水浒传 英文简介

水浒传(Water Margin)简介：
Water Margin is a novel based on the outlaw Song Jiang and his 36 companions.The group was active in the Huai River region and surrendered to the government in 1121.They were recorded in History of the Song Dynasty of the Twenty-Four Histories.The name of 'Song Jiang' appeared in the chapter of Emperor Huizong of Song while the activities of the outlaw group were mentioned in the chapter for Zhang Shuye.
Folk stories of Song Jiang circulated during the Southern Song Dynasty period.The first text to name Song Jiang's 36 companions was Miscellaneous observations from the year of Guixin (癸辛杂识) by Zhou Mi,written in the 13th century.Among the 36 were Lu Junyi,Guan Sheng,Ruan Xiaoer,Ruan Xiaowu,Ruan Xiaoqi,Liu Tang,Hua Rong and Wu Yong.Some of the characters who later became associated with Song Jiang also appeared around this time.They include Sun Li,Yang Zhi,Lin Chong,Lu Zhishen and Wu Song.
A direct precursor of Water Margin was the Old incidents in the Xuanhe period of the great Song Dynasty (大宋宣和遗事),which appeared around the mid-13th century.The text is a written version of storytellers' tales,based on supposed historical events.It is divided into ten chapters,roughly covering the history of the Song Dynasty from the early 11th century to the establishment of the Southern Song regime in 1127.The fourth chapter covers the adventures of Song Jiang and his 36 companions,and their eventual defeat by Zhang Shuye.Some of the more well-known stories and characters of the Water Margin are clearly visible,including 'Yang Zhi sells his precious saber','Robbing the convoy of birthday gifts','Song Jiang kills Yan Poxi','Fighting Fang La' etc.Song Jiang and his outlaws were said to operate in the Taihang Mountains.
Stories about the outlaws of Mount Liang became a popular subject for Yuan Dynasty drama.During this time,the material on which the Water Margin was based evolved into what it is today.The number of outlaws increased to 108.Even though they came from different backgrounds (including scholars,fishermen,imperial drill instructors etc.) all of them eventually came to occupy Mount Liang.There is a theory that Water Margin became popular during the Yuan Dynasty as the common people (predominantly Han Chinese) resented the Mongol rulers.The outlaws' rebellion was deemed 'safe' to promote as it was supposedly a negative reflection of the fallen Song Dynasty.Concurrently,the rebellion was also a call for the common people to rise up against corruption in the government.The Chongzhen Emperor of the Ming Dynasty,acting on the advice of his ministers,banned the book to suppress rebellions.