finds himself haunted by memories of the old woman with bound feet who mysteriously followed him from one city to the next and the man who tragically drowned. Now, back in England, he finds himself investigating the murder of a fellow tourist. Knowing that the clue to these three mysteries lies in the East, Wexford turns his investigative skills to that place of unfathomable and sinister depths...




The Sounds of Mandarin


Book Description

Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world today. In China, a country with a vast array of regional and local vernaculars, how was this “common language” forged? How did people learn to speak Mandarin? And what does a focus on speech instead of script reveal about Chinese language and history? This book traces the surprising social history of China’s spoken standard, from its creation as the national language of the early Republic in 1913 to its journey into postwar Taiwan to its reconfiguration as the common language of the People’s Republic after 1949. Janet Y. Chen examines the process of linguistic change from multiple perspectives, emphasizing the experiences of ordinary people. After the fall of the Qing dynasty, a chorus of influential elites promoted the goal of a strong China speaking in one unified voice. Chen explores how this vision fared in practice, showing the complexities of transforming an ideological aspiration into spoken reality. She tracks linguistic change in schools, rural areas, and urban life against the backdrop of war and revolution. The Sounds of Mandarin draws on a novel aural archive of early twentieth-century sound technology, including phonograph recordings, films, and radio broadcasts. Following the uneven trajectory of standard speech, this book sheds new light on the histories of language, nationalism, and identity in China and Taiwan.




Mandarin Gate


Book Description

In Mandarin Gate, Edgar Award winner Eliot Pattison brings Shan back in a thriller that navigates the explosive political and religious landscape of Tibet. In an earlier time, Shan Tao Yun was an Inspector stationed in Beijing. But he lost his position, his family and his freedom when he ran afoul of a powerful figure high in the Chinese government. Released unofficially from the work camp to which he'd been sentenced, Shan has been living in remote mountains of Tibet with a group of outlawed Buddhist monks. Without status, official identity, or the freedom to return to his former home in Beijing, Shan has just begun to settle into his menial job as an inspector of irrigation and sewer ditches in a remote Tibetan township when he encounters a wrenching crime scene. Strewn across the grounds of an old Buddhist temple undergoing restoration are the bodies of two unidentified men and a Tibetan nun. Shan quickly realizes that the murders pose a riddle the Chinese police might in fact be trying to cover up. When he discovers that a nearby village has been converted into a new internment camp for Tibetan dissidents arrested in Beijing's latest pacification campaign, Shan recognizes the dangerous landscape he has entered. To find justice for the victims and to protect an American woman who witnessed the murders, Shan must navigate through the treacherous worlds of the internment camp, the local criminal gang, and the government's rabid pacification teams, while coping with his growing doubts about his own identity and role in Tibet.




Transmutations of Desire


Book Description

In the West, love occupies center stage in the modern age, whether in art, intellectual life, or the economic life. We may observe a similar development in China, on its own impetus, which has resulted in this characteristic of modernity--this feature of modern life has been securely and unambiguously established, not the least facilitated by the thriving of literature about qing, whether in traditional or modern forms. Qiancheng Li concentrates on the nuances of a similar trend manifested in the Chinese context. The emphasis is on critical readings of the texts that have shaped this trend, including important Ming- and Qing-dynasty works of drama, Buddhist texts and other religious/philosophical works, in all their subtlety and evocative power. "The power of qing or strong emotion is a major theme in late imperial Chinese literature--some writers asserting that it can transcend even life itself. Qiancheng Li surveys a number of seventeenth-century philosophical, religious, and literary texts to elucidate the metaphysical aspects of emotional attachment and of sexual desire in particular. Through his broad and penetrating reading, Li demonstrates incontrovertibly how, to seventeenth-century writers, qing and religion were inextricably linked. To those writers, qing could bring enlightenment, and certainly Li’s study enlightens its readers to new levels of complexity in major literary works of that period. Transmutations of Desire sets a major new milestone in the study of traditional Chinese culture."--Robert E. Hegel, Washington University in St. Louis




The Mandarin of Mayfair


Book Description

In Georgian England, Lieutenant AugustusFalcon breaks up the League of the Jewelled Men whosegoal is the overthrow of the monarchy. After which hecan devote himself full time to Gwendolyn, the love ofhis life.




600 Chinese Idioms for IB Mandarin ab initio Success 解码成语,点亮IB中文考试成功之路


Book Description

Idioms (Chengyu) are a type of traditional Chinese idiomatic expression, most of which consist of four characters. Chengyu were widely used in Classical Chinese and are still common in vernacular Chinese writing and in the spoken language today. Chinese idioms are important for IB Chinese and IB Mandarin ab initio for several reasons: Cultural understanding: Chinese idioms are deeply rooted in Chinese culture and history. Learning idioms helps students gain a better understanding of Chinese traditions, values, and ways of thinking. It allows students to appreciate the rich cultural heritage of China. 1 Language proficiency: Idioms are an essential part of the Chinese language and are widely used in both spoken and written forms. Learning idioms helps students improve their vocabulary, comprehension, and overall language proficiency. It also enhances their ability to express ideas creatively and effectively. 2 Reading comprehension: Chinese idioms often appear in Chinese literature, newspapers, and other texts. Familiarity with idioms enables students to comprehend and interpret written materials more accurately. It allows them to grasp the intended meanings, nuances, and figurative expressions in the texts they encounter. 3 Writing skills: Incorporating idioms into written compositions and essays showcases a student's ability to use the Chinese language fluently and expressively. It adds depth and sophistication to their writing, making it more engaging and persuasive. 4 Examinations and assessments: In the IB Chinese curriculum, idioms may be included in reading comprehension exercises, listening tasks, or essay prompts. Being familiar with idioms gives students an advantage in understanding and responding to these assessments effectively. Overall, learning Chinese idioms enhances students' language proficiency, cultural knowledge, and communication skills, all of which are crucial aspects of the IB Chinese curriculum.