Read Classics Out Loud: The Five-Character Mirror/大声读经典：五字鉴 (Chinese Edition) - Softcover

武宁, 校注

Softcover

ISBN 10: 7548867344 ISBN 13: 9787548867340

Publisher: China National Publications Import & Export C, 2025

Synopsis

Large-print edition with pinyin annotations. Scan the QR code to listen to the audio. 大字注音版，扫码可听音频 The Five-Character Mirror, commonly known in its popular edition as The Annotated Mirror of History in Brief, is attributed to Li Tingji of the Ming Dynasty, with later supplements by Zou Shengmai of the Qing Dynasty, according to traditional records. The book presents a concise chronological overview of Chinese history, from ancient legends and myths to the Yuan and Ming dynasties. As Zou Shengmai remarked: "From the age of legendary antiquity to the events of the Song and Yuan, it outlines the major events while omitting minor details, so that readers may grasp the whole at a glance-as if they were conversing with the sovereigns of every age in one hall. What is most delightful is that its lines are metered and rhyming, much like poetry, making it easy to recite. It captures the essence of the Twenty-One Histories." The Five-Character Mirror is both a historical primer for children and not a strictly rigorous work of history, for the author interweaves numerous myths, legends, and anecdotes-such as Nüwa mending the sky with melted stones and Fuxi with the body of a snake and the head of an ox-alongside the official historical records. This approach, prioritizing the capture of children's interest over strict historical accuracy, is a common feature of traditional primers. Moreover, written in five-character rhymed verses, the text is neat in form, rhythmic in sound, concise in narration, and clear in organization, making it both accessible and memorable for young readers. As a result, it won great popularity soon after its publication. This edition, supplemented with pinyin annotations and brief notes, makes the text more suitable for contemporary readers-especially children-ensuring that The Five-Character Mirror may once again shine with its enduring value and relevance in the modern era. 《五字鉴》，通行本称《鉴略妥注》。按旧本所注，为明代李廷机所作，清代邹圣脉增补。此书按时代顺序将我国上自远古传说，下至元明的社会历史，进行了简单扼要的总述和概括，如邹圣脉所称："自皇古以乞宋元事迹，举其大纲，略其小目，俾读者开卷了然，俨与历世受命之主，赓扬一堂； 可喜者，句调叶律，有类诗歌，与人可诵可读，一部二十一史之要领也。"《五字鉴》既是一本历史蒙学读物，又非严格意义上的历史书，因为作者在正史之外，加入了诸多神话传说、逸闻趣事等内容，如女娲炼石补天、伏羲蛇身牛首等，这种以吸引儿童兴趣为先、史事严谨为次的写作方式在传统蒙书中也较为常见。加之其以五言韵语成文，形式整齐，合辙押韵，叙事简洁，条理清晰，既符合儿童的阅读习惯，也便于儿童理解记诵。所以《五字鉴》一经问世，就赢得了人们的重视与喜爱。本书以加注拼音与简单注释的方式，让《五字鉴》以 加适合当今大众尤其孩童诵读的形式再次发挥其时代价值与光彩。

Edition details

• Publisher: China National Publications Import & Export C
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: Chinese
• ISBN 10: 7548867344
• ISBN 13: 9787548867340
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 108