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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA much broader representation of Yuan zaju drama than previous translations offer. What's more, the editors do a marvelous job providing ample historical sources for the plays. These rich and detailed annotations make it especially useful for teaching purposes and for general readers. -- Tian Yuan Tan, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London This magnificent collection represents the great variety in subject and style on the early Chinese stage. Almost all the translations are based on the early-seventeenth-century versions of these plays prepared by Zang Maoxun (d. 1621), who provided his contemporary readers with carefully prepared and lavishly produced editions. Eminently readable, these editions have ensured the place of Yuan drama in late-imperial and modern literature, and for almost four centuries they have shaped Chinese and foreign readers' image of these dramas. -- Wilt L. Idema, Research Professor of Chinese Literature, Harvard University A landmark in the translation of Chinese literature. Not only are the renditions exceptionally lively, engaging, and beautifully crafted, but the thematic range of the ten plays--each accompanied by an informative introduction--illustrates the richness of the early corpus of Chinese song-drama. Meticulously annotated and responsive to the complexities of the textual history, the translations will enchant scholars, undergraduates, and general readers alike. -- Patricia Sieber, Ohio State University A joy to read. Journal of Asian Studies
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Part 1. Historical Plays 1. Ji Junxiang, The Zhao Orphan, translated by Pi-twan Huang and Wai-yee Li The Zhao Orphan in Yuan Editions, by Wai-yee Li 2. Anonymous, Tricking Kuai Tong, translated by Wai-yee Li Part 2. Crime and Punishment 3. Anonymous, Selling Rice in Chenzhou, translated by Richard C. Hessney 4. Meng Hanqing, The Moheluo Doll, translated by Jonathan Chaves Part 3. Folly and Consequences 5. Qin Jianfu, The Eastern Hall Elder, translated by Robert E. Hegel and Wai-yee Li 6. Li Zhifu, The Tiger Head Plaque, translated by Yoram Szekely, C. T. Hsia, Wai-yee Li, and George Kao Part 4. Female Agency 7. Guan Hanqing, Rescuing a Sister, translated by George Kao and Wai-yee Li 8. Shi Junbao, Qiu Hu Tries to Seduce His Wife, translated by John Coleman, James M. Hargett, Kuan-fook Lai, Gloria Shen, and Wang Ming Part 5. Romantic Love 9. Bai Pu, On Horseback and Over the Garden Wall, translated by Jerome Cavanaugh and Wai-yee Li 10. Li Haogu, Scholar Zhang Boils the Sea, translated by Allen A. Zimmerman Bibliography
