Classical Chinese II
Course 2: Classical Chinese II — Readings in Philosophy and History
Description:
Building on Classical Chinese I, this course expands vocabulary and grammar while introducing more complex texts from the classical canon, focusing on Confucian, Legalist, and historical writings.
Objectives:
- Expand vocabulary to ~600 characters
- Improve fluency in reading philosophical and historical texts
- Analyze sentence patterns and rhetorical devices
- Develop intermediate translation skills
Units:
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Complex Sentences and Literary Structures
- Parallelism, rhetorical repetition
- Subordination and conditional constructions
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Readings from the Analects, Mencius, and Xunzi
- Comparative philosophical perspectives
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Selections from the Zuo Zhuan and Shiji
- Narration, historical idioms, and character actions
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Legalist Texts and Rhetoric
- Han Feizi: argumentation and persuasion
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Mid-Scale Translation Projects
- Multi-paragraph translation with commentary
Assessment:
- In-class translation labs
- Thematic essays and commentary
- Midterm and final translation exams