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Water Margin |
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Historical context and developmentWater Margin is vaguely based upon the historical bandit Song Jiang and his 36 companions. The group was active in the Huai River region and eventually surrendered to government troops in 1119. They are recorded in the Song Shi (Chinese: - "History of the Song Dynasty) (1345), the name of Song Jiang appearing in the chapter of Emperor Huizong, the activities of the gang in the chapter for Zhang Shuye (Chinese: ). Folk stories about Song Jiang circulated during the Southern Song. The first text to name Song Jiang's thirty-six companions was the 13th century Guixin Zashi (Chinese: 癸辛雜識 - "Miscellaneous Observations from the Year Guixin") by Zhou Mi (Chinese: ) (1232 - 1298). Among the thirty-six are Lu Junyi, Guan Sheng, Ruan Xiaoer, Ruan Xiaowu, Ruan Xiaoqi, Liu Tang, Hua Rong and Wu Yong. Some of the characters to later become 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 Da Song Xuanhe Yishi (Chinese: 大宋宣和遺事 - "Old incidents in Xuanhe period of the great Song Dynasty"), which appeared around the mid-13th century. The text was basically a written version of storytellers' tales, based loosely on 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 (Chinese: 張叔夜). Some of the more well-known stories and characters of the Water Margin are clearly visible, including "Yang Zhi selling his sword", "Stealing the birthday present", "Song Jiang kills his slave girl", "Fighting Fang La" etc. It places Song Jiang and his bandits in the Taihang Mountains, and his band ran the gamut from fishermen to ex imperial drill instructors to inn-keepers etc. Stories about the bandits of Mount Liang became popular as subject for Yuan Dynasty drama. During this time the material on which the Water Margin was based evolved into what it is today. Song Jiang's bandits were expanded to number one hundred and eight, and though they came from different backgrounds, all eventually come to occupy Mount Liang. There is a theory that Water Margin became popular during the Yuan Dynasty due to resentment toward the Mongol rulers. Song Jiang's rebellion was safe to promote because it criticized the Song Dynasty on the surface, but it was also a call to oppose all corrupt governments. Authorship and early editions)
There is considerable disagreement as to the author of Water Margin. Most consider the first seventy chapters to have been written by Shi Nai'an, while the last thirty chapters were written by Luo Guanzhong, also the author of Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Luo may have been the disciple of Shi Nai'an. It has also been suggested that Shi Nai'an did not exist but was merely a pseudonym for Luo Guanzhong himself. Clues from the text itself strongly suggest that the author was a native of Zhejiang province (as both Luo and Shi were) who had little knowledge of northern China. At a 2006 conference, the leading scholars of the work agreed that Shi and Luo were probably the same person, because the name Shi Nai'an written backwards spells "an nai shi", meaning "It is I again."
It is not clear how close the Luo's edition was to those that are known today. The earliest extant edition of Water Margin is a 100-chapter printed text dating from the mid-16th century. Another edition, with 120 chapters by Yang Dingjian (Chinese: 楊定見), has been preserved from the Wanli era (1573–1620). Yet other editions were published since this era to the early Qing Dynasty, including a 70-chapter edition by Jin Shengtan (1608-1661). Outline of ChaptersThe opening episode is the release of the 108 spirits. The next chapter describes the rise of Gao Qiu, the main antagonist of the 108. Then follow the stories of different outlaws. At first the story may seem like separate stories, which, in a sense, they were. The connections were very vague between characters. But the story eventually comes together by Chapter 40 or so, during the exile and rescue of Song Jiang, who becomes the head of 108 outlaws. Once the main characters gather on the Mount Liang on the marsh, the story goes on with the conflicts with the Song dynasty, while Song Jiang keeps showing his loyalty to the emperor. After winning battles against the imperial forces, the outlaws are offered amnesty and invited by the emperor to become an official army, which Song Jiang willingly accepts. Gao Qiu, not being happy with them, sends them out to fight against the enemies of the dynasty, and finally we will see the tragic ending.The following outline of chapters is based on a 100-chapter edition. Yang's 120-chapter edition includes other campaigns of the outlaws on behalf of Song dynasty, while Jing's 70-chapter edition omits the chapters on the outlaws' acceptance of amnesty and following campaigns. 1 Marshal Hong Releases the 108 Spirits 2 The rise of Gao Qiu 2–3 The story of Shi Jin 3–7 The story of Lu Zhishen 7–12 The story of Lin Chong 12–13 The story of Yang Zhi 13–20 The robbing of the birthday gifts led by Chao Gai and the "original 7" 20–22 The story of Song Jiang 23–32 The story of Wu Song 32–35 The story of Hua Rong 36–43 The exile and rescue of Song Jiang 44–47 The story of Shi Xiu and Yang Xiong 47–50 The three assaults on the Zhu Family Village 51–52 The story of Lei Heng and Zhu Tong 53–55 The outlaws attack Gaotangzhou; the search for Gongsun Sheng 55–57 The first imperial assault on Liangshan Marsh(led by Huyuan Zhuo) 57–59 The outlaws attack Qingzhou 59–60 The outlaws attack Mount Mangdang 60 The first assault on the Zeng Family Village; the death of Chao Gai 60–67 The story of Lu Junyi; the outlaws attack Damingfu; the second imperial assault on Liangshan Marsh(led by Guan Sheng) 67 The third imperial assault on Liangshan Marsh (led by Shan Ting-gui and Wei Ding-guo) 68 The second assault on the Zeng Family Village 69–70 The outlaws attack Dongpingfu and Dongchangfu 71–74 The 108 heroes are fully assembled; the funny and lethal antics of Li Kui 75–78 The Emperor offers amnesty the first time; the fourth imperial assault on Liangshan Marsh 78–80 The fifth imperial assault on Liangshan Marsh(led by Gao Qiu) 81–82 The outlaws are granted amnesty 83–89 The outlaws attack the Liao Tatars 90–99 The outlaws attack the southern rebels (Fang La) 100 The tragic dissolution of the outlaws of the Marsh The extended version adds the Liangshan Marsh bandits' expeditions against other noted rebel leaders, Tian Hu in Hebei and Wang Qing in Szechuan, prior to the campaign against Fang La. Plot78-80 Gao Qiu's imperial assault (the fifth) on Liangshan Marsh)
Marshal Gao Qiu is the commander-in-chief of the expedition against the Liangshan bandits. He summons Commander Liu Menglong, who is adept in naval warfare, and 10 commandants from the various provinces in the empire, to aid in the expedition. The Liangshan bandits, upon knowing this, prepare for battle by readying their weapons, horses, soldiers and rations. In addition, Lin Chong, Huyan Zhuo and Hua Rong are tasked with 2000 men each to make an initial challenge at the imperial force's castle. A few of Marshal Gao's generals are killed and he quickly withdraws his forces into the castle. This provides a great morale boost to the Liangshan bandits.
In order to conquer Liangshan, the imperial forces have to traverse the 800 li marsh. Commander Liu is in charge of the naval forces during this battle. However, the Ruan brothers of Liangshan manage to rout Commander Liu's forces when he is forced to split his boats in order to pass narrow creeks. Commander Liu is captured but released. Marshal Gao executes Commander Liu for the failure, and also due to him being redundant as all his men are killed or captured in the marsh. The 10 commandants suggest that 100 paddleboats be built for another assault. This time, Gao Qiu leads the assault force by himself. However, the Liangshan bandits again win the battle by having their men diving under Marshal Gao's boats and making holes in them. Gao Qiu is captured and brought to the Liangshan stronghold. 81-82 The Outlaws are granted amnesty Lin Chong, upon hearing of Gao Qiu's capture, grabs his weapon and is ready to execute him. However, Song Jiang prevents him from doing so, saying Gao Qiu would make it easier for the Liangshan heroes to be granted amnesty. Marshal Gao Qiu and his assistant, Captain Li are kept at the Liangshan stronghold for several days, with good food and lodging. Finally Song Jiang meets with Gao Qiu and proposes to release him together with Captain Li, on the condition that he help with persuading the Song emperor (Huizhong) in granting the Liangshan bandits amnesty. Gao Qiu readily agrees to the condition to save his own life. When Gao Qiu is about to leave Liangshan, Lin Chong gets wind of his impending departure from Yan Qing and rushes to the shore with Lu Zhishen, only to see Gao Qiu's boat rowing away in the distance. Lin Chong vomits blood and faints, and becomes bedridden. Gao Qiu, upon returning, feigns illness to avoid punishment by the emperor for his failure in the expedition. The Imperial Tutor, Cai Jing, comes to visit him for a discussion. He suggests that Gao Qiu recommend the emperor to grant amnesty to the Liangshan bandits, so that they can order the bandits to go after Fang La in the south, who has declared himself an emperor. This would greatly weaken the forces of Song's men so that the treacherous officials can more easily deal with them. Song Jiang's men are finally granted amnesty, but some of the brothers decide to reject the offer of officialship and leave the Liangshan brotherhood. Lin Chong finally dies after his prolonged period in bed, regretting his failure to kill Gao Qiu. Translations)
Water Margin has been translated into many languages. One of the first English translations was made by Pearl Buck. Titled All Men are Brothers and published in 1933, the book was well-received by the American public. However, it was also heavily criticized for its many errors and inaccuracies, including many mispronunciations. An often cited example in this edition was her mistranslation of Lu Zhishen's nickname "Flowery Monk" into "Priest Hwa".
Of the later editions, Chinese-naturalized Jewish-American scholar Sidney Shapiro's Outlaws of the Marsh (1980) is considered one of the best. However, due to its being published during the Cultural Revolution, this edition received little attention at the time. Shapiro's translation is currently published by the Beijing Foreign Language Press, as a four-volume set. Modern transformationsThe Water Margin (Japanese: 水滸伝) was a successful Japanese television adaptation of the story, produced by Nippon Television and starring Atsuo Nakamura and Go Kato in the main roles. The show was filmed in 1973 on location in mainland China, as the first jointly co-produced show with a non-Communist country since 1949. The show was very successful and broadcast on TV in many other countries.Some locations and characters were written into Mitsuteru Yokoyama's anime as Yokoyama had previously published a manga version of the story of the outlaws of Mt. Liang. The novel inspired the Japanese console role-playing game series Gensou Suikoden, as well as an earlier military strategy game by Koei, called Bandit Kings of Ancient China. Frank Chin's novel, Donald Duk, contains many references to the Water Margin. Song Jiang and Li Kui make several appearances in the protagonist's dreams. A character named "The Black Whirlwhind" in the RPG Jade Empire is also obviously inspired by Li Kui. Two characters in the popular Japanese novel series Saiunkoku Monogatari, Shi Seiran and Rou Ensei, have histories vaguely resembling those of Chai Jin and Yan Qing, and are nicknamed "Small Whirlwind" and "King of the Staff". A Hong Kong comic series was also drawn by the popular Hong Kong comic artist, Li Zhiqing. A 1972 movie of the same name was produced by the Shaw Brothers (Singapore). Reviews: Kung Fu Cinema | Dragon's Den UK A 1980s TV serial was also produced in Hong Kong by the studio TVB. A 40 episode TV serial (Chinese: 水滸全傳) produced in Mainland China was released in 1997. A Hong Kong movie starring Tony Leung was made in the mid-90's and it centered around Lin Chong, Lu Zhishen and Gao Qiu. A co-op at Cornell University is named Watermargin. Its motto, All Men Are Brothers, is taken from the title of Pearl S. Buck's translation of the Chinese classic. The game Water Margin Online is adapted from the story of Water Margin. Index of the 108 heroesReferences
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Traditional Chinese Child systems Simplified Chinese Chữ Nôm Sister systems Hanja, Kanji ISO 15924 Hant Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ..... Click the link for more information. Simplified Chinese Sister systems Kanji, Chữ Nôm ISO 15924 Hans Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ..... Click the link for more information.
..... Click the link for more information. The Four Great Classical Novels, or Four Major Classical Novels (Chinese: 四大名著) of Chinese literature, are the four novels commonly counted by scholars to be the greatest and most influential in classical ..... Click the link for more information. Chinese literature spans back thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the matured fictional novel arising in the medieval period to entertain the masses of literate Chinese. ..... Click the link for more information. Shi Naian (Chinese: 施耐庵; Pinyin: Shī Nàiān, ca. 1296—1372), was a classical Chinese author attributed as the first compiler of Water Margin ..... Click the link for more information. This page contains Chinese text. Luo Guanzhong (Traditional Chinese: 羅貫中Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters. ..... Click the link for more information. 108 is the natural number following 107 and preceding 109. In mathematicsOne hundred [and] eight is an abundant number and a semiperfect number. It is a tetranacci number.It is the hyperfactorial of 3 since it is of the form . ..... Click the link for more information. The Song Dynasty (Chinese: 宋朝; Pinyin: Sòng Cháo; Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao) was a ruling dynasty in China between 960–1279 AD; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms era, and ..... Click the link for more information. Song Jiang (宋江) was the leader of a bandit group in the 12th century, during the Song Dynasty. His group was active in the present-day provinces of Shandong and Henan, before surrendering to government troops. ..... Click the link for more information. Chinese or the Sinitic language(s) (汉语/漢語, Pinyin: Hànyǔ; 华语/華語, Huáyǔ; or 中文, Zhōngwén) can be considered a language or language family. ..... Click the link for more information. Emperor Huizong (November 2, 1082 – June 4, 1135) was the eighth and one of the most famous emperors of the Song Dynasty of China, with a personal life spent amidst luxury, sophistication and art but ending in tragedy. ..... Click the link for more information. Chinese or the Sinitic language(s) (汉语/漢語, Pinyin: Hànyǔ; 华语/華語, Huáyǔ; or 中文, Zhōngwén) can be considered a language or language family. ..... Click the link for more information. The Song Dynasty (Chinese: 宋朝; Pinyin: Sòng Cháo; Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao) was a ruling dynasty in China between 960–1279 AD; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms era, and ..... Click the link for more information. As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. In the history of European culture, this period is considered part of the High Middle Ages, and after its conquests in Asia the Mongol Empire stretched from Korea to ..... Click the link for more information. Chinese or the Sinitic language(s) (汉语/漢語, Pinyin: Hànyǔ; 华语/華語, Huáyǔ; or 中文, Zhōngwén) can be considered a language or language family. ..... Click the link for more information. Chinese or the Sinitic language(s) (汉语/漢語, Pinyin: Hànyǔ; 华语/華語, Huáyǔ; or 中文, Zhōngwén) can be considered a language or language family. ..... Click the link for more information. Nicknamed the 'Jade Unicorn' (玉麒麟), Lu Junyi (卢俊义) was a character in the epic Chinese tale, the Water Margin, and hailed from Hebei Province. ..... Click the link for more information. Nicknamed the 'Great Blade' (大刀), the Water Margin's Guan Sheng (关胜) bore an uncanny resemblance to Guan Yu - simply because he was a direct descendant of the famous general of the Shu Kingdom. ..... Click the link for more information. Ruan Xiaoer (阮小二), also known as Ruan the 2nd, is a character in the Water Margin. Ruan was nicknamed the 'Lord who stands on his land (立地太歲)'. ..... Click the link for more information. Ruan Xiaowu (阮小五), also known as Ruan the 5th is a character in the Water Margin. As part of the trio the Ruan brothers, Ruan sat on the council of the 36 Heavenly Spirits in the Liangshan contingent which peaked at 108 members. ..... Click the link for more information. Ruan Xiaoqi (阮小七) or Ruan the 7th, is a character in the epic Chinese novel the Water Margin. Ruan was born with an unusual appearance, with bulging eyes and light yellow whiskers, with dark patches on his skin, as though he was cast in bronze. ..... Click the link for more information. Liu Tang (刘唐) is a character in the epic Chinese novel the Water Margin. Liu Tang was from Dongluzhou. He had a dark complexion, a wide face, with a red birthmark on the side of his face, with strands of yellow hair growing out from the birthmark. ..... Click the link for more information. Nicknamed the 'Little Li Guang' (小李广), Hua Rong (花荣) is a major character in the epic Chinese tale, the Water Margin. He is well respected for his loyalty and courage in battle. ..... Click the link for more information. The Resourceful Wizard (智多星), Wu Yong (Traditional Chinese: 呉用; Simplified Chinese: 吴用; pinyin: Wú Yòng) ranked third in seniority amongst the 108 heroes of Liangshan and was one of the 36 Heavenly Spirits. ..... Click the link for more information. Sun Li (孙立) is a character in the epic Chinese tale Water Margin. Sun Li's ancestors were from Liangzhou, but he served as a garrison major in Dengzhou. Sun stood at above 8 feet, a wide bearded face and jet-black eyes. ..... Click the link for more information. Yáng Zhì (楊志), nicknamed the 'Blue-Faced Beast' (青面兽), had incredible ability as a warrior was a major character of the epic Chinese tale, the Water Margin. He was one of the most skilled warriors of Liangshan. ..... Click the link for more information. Lín Chōng (林冲), nicknamed the 'Panther Head', (豹子头) is a semi-fictional character in the classic Chinese novel, the Water Margin. ..... Click the link for more information. Lǔ Zhìshēn (鲁智深), nicknamed the "Flowery Monk" (花和尚), or Sagacious Lu (the name his abbot gave him) is a major fictional character in the classic Chinese novel Water Margin. ..... Click the link for more information. Wǔ Sōng (武松) was a hero in the Water Margin, one of the four most famous classical works of Chinese literature. He also appeared in Jin Ping Mei, a spinoff of Water Margin. ..... Click the link for more information. This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia® - the free encyclopedia created and edited by online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of the Wikipedia® encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. 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The heroes of the centuries-old epic Water Margin rarely went hungry, Wei observed, but they fought and struggled with their masters all the same. The figure is Pan Jien Lian, who appears in two books, The Water Margin and Tien Ping Mei (The Golden Lotus). Looking ahead, we are focused on improving Water margins and maintaining Technical Products solid margins through continued implementation of Pentair's Integrated Management System in all of our businesses, and by re-establishing solid growth," Hogan said. |
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Water Margin
