What are the characteristics of Chinese vernacular novels?
Chinese vernacular novels often have vivid character portrayals. For example, in 'Journey to the West', the Monkey King is a very distinct character with his bravery and mischievousness. They also typically incorporate elements of Chinese culture, like traditional values and superstitions. And many of them are set in historical periods, which helps to show the social and cultural context of those times.
Well, they usually have complex plots. These plots can involve multiple storylines and a large number of characters. Take 'Dream of the Red Chamber' for instance. It has a huge cast of characters and their relationships are very intricate. Moreover, Chinese vernacular novels are good at using vivid language that is close to the daily speech of ordinary people, making them easy to be understood and spread among the general public.
classical Chinese and vernacular Chinese
The classical Chinese and the vernacular Chinese were two different ways of writing, each with its own characteristics and development process. The classical Chinese was a form of written expression in ancient China that originated from the pre-Qin period and matured in the Han Dynasty. With its unique grammar and expression, classical Chinese shows a high degree of specialization and rigor. It is often used in ancient academic works, official documents, and literary works. The classical Chinese had gone through many evolutions and gradually developed into a part of modern Chinese. For example, the idioms and two-part sayings in modern Chinese were the variants of the classical Chinese. The vernacular was a form of modern Chinese that originated from the late Qing Dynasty and matured in the early 20th century. The vernacular language, with its unique spoken language and expression, shows a kind of easy-to-understand and flexibility. It is often used in modern novels, prose, poetry and news. The development of vernacular Chinese was influenced by the social background at that time, such as the acceleration of the process of industrialization, modernisation and urban development, as well as the arrival of the cultural revolution. The classical Chinese and the vernacular Chinese are two different ways of writing, each with its own unique characteristics and development process.
On Vernacular Chinese and Classic Chinese
The vernacular and classical Chinese are two different forms of literary and literary reading, which have a long history in the history of Chinese culture. The classical Chinese was an ancient language used on the basis of Chinese. Its origin could be traced back to the pre-Qin period. It was the official language of ancient China. It was mainly used to record history, philosophy, literature, science and other aspects of knowledge. The characteristics of classical Chinese were that the grammar structure was rigorous, the words used were precise, and it had a certain sense of rhyme. Vernacular Chinese referred to modern Chinese, which was developed on the basis of classical Chinese. It was mainly used for daily communication and the publication of literary works. The characteristic of vernacular Chinese was that the grammar structure was relatively free, the words were easy to understand, the expression was concise and clear, and it had a strong oral expression ability. In literary works, classical Chinese and vernacular Chinese each had their own unique way of expression and charm. For example, many classic works in Chinese classical literature were written in classical Chinese, such as "Dream of the Red Chamber" and "Journey to the West". Modern literary works, such as novels, essays, and poems, used more vernacular.
What was classical Chinese and what was vernacular Chinese?
Ancient Chinese was an important part of ancient Chinese culture. Its characters, grammar, sentence patterns, and expressions were very different from modern Chinese. The writings in classical Chinese played a very important role in Chinese history. Its literary achievements such as Dream of the Red Chamber and Romance of the Three Kingdoms are still widely read and studied. Vernacular Chinese referred to modern Chinese, which was developed on the basis of modern Chinese. It was very different from classical Chinese. The characteristic of the vernacular was that the language was simple and clear, and the grammar, sentence structure, and expression were very different from the classical Chinese. The vernacular was widely used in modern Chinese literature, such as Lu Xun's Essays and Water Margins.
Who is the founder of Chinese vernacular novels?
The ancestor of Chinese vernacular novels was Lu Xun.
Evaluation of Vernacular Chinese
Vernacular Chinese was a form of literature that was easy to understand and was usually used to express and spread knowledge. Its advantage was that it could directly convey information without too many complicated language and grammar structures, so it was easier for the public to understand and accept. However, vernacular writing also had some shortcomings. One of the most obvious is that its ability to express is limited, it is difficult to express some deep or complex thoughts, so in some cases it may seem shallow or lack depth. In addition, the grammar structure of vernacular Chinese was relatively simple and easy to fall into grammar or semantical errors. Therefore, vernacular might not be suitable for novels that needed to express deep thoughts and rich emotions. Of course, this didn't mean that vernacular couldn't be used as a novel. It just needed special treatment and improvement.
The History of Vernacular Chinese
The history of vernacular refers to historical books or articles written in vernacular. The purpose is to make historical knowledge easier to understand and accept. In the history of the vernacular, historical events, people, and place names are usually written in easy-to-understand language so that readers can understand them more easily. The history of vernacular Chinese began in the early 20th century. With the development of vernacular literature, the history of vernacular literature gradually became a popular historical writing style. In the history of vernacular Chinese, people usually use vernacular Chinese to record and explain historical events, such as conveying historical information by describing the background, characters and influences of historical events. The vernacular history also promoted the popularity of historical knowledge, allowing more people to understand the truth of historical events.
What was classical Chinese? What was vernacular?
Classic Chinese refers to the written language used in ancient China, which is featured by the use of strict grammar and word order, as well as specific words and expressions. The writings in classical Chinese played an important role in ancient Chinese history. They were mainly used to record political, cultural, religious and other information. Vernacular Chinese refers to the written language used in modern China, which is featured by the use of simple and clear grammar and word order, as well as easy-to-understand words and expressions. The vernacular language played a very important role in modern Chinese history. It was mainly used to record social, cultural, scientific and technological information. It was the main language for communication and communication in modern society.
Is ancient Chinese the same as vernacular Chinese?
Ancient Chinese and vernacular Chinese were not exactly the same. Although they may have some similarities in some aspects, they have great differences in expressions, grammar structures, words, and so on. Ancient prose usually used more professional vocabulary and grammar structures, and the way of expression was more concise. It often used some figurative, symbolic, and other rhetorical devices to convey ideas. The vernacular paid more attention to the accuracy and understandability of expression, using more easy-to-understand vocabulary and grammar structures, and paying more attention to the logic and cohesiveness of expressing ideas. The difficulty of reading ancient and vernacular Chinese was also different. Reading ancient texts might require a certain foundation and reading ability in classical Chinese, while vernacular Chinese was relatively easier. Ancient Chinese and vernacular Chinese were very different in terms of language form and expression of ideas. It was necessary to choose the reading target according to different reading needs and purposes.
Who are the famous authors of Chinese vernacular novels?
Well, Shi Nai'an is well - known for his 'Water Margin'. This novel features 108 heroes with different personalities and skills. And there is also Wu Cheng'en. He is the author of 'Journey to the West', a story about a monk's journey to the west with his three disciples, which is loved by people all over the world for its imaginative plot and vivid characters.
The difference between popular novels and vernacular Chinese
Popular novels and vernacular novels were two different forms of literature. The popular language novel refers to a form of novel that is easy to understand and for the public. Its language is easy to understand and does not pursue the beauty and artistry of the language. The main purpose is to satisfy the reading needs of the readers and entertainment purposes. The language of a popular language novel was usually spoken in a way that was close to real life. The vernacular refers to a form of modern Chinese literature. It was a literary form that gradually formed in China after the Opium War in the late Qing Dynasty, influenced by Western literary forms and languages. The characteristics of vernacular Chinese were concise language, easy to understand, and the use of oral expressions, focusing on the expression of oral language and the transmission of emotions. The emergence of the vernacular brought about a revolutionary change in the language of Chinese literature and had a profound impact on the development of modern Chinese literature. Therefore, the popular language novels and the vernacular were very different in language form and literary purpose. The language of the popular language novels paid more attention to the expressiveness of the spoken language and the transmission of emotions, while the vernacular language paid more attention to the conciseness, easy-to-understand and the expressiveness of the spoken language.