Two weeks ago I was lucky to find a wonderful book on classical Chinese in the dollar bookstore in Lakewood. Each chapter has short selections from classical texts followed by a brief description of their origin, then a list of classical Chinese words with modern Mandarin explanations. There are also a set of questions for comprehension and a contrasting simplified to traditional character list.
Here are three selections from the author Han Fei Zi, from a couple hundred years B.C.
ONE. Shoe Size
鄭人有且置履者，先自度其足而置之其坐，至之市而忘操之，已得履，乃曰：“吾忘持度。”反歸取之，及反，市罷，遂不得履，人曰：“何不試之以足？”曰：“寧信度，無自信也。”
A man from Zheng was going to buy shoes, so first he meausured his feet. He set the measurement down. He went to the market to buy the shoes, and realized he forgot his measurement. He said "I forgot to bring the meausurement."
So, Instead of buying his shoes, he went back to get the measurement he had made. But, by the time he got back to the market, it was already closed. Someone asked him "Why didn't you just try the shoes on to see if they fit?"
He said "I trust measurements, not myself."
TWO. Waiting for Rabbits
宋人有耕田者，田中有株，兔走，觸株折頸而死，因釋其耒而守株，冀復得兔，兔不可復得，而身為宋國笑。今欲以先王之政，治當世之民，皆守株之類也。
There was farmer of the Song Kingdom. In the middle of his field was a tree.
He saw a rabbit run right into that tree and break its neck.
He was so excited at the idea of getting free rabbit meat, that he threw down his plow and sat all day and night by that tree.
The people of Song all laughed at this farmer.
So too does the government of today seek to rule us through the policies of emperors past, all like that farmer guarding his tree.
Three. Spears and Shields (In modern Mandarin, these two words mean 'Contradiction'. This usage comes from this very same story.)
楚人有鬻楯與矛者，譽之曰：‘吾楯之堅，莫能陷也。’又譽其矛曰：‘吾矛之利，於物無不陷也。’或曰：‘以子之矛陷子之楯，何如？’其人弗能應也。夫不可陷之楯與無不陷之矛，不可同世而立。
The was a man of the Chu Kingdom who was selling spears and shields. He boasted of them, saying "My shield is strong, there is nothing that can pierce it!" Again, he boasted of his spear, saying "My spear is charmed, there is nothing it cannot pierce!" Among those listening, one asked "Can your spear, then, pierce your shield?" The man had nothing to say in reply. An unbreakable shield and all powerful spear cannot both exist in one world.
Studying Classical Chinese is laborious, as it requires constant checking of archaic usages, but, for anyone wanting to be fluent in Mandarin, it is rather urgent, because for Chinese people, this is stuff kids already know around the time they enter puberty.
As hard as it is, the only time being able to read this two-three thousand year old stuff is gonna be cool, is when your around people who don't speak Chinese.
