GeneralPreface

millionsofchinesearelearningenglishtoacquireknowledgeandskillsforcommunicationinaworldwhereenglishhasbecometheprimarylanguageforinternationaldiscourse.yetnotmanylearnershavecometorealizethatthecommandoftheenglishlanguagealsoenablesthemtohaveaneasyaccesstotheworldliteraryclassicssuchasshakespeare’splays,shelley’spoems,marktwain’snovelsandnietzsche’sworkswhichareanimportantpartofliberal-artseducation.themostimportantgoalsofuniversitiesarenotvocational,thatis,notmerelythegivingofknowledgeandthetrainingofskills.

inabroadsense,educationaimsatbroadeningyoungpeople’smentalhorizon,cultivatingvirtuesandshapingtheircharacter.lincoln,maozedongandmanyothergreatleadersandpersonagesofdistinctiondeclaredhowtheydrewimmenseinspirationandstrengthfromliteraryworks.asamatteroffact,manyofthemhadaspiredtobecomewritersintheiryoungage.alexanderthegreat(356-323b.c.)issaidtotakealongwithhimtwothings,wakingorsleeping:abookandaer,andthebookisiliad,aliteraryclassic,byhomer.hewouldputthesetwomuchtreasuredthingsunderhispillowwhenhewenttobed.

today,wefaceanunprecedentedcomplexandchangingworld.tocopewiththisrapidchangingworldrequiresnotonlycommunicationskills,butalsoadequateknowledgeofculturesotherthanourownhomeculture.amongthemostimportantdevelopmentsinpresent-dayglobalcultureistheeverincreasingculturalexchangesandunderstandingbetweendifferentnationsandpeoples.andoneofthebestwaystoknowforeignculturesistoreadtheirliteraryworks,particularlytheirliteraryclassics,thesoulofacountry’sculture.theyalsogiveyouthebestlanguageandthefeelingofsublimity.

liaoningpeople’spublishinghouseistobecongratulatedforitsforesightandcourageinmakinganewseriesofworldliteraryclassicsavailabletothereadingpublic.itishopedthatpeoplewithanadequatecommandoftheenglishlanguagewillreadthem,likethemandkeepthemastheirlifetimecompanions.

iamconvincedthattheserieswillmakeanimportantcontributiontotheliteraryeducationoftheyoungpeopleinchina.atatimewhenthewholecountryisemphasizing“spiritualcivilization”,itiscertainlyaverytimelyventuretoputouttheseriesofliteraryclassicsforliteraryandculturaleducation.

zhangzhongzai

professor

beijingforeignstudiesuniversity

july,2013beijing