xuexiansheng Posted March 26, 2013 at 12:38 AM Report Posted March 26, 2013 at 12:38 AM Posted 18 February 2013 - 03:13 PM This thread is for the discussion of the review of grammar patters for Lessons 1-5 in A New Practical Primer of Literary Chinese by Paul Rouzer. Please keep in mind the ground rules posted in the first lesson's thread. For general discussion and a schedule for the study group, please see the proposal thread. -- This is a thread for the grammar review. It is a good section to help solidify some important grammar structures as we progress through the book. Bonus points to anyone who can translate the devilish English --> Classical Chinese paragraph without cheating! Quote
xuexiansheng Posted March 26, 2013 at 12:52 AM Author Report Posted March 26, 2013 at 12:52 AM I took a train ride this weekend, so I had some time to work on this review. Most of the sentences went well. The real tricky part was the paragraph. That took me about an hour and a half. First I tried to hand-write it without looking for any characters. Then, when I could only do the first half, I started to type it without looking at the text for hints, but I still couldn't finish it! Finally, after looking at all the chapters again, I (sort of) finished it. After looking at Rouzer's translation, if I was self-grading it, maybe a C+ (or B- if I was a nice teacher!) It was a good review exercise and made me pay attention to 我/吾；and characters I had mixed up in my brain 禮/理；對曰/复曰。And I'll need to look over the 奚為 question particle again. How did everyone else do? Quote
navaburo Posted April 14, 2013 at 10:43 PM Report Posted April 14, 2013 at 10:43 PM I did this a while back but lost the paper I wrote on. Here's an attempt now with minimal character lookup. -- Definitely lots of mistakes here! 公齊具酒，期以朝。鳥往飲而不受觴於臣，曰：溪為不能飲乎？管仲對曰：臣非不欲鳥，公不欲聽之。鳥曰：公驕也，吾聞：民耕，君治，鳥言。禁鳥言不如得其謀。請使吾就坐。 屋漏，鳥憂。公進，曰：請受賜於我。予鳥酒。鳥棄，怒曰：公無禮。公憂曰：縱有禮，我不復求子屋。臣曰：勿使之出！而鳥去之。 (I had to look up 怒，求， and 憂.) Certainly hard to remember the characters and the tricky grammar constructions! The Chinese->English was straight-forward though. 1 Quote
somethingfunny Posted May 11, 2015 at 01:53 AM Report Posted May 11, 2015 at 01:53 AM No big problems here. I don't like the use of 子 to mean "you", I keep thinking people are talking to their sons. It's also impossible to tell when to use that or something like 臣 or 公, and the same goes for 我. All in all, a pretty good review exercise! The paragraph was tricky and I missed quite a few bits, but thats much better than it being too easy. 1 Quote
Guest realmayo Posted May 11, 2015 at 05:12 AM Report Posted May 11, 2015 at 05:12 AM Wel done on getting through the first 5 chapters. I stalled at 4 earlier this year. You're encouraging me to have another go. Quote
stapler Posted June 28, 2015 at 10:03 AM Report Posted June 28, 2015 at 10:03 AM The review sentences with the key grammar were okay. I don't know if I can be bothered writing this story in Classical Chinese though! Quote
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